Magic

I practice magic and have studied the Craft for over a decade. The magic that most people know is the type from fiction. In Bewitched, the movie with Nicole Kidman, she is able to conjure a house and car, fly on a broom and turn a Tarot card into a debit card. This is not the magic I practice. Magic is about subtle energies and intention. I cannot summon the remote to my hand or levitate in the air. I think these things are possible and that some people can do these things. Even so, that would be an extraordinary ability. The magic that I practice has much to do with influence. There are so many forces at play in our lives; the people around us, traffic, obligations, surprises and wishes. The best magic treads lightly to respect those around us. Do as you will so long as it harms none. If you have a desire for your life such as a job, new home, baby, relationship etc. it affects your environment. Thought is required. To manipulate a person is not a positive thing. Manipulation or coercion interfere with a person's free will. That is harming a person. Any harm you do comes back threefold. So how do I do magic? It begins in my thoughts. What are my desires? How would my life be if I had what I want? How would it affect my environment and the people around me? From my thoughts I develop my intent and through my intent I choose symbols that illustrate that intent. Desire: to be a successful artist. Intent: to direct energy toward producing and promoting my work. Symbolism: brushes and paint represent the tools I will use. The next step is to write a spell. A great way to do it is to write on a lovely sheet of paper with a colored pen. To me, purple symbolizes art and the creative process so I would use purple paper or ink. There are symbols that I might draw such as a pentagram, a rune, an astrological sign or a mark of my own. Writing in the past tense is a wonderful way to "jump ahead" in time. "I am a published author. I have had several shows of my paintings. I have been featured in several magazines." "To accomplish this I carved out an hour a day to be an artist and began to submit my work to galleries and publications. Many other serendipitous things happened along the way that were icing on the cake!" Put a date on anything you write.
I would fold the paper, maybe seal it with wax or place it in an envelope. I would give it a place on my altar and I would spend time at my altar lighting candles, meditating, visualizing, writing, stretching or casting a circle and doing a full ritual.
Put the writing in a keeping place. In you Book of Shadows, in a box or cabinet, under the bed or at the place where you work. My statement will be kept attached to my easel.
So how does this work? It changes your consciousness, allows you to see further and creates a picture of your future path. This is similar to affirmations that people say to themselves. The difference is in the use of symbolism and ritual. You are directing your thoughts and you are creating a ripple effect outside yourself. In writing and keeping the statement a bridge was created. I have created a magical document that I will hold with me as I walk from now until the time when all I have written has come to pass.