Hello Occulties,

As promised, here is the second half of the contest edition of Questions You've Asked Me. I'd like to once more thank everyone for participating in the contest! :) Without further ado...

Q: Do you believe that you can communicate with people in dreams and if so are they having the same dream or are you just interpreting their intentions?

A: While I think you may communicate with someone in their mind while they are asleep, I do not know as I feel that is exactly in their dreams, and I do not believe this is possible to accomplish if both parties are asleep and dreaming. The party trying to communicate needs to be lucid (mentally aware) if trying to send a message. I don't think they share the same dream, and whatever "communication" is more of a reading/interpreting of the intent.

If someone dreams that they contacted another person, and that person reports having a dream that they were contacted and received a similar message to what the "sender" had "sent" then I suppose this is more due to an empathic connection than to saying dreaming the same dream. Obviously the sender of the messge has been strongly thinking on the receiver and therefore, the receiver is empathically recieving this message the sender is fixated on.

I do not believe that people often have the same dream, and if they share similar dreams, this is often not a positive thing - I have only heard it in circumstances of people working to excavate an area suchas for archaelogy, and they are SIMILAR dreams with SIMILAR warnings. I do not think, without being lucid, that one person can send a message while asleep. It may appear so to the sender, but in reality, the reciever is just picking up the message on a subconscious (not dream) level.

Q: When doing a spell that lasts consecutive days (i.e. 7 or 9 day spell) and you miss a day due to illness, or emergency, what is the best way to fix it? is it good to double up the next day, or just pick up where you left off and start a day later? how bad does this eff up your spell? is it better just to wrap up the spell and start over?

A: I know I'm going to piss of a few people here. That's okay. I'm used to it. ;)

I think its a blow to your spell and sends out a message that you don't really want what your spellcasting for... Its a bad thing. Is there a way to fix it? Finish the spell you are casting even though you messed up (for whatever excuse you have for doing so,) and then cast the same spell again properly after you've completed the messed up spell. Spell energy doesn't care about your being sick or having an emergency any more than fire cares if you didn't mean to leave it near a stack of newspapers for just a second and you didn't want the papers to catch fire. ;)

As a fellow human, of course I can understand you were sick or you had an emergency... But then, as someone who isn't allowed the luxury of a personal life, time off for illness, or even time off for emergencies, because if I did, I'd ruin several spells, I also don't have much sympathy for these excuses. I mean, I have drag my half-dead butt into work on a daily basis! ;) Maybe I slack on some parts, but not on the spells...so if I don't get illness or emergency excuses, neither does anyone else. >:)

Remember, as I'd said, your spell doesn't have pity for you, nor is it going to sympathize with your personal issues. Its no more caring of your personal problems than wind or water or fire would be.

How bad does it mess it up? Maybe the spell will work as well as it would had you done it properly and without excusing yourself for a day or so; maybe it will work at half power; maybe it won't work at all.

So...do the spell entirely right at least once. If that means you have to redo it because you missed a day, so be it. If you really want what you're spellcasting for, you'd be dedicated enough to MAKE TIME to cast that spell, regardless of your health or personal life, right?

Q: Is there a spell or a jar-charm that can be used to make 4 or 5 people to get along better? There would be 1 person that needs to get along with several other people who have various relationships to that 1 person.

A: There are spells you could use to effect a group, but in my personal experience, the key there would be to spellcast on the person who needs to get along better with the 4 or 5 people. For example, if you have a child who is not getting along with a particular group in school might have a spell to be more socially liked placed upon him or her, or a person suffering as the target of inter-office gossip and calumny might place a spell upon him or herself to stop said gossip.

However if one really wants to target a specific group, usually this is easiest done when the group is...well, an actual group. ;) For example, if I wanted to be liked by 4 or 5 people but, while they knew each other, they were not a clique, then I'd recommend the "cast on the individual" method; however if I wanted all members of a band to want me to be part of their band, I might use a spell to make (insert band's name here) interested in my kazoo-playing skills.

The difference in spellcasting on a group as opposed to the individual is that you can use the name of a group (like a band, a business, an organizational name, a family name, etc,) so long as you remember ALL MEMBERS of the group who fall under your description may be effected. I had at one time heard (and don't know if its true,) of a woman who hated her in-laws, so she spellcast to get them all to leave her life, forgetting that in naming her husband's family, she was naming HIM as well! ;) But, digressing back, in naming the group, you spellcast on the group as though it were a one individual.

You CAN technically name specific targets, but this makes for some unweildy name papers. ;) You CAN also spellcast on them individually, if you so please.

Q: Can you give us suggestions on the ussage of mirrors and/or aluminum foil in candle spellwork and other spellwork?

Certainly. While some people use aluminum foil in the place of mirrors, I generally do not, so I'm just going to stick a pin in that part of the question and put it over here for a second... And, so back to mirrors..

Mirror-spellcraft is sometimes called "reflective" spellcraft, as generally (but not always,) mirrors are used to reflect back spellcraft being sent to the sender. For example, I might use a mirror in a reversing spell, and to do this I might use a mirror I had never looked into, and place this mirror under a reversing candle (which is one method of using mirrors.)

Now, you may notice I'd mentioned a mirror I'd never looked into...why? In spellcraft, if deflecting an attack on yourself, you try not to let the mirror you're using to deflect said attack absorb any of your personal energy/aura. Some of you have asked me, for reasons of economy, if it is possible to use a mirror you HAVE looked into. I was taught (and others are free to nay-say me at their leisure,) that if you wash the mirror thoroughly with a strong, ammonia-based cleaner, you will remove energies enough to use the mirror for reflective spellcraft, or re-use a mirror for reflective spellcraft which you have previously used in another spell.

Another purpose one can use a mirror for in spellcraft is to reflect spellwork onto another in a discreet way. For example, I might use a spoken spell while holding a compact in such a manner as to have my target mirrored within my view.

And yet another mirror purpose? I have heard use of a method wherein a person seeking the love or control of another might place their picture behind a mirror used by the target, as well as a revese of this where the target's picture is placed beneath a mirror belonging to the spellcaster.

As for tinfoil, as I said, some people do use this as a mirror substitute. Personally, knowing the actual properties of the metal and its correspondences, this is not always brilliant. ;) I guess if you want tin/aluminum to work for you, you best go look up (on your own, pre-emptively,) which planet corresponds to that metal, and whether or not that planet corresponds to that which you are seeking to manifest. :)

The short answer to all of this, of course, is that generally when using mirrors in spellcraft, you are using them as a manner of deflecting or returning an energy to another. There are a myriad of uses for mirrors, but that would be the main use.

Q: If you have made a decision to do a spell, made some preparations, say - memorizing what you planned to say, buying supplies, picking a date to do the spell, etc - and your "spell" manifests before you have done the actual spell work, what do you think has happened? Is this coincidence or were the 'preparations' enough to make the outcome happen?

A: Well, there are a number of things which should be considered...first and foremost, maybe it just happened because it was gonna happen anyhow. I know, how boring. ;) Maybe whatever you wanted was far more likely to happen all on its own than you ever believed.

The next possible candidate is maybe what you were spellcasting for happened because you changed your behavior...and I see this with love spells a lot. ;) If your spell is a spell of a social nature, you may consider that your own behavior is the main cause of how others behave towards you. If you want to change someone's behavior, you need to change how you behave around them. Even the most minor of changes to how you phrase certain sentences can get someone to change their behavior (for example, for a good argument you avoid saying always or never, and then you also want to phrase things without acting as though you are omniscent, like "You wanted me to feel like crap!" is so much better said "Your behavior made me feel as though this was intentionally hurtful on your part.") So...perhaps that's also what has happened...

And in the rare case, its the Law of Attraction at work (sorry, I'm a big believer that the 2 paragraphs directly proceeding this one are far more likely the answer,) and you manifested your desired outcome just by the strength and clarity of your own intentions. :)

I hope this has been educational, kids! Tune in again for another edition of Questions You've Asked Me (probably after Xmas,) and be sure to come back next year for the contest edition! :)

~Cat

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Hello Occulties,

Thanks to everyone who took part in this year's contest! Without further ado...let's get to our WINNING QUESTION!!! :)

Q: How can one improve their success rate at spellcasting? Are there meditations or mental exercises one can do to improve? Is it something like learning how to play the piano, or are some people just gifted and some are not?

A: I would say spellcasting IS a bit like playing the piano - some people are naturally gifted and get the hang of it easily, quickly, and work strongly with it, while others struggle and need to practice. It helps to determine, if the petitioner can, where your weaknesses lie.

For example, some people have a hard time retaining focus during the ritual, others have a hard time "grounding and centering" the energy, and yet others are hyper-exact about manistations which can create LENGTHY manfestation times (for example, if you wanted a job in a bank that was within 10 miles of your home, this may be easier to manifest than a job as the vice president of this exact bank and this exact address, and the news must be delivered to you on a tuesday,) whilst others then are far too vague (if you want Johnny to love you, well, love doesn't always come with desire or romance...sometimes its just friends!) and do not get what they want...exactly. ;)

Exercises one might try to help with issues of keeping focused during the ritual can be as simple as just a concentration exercise, or even more complex meditiation techniques. For example, a concentration exercise I might recommend is to try to envision a red number one. Keep this image of the number one, colored red, without any interfering thoughts. When you find you're thinking of ANYTHING other than that red one, note the time you were able to hold this singular thought in your mind (you may wish to use a stop-watch,) and then move on to an orange number 2, then when you move focus at all from the orange 2, note the time and try to envision a yellow three, then a green four, then a blue five, then a violet six. Repeat this exercise about once a day until you can keep your thought focused on one of those colored numbers for AT LEAST 1 minute. Many people often discover that when they start this exercise, they can barely hold a solid thought for more than a few seconds. ;) This is normal and to be expected.

While meditiation by itself is helpful with spellwork and visualization, there are as many methods to learning how to meditiate as there are people in the world. ;) People ask me how I meditate, and since I often have trouble sitting and meditating (apparently my babyhood issue of drooling re-awakens when I do, and I drool on myself, thus rousing myself from meditiation,) the method I use is to allow my body to begin to slip into sleep while lying down, and then just as I start to feel myself going into a sleep state, I wake my mind without waking my relaxed body. I realize a bunch of you are scratching your heads and telling yourselves that doesn't make much sense, but its how it works for me. I allow body to relax, and my mind to wander on any subject or thought it would like to wander to. As I begin to drop off, my thinking becomes a bit incoherent (even to me,) and this is when I pull my mind into thinking lucidly, but I do not tell my body to rouse itself along with my brain. ;) This has proved the best method for me personally, and I've actually helped a few people learn to meditate the same way, as I just said "Well, try meditiating before you go to sleep or when you first wake. Especially in the example of waking, your body is already near the proper level of relaxation..." Hey, maybe it sounds funky, but it works for me.

Also, there is a non-religious explaination and how-to on meditiation (if memory serves me right) in the book You Are Psychic! by Pete A. Sanders (a wonderful book with a stupid title that I regularly recommend.) :) I will try to add a few more meditation links in the next day or so (at which point, I'll delete this sentence you're reading.) ;)

Basically, like anything else, whether or not you are naturally gifted or have to keep practicing, the key is still regular study and use of spellcraft.

Q: When doing your own rootwork but using another person's spell, is it best to follow that spell exactly or is it best to do what you're feeling for the spell?

A: I generally hear this more from neophyte spellcasters than anyone else, and my best answer is... if you are strongly familiar with whatever you're doing to change the spell (for example, the author recommends you use a Friday in a Venus hour, and you decide to work Friday in a Mercury hour to aid communication; or perhaps if you feel driven to add in some cinammon to a spell, you know the correspondeces with the herb cinammon are going to work with the spell, and you're prepared to add or eliminate another ingredient in the knowledge that the spell author may be using numerological correspondences with the ingredients; etc,) then its up to you as to whether or not you feel you should alter the spell to your liking.

Quite frankly, I'm all for invention and exploration, but when people seem drawn to "doing what FEELS right," when it comes to spells, it seems I hear a lot of either oddly slapped together ingredients which the person put together not out of knowing what the herbs did but rather because it was there and they tossed it in (sometimes that works, sometimes it fizzles, sometimes it blows up in your face,) or someone wanted to mess with spirits and beings they are not initiated to play with and end up calling say...Erzulie and Oshun together (oh, and Mama Chola, too, all at once) in the name of "whatever feels right," and I get some frantic letter with someone telling me some horror story of the outcome of that ridiculousness (don't mix your spirits like that, kids.) ;) So...this puts me in a precarious position in answering. Do I think someone should just act stupid because they sort of had an urge one day to do this or that, and, in ignorance, this person went ahead and acted on the urge, thus harming themselves? Well, not at all. I've heard way too many "Cat, I effed up stories," to be a huge fan of the "It just felt right" philosophy. ;)

So....try learning to familiarize yourself on basic herblore, planetary and color correspondeces, etc, and when you've reached an intermediate to advanced level of knowledge in rootwork, THEN start changing the spells around. If you want to sort of experiment on your own, then use simple candle magic for this when you are still in your beginner stage, and be sure to check your correspondences before casting the spell. :) As you become more and more knowledgable, sure, experiment or test out different ingredients in more advanced spells.

BUT until out of the newbie state, its probably best to stick to another's directions. I personally use the exact specifications of the author when trying out a new spell, and I hope people feel I'm advanced in my level of spell knowledge.

So, short answer, its best to use someone else's instructions when doing a spell authored or passed on by that person at least the first time you do the spell, and if you've got an urge to alter the spell, you should do so with some caution until you've reached at least an intermediate level of knowledge with spellcasting.

Q: About foot tricks: In quite a few spells I run across, they almost always state to drop whatever spell remnants are left on the target's property. Sometimes that's not always possible (due to logistics, big ass dogs that surround the place or nosy neighbors that tell it all!). What are your feelings on alternative foot trick placements (ie crossroads the targets have to go through daily, etc)?

A: I am definitely proud to be an owner of a big-ass dog for this very reason - j/k! ;)

Perhaps you want them to see what you're leaving (back in the day if you found rootwork remains and TOUCHED them, you were terrified the evil was upon you,) OR you do put them in a place the person would feasibly pass close by to. For example, if I had wanted to put a curse on someone and not have them know I was involved, I might place the item in an empty lot or field near where the person works or lives, but OFF my property.

If you're working with just powders (ie tricking through the feet,) you can spread these powders on the ground very easily and have them not apt to be seen - how? Because in all honesty using colored talc is the only thing that gives that away, and is why I make my powders TALC-FREE and uncolored, and recommend that you either make your own powders talc-free and uncolored or find a rootworker who will (I believe our friend Karma Zain does sell talc-free, pure herb powders.) Talc is nothing more than a cheap filler that larger supply houses use to spread out the more expensive herbal matter in their powders and powdered herbs can easily be obtained from any herbal supply outlet, like I use Mountain Rose Herbs which sells many roots and herbs in powdered form.

Some traditional powders do have some "colored" elements due to the inclusion of colorful roots or minerals. Hot foot and goofer dust both have red and light yellow elements, but this can be minimized by placing the powder on a lawn or an uneven surface where the person may walk. A deviation of this method is to dress a door knob with powder or oil so that skin contact is made.

BUT if the idea is to leave ritual remains (which could look like trash or something freakier than trash, lol,) where the spell target may come in contact with them, failing the idea that you could get in or on the property without suspicion, hiding these items along a well known route the target travels on (near the home or job, - even in or under the car when its parked off the target's property,) is perfectly acceptable and can help with the problem of detecting a trick, as the target is not apt to go searching off of their property for a trick someone has laid. HOWEVER, if there is any way you can leave the remains on the intended target's property, this is stronger than just leaving the remains along a route the person may travel.

I guess if you can't get on the target's property for whatever reason, putting the remains into a tree near where the target will pass, off of the petitioner's property in some location where they will be apt to walk by or over the remains, by their job (rather than home,) or near or by their car in a lot off their property might be the best recommendations.

Q: What's the deal with "live things in you?" Are live things in you? Is this a myth?

A: This is an interesting topic for many reasons, but the one I've always been the most intrigued by is that there is literally a split amongst rootworkers I know who claim this is a real condition (anyone remember the movie The Believers where Helen Shaver has all those spiders come out of her face? Wasn't that also the one where Jimmy Smits has a big black snake come out of his gut?) which either is manifested with real live things in you (this is the smallest group,) or that its real in the sense of the spirit of the animal/creature being inside you and/or the spell itself causing Morgellons Syndrome or delusional parasitosis, OR that its just total altogether crap and no such thing is possible through spellwork or any other means.

In my opinion...is this total crap? Like all sorts of spells there are definitely people who have performed bogus acts and called it a spell (some of the Harry Hyatt Hoodoo transcripts include reports made by doctors who coach on how to palm or hide a small insect and then how to let this free and make it look as though it came out of the victim,) but in the same respect, I have also heard more than one report of a curse causing an illness that was neither understood nor explainable by medical science. While the reports I've heard directly follow more along the lines of a wasting disease which is incurable, strange rashes, unexplainable fevers, flu-like symptoms, vomiting, and/or outright insanity, I do not discredit that a spell could cause a victim to feel as though bugs, snakes, and assorted crawlies are under their skin. I mean, people can be killed by cursing, so...I'm sure the manifestation of making someone crazy or sick may include giving them the notion that a certain bug is under the flesh.

Also, in an interesting sort of aside here, often the victim has some how consumed a powdered insect or part of an animal, OR has had direct contact with a powder made from a powdered insect, creature or animal, so this lends (in my humble opinion) to the credibility that there are actual spells with the intention of creating the sensation of creatures living under someone's skin...

But do I personally believe that there are spells made where crawlies come out like the spiders on Helen Shaver's face in The Believers? No, I don't think any real spider or snake or scorpion or any other thing literally is inside you. I can conceed that perhaps the spirit or essence of the animal could be placed inside you and cause symptoms that FEEL like the animal is inside you, and I can believe there are spells which make you believe there are things living under your skin...but I am not really...well, open to the idea that an actual scorpion is crawling away under your arm skin or something and you can't even see it.

So...I would say its accurate that its possible to make a person feel like and believe that they have any nature of bug or crawly under their skin by using a curse. I can believe that a spell and not a medical cure will be needed to stop this sensation... But I am not really strong in believing that an actual living crawly item is under the skin in the sense that a full-bodied snake is swimming around in your gut or something. I also can agree that maybe you could like use scorpions to kill someone and they would come out of that person's mouth or something after you discover the body...but I think the animal would have entered the body after it died and not before.

That means, while its not a MYTH, its perhaps a misunderstood concept in the world of spellcraft.

Alrightey, kids, that's part one with my four winners! :) Next up I'll be posting the questions which all deserve HONORABLE MENTIONS!! Keep your eyes open and peeled for it as I hope to have it up before the end of this week!

~Cat

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While its good advice never to accept a gift from, or lend or give something to a person who has reason to harm you (and might use spellwork to do so,) its also a truth that if you're looking to get your target to have contact with something you can put it in a gift a letter....and if you borrow their favorite shirt or something, hey, look, you have biological item. ;)

Hello occulties!

It seems its time for me to repeat myself repeat myself repeat myself repeat myself repeat myself repeat myself for the thousandth time. Maybe I'm just rephrasing so those who ARE NOT TOO LAZY TO READ THE ARCHIVES might actually catch on to what I'm saying. ;) Hey, sometimes you just need something rephrased.

This is aimed at helping those of you finding your work floundering for reasons which are painfully obvious to some more experienced spellcasters, as well as those of you who are finding your work floundering for reasons which may be less obvious even to the experienced. Alrightey, let's get this started...and with what I presume my long-term Occultey-readership already has heard 1,345,862,348,941 times in here. ;)

*The petitioner (person casting spell,) dwells on the problem frequently, often analyzing it over and over to try to figure out the motives of those involved in the situation they are spellcasting on (generally social situation,) or analyzing all events around them in hopes of a sign.

How many times do I have to tell you to stop thinking the spell to death and let it go and do its work? How many metaphors must be used and how many parables and how many examples must be made before you learn this? This is the question I think that, should I get to meet my maker upon my death (no, not my mom and dad, to you wise-acres in the Rant Room,) will be the very one I ask, because, damn, I really want to know. ;)

Some of the signs you may be engaging in this sort of behavior, if you're the petitioner (person requesting the spell, which may or may not be the spellcaster,) include (but are not NEARLY LIMITED TO,):

*Engaging in frequent sessions of analyzation of the situation, actions, people involved, post-spellcasting. This does not mean you ask yourself BRIEFLY if this or that may be an effect of the spell (for example "Wow, Frank is really warming up to me - I'll bet that's my love spell working!) but more like "Why is Frank nice to me right now, and then he seems a bit stand-offish and shy, and hey, did he just crack a joke at my expense, and why did he give me that look the other day or was he looking at that other person, and then wait is he dating the other person, and was he always sort of flirting with me, or is this just Frank when he's friendly, and hey, do I feel effected by this spell, is it just hitting me, and doesn't Frank often go to Biff's Bar and Tavern on Monday and if so, why isn't he here right now - is it because I've been showing up here, or is it...." Yeah...that's a run on sentence that isn't going to stop. I know, because I read it every day in my inbox for pages at a time. ;) JUST STOP. What was that smack on the back of your head? That's me, I've developed the power to hit you through your monitor each time you start getting your spell OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder, that is,) and freaking the f*** out like this. While I don't literally have the power to hit you through the internet, I am working on it, but...digressing back.

*"Stalking" the spell target (this includes things like constant checking of Facebook, MySpace, Friendster and other social sites, Googling, data mining services, as well as traditional stalking methods,) in an effort to gauge if something his happening/changing. This is DIFFERENT than running into someone and noticing changes. This is more like obsessively watching your target for any change in their lives and personality, especially when being done covertly. For example, if Janice loves Karl, but Karl doesn't know it, and Janice has cast a spell on him, checking his Facebook page every day and grilling a shared friend several times a week about Karl and what he's doing would be mildly stalking.

*Losing faith in your own actions/spell. While this is a sign which crops up in other self-defeating behaviors, I've observe, ESPECIALLY AMONG THOSE WITH PRE-EXISTING MENTAL CONDITIONS (and I mean, like tolerable ones, not grand-mal, lock you away psychological conditions, but like moderate depression, anxiety, etc, - even medicated problems,) this becoming a huge issue where the petitioner second guesses everything and begins especially to "pick on" themselves for past actions made during the spellcasting process or immediately previous to it. For example "I always thought Darla was flirting with me, but now, perhaps, I was just fooling myself and she's always a flirt," or "I really shouldn't have said that to George the other day - now he'll never talk to me, spell or not!" While obviously we are all going to make mistakes or be critical of ourselves from time to time, this goes beyond seeing a past mistake and is more like an attack of the "Shoulda, Coulda, Woulda"s complete with beating oneself up emotionally.

*Attacking the spell target verbally/emotionally/physically due to a percieved lack of movement in the spellwork. This is common with reconcilation and love spells - the petitioner, being frustrated, becomes angry and lashes out at the target, believing this person to be their antagonizer for not reacting "fast enough."

If you find yourself engaged in over-analyzation, long bouts of self-pity, long bouts of thinking how the spell will manifest or how it will fail, self-blame, target-blame, and stalking, then...well, you are filthy sick with the thinking it to death and not letting it go behaviors. Seriously.

What can you do?

LET IT GO. Listen, sometimes its best to think of a spell like putting an order in for say, food, at a restraunt. Presumably when you sit down, check the menu, and put out your order, you then relax for a certain period of time while the kitchen makes up your food. Do you go back into the kitchen and start saying "Are those beefsteak or vine tomatoes?" and then do you go and look at the cook and wonder "Gee, he looks ticked at me right now, is it my wanting to know what tomatoes they're using," and then look out to your table and wonder, "Will they mess with my food? I better sit here and watch them cook," then demand to stand in the kitchen being an obstacle to the very food order you made, picking, asking question, obsessing the motives of the line cook making the sauce, etc? Do you? Do you? Well, why in the eff are you doing this to your spell? Its what you're doing. Wouldn't most normal people sit down at a table and just wait for the food to come out to them? In spellcasting the most expedient way to get your spell to manifest is to send the order out (by casting the spell,) and then to wait, even with some mild level of anticipation, I'm sure (we're hungry when we're at a restraunt though not usually anxious and annoying the s*** out of the wait staff and kitchen because of this,) then recieving the ordered item in a regular amount of time. If you're interfering intentionally in a restraunt situation, it makes sense to you that your order would be held up, and perhaps not as good as you'd like, right? Right? Well, then why do you think its different with a spell? ;) You're using not letting something go, thinking it to death, and bad behavior to slow the manifestation and clog the path of manifestation...and...well, you're doing it to yourself. You need to take a few steps back from the situation, and involve yourself in other things to get your mind off of the situation until you can cease obsessing and cease antagonizing the spell energies.

*Despite frequent spellcastings, there is no movement in the situation being spellcasted upon.

While this may be caused by the above discussed first issue, often this also means the petitioner is taking the wrong approach to the problem (ie, they need to use a different spell or a different "plan of attack," to tackle the problem) OR that the spell energy needs to be let go to do its work. In these situations, I'd recommend taking a 2 week break from spellcasting to allow the energies you've raised to begin to work. If nothing begins to manifest after a short wait, attempt a different type of spell to help fix the situation. For example, if casting a money spell and not recieving any increase in income, try casting a road opener/blockbuster spell to clear any possible obstacles keeping the increased income from manifesting into your life.

*It should be remembered that often with love and reconcilation spells, we also can observe the target HOLDING BACK showing the petitioner his or her feelings. This is because humans are raised to not show these feelings easily (doing so is often seen as a sign of weakness,) and also because, especially in reconilation cases, the spell target may be leery of allowing the petitioner to know they have changed their minds regarding their feelings for the petitioner.

*It should be remembered in cursing situations that, should the petitioner have open emnity with the target, or even have a target who, despite cordial behavior, is aware that that petitioner has a reason to dislike them, that the target is apt to hide their misfortune, bad luck, etc from someone like the petitioner who might take advantage of this weakness, so...sometimes the petitioner does not see the full effect of the curse until after its fully manifested. :S

*While the you had an exact idea of how the spell was apt to manifest, you realize its not manifesting that way, and find yourself worried its going to flounder.

Repeat after me: "While I have complete trust that (name spell's purpose or name spell here,) will manifest, I do not know how or why that will come to be. I have faith in the spell created the desired outcome, the path to it is not mine to decide."

Ooooh, you just admitted that you do NOT actually know for sure how something will happen. You don't know if Jack will come back with giving you a phone call first or if you'll run into him on the way to getting some fuel at a convenience store! You've admitted that you believe your money spell will bring more money, but that you don't know if that's going to manifest as a higher paying job or a fortunate lottery ticket. Wow, I'm proud of you! You're on your first step to competently understanding spell manifestation. You put the order in - how or why the order is filled is revealed to you when that order is received.

This means if you're getting freaked out that Barbara hasn't called you yet, you're not putting any faith or trust in the spell energy. This means if you're upset that Dean hasn't yet started to have bad luck with his business despite the curse on it, that you're entirely faithless to believe that it won't happen.

Your sign your causing your spell problems? You don't have faith. You also believe (perhaps wrongly,) that you are the all-knowing all-seeing eye in the sky who knows exactly how the spell will manifest (how you think it SHOULD MANIFEST IN YOUR HUMBLE OPINION,) and not having faith in the spell being able to do its job any other way than what you wrongly are presenting is the only way/right way. ;) What?

Okay, spells take the path of least resistance to manifest. So, on some problems, perhaps its easiest for the spell to take an obvious path. For example, if I cast a job spell, presumably I will put in an application and get a good job. This is the likliest road to spell manifestation, right? Well, what if my car breaks down on the way to an interview, and a fellow working in the same building as my interview helps me, drives me to the building, and I have a horrid interview. Well, but I really wanted that job! Oh s***! My spell, its failing its failing, whine, whine... Ah, well, either way...I keep applying to jobs, losing faith the spell is working when...2 weeks later the nice fellow who gave us a ride to the interview that was horrible offers a great position in his office - it seems our small talk regarding going to an interview for x job had piqued his interest and in doing so, landed a great job (far superior to the one intervied for at the other office,) with great pay... Huh...that's not the likliest path to spell manifestation....and weirdly, if you think about it, the going out for interviews got the job, albeit indirectly and...

See, path of least resistance. While this is usually is the Occams Razor (the most likely answer is usually the right one,) of spellcasting, where we can see the likliest path and can reasonably assume this is how a spell is apt to manifest, becoming adherent to the idea that it MUST manifest in a particular presumed way is injurous to spell energy. Why? Because we are creating our own obstacles/blockages by trying to force the spell to manifest as we assume it should. Lets go back to our previous example of the job spell which manifested as the job being recieved from the good samaritan who drove the person to a failed interview. Imagine in that scenario that the person with the bad interviews and who had not yet received the job had avoided the call from the good samaritain or had avoided contact with them, simply because they felt the person had nothing to offer? Imagine, if you will, that because the spell had taken so long to manifest, that the petitioner of that example had started only answering and returning calls from sources he or she suspected would bring the desired manifestation. There is no way the petitioner could have realized the good samaritain might have had a job opening - why bother returning the call? The petitioner may have decided the spell "failed" simply because the petitioner was too hung up on their perceived idea of how the spell would manifest.

How do you fix this? First, keep an open mind, second, admit you do not decide HOW the spell manifests but rather you are making an order for the END RESULT, the manifestation, and third, do not get disheartened when the most-likely SEEMING manifestation is not occuring.

*Rationalizing obsessive, pessimistic, or negative behavior patterns as "normal" and "to be expected," despite the fact that most people do not have to obsess, freak out, or be pessimistic, and are more than capable of enough self-control to not indulge in bouts of "why me?"ings, or "its natural I feel bad so let me wallow in my own self-pity for hours at a time," etc.

That should be self-explanitory. If you're claiming everyone is like you, you're mistaken, and you're rationalizing your behavior is actually you encouraging yourself to keep it up because its easier for you, you're comfortable with failure (its what you're accustomed to,) and you're now encouraging it.

By rationalizing negative and unhelpful behaviors, you are only showing others that you are married to your own misfortune (comfortable with it,) and are encouraging it. You can say you have faith, you can claim you think positive, and even convince yourself that you have done all the right stuff, but if you've come to a point where you are like "Oh, who isn't heartbroken when someone you love doesn't return your affection," is your excuse for shooting your recon spells in their figurative feet repeatedly, then...well, your rationalization is your sign to you that you either enjoy being miserable and in the state your in (you're used to it and its comfortable,) or that you feel you deserve what you're getting (or conversely that you don't believe you deserve what you requested.)

Listen, I do understand sadness, frustration, anger, pessimism - its natural when things are not going your way. Yep, sure. Okay. I do understand that it can be difficult to overcome the desire to sink into the "Swamps of Sadness," and allow yourself to be overtaken by these feelings, but if you can't accomplish at least being secure that your spell is an action which will take you from this state of sadness, and use that as your reason to cease being a plaintive or faithless creature, then...I've no idea what to tell you. This is sadly where the most-intelligent and learned of petitioners seem to find themselves failing. They rationalize that there is some impossible level of obstacles or behavioral techniques required to make a spell work. They claim that perhaps conveneint coincedences (how most spells manifest) are just that or else someone could show them data showing otherwise. They bemoan that less that 1/5000 chance that the Universe may say no to the request, therefore the falliability of spellcraft must make it not workable. They engage in bad behaviors frequently, then say its not for lack of faith or positive thinking. Goodness, the saddest thing is if you apply their behavior to any other situation be it relationship or business, say, their behaviors and actions would be their own downfall. It would be obvious to even them in those situations.

You are required to have faith the spell will work, to acknowledge you can't predict how it will manifest - your power is the desired outcome, and it is required of you to put that order in and relax ENOUGH to let the spell work. This doesn't mean you can never feel sad or you can't ever have a moment of doubt. Yes, you may have a bad day (don't we all,) but you don't use every opportunity to complain and why-me and have a wallow in the pigsty of self-pity...because, frustration is normal...we may be disappointed now and again, but rather than catalogue these events as reasons for "hey, this is why nothing ever works for me," (the reason nothing works for you is that you have affirmed repeatedly to yourself that it never will and therefore drawn that outcome to yourself, by the way,) try having some faith. Things look like they aren't working out as you'd imagined (you have no control over the path to the outcome, just what the outcome IS,) does not mean you're not getting what you want. You're frustration at the wait? Normal! But using frustration as an excuse to develop an Eeyore complex and drive yourself down the "nothing ever works for me" street, and engage in self pity and ridiculous behaviors? Eh...that's where it stops being so normal. Try adopting a positive attitude, not just claiming you have a positive attitude because you managed to make yourself think you did for five minutes today. If you're really so stressed out by your situation as to not be able to overcome this sort of behavior you may need to do healing work on yourself before continuing with spellwork or even may need a psychiatrist... I mean, if you really think your problems are bad, I can guarantee you'd rather have your problems than someone elses. ;)

Often, the best solution here is to cast a spell for something you're not wild and crazy to have, do your best at that spell, and go back into engaging yourself into whatever other spellwork or situaiton you want to. 9 times out of 10, you'll forget about that spell you cast, only to have it manifest quickly. When it does, there is that postive surge of surprise that wait! Spells do work, and S*IT! good things do happen to you!

NOT-SO-HONORABLE MENTIONS:

You're likely causing your spellwork problems if you're
*Spying on or stalking your target
*Using frequent divination to gauge how the spell is going
*Frequently discussing the spellwork with others
*Crying, acting irrational, being defensive/hurtful towards a target of a love or reconcilation spell
*Acting against the spell (ie casting a job spell and not applying to jobs, contacting a target first when the spell mandates the target makes the first contact, etc)
*Visibly antagonizing a curse-target
*Engaging in frequent analyzation of HOW the spell might manifest
*Seeking "a sign" to the degree of projecting that everything is a sign

*****

While this is in no way a final or complete list of how to cause your spell problems through bad behaviors, I hope its been educational. ;)

~Cat

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Wow! So, apparently, if you're one of my friends, you can't be cool if you're not getting married on Oct 3, 2009. Just kidding! ;) However, there are so many couples to name, and so many people I love tying the not this coming weekend, that rather than name them all, I'm just going to say this:

I love all of you so very much. You've been wonderful friends (even if we didn't get along now and again,) and even though when we were young, we'd think we'd never make it here or want to live this long (remember when we all thought 22 was old?), I'm filled with happiness to see so many people I love growing up, getting married, and making families. Wow, who thought they'd even allow most of us to reproduce (as if they could stop us - mwahahahahaha,) much less that we'd find our way to normal adult lives where people get married and reproduce and have jobs other than "Rockstar" or "Kegmaster." ;)

Its been a long and strange trip to this far in life, and I hope to see many more years with you - but most of all, I wish you all the happiest day of your lives with someone who (if I am not friends already with them,) treats you even better than you could ever imagined. May your unions be blessed and filled with love forever.

Congratulations again, and I love you all so much more than words can describe. While I can't be physically present at all of your ceremonies, please know you are always in my heart and mind, and if the same holds true for you when it comes to me, then I am there, even if I'm phyically absent, cheering you on, and celebrating with you, always.

All my love,

~Cat

Photo courtesy the GNU project.

Hi Occulties!

So, everyone's been asking me for a controlling spell, and here 'tis for you all, my lovies. :) See, you only needed to weather a giant rant, and really that was for the "drama, oh, the drama!" people anyhow. ;) And you probably got sad and didn't read it anyhow, right? So, alrightey...

You will need:
A purple taper candle
Controlling oil (you may substitute Commanding oil if you please)
A fire-proof tin like a pie plate or cake tin
Calamus root (powdered)
Licorice root (powdered)
Poppyseeds
A piece of purple cloth (no patterns or designs, never worn suchas used clothing,)
Purple thread,
Sewing needle,
Piece of scrap paper with all edges torn, not ripped,
A pen with black ink,
Bio item (sometimes called witness sample) of person to be controlled (ie hair, blood, nail clipping, etc) - if you do not have a bio item, a photograph or handwriting from the person with their name written 9 times on the back of the handwritten item or photograph can be substituted.

OPTIONAL- If looking to control someone in situations regarding business or money, add five finger grass and confectioner's sugar;
If seeking to command a lover, add confectioner's sugar and damiana;
And if you do not have any of the optional herb items, rest assured, the spell is still usable to control a lover or business/money situation. ;)

The Spell:

Using your sewing needle, scratch 8 lines to create 9 approximately equal sections of candle on your purple candle. (DO NOT cut up your candle, simply make a line on the candle, like a scratch mark.) ;) Set aside for the time being.

Mix equal parts calamus, licorice, and poppy seed together (about a tablespoon of each will be more than enough) in a bowl or container. If you have chosen to use the extra optional ingredients add, equal parts of all five herbs, and mix together. Set aside.

Using your pen and scrap paper, write the full name of the person to be controlled nine times on the paper, like this:
Firstname Lastname
Firstname Lastname
Firstname Lastname
Firstname Lastname
Firstname Lastname
Firstname Lastname
Firstname Lastname
Firstname Lastname
Firstname Lastname

Now turn the paper so the names are running horizontally and write your command nine times across like this:
Command
Command
Command
Command
Command
Command
Command
Command
Command
(See pictures on this post here for an example.)

Using your the index finger to your right hand, dab some of your Controlling (or Commanding) oil onto the paper into the center area. Place your personal item into the center of the paper. Sprinkle some of your herbal mixture on top of this. Now fold the paper in half TOWARDS you, and then fold in half TOWARDS you again. Place this beneath your candle stick (if you are using one) or beneath your fireproof container if you are not using a candle stick. The paper must be under the candle stick or fireproof container for the duration of time the candle burns. It is OK if some of the personal item is sticking out from the paper when you fold it.

Pick up your candle again, and using your right hand and 1-3 drops Controlling oil (or commanding oil if you please,) anoint the candle UP from base to wick, using seven strokes of your hand. Hold the candle in your hand for a moment, envisioning your target complying with your command. If you feel you are good at sending energy or intent, try to charge the candle with purple energy while seeing the target person complying with your command. HOWEVER, if you are new to energy sending, just holding the candle in your hands a few moments and envisioning your desired manifestation will suffice.

Sprinkle the candle with your herbal mixture. You may light the candle now if you would like to secure the candle to the candle holder with a few drips of wax. Once the candle is secure in the holder or on your fireproof container, hold your hands on either side of the candle, seeing in your minds eye a picture of your target complying with your command (agreeing to what you want them to do, doing that which you want, etc.) PLEASE NOTE - THIS IS NOT A SEXUAL SPELL AND WILL NOT WORK WELL IF YOU'RE ATTEMPTING TO FORCE OR COMMAND SOMEONE INTO A SEXUAL SITUATION OR ACT THEY ARE NOT WILLING TO DO "NORMALLY." IF YOU TRY TO USE THIS SPELL TO GET SOMEONE TO COMMIT A SEXUAL ACT THEY FIND PERVERSE OR TO SEDUCE SOMEONE JUST FOR SEX, YOU ARE APT TO BE DISAPPOINTED IN THE RESULTS. Furthermore, if you use spells to get people to do pervert things with you that they are against doing normally, you're no better than someone who drugs and rapes, so think on that for awhile. ;)

As you are holding your hands on either side of the candle, keeping the above image in your mind's eye, say: "(Full name of target,) my wish is your command., You are at my beck and my call, (first name.) My wish is your command (first name.) Every time you try to resist my command, the stronger the urge to do as I say becomes." (Herein speak to the candle as if you are telling the person what you want them to do.) "(Full name of target,) my wish is your command., You are at my beck and my call, (first name.) My wish is your command (first name.) Every time you try to resist my command, the stronger the urge to do as I say becomes. As is my will - so be it!" Drop your hands and clear your mind.

Allow the candle to burn 1/9 of the way down and extinguish the candle with a candle snuffer or metal spoon. The candle should be burned 1/9th of the way down for a total of 9 days, and on the final day, allowed to burn all of the way down. Each time you light the candle for the 9 days, say the above chant, allow the candle to burn 1/9 down, and snuff.

On the 9th day when the candle has burnt itself out, take your name paper/packet from under the candle holder or fire proof plate, and gently place this into your your piece of purple cloth. Sprinkle more of your herbal mixture onto it, and fold the cloth so that it covers the paper. Sew the cloth closed with your purple thread (folding the cloth in half, then sewing the 3 open sides shut is perfectly acceptable.) Anoint the bag with your Commanding or Controlling oil every seven days until you've successfully accomplished your goal.

Place this into your right shoe, and when dealing with the person you've targeted for yur command (even speaking on the phone, in person, etc,) tap your right foot while you make your command. They should do what you say (within reason - this will not make them a robot or give them superhuman powers, or make them a zombie.) ;)

Enjoy!

~C