Greetings MoonChildren,
Over the years since starting Moonchild one question regularly finds its way into my inbox.. 'why isn't my spell work manifesting as intended?'. This question comes from new and practiced witches alike, yet my advice is almost always the same having faced this situation myself in the past.
You may have an elaborate altar, candles, crystals, herbs and oils all corresponding with your intended spell or enchantment, you may have written or discovered a perfectly worded spell, you may be adept at casting circles but are still left decidedly underwhelmed by the results of your spell work. So where are you going wrong?
Witchcraft, at its core, relies on a strong foundation of belief. Without this belief there is very little to build upon through the use of your magickal items. A circle, whilst offering powerful protection is primarily a cone of power in which to raise and collect energy. This energy is raised through our passion and emotion and is only amplified, rather than solely manifested by use of our magickal tools.
The above mentioned supplies are little more than tools to compliment and enhance your manifestation, they alone do not a spell make. To look at it from an alternative perspective, no great artist ever put paintbrush to canvas and simply created a masterpiece. Each work of art took time, energy, passion and a belief that the end result would be a success. Spell work is no different.
You may have planned your spell in intricate detail but if you are reading your spell as if reciting lines from a script or following bullet point instructions more suited to erecting a flat pack wardrobe, your focus isn't in the right place. This is a commonplace and understandable situation for new witches to find themselves in. Trying to find your feet in a brand new belief system whilst simultaneously attempting to navigate the uses and correspondences of crystals, herbs, candles and other tools that you may wish to incorporate in to your practice is no mean feat.
For the more learned witches amongst us, it's not at all uncommon (at least in the experience of my inbox!) to find themselves in the same situation at some point. I found myself in a very similar situation just a few short years ago. In my own case I came to realise that my magick had become almost mundane. I spend every day of my life performing spell work and creating magickal items for others through Moonchild, for which my passion and enthusiam has never wavered. All of my energy was focused on that aspect of my craft but at the end of the day, when it came to my own personal spell work I wasn't seeing the same powerful results. I realised quickly that I needed to reconnect to my magick with passion and intention.
It's easy to begin to take for granted the things that surround us on a daily basis. The magical transistion of nature, for example, as one season folds into the next; the wonder of watching flowers bloom in spring and the magick of leaves changing colour in autumn, falling to the ground leaving beautiful amber blankets. These magical things happen each year but with each turn of the wheel we begin to take them for granted and they lose a little of their wonder.
When I catch myself falling into a dismissive train of thought I now try to catch myself and take a moment to imagine how differently I would feel if I was seeing something for the first time. Similarly, years of practicing your craft can render your spell work methodical in nature and slowly but surely, the magick and wonderment that we initially felt gets lost amongst an assemblage of magickal supplies that will only truly aid us if we remember to tap in to the true power, that which resides within us.
Rediscovering my own personal magick took me back to basics. I rooted out some of my earliest books of shadows and spent time reading through the diaries within that recorded spell work I had performed, alongside thoughts and feelings that had occured to me during and after the work was complete. One thing that instantly stood out to me was the contrast between my books of old and books that I was currently filling. The oldest of my books was filled with entries that truly conveyed the enthusiasm and connection that I felt with each spell and was almost always followed up by an entry describing the success of the spell and my disbelief at the speed at which it manifested. As I went through the newer books, the entries became decidely more mundane. The interest and love for my craft was still apparent in my writing but the heady excitement and wonderment was less palpable.
As it turned out, this simple activity allowed me to truly reconnect, on a soul level, to the raw magick of my personal practice. I recall sitting in circle and becoming overwhelmed with emotion as I remembered what it was to be truly in sync with the energy around me. Now each time I begin any spell work I start by simply focusing on the flame of one of my candles, appreciating the magick of fire and the way in which it dances... again, Imagining how I would feel if I were seeing flame for the first time.
Connecting to your spell work with passion, energy and emotion is a sure fire way to start seeing real results. Above all, belief in the manifestation of a spell is paramount.
If you've been feeling disenchanted with your magick of late, or are having trouble getting it off the ground altogether.. loosen up a little, reconnect with your personal power and believe fiercly in its capablility. It may be all you need to get out of a magickal rut!
Love, Blessings & Magick,
Leanne xx
Skylar Kennedy
Absolutely beautiful and so true Leanne! I’m just starting on my journey but will remember this for a very long time to come because ultimately the magic solely lies in and comes from within you! The best piece of advice I could have read as a beginner! 💙💙💙