O Amor Mágico-Laurie Cabot

 

 

I

URIE C WITH

TOM CO W From the

BOT N

uthors of

POW R OF THE WIT

H

 

Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2 1

http://www archive org/details/lovemagicOOcabo

 

  oveffi

gic

 

  lsoby

Laurie Cabot

and

om Cowan

POWER O F THE WITCH T H E EA RT H

THE M OON

AND

THE M A GICAL PATH TO E NLIGHTENMENT

 

ov

Laurie

abot

with owan

~o

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

 

  DELT

BOOK

Publis h ed b y Dell Pu bl bliis h i n g a d ivision o f Bantam Doubleday De ll Publish Publ ish in ing g Group   I n c . Th e Tishman Buildin Building g 5 2 n d St ree eett and Fifth Avenue New York New York 10103

Cop Co p y rig h t © 1992 b y Lauri Lauriee Ca bot and Torn Cowan

•

All rights reserved. No part o f this book may be reproduced o r transmitted in any form o r by any means means   e lectronic o r mechanical mechanical   including p hotoco otocop p ying recording informatt ion s torag toragee and retrieval system o r by any informa wi t h out t h e writt writteen permission o f the P u b lishe isherr exce p t wh whee re permitte d by law. tradee m a rk De lta ta® ® is re gist istee red The trad in the U.S. Pat Pa t en t and Trademark Office. Li br braa ry o f Congress Catalogin Cataloging g in P u blication Dat a Cabot Laurie . Love magic / La u rie Cabot and Tom Cowan. p cm. ISBN 0-385-30570- 2 l. Cowan   Tom 1 Magic Magic.. 2. Love-Misce ll llanea anea.. 1944- . 11 T itle. BF1623.L6C33 1992 1 3 3 .4 4 2 -d c2 0 91-374 18 CIP

ook design by Christine

wirnoff

Manufactured i n the United St States ates o f America Published simu ltane ou sly in Canada J u n e 1992

10

9

8

7

6

5

BVG

 

4

3

2

1

  o our parents

 

  cknowledgments Many kind and dedicated p eople encouraged us and supported our effor efforts ts i n writing this book. book . Among them are our editors Jody Rein and Catherine Chapm a n our

ee

  agent Susan Cohen an and d special friends and associates like Kate Arme Arment nt Nancy St St.. Lawrence   J oa oan n Gormalley Mar Marie ie Cardillo and Karen h o m .

 

  ontents

Introduction

l

1

Love Magic

1

2

Magical Magic al Wor Workin kings gs

3

Ritualls t o Begin the Magic Ritua

17 24

36

4

The Power Lover Wit Within

5

Love Lo vers rs:: Sta Star-C r-Cros rossed sed o r Star-Woven?

6

Invoking the Gods and Goddesses

7

Spells to Attract Love

8

Spells to Enhance Love

9

Spells t o End Relationships

10

Nature  s Magical Tools Nature

65

1 4

161 193 234

248

Appendix A Celtic Gods and Goddesses

265

Appendix B: Sources for Books, Tools, and Magic

269

 

  ntroduction

N A

v 1 s 1 r to England, the home of my ancestors, ancestors ,

1 fell i n love with a country gentleman. I wasn' wasn' t sure just how much he cared for me, even though we spent long hours and

even days together together,, driving through the English countryside, having tea at romantic rustic inns , and staying u p late to watch the stars.

n e afternoon while I was alone, doubts began to

cross my mind. Does he really love m e the way I love him? 1 would find out. I hiked out into the hills beyond Stratford-upon-Avon drag ging my Witch's sword behind me. With Wi th it, I carved a circle into the earth near the ancient ancie nt standing standin g stones called called "The Roll Rite" Rite" and lifted my voice t o invoke the powers o f that magi.cal land.

"If h e loves me as I love him, bring the mist o f the dragon and lead him to m e now " s 1 walked back bac k a mist began to form, form , and when 1 arrived at the manor house where I was staying, my English lover was just driving i n the gate. He ro roll ll e d down the window of his antique car and said, "All o f a sudden I had this

burning desire to see you "

 

x11

IN T R O D U

TION

•

t

t

•

•

t

•

t

•

•

t

t

t

t

•

•

t

t

t

t

t

•

t

t

ove Magic is a book of Witches spells n d rituals to attract

love n d en h n ce r elationships. You d o not need to be a Wi Wittc h o r eve even n be in love with a Witch to use this book . In fact, fact , ov  Magic is writte written n both as a sensible guide for readers wh who o alr alread eady y practice magic n d as n introduct introductiio n fo r people who know nothing about it. I hope that adepts o f the magical arts as well as novices will find the book useful, ente entertaining rtaining,, and enlight enlight ening. From our own separate backgrounds Tom a n d I weave to gether several rich traditions n d many years o f experience. I am n ordained High Priestess of Witchcraft, descended fro m Celtic ancestry with Fae aeri riee blood coursing through my veins. Love magic has ah vays b een a vita vitall ingredient in m y life as it is i n any Wit W itcc h  s daily practices because there is little that is more important than warmth, caring, affection, n d pleasure. I fir irst st began my st stud udy y n d practice o f Witchcraft fort forty y-t -two wo years ago,, when prac ago practit titioners ioners were virtually nonexistent. K n o wledge of t he Craft was closely guarded and, because of the fear of persecution persecutio n , confined to family traditi traditions. ons. The lack o f informa tion about real magic created within m e a passionate determina tion to uncover the reality of o f Witchcraft n d master the Art. Sin Si n ce that time, I have fo u n d e d t he Cabot Tradition of the Science of Witchcraft, Witchcraft , which blends scientific n d natural law with psychic abilities an a n d Witchcraft p ractices. I have shared m y knowled ledge ge o f ancient an a n d m.odern Celtic Wit Wi tchcraft, the Egyptian Mysteries, Hermetics, Hermetics , Spellcraft, Herbcraft, psychic healing , ritual magic, healing, magic , and mental alch chee n1y with thousand thousandss of people who have att ttended ended my classes n d se minars over the past t h ir ty-three years. years . I have al also organized and led public rituals as well officiated at sacred functions in Sa lem. It has been a joy and confirmation o f my efforts to see the explosive growth of the modem Craft. Indeed, Witches are now once

 

IN T R O D U

. .

.

T IO N

. . . .

. . .

.

.

.

. .

.

.

.

x u

.

. .

.

again members o f a n international and ageless community that preserves ancient wisdom and worships the Great Mother, She who was old vvhen the world was young. To m has been a student and teacher of shamanic practices and other visionary work for twenty years. His work has roots in core sha shamani manism sm   as well as in specific strains o f Native American spirituality and the Celtic origins of modern Witch craft. s a North American and the son of famili families es going goin g back b ack to Celtic and Germanic ancestors, ancestors , he unites th thee Old Ways Ways of both places in his personal spiritual life. Tom has helped organize public rituals i n New York City to celebrate pagan earth holi days. He is active i n the gra grassss-roo roots ts dreamwork drea mwork movement and the neone o-pa pagan gan re revi viva vall to reintroduce the ancient folk customs to modem Americans. He lecture lecturess extensively extensively o n dreams dreams,, shaman ism, and mysticism. u r understanding of 1nagic webs backward into the very distant past and forward into what we hope to create for the twenty- first century, while our understanding of love and h u twentyman relationships derives from the people we have loved i n our own lives and from the joys, joys , hopes, and sorrows brought to us by the people we advise as spiritual counselors. No one has all the answers o r insights, o r even knows all the questions, about a subject as profound and mysterious as the human heart. It is therefore with utmost respect for my readers, who may see more keenly into the mysteries of love than I do, that I offer whatever knowledge and experience the

Goddess and God have given to me . l encourage those o f you already experienced with magic to use the spells and rituals as springboards for creating your own work. The most powerful spells always come from the heart and mind of the magicmagic -worker, not from the pages of a book. For readers readers new to magic magic,, I suggest you peruse the entire book

 

Xl v

. . . . . .

.

LN T R O D U C T l O N

. . . . . . . . . . . .

. . .

before attempting any spells

and

rituals,

then

begin with the

ones that seem most appropriate for your own needs and your own level of spiritual practice. The book is divided into three parts. The first (Chapters 1 to 3 ) presents a n overview of magic and love. he secon d part (Chapters 4 to 6) contains ritual ritua ls and meditati meditat ions for self-dis covery and self-esteem, both necessary for magic and love. Th e last secti sec tio n contains three chapters of specific spells and rituals for attracting a lover, lover , for enhancing a relationship, and for en d  ing a relationship. The final chapter chapte r shows how to find the ingredients for love magic in the n a tu ra rall e nviro nvironment. nment. you u d o n 't have to c hange your you r religious or To use this book , yo metaphysical beliefs to work spells an an d rituals. In some cases, cases , you may ha have ve to su susp spen end d disbelief disbelief'' about magic, much like you su su spend your knowledge at t h e t h ea eatter t hat the action of of t he play is only acting. In m os ostt cases, you don't have to believe anything specific. But, as in all areas of life, it is necessary to have a strong and abiding belief in yourself and the greater Power that creates and fills the cosmos. Magic is a craft , a set o f practices practices,, a way of focusing your will and intention. It is something you do, not someth i ng you

believe and it works remarkably well for people of widely vary ing belief systems. Some readers may ask: What is a Wit Wi tch? H ow does a person become one? I refer you to our first book Power o the Witch where I de deaa l with these questions more thoroughly. But to sat sat isfy your curiosity, l ca n say briefly: Witchcraft is rooted in the pre-- Christian spiritual and healing practices of the early Euro pre pean cultures. Like ancient people everywhere, the first Witches were earth-oriented people, people , in love with the changing Wheel of th e year, the animal anima l and plant ife manifested in the seasons of th life with which they shared the planet,

and

the powers o f

t he

 

IN T R O D U

. .

. . . .

T IO N

.

.

.

. .

.

.

. . . .

.

. . .

. .

.

x

.

mind and heart. They found the e nh to be wondrously alive with spirits and deities   with elemental powers charged with divine energy n d with marvelous opportunities to dream and wonder about hum n life: its origins its purpose it its destiny. They found ans nswers wers and intimations o f answers to their dreams an d questions in the natural world around them and in their relationships with each o t her. Witches are people who strive to keep alive these ancient visions of the natural harmony and balance of nature and to partic participate in the Wheel o f Life And how does a person become a Wit Witcch? How do you know you are not a Witch already?

 

•

•

G

H E

vo u

G

C E L T , c God Aengus Og met a

dream-woman from the Land of Faerie, Faerie, and fell i n lo love ve wi with th her at once. For a year she appeared to him in dreams, playing a magical stringed instrument that lulled him into the deepest sleep. Longing to b e with this Faerie woman by day, h e grew lovesick, never knowing where she went at dawn. He lost all interest i n food and life. Eventually, Aengus learned that his Faerie lover spent every other year in the form of a white whi te swan o n a certain lake with 150 other swans.

n October 31, the

Holy Day of Samhain, the Witches New Year when the veil between this world and the world o f Faerie is lifted, Aengus went to the lake and saw the swans. He called to l1is beloved and promised to stay with her. She came to him and immedi ately the magic o f this union turned the young God into a beautiful swan. That night, after more than a year of desperate longing, Aengus slept with the woman of his drea111s and ful-

 

2

. .

. . .

. . .

. . .

LOVE

.

. .

M

GIC

. . . .

filled his heart  heart s desire desire.. Later the two swans flew back to Aengus s home , singing e n c h anted love songs that caused all who heard them to sleep and dream for three blissful days.

The story of Aengus Aengus O g happens every da day y . l n our deepest, heartfelt moments, we

fall i n

love,, grow lovesick love lovesick,, can t eat,

dream of our heart heart  s desire, discover th thaa t love radically trans forms us and that our happiness spill spi llss over into the lives o f others. In short, falling in l ove is magical, and love itself is a form of mag magic ic that th at transfor transforms ms and excites not j ust the love lovers rs but t h ose around them.

I watch seekers of love and magic search through our Witch shop in Salem, and l know that magical bookstores across the nation are filled with people looking for just the right herb,

crystal, charm, o r book o f sp ells to bring them true lo love. ve. Some are successful i n their quest; others are not. Magic, it is true true,, can can bring about change in the flash of a n eye, but it is n o substitute for the personal growth an d transformation required to make a loving relationship prosper. A spell spell o r charm may bring you a new love, and magic rituals may help two lovers get off to a good start o r get back on track, but only personal commitment makes a relationship last. Magic-workers have to work wo rk hard at love just like everyone else, and even more importantly, importantly , work o n themselves. We are physical beings and must bring o u r

magic down to earth and work with it every da day y. Magic is the ability

to

alter one s state of consc consciio u s n ess at

will wi ll i n order to effect some change i n the world and Witches use many different techniques to achieve this. Salem Witches use simple, nonthreatening methods to shif shiftt our consciousness gently into a n a lpha wave state.

e

believe that whatever we

change by magical means 1nust be for the good of al alll and a nd that it harm no one.

e

follow strict strictlly the ancient law of Witchcraft

 

  ove Magic •

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

that our actions-both good and b a d - w i l l return t o u s three foll d . fo What happens in an al tered state o f consciousness? Alpha is

a spri n gboard to magic, but it is o n ly the first step. To excel at at magic, work is required.

You

have to do something. Most spells

involve action utilizing magical tools and psychic stimuli to catallyze the s p e ll Sometimes it's possible to d o magic with the cata mind alone, but material objects contain their own energy and thus activities done with those objects help strengthen concen

tration and provide a focal point for our atte atten n tion. Thoughts are energy. T h e mind is energy. The lates atestt scien tific reports indicate that men tal energy is electrochemical i n nature. Scientists confess, however , that for all their progress i n understanding the brain, mental energy is still elusive and mys

terious. How does one explain in a rational rationa l manner , for exam ple, the many occurrences in parapsychology: parapsychology : precognition, ex ex trasensory perception, perception , telepathy , psychokinesis? Clearly some of

with

phenomena but

type mental energy is involved these it sometimes seems to have a mind o f its own, s o to speak. It leaps and darts where it will, bringing information to individu individu  als outside t h e customary channe ls o f perception , and i n s o doing, it disrupts the rational rational ,

fa c t-based

paradigm the modem

world uses to explain how the universe operates. Witches who practice our science, however however,, know that tha t t h is energy can be controlled. We believe the energy o f the 1nind is the same energy that tha t charges the e n t ire universe. W e all live in fields o f common consciousness, much li like ke fish swimming i n a common sea. And

like fish, we are able to stir the waters, send out ripples, and generrate currents i n all directions. When specific flows o f e n  gene ergy intersect, energy exchanges occur between the object objectss gen erating those currents.

 

 

To

conceptualize this in another way, it

~·

f t. f. . . . ~ . . . .

~

.

.

.

. . . .

LOVE

.

•

•

•

•

M •

•

G IC •

•

•

may help to think thi nk of the universe as a gian giantt web, o n which each person , animal, plant, and object hol ho lds a thread of energy connected to every other thread. O r imag imagine ine each individual individu al with a personal radar transmit tr ansmitter ter beaming a frequen frequency cy of light outward in all directions and the beams intersecting with the beamed frequencies from other crea eattures ures.. B y placing our attent attention ion upon t he web lines o r the light lines, lines , we can d i rect and guide en enee rgy

to any other entity Sometimes at night you will see two searchlights scanning t h e sky, swinging their b eams i n great arcs across t h e h eave eavens. ns. Their lights cross for a moment moment,, and the two become one a t the

point of inters intersection ection,, and an d the intensity of light increases. Mental energy d i rec ectted outward during a spell o r ritual operates i n the same way. When doing magic, magic , you send your energy, your thoughts , outward, directed toward some person, person, object, or o r situation,, i ncreas uation creasing ing the energy at that point to cause a desired change. The experience of love a t first sight illustrates how a magical chemistr hemistry y can influen influence ce two people spontaneously without any conscio consciou u s effort to d o so. Two individuals see each other for thee first time , their eyes meet, and two beams of energy interth sect. Something cli cks. Information is exchange exchanged. d. In that magi-

cal moment, both of them know that this could be t he start o f something.

S YM O LS

D

IMA IM AG ES

A symbol is a n image enriched with thought and feeling. It has mea eaning. ning. Symbols embody concepts and associations that can be personal and private as well as u ni niversa versall a nd sh a red with others. n a magical sense, sense , symbols and images are the nodes

 

  ove Magic

. .

. . . . . .

.

. . . . . . . .

.

.

. .

.

.

. .

. .

where currents of consciousness intersect. A symbol channels magic. Some symbols are activated b y the work of the person doing magic; others are so powerful they influence us regardless of whether anyone is using them for magical purposes. The nation''s flag, for example, does not have to be act nation ac t ivated to generatte feelings o f patriotism. Over many years it has received genera the energy of millions of Americans Americans,, n d it is now fully charged. A dozen roses are a symbol of love. Generations of lovers have fully charged them n d their meaning is now obvious. In the Western world, world , various symbolo symbologies gies have emerged as potent channels for magical ,vork, ,vork , precise preciselly because so many peoplle have put their energy into them and activated them over peop such a long period of time: the signs of the Zodiac, the Tarot, the Kabbala, the Runic alphabet of northern Europe, the tools o f alchemy, the major pantheons o f Gods

n d Goddesses, and

the many wonderf wonderful ul lege legends nds n d folklore arising from the deep mythic reservoirs of Western consciousness. Each generation

infuses these symbols n d images with its own psychic energy n d , in the process, reinforces the genetic memory o f these symbols for future generations. Anyone serious about doing magic will construct a pattern of symbols symbols,, legends, myths,

n d images with which to work.

While i t might be said that any symbol symbol n d image will work, n o t every symbol o r image will work for everyone. W e each

have our preferences. Some images come from our personal unco n scious: dreams, old memories, n d fa uncon fan n tasies residing just below our conscious field o f awareness. These exert powerful influences on our conscious thoughts n d feelings, even though we are not always aware of t h e m , but ritua rituals ls and meditations d o help bring these images out. Other symbols arise from archetypa archetypall images shared by human beings the world over by virtue of our common hum ni ty

 

LOVE

  •

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

MAGIC •

•

•

•

•

These images resonate with strangely similar meanings and powers in whatever century o r culture they appear. The young hero the wi wise se elder the beautiful lover the dark journey a t night   the deep cave or sea the blessed dawn   the intelligent night animal companion the beast o r foe the hidden tre treasure asure the weapons o f strength and power all cultures have their variati ons o f these images and o n t h e right occasions they become activated i n forms appropriate to the culture i n which we live. A successful spell o r ritual will summon these images. At such times we feel we are i n the presence of a Goddess o r Spirit some grand force or ene energy rgy moving thr throu ough gh us helping to emempower our magic.

For our spells and rituals I have chosen many symbols and images from our Celt Celtiic heritage because Tom and I believe they have the power to work for most indi individuals viduals i n Western culture.. Th ture Thee major images images o f Celtic folklore cons constitut titutee a symbology of their own: t he princess imprisoned in a castl cast le the Witch Queen Quee n stir stirring ring her pot potion ion a Fae Faerie rie Goddess gran granting ting wishes o n a golden ring   the magical tools of cha chalic licee sword and harp   not to mention all the symbols and images associated with the Merlin and Arthu Arthurr tradit traditions. ions. We realize not every sym symbol bol will work for every reader. Some o f the symbols come from very ancient practices that appeal to the two of us for personal reasons and that w e use i n our own perso personal nal magic. s i n dreams everyone produces symbols with persona personall meaning and s ignifi ignificance. cance. Some people always dream about rivers or high buildings o r their parents. Others never dream about these things; they have their own dream images. No part particul icular ar set of deiti deities es tools o r settings is absolutely crucial for a given spell alt lth hough I believe the ones I suggest are the most magical. If you are already experienced i n doing ritual and working magic magic   you may want to use our structures

 

~ve •

•

•

~ •

•

•

•

•

•

•

t

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

7 •

and add your own symbolic content. What is important is that

the symbols work for you. If a particular spell or ritual involves symbols and images alien to your views, change it. Substitute similarr ones that retain the spirit of the ritual but are more simila compatible with your own frame of reference. through the spells and

ri t uals i n

s

you read

this book, notice your rea reacc t ion

to the symbols and images I suggest. They should give you fee li ngs o f power and

excitement. If they d o not resonate favor

ably with you, skip the spell, or change the symbols. If you you''re a novice to this work work,, you should probably d o the spells and rituals as I describe them and change them later as you become more experienced. Ritual is a more or less formalized use of symbol symbolss and may b e either public o r private. You can use symbols without ritual. Any symbol, for example, can b e used mentally, just by its being thought of and held in one's awareness. But it assumes greater power i n a n external form, and it can produce even more power i n the kind of dramatic activity called ritual be cause dran1atic act activit ivity y generates gen erates energy en ergy o f itself. An example: A common symbo symboll i n the Craft is th th e pentacle. Meditating o n its

signiificance empowers and inspires us. The star represents our sign highest aspira aspirations. tions. Commo Com mon n expressions su such ch as Re Reac ach h for a star,   Hitch your wagon to a star,   and When you wish upon star, a star  star  attest to the univer unive r sal significance of star sta rs The

five

points o f the star can stand for the

five

symbols.

as

extremities o f

the human body (head , hands, and feet) or the

senses

five

through which we experience and appreciate the physical world represented by the circle around it. The circle , to too o , is a n ancient u n iversal symbo l of wholeness, the God and Goddess, eternity, eternity ,

that which has n o beginning o r end. The star-withi star-with in-the-circle is

a rich symbol symbol,, a circuit channeling protection and universal

 

8

LOVE •

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

•

I

I

I

I

I

M I

I

GIC I

I

I

wisdom. All it takes is a little mental energy playing with this

symbol to release its power. By giving the symbol a physical manifestation, however, however , a new dimension is added. Wearing a gold o r silver pentacle, placing one in the center of a n altar altar,, o r hanging it o n a wall bring the pentacle  pentacle s power right into the physical environment. l t is more immediate. It has greater charge. charge . Actively working with the pentacle i n some physically dramatic way, as in a ritual , generates even more power. l n Craft circles we trace a pentacle i n the air vvith our athame (ritual knife) o r wand wand.. W e might stand with our legs apart and arms raised outward at shoulder height to assume the pose of a five-pointed star. Often I like to trace a pentacle in the sand at the seashore and let the waves carry it out to sea. In whatever way we use the pentacle o r its shape, shape , we enhance its power and the power that it releases in us. The same is true for all symbols symbols.. I encourage all my students to complement action per formed in sacred space with a parallel action performed i n the ordinary realm. Magic alone might achieve the goal, goal , but ordi nary , everyday efforts help, especially in matters of love. A rit nary, ual to attract a lover, or nurture your relationship, o r save a relationship requires a corresponding. corresponding. activity in the ordinary world. There are many commonsense strategies that might help improve a relationship . Losing weight, fixing your hair, toning u p your body, body , dressing attractively, acquiring hobbies and in terests, learning about your partner  partner s hobbies and interests, go ing out to meet pe p eople socially, taking courses to become more knowledgeable , reading books on self-improvement, self-improvement , joining clubs and organizations these changes can help make you feel vital , attractive attractive,, interesting interesting,, and desirab desirablle They will no nott guaran guaran tee love, love , o f course course,, any more than will a love potion. But they increase your chances for meeting someone, attracting his or

 

  ove Magic •

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

her interest, while at the same time increasing your self-esteem and giving you the personal and social skills to make a relation ship work. vitally y important, therefore, to complement your magi It is vitall cal workings with activities in the ordinary worlds o f work, play, and home life. I know a Witch who didn' t think he needed to rewrite his resume , apply for jobs , and d o well o n interviews when he wanted to change careers to make more money. He thought it was enough just to just sit at home , draw the cunain , and burn prosperity incense in his cauld ca uldron ron He tried magic alone and nothing happened. Then he performed rituals and spells to empower him to apply for jobs and to have confidence o n interviews. He eventually found the right job. In his case, magic gave him the courage to pound the pavement.

TH

wo

P E RI LS O F F ANTASY AND M

NIPUL NIPU LATION

perils threaten the quest for love love:: fantasy and manipula

tion. A word about each each.. Spells involve visualizing visualizing,, which to the uninitiated can look a lot like mere fantasizing. fantasizing . There is a real danger here because being in love, or wishing you were i n love , spontaneously gen erates reveries. How easy to daydream about love and sex, sex , and indulge ourselves i n fantasies. W e d o n 't want to discourage fan fan  tasies and reveries. But they are not the kind of visualization used in love spells. camp-out,, Tom met a young Witch One autumn at a pagan camp-out who complained to him that she was using one o f my love

potions but it was only attracting "trolls," as she put it. He asked her how she used it, and she replied that she "dabbed a little on" when she went out. She was having romantic fantasies

 

•

M

LOVE

10 •

•

•

•

•

•

t

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

GIC •

•

•

about "the man of he r dreams dreams"" but he just wasn wasn''t appearing appearing.. Tom suggested that instead she visualize herself with a compati ble partner, someone with whom she had some e1notional, in in tellectual, and physical rapport. That very weekend she met a male Witch, fell in love, and they were still together at the spring camp the fallowing year What is the difference between fantasizing and visualizing? Spells require the ons ious creation o f images and the proje tion o f them outward, into the world. Reverie Reverie,, fantasy, and daydreams draw us inward and cut off awareness o f the outside world.. Proje world Projecctions, s p ell s, and rituals do just the opposite. Witches project their desired end results outward, where they will d o some good. lf a Witch sits and b roods over a los lostt love o r daydreams about how wonderfu wonderfull i t wo wou ul d b e to n1eet the right person, nothing wi will ll happen happen.. She is h o lding the sp speell within. But when a Witch takes those same thought though ts, processes them creatively within a ritual constructed of a p p ropriate sym sym bols , tools bols, tools,, an and d act activi ivitt ies es,, and then releases her desires into t he cosmos,, magic happe cosmos happen ns. Witches conclude t h eir spells spells with the phrase "So mote it be ," to signify they are letting their magic go - and it is done Manipulating another person by means of a spell sparks serious discussion among responsible Witches concerned about t he ethical use of power. There has been so much anti-Wi anti-Witch tch

propaganda over the centuries centering around the image o f the "evil evil"" Witch who hexes and causes harm, that m odern Witches take very seriously their responsibility to use their thei r power for the good of all and to harm no one. Central to these discussions that appear in pagan publications and symposiums is the issue of manipulation. To what extent do spells manipu late others? ls it ethical to manipulate another human being, even for that person person''s own good? Can we ever really know what

 

Love Magi  

.

.

. . . . .

.

.

.

. . .

.

. .

. . .

is in i n the best inter inte rests o f anothe another? r? ls it even possible to manipu late or control another against that person' person's wishes? There are n o easy answers to these questions questions,, and eac each h can evoke differ ent answers depending o n the context i n which it is asked. intenttion that it be If a spell o r potion is created with the inten for the good o f all all   and to harm n o o n e , then it will not be an unethical use of power. l recall a love potion that made the rounds , so to speak, speak , and still managed to be for the good of all. lt happened that some years ago April, a Witch friend, made a love potion for m e just before l left for a vacation i n Ireland. I thanked her but said the purpose of the trip was not love, so I wou wo uld probably not use it. When I arrived arrived,, Brittany, my host ess,, confided that she had lost sexual interest in her husband ess after their baby was born . She asked me if I had a love potion that might help her. 1 po pour ured ed some of Apri April's l's sweet-smelling oil oil in a small bottle and did a quick spell over it to transfer its power to Bri t tany and to ensure that the results be fo forr the good of all and to harm no one. one.   Then I gave it to her.

Brittany Britta ny began beg an wearing i t a n d , true to the spell, she became romanticall romantica lly y interested i n her husband that very night. But then a strange event occurred . Brittany Brittany''s brother, Iain, suddenly broke up with a woman he had been going with for about two years (it had been a stormy relationship) relationship ) and started nirting with me. W e were extremel extreme ly attracted to each other and went out a few times while I was staying in a cottage nearby. u r romance got serious enough that we began talking about the possibility o f one o r the other of us moving across the ocean to be together. Was this a new love? Why did i t happen so sud denly? Later, Brittany told me that she hoped l wouldn wouldn''t mind but afte afterr using the potion poti on for herself, herself, she put a few drops o n her brother. Magically Magically,, the potion worked, and the spell enveloped m e in a new romance. The original spell was done for the good

 

12 •

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

LOVE

M

GIC

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

o f all, and even though I added to the potion a spell for Brit

tany, and she passed a few drops of the oil onto lain, it contin ued to be for the good o f all, and it harmed no one. Neither Iain nor I b y the way, sold our homes and moved, but w e still communicate and are loving friends. The woman whom Iain left soon found another man and began a calmer and happier relationship. The issue o f manipulation, like the act itself, is tricky. It takes tak es on added adde d importance i n the context of love magic because love, even without magic spells, always involves some element of manipulation. Why do you wear provocati provocat ive perfume o r co logne? Why spend so much money o n your date? Why go to the trouble of preparing a romantic dinner? Why do you wear

sexy clothes? The reasons are obvious: You want to influence someone; you are indirectly trying to manipulate another's thoughts and feelings by creating a powerful and attractive im age of yourself at your best. The art o f seduction is found i n all cultures. Today the conventional symbols and rituals to \.vin someone's heart i n clude such things as a dozen roses roses,, a heart-shaped box o f candy, candle-lit dinners for two , moonlight walks in a garden o r along a beach, lying i n the grass o n a warm spring day and weaving necklaces out of wild clover, love letters letters,, long and intimate phone calls late a t night. Every culture has its varia tions on these ways o f wooing and winning the heart of an intended lover. In general, general , n o one would claim these innocent forms of seduction o r manipulation are wrong. I n one sense, this is what romance is all about, and it' it 's fun. l n earlier, less self-questioning times, people believed that all's fair in love and war  war   but toda today y we would not n ot accept suc such h an innocent and naive posture. Seduction is a two-edged sword: one is for lust, the other

 

Love Magic

.

.

. .

. . .

.

.

.

.

.

. . . .

. .

. . .

3

. .

for love. Ideally, swordplay between lovers is a mock battle with both parties enjoying the game game,, parrying their attacks and

counterattacks with a certain amount o f tongue-in-cheek exu berance. ll 's fair i n t h is war o f love love   because it is a game with mutually agreed upon rules. The stakes migh mightt be love or sex, o r hen both, but the two lovers know vhere they are headed headed.. the friendly persuasion becomes less than friendly, and the

swordplay becomes force, I believe that one o r the other of the partners is n o longer playing the game o f seduction but is out for rape.

this point, manipulation becomes totally unethical.

t

Can a love s p e ll be a form of psychic rape? If so, how do we prevent it? Spells are a means o f positioning and negotiating, the same friend ly persuasion found i n the gentle art of seduction, but o n friendl the psychic level. Through spells spells,, lovers meet in psychic trysts trysts   to encourage each other to respond favorably o n the physical level. Spells are never performed in a spirit o f force, o r to weaken another another''s free will. Remember that magic is the ability to alter consciousness at will; o r , put another way, it is the ability to direct mental menta l energy by means of symbols to achieve some desired end. A spell spell avoids becoming psy psychic chic rape because it merely sends out one's desires and positions them in the psychi psychicc fiel field d around the lover, at which point (either consciously or unconsciously) he o r she becomes aware of those desires desires,, and responds o r does not re spond. A spell never strips another o f free will. Any misguided attempt to d o so is black magic and severely condemned under the Laws o f the Craft. Furthermore, baneful magic actually weaken s the strength o f the s p ell weaken ll.. Why? Because the God and Goddess of the Universe are Love. You canno cannott work with thei thei r energy with the intention of perverting it against the very Law o f Love, which is the union of two people Jor the good o the

 

LOV

14 •

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

M

•

GIC •

•

performing the spell i n the spirit that it be for the good performing o f all, and the more convincing and honest you are about this, other By

you have a greater chance for success, simply because you align your intentions with wit h love itself. Energy work always takes place within a greater energy flow I do not control the Great Flow. I ca can n guide, deflect, an an d direct it into channels, provided these channels do not attempt to go against its very nature. I n addition , l always acknowledge and respect the natural laws, using them, working with them, them , flowing vvith them. Neither 1 nor anyone can ever ch ch ange them. The issue of compatibility is a good good example of this in terms of love magic. N o on onee s magic is powerful enough to make two naturally incompatible people compatible. You might be ab le to achieve a few weeks or months of happiness an d fun, but two basica basi cally lly incompati incom patible ble natures wi will ll not no t be able to sustain a long term relationship. (This is not the same as bringing together opposites , which can and do attract.) opposites, Spells are powerful, but do not no t be afraid to use your power, any more than you would hesitate to use your natura naturall skills to plan a romantic romantic dinner o r vacation, o r buy just the right kind of giftt for a loved one. The power of the Witch is always power gif from within coming from self-knowl self-knowledge edge,, self self--confidence, and self-esteem. It is never power over another. I t is never the psychic equivalent of using physical power to intimidate, frighten, shame shame,, o r sexually force yourself upon someone. When working for the good of all, as you must do to abide by the ethical code o f Witchcraft, you cannot do a spell to threaten o r terrorize someone into succumbing to your desires. Love simply does not work that way. Your spell will not work.

l always teach my students in t he Craft that workers o f magic must exercise great discretion and discernment, examin ing their motives and repeatedly consecrating their magical .

 

Love Magic

. . . .

.

. .

.

. . .

. . .

. . . .

5

workings to the good o f all. Responsible Witch Witches es remind r emind them selves daily that their powers are to harm n o on onee .

M

E

NS

AND E N DS

I n casting a spell, I always visualize and project the desired outcome

not the means to that outcome. The logic is simple:

While we may know what we want (and sometimes even this is iffy ) , we d o n 't usually know the best way to get it.

rom time

to time we cat ca t c h our oursel selves ves going going about abou t someth something ing i n the wrong way, choosing inappropriate o r even counterproductive means. The same is true i n magic. There everything,, and everything

w e must

is

always another way to d o

honestly admit that we don' don 't always

know the best way, way , o r even another way.

But in magic, this is not a cause for worry. Magic calls upon the Great In Intelligence telligence behind the universe to work out the de tails. Our human role is to create the outcome i n a rich and powerful thought-form o r projection. Every projection has both the energy we put into it, plus the energy it attracts. Remember that the flow o f energy

is

like a web o r radar beambeam- somewhere

out there our intentions intersect with the energy that will pro

vide the best means for ac a c hieving them . The Goddess and God know best and will provide.

You

H EAD AND You

H

E

RT

Witches are sensitive. What I d o always comes from my heart, heart, and i n matters o f love 1 try not to forget my head. Magic re

quires both head and heart. It volves

fee lings

is not

all mental activity; it in

too. Put your head and your heart into your

 

16

.

. .

. .

.

. .

. .

. . . .

LOV

. . . .

M

.

GIC

. .

.

magic, and you empower your spell and yourself. But magic never requires becoming becomin g mentally obsessed o r preoccupied, nor does it require excessive emoting. Thoughts and feelings are the real generators of psychic energy. ou do not have to work them overtime. Like any energy source, they can b u r n o u t , run thee y do, you need time and space to regenregen d r y , go dead. hen th erate. Do magic in moderation. Visualize and project your goals mentally, without becoming obsessed with them to the point that yo you u can t get you y ourr mind off them. They should not turn into daydreams and feelings t hat monopolize your time and interfere with your work work..

 

•

ffiagical

orkings

o u R basic skills are needed for doing the love spells and

1ituals in this book. They are: are : entering an alpha state state

consciousness   casting a circle  consciousness circle   charging tools

and

of

materialss material