Michael Furie - Spellcasting for Beginners

Llewellyn Publications

Woodbury, Minnesota

Copyright Information

Spellcasting for Beginners: A Simple Guide to Magical Practice 2012 by Michael Furie.

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First e-book edition 2012

E-book ISBN: 9780738734538

Book format by Bob Gaul

Cover design by Ellen Lawson
Cover photo Llewellyn art department

Interior art Llewellyn art department

Editing by Amy Quale

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Llewellyn Publications

Llewellyn Worldwide Ltd.

2143 Wooddale Drive

Woodbury, MN 55125

www.llewellyn.com

Manufactured in the United States of America

To my Mother, to Dray, and to the wisdom of witchespast, present, and future. Thank you always for enriching my life. Blessed be.

Contents

: Magical Theory

Training

Putting It All Together

: Magical Practice

Candle Spells

Charms

Crystal and Gem Magic

Witch Bottles

Poppet Magic

Cord and Knot Magic

Verbal Magic

Magical Safekeeping

Nature Magic: Land, Sea, Sky, and Sacred Fire Spells

: Ingredients and Recipes

A Guide to the Herbs of Magic

Potion Class: Creating Herbal Brews, Raw Incense, Magical Oils, and Salves

Recipes

: Index of Spells and Rituals

: Table of Correspondences

Introduction

T he full moon rises up over the tall, pale birch trees on the side of a cliff, dark ocean waves crashing against jagged rocks far below. Thirteen mystical, otherworldly cloaked figures dance maniacally around a roaring bonfire on the cliffs peak, throwing herbs into a bubbling cauldron and chanting their spell in a long-dead language. The scent of burning oak wood and their magical brew drift into the night air sound fanciful? Over the top, you say? It is. Mostly, but this is what so many of us were conditioned to view as the type of scenario in which magic exists: an outrageous, overly complicated, irrational, stereotypical production.

As a child, this was what I believed it took to work magic. I was very focused on fantasy stories about witches and magic. No matter how much my mother (who is magically minded herself) tried to point out reality, I was captivated by the overly dramatic notion of magical practice. Unfortunately, I did not have either the means or the interested friends needed to perform such feats. When I got older and began to study real magic, I read about complex group rituals, which discouraged me. When I attempted to make these rites work in my own way, I became disheartened by my failure to do so. Luckily, my mother was there to give me a little guidance. With her help and a better class of books, I was able to grow and progress both spiritually and magically.

The good news is that true magic doesnt need to be overwhelmingly complex. It took me a while to realize that rituals and spells must be simple and direct in order to be the most effective. In fact, the most important ingredient in any work of magic is the training and knowledge of the practitioner. That being said, it is still possible to have enjoyable, theatrical, suitably witchy rites as long as the meaning behind the process of the ritual is fully understood. There are basic requirements for every worker of magic to study, learn, understand, and master in order for rituals and spells to be successful. Fortunately, a witchs training can be both an enjoyable and an enlightening experience.

This book is written from the perspective of a witch, and the training and magic found herein is part of the magical heritage of the craft. This knowledge may be used by anyone, as long as slight alterations are made to suit personal faith and one takes the time to thoroughly master the training materials. No one who wants to learn these secrets should be denied the opportunity. In this book, you will learn how to properly meditate for magic; how to prepare for rituals; all the details of what, when, why, and how to work magic; and, of course, spellslots and lots of spells. In fact, there are over fifty spells and rituals in this book covering candle magic, charms, crystals, witch bottles, poppets, and much more. I hope that you will find this to be a thorough training manual and useful grimoire (spell book). Included are a wide range of magical intentions and tips on creating your own spells. This book has been arranged so that one may first undergo the training and then learn traditionally based spells and recipes in order to work true magic.

Part I

Magical Theory

T he use of magic stretches back before history was recorded. Magic was first practiced to ensure bountiful crops, robust health, fertility in both humans and livestock, security, and protection from possibly malevolent unseen beings such as the fairy folk. Over time, as magical practice grew and progressed, guidelines for its successful use developed. As the needs of people changed, the goals of spellcasting evolved as well. Spellcasting now includes such things as love magic, money magic, beauty magic, luck magic, and so on. In this modern age, witches take a more scientific approach to magical study. Witches are taking into account specifics of why magic works: what forces are unleashed, how we focus the power, and how we project it. This way of magical practice has yielded some very interesting discoveries to add to the body of magical knowledge collected over the centuries. Many of these magical methods and practices will be examined in the following chapters.

one

Training

I t has been said before by many that if you ask thirteen witches to define magic, you will get at least thirteen different responses. The same holds true if you ask them for a definition of witchcraft, Paganism, Goddess, etc. Witches are individuals by nature and the lessons acquired from walking this magical path of individualism are truly transformative. Once you undergo the training outlined in this book, you will likely be a very different person than you were before. Your connections to the world around you will be broadened, your senses will be heightened, and your personal power will be greatly expanded. The ability to work magic is a skill that is gained as a by-product of expanding your wisdom and understanding of the natural processes of life. I define magic as the science and process of projecting emotionally and intellectually charged energy into the spiritual plane in order to manifest change in the physical world. This practice is a lot simpler than it sounds as long as you are fully versed in the correct methods and given complete understanding of how and why these methods work.