Читать книгу The Real Witches’ Handbook: The Definitive Handbook of Advanced Magical Techniques - Kate West - Страница 18

Witches believe in and practise Magic. This is not the ‘magic’ of stage conjuring but a very real force which can be used to make changes in our lives and in the lives of those around us. It has been said that Magic is ‘the ability to make change by force of will’ and this is a very good working definition.

Healing is one of the forms of Magic for which Witches are most frequently asked. Many people who otherwise would say that they do not believe in the Craft will seek healing for themselves and their near and dear, whether for physical ills or for emotional support, perhaps after a bereavement.

Other kinds of Magic I find commonly requested include:

Work-related Magic – how to find a job, be successful at interview or to gain a promotion or pay rise.

Magic for help in studying or examinations.

Relationship Magic – to reunite those who have parted, to heal arguments, to gain the affections of someone new (often referred to as ‘love Magic’) or even to drive off a persistent unwanted admirer.

Protection or defensive Magic, for people who feel under threat in some way, whether physical or psychic. This can also include people who feel there are ‘bad’ influences at work in their house, car or workplace. This is a quite common impression, although quite often it is the relationships in life which cause the bad atmosphere rather than anything else.

Any kind of Magical working needs a good deal of thought. One of the sayings of the Craft is ‘Be careful what you wish for’. In considering whether or not to work Magic you have to be aware of the potential outcomes of what you are asking. Seeking success in an interview may give you a job which you subsequently hate, asking for money may result in you inheriting it from a loved one. Love Magic is probably the most treacherous of all. Initially most people will argue that they do not care whether the desired one is attracted by Magic or not, but later they will find that knowing that someone only loves them because of a spell, not because of who they really are, can destroy self-confidence and self-esteem far more than not being able to gain the object of their desires in the first place.

When working Magic you have to be certain that you work the kind of spell which will cure the problem and not one which will make things worse in the long term. You also have to realize that sometimes events may seem to work against us, but perhaps the Goddess knows best. A very real example of this is the case of someone who set their heart on buying a particular car. When all the usual avenues of borrowing money to buy it did not work, they worked Magic to obtain the money. Within a couple of days their final loan request was granted and they were able to buy the car. A good result, you might think. However, shortly afterwards their circumstances changed, leaving them without work and making it much harder to repay the money they had borrowed. In addition, the tax and insurance on this particular model have since been increased and the value of the car has fallen, meaning that should they sell it there will not be enough money to repay the remainder of the amount they borrowed.

Magic is one of the things which, at first sight, makes Witchcraft different from many other faiths. However, we have more in common with other beliefs than many people realize and the use of Magic takes many forms. Is the power of prayer so very different from Magic? (Chapter 6, ‘Magic’, and Chapter 7, ‘Spellcraft and Herb Lore’, will tell you more about this fascinating and complex subject.)