Let’s Do This

Are there any rules of magic I should know before using magic?

I think, for me, there are some very practical rules. Like:

1. My intuition > an exact spell someone posts

Witchcraft is like art in that way. If you do fanart, do it on your style...you don’t copy the *exact* art style. I mean, you *could* copy it exactly but it’s totally your choice and unnecessary.

2. “Natural” doesn’t mean “safe”

There are so many things in nature we either shouldn’t eat/drink/breathe, can interfere with medication, or can cause allergic reactions in some people. Some stuff is totally safe for people but deadly for our cats, dogs, etc. So before you use any herbs, check online for toxicity, animal safety (if you have pets), and “contraindications” (this means “doesn’t mix well with other things, like some medication”)

3. You needn’t buy anything

Can you buy stuff? Sure! But you absolutely can just make/find your own stuff. In fact, it’s better since you can develop a connection...and it’s safer for the environment since you don’t create more CO2 from shipping transportation.

Buying gorgeous art pieces is fine, but not necessary to practice witchcraft. Witchcraft had strong, strong roots in DIY. It’s all about knowing self, knowing others, knowing nature.

4. Explore, combine, try

Like anything else, you won’t be immediately perfect at it, and for stuff that just doesn’t feel right it’s okay to adjust or stop and try another thing.

5. Effective witchcraft is often just understanding psychology, sociology, and herbs

This may be where I differ from other witches, so know this is my understanding and the understanding of others like me, but isn’t something all witches believe.

If I’m having a hard day, for example, I don’t try to cast a spell to create good things for me; instead, I cast a self-spell to rearrange my thinking and reduce my stress. To banish people, I typically use words/phrasing I know will stick with them and make them scared of me (essentially); I don’t reach out to deities asking for them to do some paranormal stuff.

Magick isn’t like in the movies; it’s typically super practical. To those who don’t understand, when they witness it then it looks like magick...just like if you took your smartphone to the year 1720, they’d think the phone was magick.

6. Use your intuition