In this post I hope to explain how simply magic can be done - without us even realising it at times. I'll be mainly explaining it through working of 'simple spells' as well as describing Simple Method and Complicated Result.
As we know, magic is about your belief, intent/desire and your will to cause changes in yours or others lives through affecting the subtle energies around it. What a lot of people don't quite get (Even those who don't 'practice/have anything to do with magic') is that magic can be worked very easily without much thought or dedication.
Why is this? Because they are still working energy and desire through their most basic actions whether it be wishing someone well or tieing your shoelace before you leave the house - every action we do vibrates across the subtle energies the surround us.
Here are a few examples:
- "Have a good day at work" these words resound in our mind but the person who is saying it - if they genuinely believe what they are saying it becomes a very small blessing.
- "You'll never quit drinking" Sound in frustration/anger/sadness it becomes a curse or a binding - preventing someone from quiting a nasty habbit.
- Someone cuts you off while you're driving and you think something nasty about them - whilst you haven't vocalized it - your energy and desire is affecting the subtle energies around you and the maniac on the road.
Now these examples can be easily passed off as coincidence/psychological - here is the thing, how we percieve things and how our mind addresses new information/actions is part of how magic works. One practitioner said this to me about a year ago "All Magic, particularly Low Magic - is like 60% pyshcological and 40% magic".
The part of this which is arguable is when the intended hears it or not, if they hear it - they've already got it in their mind that today will be a 'Good Day' if they don't - it's the 40% doing most of the work rather than the whole 100%.
These words, actions and intents are called Simple Spells, because it uses a simple set of actions to cause a desired intent - or at times a desire that was made in a fit of rage or desparation. But because the action is Simple - doesn't mean the outcome will be simple, Curses have been known to worm deeper and cause much more torment than originally desired - blessings can grow into more bountiful results if cultivated.
But how is this complicated? Let's use a Curse as an example - curses are designed to punish and torment a target, this torment can grow and affect the rest of their life which can result in an onset of Depression, Anxiety etc - which according to some people can end in Suicide or Harmful acts towards themselves - heavy stuff to take in and highly debated amongst practitioners - but I go with it like this "People torment others everyday - and with enough pressure can cause the victim to horrid things to themselves or others " this is where personal responsiblity plays into magic - but that is a post for another time.
A Side Note - talking of curses and simple spells - throughout history people have had a habbit of cursing themselves and expecting practitioners to lift some malevolent influence caused by another. This act is called Personal Jinxing - when you say words like "You'll never quit Drinking" or "I'll never get this right" - as before it is a mix of pyshcological incidents and a bit of magic that causes this kind of curse. It can be easily pawned off as coincidence or the work of someone else - because for centuries it has been easier to blame others than learn to get over yourself.
Quite a few times I've seen people asking to have a curse removed - and when quizing them about what has happened so that I or We can come up with a proper antidote - the person has either cursed themselves or there was no curse to begin with - just their mind going to one conclusion.
And back to the main point.
These simple acts of magic link quite closely to the Evil Eye - the act of glazing upon your foe and sending them negative influences. However this kind of magic can be accident - as an example say someone has just given birth to a healthy child and this person has a sibling who has been trying but to no avail - in a fit of jealous (Whilst not entirely intentional, they're just being human) can let out a Curse onto the newborn - this can also happen in other situations as well, such as you meet someone really kind and sweet and you quickjly develop feelings and you desire to create a relationship - the subtle energies get spinning and help pull this into reality - but can be easily put down to coincidence due to the fact it is not a thought out - prepared and performed Spell.
Spells come in different shapes and sizes - some require candles, in others you have to make a poppet - or in some more colourful spells - stick a determined object in places it shouldn't be going.
Above I made a comment about shoelaces and how that is magic is that it is a ritual routine and the tieing of knots is a form of magic, in this case subconciously when we're tieing our shoelaces we don't want to the shoe to come off and we want to travel to our destination safely - it is a mix of a binding spell and a protection spell (And with most magics, you need to replace the charm every now and again - like getting new shoelaces and shoes because they won't last forever).
Another idea includes cooking or Kitchen Witchery - mixing in the herbs and spices then in a sense 'stirring the food' can help bring up a desired intent - the subtle energies and the power of the ingredients are being merged to cause a desire effect - whilst small and sometimes unnoticed, it is still there even if we are not consciously aware of it.
In conclusion, spells/acts of magic can be simple and almost unnoticed - as well as done by anyone without them even realising it - all it takes is enough intent/desire and a bit of emotions raging around to create these effects. But when it comes to this, as with all magic you need to take care of what you say or do - because pointing at someone and shouting that something nasty will happen to them can/will cause them to be cursed. There are a whole bunch of sayins about 'Mind what you say' 'Becareful what you wish for' and so on and so forth.
If you have any other questions or comments, feel free to comment here or mail me privately.
Sources
Pure Magic, a Complete Course in Spellcasting - Judika Illes
Encyclopedia of 5000 Spells - Judika Illes
Spells and Psychic Powers - Soraya
Wicked Enchantment, History of the Pendle Witches and their Magic
Grimoire for the Modern Cunning-Folk - Peter Paddon
Enchantment, The Witches Art of Manipulation through Gesture, Gaze and Glammour - Peter Paddon.
