Finding the Right Words

Recently I have read the book "Before You Cast a Spell" by Carl McColman, and it caused me to realize the odd similarities in how he presents the effects of magic and how the Church teaches the effects of prayer. However, I was always under the impression that there would be more personal things possible with the use of magic because, from what I gather, you are amassing "personal power" (as McColman puts it).

Now this begs the question: what is really possible with magic? If I, say, write a spell that asks specifically "to become great at this video game" am I wording it wrong? And, if so, will this cause the spell to become invalid? Must I, instead, adopt some mindset which must be discovered for myself?

Or how about those "love spells." Not the black mind control ones, but the ones where you simply ask to find love from wherever and it brings that person to you. My question is, how long does this sort of thing take? Years? Decades? If so, it's difficult for me to see why I should do anything occult because that's the experience I already have in the Church.

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You're asking the faith questions, my friend. At the end of the day, no matter how you think about it, reach and every one of us has to have faith. Faith in the gods, faith in ourselves, faith in the stock market, whatever, but you have to have faith in it. Trust that God has a plan for you; trust that magick will bring you that which you desire most; trust that you made a good investment. Magick doesn't work by our schedules, unfortunately, nor does any god I've ever heard of. You must have faith that nature will run its course, and so will your spell.

Where Elidark would approach this from the angle of faith, I would approach your questions from the angle of cynicism. While there may well be some influence that will give you the edge, as in your example, in your video game, how petty would such a vast power be if it all hinged solely on the specific wording of your request? I cannot fathom that such a power, if it exists, would actually hinge upon the specific wording derived from the modern English language.

Consider instead where the reservoir of one's "personal power" comes from, as described by all such magical authors. It is a matter of will, intent, emotion, desire, and other such things that coalesce in the moment of your work and are guided by the manner of your choosing. In this case, words. Words are just the tool with which you focus that mindset that you describe.

However, this is not enough. To my experience, any prayer answered, and any spell that works, without otherwise working towards the goal through, has been pure happenstance. It is a coincidence, that has nothing to do with any of one's efforts. I'll assert that for every spell that works without actually attempting to do the work yourself, or every prayer answered without going out and trying, thousands (if not millions, or billions) are simply do not work, or go unanswered.

So what does spellcraft, or prayer, gain you then? It puts you into the proper positive mindset to achieve that which you desire. It focuses your thoughts, emotions, and efforts on that goal. All of that, in the end, may well come together to exert an otherwise unprovable influence on your behalf. What influence that is? Ah, well, that depends on who you're talking to or reading at any given moment.

But when you put it that way, AwakeTooLong, it just sounds like a mental exercise, like a pre-game ritual before you hit the field.

I am sort of coming from Dentatus2 is; I also was looking for answers similar to this, and after reading the responses I have to say I am more confused not less. I didn't understand, I am that much of a neophyte I guess.

This thread has been moved to Other Spells Discussion from General Info.

Consider the Witches Pyramid. To Know, to will, to dare, to keep silent. First Knowledge, know your correspondences, moon phases, tools, oils etc. Second Will, know what you really want to happen, plan it out, know how to raise power, write it out. To Dare, actually do it, just thinking about it will not work, be positive.
Last to Keep Silent, a lot of spell are of the set it and forget it type. Talking about your workings with mundane people will dilute your workings and diminish them.