Jen McConnel - Goddess Spells for Busy Girls: Get Rich, Get Happy, Get Lucky

First published in 2014 by Weiser Books

Red Wheel/Weiser, LLC

With offices at:

665 Third Street, Suite 400

San Francisco, CA 94107

www.redwheelweiser.com

Copyright 2014 by Jen McConnel

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from Red Wheel/Weiser, LLC. Reviewers may quote brief passages.

ISBN: 978-1-57863-548-1

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data available upon request

Cover design by Jim Warner

Interior by Deborah Dutton

Typeset in Warnock Pro Light text and Univers Condensed and Liberty Display

Printed in the United States of America

MAL

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of the American National Standard for Information SciencesPermanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials Z39.48-1992 (R1997).

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Casting a circle, grounding and centering, ethical questions, and how to use this book

Spells for health and wellness: working with Athena, Sekhmet, Amaterasu, Sarasvati, and Oya

Spells for relationships of all kinds: working with Aphrodite, Persephone, Mary, Hera, and Parvati

Spells for hearth and home: working with Brigid, Hestia, Juno, Bast, and Changing Woman

Spells for travel and protection: working with Kali, Isis, Hecate, Artemis, and Gaia

Spells for abundance: working with Lakshmi, Kuan Yin, Hathor, Demeter, and Fortuna

How to adapt these spells for group rituals

Magical ways to give back to your community and say thanks to the goddesses

Magic works. For a long time, I didn't believe it. Actually, that's not exactly true. For a long time, I didn't believe that I could do magic. I didn't think I was special enough, or skilled enough, or sparkly enough. And then I tried a simple spell that changed my life.

I was attending an herbal workshop one spring, and the smiling instructor spent the morning teaching us which herbs to use for which types of magic. She had us each attempt four spells: one for each of the four elements. Because she had told us that air magic was good for safety and travel, I threw my energy (and a lot of herbs) into a spell that I thought would never come true.

I've always loved to travel, but the one place that filled my dreams since childhood was Egypt. Now, if you've ever looked at plane tickets to Egypt, you know it isn't exactly a walk in the park. At that time, my newly married husband and I had been dreaming about a delayed honeymoon in the land of the pharaohs, but we both knew that it was unlikely to happen anytime soon. What the heck, I thought; I'll do this spell and see if it will help. I filled a small cotton bag with herbs and a tiny crystal, and I filled myself with the intention to make the trip happen. I didn't try to conjure money with the spell; instead, I just focused on the idea of traveling to the exotic, unknown land of my dreams with my husband beside me.

A month after I made the charm bag, I won enough money in a local raffle to cover the cost of two plane tickets. I didn't hesitate: I knew that money was meant to get me to Egypt, and with some convincing, my eternally practical sweetie agreed. There's no doubt in my mind that the trip manifested due to my simple spell.

Since that time, I've learned to take magic a lot more seriously. Simple spells can yield amazing results, and we don't have to have any special training or initiation to work magic. The ability to transform our lives through magic rests within each of us. This collection of spells will not only allow you to tap into your natural ability, but it will also give you access to the vibrant forces of many goddesses from around the globe.

Goddess magic is powerful magic: with the help of the right goddess, your spell will be imbued with phenomenal strength. Thousands of people over the centuries have sent their dreams and wishes out to various goddesses, and these divine ladies carry the residual spark of years of worship. Working goddess magic is as easy as working magic in general, but you get the extra sparkle that goddesses bring to everything.

The first thing you'll want to do when you decide to work goddess magic is to get to know the different goddesses. This book provides an introduction to twenty-five celestial ladies, but you can always go in search of even more information. Just make sure you are asking the right goddess for help; it would be a bad idea to ask Hecate to intercede in your love life, and an even worse idea to ask Lakshmi to help you defend yourself in a violent situation. Knowing a little bit about the different goddesses will guide your magic and make it easier to choose which lady you want to work with.

Before attempting any kind of spell, make sure you are prepared. You wouldn't try to drive a car without a hard-earned license, would you? Magical preparation is a bit different than mundane preparation, but you still need to take safety precautions before beginning any spell.

At the very least, you should ground and center before doing spell work. There are a variety of ways to do this, and I'll share four with you right now, plus a more formal way. As an added bonus, you can use these grounding and centering methods even if you aren't about to work magic. Whenever you're feeling frazzled, these will help!

Connecting to the earth beneath you is one of the quickest ways to ground and center. Close your eyes while sitting or standing. Imagine that you are a tree (or any other plant that you prefer). Feel the strength of your torso and the life flowing up toward your head. Imagine branches or blossoms shooting out of the crown of your head. Now, feel yourself sending roots down into the earth. The roots anchor you to the earth, but they also sustain you. As your roots reach deeper, you can feel the energy of the planet coursing up and into you, climbing your torso, and spilling down your body. Take at least five deep breaths in this pose, feeling the energy climb from your roots with each inhale. With each exhale, feel the energy of the earth reaching through your branches and surrounding you. When you feel steady, you can open your eyes and begin your spell.

Find an instrumental song or chant without distinguishable words. (There are tons of these online, but even your great uncle's classical music CD will work.) Plug in your headphones or lock yourself in a room with the music. Sit down in a comfortable position and close your eyes. Take a deep breath, listening to the music. Try to clear your mind of thoughts and just focus on the sound. Breathe deeply, and keep your eyes closed for three breaths after the music ends. When you open your eyes, you should be ready to work magic.

(Note: This is not the best method to ground and center before doing a bath-based spell, unless you want to end up totally pruney.)

Fill your tub with hot water (or, alternately, take a hot shower). Don't use any soap or bubble bath; just immerse yourself in the warmth. Close your eyes and listen to the water flowing or lapping around you. Feel the warmth seeping into your core. When you are warm, calm, and content, you can open your eyes and drain the tub. Once you're dry, you'll be ready to start your spell.