What makes magic work? What can it do and what can't it do? This straightforward, easy-to-follow guide answers the most common questions about magical power. By learning the fundamentals of raising and sending power, you'll gain the skills you need to create and perform spells and rituals that work. Written for beginners or adepts from any spiritual background, this approachable book shows how to:
- Personalize power to suit your purpose
- Choose a magical goal
- Use magical correspondences
- Store power in your tools
- Transcend time and space
- Perform group magic
- Construct a spell (with step-by-step samples)
- Develop mind skills (meditation, grounding, and visualization)
Deborah Lipp (Jersey City, NJ) has been teaching Wicca, magic, and the occult for over 30 years. She became a Gardnerian witch and high priestess in the 1980s, and she's been published in many Pagan publications, including newWitch, Llewellyn's Magical Almanac, Pangaia, and Green Egg. Deborah has lectured on Pagan and occult topics on three continents and has appeared in various media discussing Wicca, including Coast-to-Coast radio, an A&E documentary (Ancient Mysteries: Witchcraft in America), television talk shows, and the New York Times. She is the author of several books, including Magical Power for Beginners. Follow her on Twitter: @DebLippAuthor
Table of Contents:
Contents
Exercises and Figures xiii
Acknowledgments xv
Introduction 1
How This Book Came About 3
Ritual and Magic 4
What's in This Book? 5
Chapter 1: What Is Magic? 7
What Does Magic Do? 13
How Does Magic Work? 15
What Is a Spell? 17
Chapter 2: Everything Is Connected to Everything Else 21
Experiencing Connection 22
The Road Map of Interconnection 23
Sympathetic Magic 31
Chapter 3: Time and Space 37
Time 37
How Does Transcending Time Affect Magic? 40
The Final Frontier 42
Ritual Transcendence 44
Chapter 4: Magical Intention 47
Firm Desire 49
Fixed and Conscious Focus 51
Determination and Confidence 52
Emotion 56
Developing Mind Skills 57
Meditation 58
Grounding and Centering 71
Visualization and Sensory Exercises 76
Using Triggers 81
Using Focal Objects 83
Chapter 5: Raising Power, Part One: Power Sources, Deity, and Self 85
Where Does Power Come From? 86
Power from Deity 86
Power from the Self 95
Accessing Power from the Mind and Body Jointly 107
Chapter 6: Raising Power, Part Two: Natural and Supernatural Sources, Accumulated Power, Magic Words, and Flavor 115
Power from Natural and Supernatural Sources 115
Saved, Accumulated, or Stored Power 134
Magic Words 144
Flavors of Power 151
Chapter 7: Sending Power 159
Target and Goal 160
Splitting Focus 169
Sending in a Burst: "Male" Power Sending 175
Sending in Waves: "Female" Power Sending 178
Sending Power into Storage 179
Mass Sending 185
Deciding How to Raise and Send Power 188
Chapter 8: Spells 195
Fine-Tuning a Spell 196
The Components of a Spell 198
Chapter 9: Constructing a Spell 229
Brainstorming 230
First Steps 233
The Sample Spells 235
Evocations/Invocations 264
How to Dress a Candle 266
All-Purpose Spells 267
Some Spells Mentioned in This Book 271
Finally ... 283
Appendix A: Tables of Correspondences 285
Appendix B: Spell Basics 295
Appendix C: Recommended Reading 299
Bibliography 307
Index 311 Chapter 10: Bag of Tricks 251 Stocking Your Magical Shelf 251 Consecrations 260
