Spells screwing up stuff

[KylalaKitty]

Am I the only one who shys away from using spells as much as possible in fear of screwing something up? I reeeally try not to use spells and havent done many for that reason. Like what if I cast a spell for money and in doing so I miss an important lesson or cast a spell for better health and something else goes down hill? What are your thoughts on all this? :S

[Shawn Blackwolf]

It is simple . Kylala Kitty...

More simple than any who post here , think...

( Except they , who agree , with this statement...)

If your intent , is within the spell , there is no screwup...

There is the lesson...whatever it is...

Do your spells...just choose wisely...or learn from it...

[aluokaloo]

some people do meditations or divinations before casting a spell, I'm not much of a spell caster either. Though for different reasons

[Xentor]

I agree with Shawn: you direct the intention of your spell by your own will. If you hesitate, so does your spell.

Some people doubt themselves from the start, and have to grow into the idea of accepting responsibility. Some lean on various deic / demonic beings to do the work... but as with any outsourcing / off-shoring: if the message isn't clear enough, the outcome is uncertain.

[Belgalad]

Most magic, at its base, is about trying to do one of two things:

1) Bring yourself inline with the natural flow of the universe, and thereby ensure that your actions, desires, and goals are properly aligned so that it seems the universe falls into line around your needs, or
2) Bring what you want from the universe inline with the path you are currently on, so that your desires, needs, and goals are fulfilled in a more direct, timely, and controllable* fashion than in 1)

*Controllable, in the sense that you have some direct say over what you're going to get out of the spell.

The problems with 1) are that, while it's entirely safe, it may also be slow, and while you'll get what you need, you may not get what you want.

The problem with 2) is that, eventually, there will always be a "snap-back" point, when the bit of universal energy you've moved out of sync returns quickly and violently to its proper alignment. Too much 2) magic in a relatively short period of time, and you may be on the wrong end of a universal re-adjustment.

So there's really only one kind of magic you could screw up, and the only way to screw it up is to keep using it over and over, especially if it fails the first time or two, until the rubber band pops back into place with you in the way.

[Brigid Rowan]

It is a question of wanting it, a question of focus of willpower. If you are unsure, it wont work. Now, how many of us have things we so deeply desire on a daily, or weekly basis? I feel no need to cast often, but when I -do-, it is with a deep sure focus. I see it not unusual to ponder over spells/needs/wants for a long period of time. Magic has consequences, some of them less than predictable. You wanna cover your bases, as it were. So, in the bit about willpower and certainty, I agree with Shawn Blackwolf and Xentor. But perhaps you also assume others are casting daily or more often than they really are? I dont know, but I'd bet the average spells cast is lower than many assume..

[RainInanna]

I like Belgalad's response. When my directed spells have gone awry it's because I've focused on the wrong thing - I've focused on the means, not the intent. The thing is, when you want go achieve a goal that is out of line with the Universe, things need to be changed to accomodate your goal. Sometimes those changes are worse then what you started out with. For example, you do a spell for work to get better and then get fired. Because you need to work somewhere else. Or you pray to stop your back pain only to go in the hospital with a kidney infection you didn't realize you had since the back pain wasn't warning you.

What you need to do is work yourself in line with the flow of the Universe, or gently modify that flow towards what you want. Release your expectations and seek what you really want - if it's being happy at work you could start job-hunting and ask for help finding the right job, or do a spell to find better ways to cope, or pray for another person to be happier. "Being happy at work" is too undirected and leaves the method up to the Universe. It's perfectly ok (and sometimes easier and faster) to leave it up to the Universe, but be prepared to roll with the punches. Understand that old patterns need to be destroyed to create new ones.

I think magic works outside of the realm of the ego so it can be best to do your magic outside of your own ego. Your ego sees success in terms of money and titles, but if you look further and direct your spells at abundance, prosperity, and joy, the Universe will make it happen.

[Lunacie]

Am I the only one who shys away from using spells as much as possible in fear of screwing something up? I reeeally try not to use spells and havent done many for that reason. Like what if I cast a spell for money and in doing so I miss an important lesson or cast a spell for better health and something else goes down hill? What are your thoughts on all this? :S

Sure something different will happen, that's the whole point of doing the spell. You'll still learn a lesson of some kind, and just a valuable a lesson. If the lesson is really important you'll be given a chance to learn it in another way.

And really, getting in touch with your own energy and the energy of the universe makes everything work much smoother, there may be a small trade off between better health and something else. But maybe having your car stop working will make your health better because you'll have to do more walking and exercise? That's why it pays to be as specific as possible, or else just ask the gods to bring you what you need the most to change the situation for the better. I generally end any spell with the words, "This, or something better, so mote it be!"

[Kaylara]

Am I the only one who shys away from using spells as much as possible in fear of screwing something up? I reeeally try not to use spells and havent done many for that reason. Like what if I cast a spell for money and in doing so I miss an important lesson or cast a spell for better health and something else goes down hill? What are your thoughts on all this? :S

I say that's the most intelligent think I've heard in a long time. If you don't feel comfortable, or you are worried about the outcome of a spell, then the best thing that you can do is not do the spell. :)

I don't do spells very often, because when I do them, they usually work *too* well. :)

[Whitewolf]

I don't do spells either. I just feel that since I'm not comfortable doing them, I don't.

[PrincessKLS]

Am I the only one who shys away from using spells as much as possible in fear of screwing something up? I reeeally try not to use spells and havent done many for that reason. Like what if I cast a spell for money and in doing so I miss an important lesson or cast a spell for better health and something else goes down hill? What are your thoughts on all this? :S

Yeah, I mean I do pray so it's not much different but I find doing a whole spell/ritual can get kind of iffy. Like "be careful what you wish for type of thing"; but of course as a pagan I find that I pray for things differently than i would as a Christian or what a lot of Christians pray for.

A Christian may pray for someone to repress or get rid of their homosexual desires, or for world peace but as a pagan you would not consider doing those things. You seem to have a broader idea of what is possible and what can be.

Many of us want world peace but to pray for it everyday and assume it'll happen just isn't realistic and isn't happening. I also find that many pagans believe in combining mundane action with their "supernatural" spells as many Christians they'll pray and not be as proactive in their actions.

[PrincessKLS]

I say that's the most intelligent think I've heard in a long time. If you don't feel comfortable, or you are worried about the outcome of a spell, then the best thing that you can do is not do the spell. :)

I don't do spells very often, because when I do them, they usually work *too* well. :)


What's so bad about that? I did do one in particular spells a couple of years ago that I sense has worked but I know I'll find out later if it really was worth it.

[Sage Rainsong]

In my opinion I wouldn't worry that much. If you deperately needed some sort of lesson bestowed upon you by some higher being, then I doubt a spell could block that. What I do think though is that not many people think about what sort of consequences a spell could bring. I don't say this with some sort of scary, forboding sort of tone. It's just that a spell can bring something new in your life it will have ramifactions whether you do it magically or not. For example if you do a spell to make more friends, it may cause problems with old friends, your family, your lover and so on. So it would appear that the spell caused problems but you in fact got what you asked for. I suppose it all boils down to, be careful of what you wish for because you just might get it. Also I think that some people are often not specific enough. If you a spell to get a job, but you don't ask for what kind of job you want it ould potentially lead to some issue. You could end up with any old sucky job with low pay, overly dramatic co-workers and other such issues. So on some levels it could seem like the spell screwed your life up. Well those are my thoughts.

[Lunacie]

I think practice makes perfect.

[Crysiira]

I don't do much spellwork, myself. I do a lot of meditating and thinking. But sometimes I will do a spell/ritual/thingy. I think more than anything I do it to focus on what I want, and draw all my energy to it. What happens after I "cast the spell" is whatever was meant to happen, just perhaps amplified in some way. At least, that's my silly opinion. I'm not much of a spellworker, obviously... :hahugh:

[Lunacie]

Sometimes what we do with spells or magic or rituals just amplifies or hastens what would have happened anyway, but sometimes it can change things. Usually just a small tweaking, but if you look at 'the ripple effect', even a tiny change can cause bigger changes.