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*Updated: 5/3/13*
Welcome!
Welcome to the craft, and may you have an enlightened journey. This guide will hopefully get you well on your way and off to a successful start. Contained in this guide are the fundamentals to using this website, as well as some tips to begin your path in the occult.
Spells of Magic
Navigating the site is fairly easy; and as you explore the tabs at the top of the page you will soon become accustomed to the format. An article that explains this further can be found at newbie central:
http://www.spellsofmagic.com/newbie_central.html
Fluffies or “Fluffs” are people who intentionally believe they can do unbelievable feats (teleportation, telekinesis, transformation, etc.) or claim to be something other than human (vampire, mermaid, fairy, werewolf, etc.), without being able to provide proof. Fluffies can also be known as trolls, which are people who spam the site either in the forums, chat or private message system. Fluffies can also refer to an annoying or troublesome person.
Covens are a group of people, who either practice together or are interested in similar topics. On this website, there are around 50 covens, each with their own areas of expertise and characteristics. Each coven contains a private forum & spell book reserved for the coven’s use. Another notable bonus of being in a coven is that council members, the Priest, or the Priestess, are able to add spells, rituals, & articles to the site or coven spell book. If you are a solitary practitioner, or simply desire to add your work to the site, you can join the “Spell Casters” coven, which automatically promotes all members to the council position and has no coven leaders.
There are 3 positions that you can attain in a coven; they are member, council, & coven leaders (Priest & Priestess). When you are first accepted into a coven, typically you start out as a member. Members are able to view the private coven forums, articles, spells, & chat. Members are able to start & reply to threads, while also being able to communicate in the coven chat. Members promoted to council are able to add spells, add or edit articles, and can “pin, lock, & delete” coven forum threads. The coven leaders also have the additional abilities to add/remove members, promote members to the council position, and edit or delete spells and articles. The coven leaders also maintain and write the coven description page, while also being able to control other features.
If you desire to lead a coven, then it is recommended to join a coven that has similar interests as yourself, and then to follow their expectations to become a council member. Since each coven decides of their own accord on their expectations, this will vary from coven to coven. If you are unsure of the expectations, refer to the coven description page before contacting the Priest or Priestess. If you are a council member, then at that point the Priest or Priestess may then choose to promote you to take their position if they feel the need to step down. (As a note, your account must be at least 90 days old to be eligible to become a coven leader. If it is 90 days old, then at the bottom of the group’s page you will have the opportunity to apply to take over an inactive coven. This is decided by the website administrator.)
The Ranking System is intended as way to rank members based upon the knowledge they display on the site; the ranks being “fluffy, beginner, novice, knowledgeable, & adept.” These ranks are displayed as colored bars with the name of the ranking next to the member’s picture on their profile. If you do not see a ranking on someone’s profile then it either means they are ranked “fluffy” or have not attained a ranking at the present moment.
Members who are ranked as either “knowledgeable” or “adept” have the ability to decide upon the rankings of other members. To rank you, a member with this ability chooses one of the rankings above when viewing your profile. Say, you get a “fluffy” rating from one member, but get a “novice” ranking from another. The ranking system will average out these 2 ranks and it will be shown that you are ranked “beginner.” To attain a “knowledgeable” rank, a couple members must rank you “knowledgeable” as one member alone can’t complete this.
If you desire to attain a rank, then it is encouraged that you show your knowledge by writing/answering forum posts, publishing articles/spells, engaging in intelligent conversation on the public chat, and communicating with members ranked “knowledgeable” or above. I would recommend that you are patient with your ranking, as it will not happen overnight, even if you are a very knowledgeable member. The shortest I’ve heard for receiving a “knowledgeable” ranking was 3 months. Furthermore, it wouldn’t be wise to ask members to rank you, as they will most likely rank you as a “fluffy” for asking. Be patient and persistent, and one day you might be surprised to find a rank on your profile.
The Basics
Meditation is one of the best ways to regulate your body; as it balances your emotions, hormones, blood pressure, thoughts and much more. In magic, meditation is considered an extremely important basic, as it is the foundation for many magical workings. There are an infinite number of ways to meditate which is useful because meditation can be customized for each individual. One technique is to just close your eyes, and take a deep breath. Although it seems very simple, it can do wonders in your life and magic workings.
Visualization is essentially creating an image in your mind much like a daydream. This technique is useful when doing your magical workings because if you can visualize the outcome of what you desire (say getting a good grade on a test) then you will have a higher chance of fulfilling that desire. (Getting an A+) To improve this skill, meditate regularly, and try to visual something you know well, such as a toy or jewelry. Form a mental image in your mind of the object, each time going further and further into detail.
A popular technique by Laurie Cabot, is to visualize an apple. Begin by focusing on what the apple looks like (what color, shape, size?). When you have gotten a solid image in your mind (this may take a couple tries), try to reach out and feel the apple in your mind; what does it feel like? (Is it smooth, course, mushy, hard?) Next, begin to smell the apple; what does it smell like? Lastly, take a bite out of the apple, feel the juices running down your skin, hear the crunch as you bite into it, smell the sweet aroma, see the bite removed from the apple, and finally the taste. You may now finish your apple, as you enjoy the thought that you have successfully visualized it.
Grounding is an activity to balance your energy by removing excess, or replenishing, the energy in your body. Think of your body as a cup of water; as you do magical workings you drink/fill the cup. Grounding ensures that the water isn’t completely used or overflowing. To ground yourself, a good technique is to visualize your body as a tree; grow your roots deep into the ground and spread your leaves. As energy comes from both the ground and the sun, visualize it replenishing yourself and allowing you to grow.
Centering is, in my opinion, the second step to grounding. This activity allows you to take your personal energy and mold it into 1 constant flow of energy. Think of centering as bringing together many small streams to form a strong and powerful river. To center yourself, visualize a silhouette of your body, twisting and turning with energy. As you continue, visualize the energy being condensed into 1 place in your body (typically the navel). Then, whenever you need to draw from your power visualize the energy bursting out from where you stored it.
Magic(k)
As you’ve probably seen, some people add a “k” to magic when talking about it. This is to distinguish between stage magic (which is for entertainment) and magick, which is a practice. You can spell it either way you choose, its just personal preference. Secondly, magic is neither good, nor evil; neither black, nor white. Magic is determined based on the intent of the caster; one could easily use “white” magic to harm someone and use “black” magic to help someone. Thirdly, witches are not necessarily Wiccans. Witchcraft is a practice, while Wicca is a religion that sometimes incorporates concepts from witchcraft.
Misconceptions about magick are actually quite common among newer members. Many people enter the craft, thinking that it can be used to easily mend all of the problem and difficulties in life. However, this is not the case, as magick requires years of devotion, practice, and studies. Traditionally, members new to magick would study for “a year and a day” before really practicing magick for themselves. This allowed the student to decide if magick was the correct path for them, whether they desire to continue with this path, and it gave them a good amount of background knowledge before starting.
Furthermore, magick is energy, and can’t affect the universe on a “viewable” level. If you are seeking to change your physical appearance, to achieve amazing powers (such as telekinesis, levitation, flying, teleportation, transformation, etc.), or to change you species (such as become a vampire/werewolf/mermaid) then magick is not for you. Magick is intended for spiritual insight and awakening, not for amusement.
Casting Spells
Spells are essentially tools that can be used to direct energy into a specific outcome. (Such as getting an A+ on a test) However, some spells (many on this site) are destined to fail because they aim to accomplish outlandish goals. (Such as changing your DNA)
Tips
Why Spells Fail
Writing Spells
Writing your own spell is actually quite easy. Get something to write on (can be electronic) and write these down:
When you are done, make it a more “formal” spell by cleaning it up a bit and adding anything else you desire. When you are done, try it out. Don’t be frustrated if it doesn’t work the first time, spells take practice. As a note, spells don’t have to rhyme or include items.
Tools/Materials
The wonderful about magic is that nothing is required. Although many craft practitioners prefer using tools, they are not a necessity to preform magic. Some practitioners never use tools; it all depends on personal preference.
The Chakras
The chakras are the 7 energy centers of the body. Each chakra supposedly attributes to a different aspect of your well-being; and when these chakras become unbalanced or blocked, they cause disturbances in your body. To open and balance these chakras, it is best to do chakra work. As that is a lesson in and of itself, please message me if you care to learn how to do it. These are the 7 chakras:
~Sinix~