Carl McColman - Before You Cast A Spell: Understanding the Power of Magic

Copyright 2004 by Carl McColman

All rights reserved under the Pan-American and International Copyright Conventions. This book may not be reproduced, in whole or in part, in any form or by any means electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system now known or hereafter invented, without written permission from the publisher, The Career Press.

BEFORE YOU CAST A SPELL

EDITED BY KATE HENCHES

TYPESET BY EILEEN DOW MUNSON

Cover design by Diane Y. Chin

Printed in the U.S.A. by Book-mart Press

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

McColman, Carl.

Before you cast a spell : understanding the power of magic / by Carl McColman.

p. cm.

Includes index.

ISBN 1-56414-716-9 (pbk.)

1. Magic. I. Title.

BF1611.M385 2004

133.4'3dc22 2003058191

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This book is dedicated to everyone who has ever
yearned for a spiritual path to a happier or
more fulfilling life.

Yes, that includes you.

No work is created in a vacuum. As always, I have enjoyed the blessings of many friends, colleagues, teachers, mentors, students, troublemakers, partners in crime, and oddball acquaintances who in some way or another contributed to the writing of this book. Such support ranged from in-depth brainstorming, to casual idea-bouncing, to a simple hug or encouraging word at just the right moment. Here's a list of some of those who have aided and abetted me in this particular literary adventure: Candace Apple and the staff of Phoenix and Dragon Bookstore, John Beasley, Phil Foster, Lady Galadriel and Lord Athanor, Jon Kasik, Laurie Kelly, Gwen Knighton, Mike Lewis, Sandi Liss, Fran McColman, Linda Roghaar, Helne Rudolph and Marty Slater, Linda Sherer, Morgana Sidhe, Georgio Simeon, Sylvia Sultenfuss, Michael White, everyone at Brigid's Well and the wonderful folks at New Leaf (especially Donna Conner, Judith Hawkins-Tillirson, Jenise Morgan, and Karen Price). Of course none these folks are responsible fot the cranky opinions expressed in this book. And if I've left anyone out, forgive me: As the ancient Celts used to say, I'll pay you back in the otherworld.

This book does not contain any spells, or any specific instructions on how to cast spells, raise and direct energy, or perform any other kind of magical procedure.

Instead, this book teaches important universal spiritual principles that are necessary to master the magical arts. Although it is written especially for the beginner in magic, it contains information that can be of use to experienced magical practitioners as well, even if only as a review.

As the title implies, the information contained in here needs to be thoroughly understood before you begin your magical studies. For those who have already begun working magic without learning this materialwell, better late than never!

Seekers who are tempted to bypass the information contained herein are advised to consider this: The more you think you don't need to read through the universal principles presented in this book, the more likely it is that you really do.

What a fascinating, mysterious topic.

This book is written for anyone with an interest in magic and its related fields: occultism, spellcraft, Wicca, Witchcraft, or Paganism. It's written specifically for the person who is new to these subjects (although even veteran magicians might find some useful ideas presented here).

What inspires people to study the art and science of magic? Of course, everyone is unique, but perhaps your situation is similar to one of these:

• You are someone who wants to cast a spella spell to find a lover, get a better paying job, or lose those extra few pounds you gained over the holidays last year. The way you see it, magic is all about getting results, and the more practical, the better.
• Perhaps you are fascinated by magical figures in literature, from Merlin the Magician to Gandalf the Grey to Albus Dumbledore. In your mind, magic is all about wisdom, knowledge, and enlightenment. For you, magic sounds like a tool you can use to become a better or wiser person.
• Maybe you've done some research and have learned about great magicians in the past, figures such as John Dee (Queen Elizabeth's astrologer) or Dion Fortune (one of the greatest magical teachers from the 20th century). You have a sense that magic is all about mysticism and powerful inner spiritual transformation. You feel that magic is a bridge to Divine Union.
• Or perhaps you're intrigued by modern Witchcraft (or Wicca) as a system of magic. As you see it, magic involves working with the forces of nature to become attuned with the spirit of the Goddess and the God who are worshiped by Wiccans, Witches, and other Pagans.

So you see, magic (and spellcraft) covers a wide terrain. There are many different reasons why people explore the magical arts. And guess what? Each of these approaches to magic is perfectly valid. In this book, we'll take a look at the principles that underlie the world of magic, focusing on universal principles that apply to all the different varieties of magic. Many books on magic will only address one or two of these different types of magic. If you buy a book that does not really approach magic from the perspective that interests you, you might feel like it is a waste of your time and money. Hopefully this book will address all the major reasons why people feel drawn to magic, so in the pages to come you can find information that speaks directly to the circumstances in your life and your goals for exploring this ancient path.

But as the title implies, I'm writing especially for people who are interested in spells. This is not a long book, so please be patient and read it all the way through before you get started with spellcraft (the art of casting spells) or other kinds of magical work.

There's an old proverb: Give a man a fish, and you've fed him for a day. But teach him how to fish, and you've helped him to feed himself for a lifetime. Alas, many of the books on magic that are currently available seem to fall into the give a fish variety. They contain spellslots of them. They might also include some general pointers on how to write your own spells. But many of these books do not really teach the spiritual principles of magic. Even if you manage to pull off a successful spell by following the instructions, you're left without the deep understanding necessary to take your magical work farther.

By contrast, this book aims for more of the teach how to fish approach. By explaining the universal laws and principles that form the foundation of magical practice, this book can help you find the confidence and skill necessary not only to write and cast your own spells, but to apply magic to every area of your life from now on. Magic is the spiritual doorway to transformation. You may have become interested in magic because you want to learn how to cast spells, how to become wise, or how to get closer to the Goddess. But whatever your motivation for picking up magical studies, I suspect that eventually you'll want to master all the varieties of magic. The principles in this book can help you do that.