Working spells

That's okay, I recon most sane practitioners start out sceptics.
If youve got your meditation sorted then invocation can be a good way to show yourself how effective this is.
Invoke a spirit and arrange for it to perform a task.

I would not advise that you attempt to invoke a spirit or do indepth spirit work until you have a better understanding of the basics and of magic in general. One should not idly call upon a spirit just to "try something out", in my opinion.

Thats a valid point. I suppose it would depend on the spirit. Some are very newbie friendly and ready to help you learn, while some can be less patient.

This thread has been moved to Spell Suggestions from Welcome.

I agree whole heartedly with Percy. In general, spirit or deity I would not recomend invoking a being you know nothing about. This could end poorly in so many ways. You should know why you are calling them, and what they like to compensate them for their kindness. Remembering that they are not obligated to come when you call, they are not your lap dog. So just calling them to mess around and wasting their time and not thanking them properly might agitate some of them. That and if you cannot grasp basic magick concepts to do any kind of working, again you just wasted their time because you called them for nothing.

Generally speaking the best place to start is within the self. Meditation and introspection help to guide you in what kinds of practices and philosophies most resonate with you. The more you learn about yourself, the more you learn about what you connect with.

From there it also helps to study magic itzelf. Not spells, per se. But the philosophies and theories behind it. Study some sybolism. Astrology, Numerology, energy and energy working. Building an understanding of what magic does and how it works gives you the tools to develop a sgstem of belief that you can use to make your own magic.

The main principle behind typical magic is using symbols to use actions in the micro scale to influence actions on the macro. Then as you work a spell the different actions and words develop a more potent personal meaning. Waving a stick in a circle becomes the act of connecting your will with the cycle of day and night. Burning a scribble on some paper becomes releasing a desire or wish and releasing it into the ethers. And so on. That is what gives magical practice its power.

here are three things to ponder;
-Action follows thought.
-All things begin with the self.
-Be the change you wish to see.

If you're serious about learning how to do magic and with starting from the rock-bottom then you don't start out by casting spells, you start out by learning how and why magic works.

You see, there is no such thing as an "easy" spell or a "beginner" spell. One either understands how magic works and has mastered the basics...in which case the magic will work..or you haven't done that sort of work..and no spell will work no matter how "easy" it seems.

Casting a successful spell involves much more than finding some spell on the internet or in a book, saying some words, lighting a candle, waving a wand of any of that sort of thing. In order for magic to work you need to understand how and why it works in the first place. Grounding and centering, visualization, focus and intent, energy manipulation, etc are all necessary first steps to even begin to have a chance at a spell actually working...and more importantly to prevent a spell from back-firing on you.

So, my advice for anyone who is truly serious is to start by reading a few books and practicing the exercises those books will give you. Once you have mastered the basics you won't need anyone to give you spells, you'll be able to create your own spells that will be far more effective than anything you find on the net. Here's the books I suggest:

"Before You Cast a Spell" by Carl McColman

"Spells and How They Work" by Janet and Stewart Farrar

"The Veil's Edge" by Willow Polson

"Modern Magick" by Donald Michael Kraig

And the following links in this thread will also help you learn the basic skills necessary for effective spellwork.

Starting Out: http://www.spellsofmagic.com/read_post.html?post=71692

The Basics Expanded : http://www.spellsofmagic.com/read_post.html?post=483942

Visualization: http://www.spellsofmagic.com/read_post.html?post=526472

Grounding and Centering : http://www.spellsofmagic.com/read_posts.html?post=829288

The Elements : http://www.spellsofmagic.com/read_post.html?post=548077

Magical Correspondences : http://www.spellsofmagic.com/read_post.html?post=819642

How to Write Your Own Spells - I just finished writing an article on the steps and thought processes of creating your own spells. You can read the article at http://www.spellsofmagic.com/read_post.html?post=829629

You said you were raised a cynic... Are you still? First things first - address that. Understanding why you believe what you believe is a good place to start. When learning magick you are initially exploring your spirituality - it's unavoidable. Find out what you believe-in first. Skepticism is good, questions are good, curiosity is good, but negative cynicisms are a sure way to sabotage any kind of manifestation. "Does anybody have a spell that actually works?" most spells -within reason (no you can't fly or turn into a mermaid) - work, it's the caster that doesn't. Start with the basics, and the basics are "self". Change your way of thinking, if you were raised a cynic - you have a lot reconditioning to do before really grasping what it takes to put into a spell and have it manifest.

i'm starting to find it funny when people ask for 'spells that actually work' [i've been hearing this for years, it's coming off less as frustrated demands and more sarcastic eyerolls now] yes, there are spells that do work, but don't expect movie magic with sparks and puffs of smoke and sudden changes. real magick is subtle and more like ritualized prayers. [charge energy, visualize intent, maybe light a candle or burn some incense, ask for something, then work to achieve the goal. these are the basic steps of spells]

magick is a natural, neutral energy found in everyone and everything, to cast a spell you need to tap into this energy and focus it on a desired path. energy can only effect energy, so when you cast a spell to attract your crush, you are effecting the energy surrounding him to match up with your own energy thus making him notice you in a romantic way. when you cast a spell to heal a sore throat, yes, the energy is effecting the energy in your body, but it's more the hot honey and lemon you're sipping [but the placebo effect doesn't hurt either, tell yourself something enough is the first step to achieving any goal]

i'm afraid any proof i have will most likely be written off as psydo-science. magick is felt, not observed, so it's pretty hard to convince you over forums. [though you might like this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=59NsuVsOoZE just try to listen with an open mind before writing it off please] if you wish to feel it, try some basic energy work such as the tree stance [Lark posted the link to her article about it, check it out] this will help you feel the flow better [it might not work your first time, so try practicing every day for a month]

i know how hard it is to shut of that cynical voice in your head [i was raised on Daria, i have become Daria, my life is snark and snappy comebacks] so while retraining your brain isn't easy, for the purposes of learning about magick, you need to have an open mind [trust me, i'm still an eye-rolling skeptic on things. i mock ghost hunting shows despite dealing with spirits my whole life and while my coven believes in the law of attraction, we also believe in watching 'The Secret' and mocking it for being a bad movie.] you don't have to be 'Hippy EarthMoon' living in a tiny house eating only organic raw food to believe in magick and spells. [in fact, as confusing as this might sound, you can believe in magick and not cast spells. magick is believing in energy and change, spells are believing you can focus that energy and believe you can create this change.]

i suggest once you get a feel for 'the basics' [specifically feeling the energy flow and able to visualize/focus on something] i would cast a candle spell for something little [say money, or good luck] take a candle [can just be white, i suggest it be a tea light so it can burn out quicker] hold the candle, feeling the energy enter your body, travel down your arms and pool in the candle [i usually feel it in my shoulders, then a warm traveling to my hands and my hard start to get really warm] while doing this, think of what your goal is [could be you finding money, or getting an A on a surprise test, whatever you view as 'luck' if that's what you're going for] when you feel ready, light the candle, continue to focus on your end goal as the candle burns out [you may snuff it out if your mind wanders too much, but try to stick with it. if you can't redo it the next day. this would also increase the energy] when the spell is done, spend the next moon cycle observing your surroundings. try to keep an open mind too [so if your mom asks you to do some extra chores, do them, instead of saying 'what's in it for me' or 'no thanks, i'm observing a spell'. spells work in unseen ways a lot of the time, so someone who casts a money spell might expect to win the lottery, but instead they're offered more hours at work which brings them a big fat paycheck.] best of luck to you.