| Many Wiccans and Pagans use spell work and magick | | | | the appropriately colored marker will work perfectly |
| for personal issues without ever applying them to | | | | fine. |
| larger, global problems. Those that do, though, tend | | | | Fourth, using the decisions you made in step three to |
| to cast overly broad spells. They work magick to | | | | make a shopping list, go buy or otherwise acquire |
| heal the environment, or bring about world peace. | | | | and assemble in one place all the items you will need |
| Those are ambitious goals, but spell casting works | | | | for the spell. You can do the spell immediately, as |
| better with a more narrow focus. Large effects are | | | | soon as you’ve gotten everything together. Or |
| more easily achieved by taking several small steps -- | | | | you can set a date and time for the spell based on |
| like eating an elephant one bite at a time. If we are | | | | time of day, astrological sign, planetary alignment, |
| to be truly responsible for creating the world as we | | | | significance of the day of the week, phase of the |
| want it to be, then we need to prioritize magickal | | | | moon, etc. Don’t worry about doing this unless |
| work on government and current events, choosing | | | | you feel it will boost your belief in the efficacy of the |
| very specific political goals. | | | | spell. The last thing you want to do is get into the |
| The main political problem on everyone’s mind | | | | mind set that you have to do all of it, and have |
| right now is the Presidential election, particularly the | | | | everything “right” or “perfect,” for |
| heavily contested democratic primary. However, the | | | | your spell to work. That only handicaps your spell and |
| suggestions I make here will work equally well for the | | | | your own power. All power from magick comes from |
| general election, once the democratic nominee has | | | | you and your focus of will. Don’t let anyone take |
| been selected. These spells are not meant to take | | | | your power away from you by telling you different. |
| the place of active participation in the mundane | | | | Fifth, if you have a particular deity, angel, or guardian |
| political process. Rather, they act as a spiritual | | | | entity whose energy you would like to draw upon, |
| supplement that boosts the effectiveness of those | | | | ask for their guidance and help. If there is an entity |
| efforts, and provide a psychological boost to help | | | | that seems particularly appropriate for the kind of |
| keep you fighting for what you believe. | | | | spell work you are doing or its purpose, ask them for |
| I’m going to assume most of you reading this | | | | help, too. |
| have already made up your minds whom to support | | | | Sixth, if you want to chant, pray, sing or drum while |
| in the democratic primary. I also assume you are | | | | working your spell, either decide in advance what |
| strongly in favor of one candidate, or strongly | | | | you’re going to say or do and script it, or |
| opposed to the other. If you plan on voting for John | | | | improvise in the moment, letting the words come to |
| McCain in the general election, I’m betting on the | | | | you spontaneously; both are powerful methods. You |
| latter. However, though I recognize not all Pagans | | | | can do any of that out loud or silently, in your own |
| follow the particularly Wiccan ethic of “an it harm | | | | head. You may have gathered from all this |
| none, do what ye will,” I am going to stick to | | | | preparation that your magick has already started, and |
| spells here that focus on positive results for the | | | | is going strong, long before you actually start the |
| candidate you favor, rather than negative results for | | | | spell proper. That’s the point – magick is |
| the candidate you want to lose. I also want to stress | | | | about focusing your energy and intention on your |
| that any magick you do should, first and foremost, | | | | purpose, and everything that you think and do to |
| have the good of the country and its citizens as its | | | | manifest that purpose is part of that magick. |
| primary goal, not promoting any one candidate to the | | | | Finally, work your spell from start to finish. Hold your |
| position of President at any cost. | | | | candidate in your mind, and see him or her |
| The first and most important step of any spell work | | | | surrounded in the positive energy of your spell work. |
| is planning its purpose. On one side of a piece of | | | | Imagine the outcome that you want the spell to |
| paper, brainstorm a list of all the good things that | | | | accomplish, and send all the good and hopeful |
| have been happening that favor your candidate. On | | | | emotional energy that you’ve been accumulating |
| the other side, list all the negative things that have | | | | into that mental image and the components of the |
| been tarnishing the candidate’s image or losing | | | | spell in front of you. When you feel the intensity of |
| him or her support. Then decide whether you want | | | | that energy tapping out, give it one more intense |
| to do one very specific spell to deal with one | | | | emotional burst, and release it to the Universe. |
| particular positive or negative, or one larger ritual | | | | Wiccans would typically close with a proviso along the |
| designed to boost all the positives, generally, or | | | | lines of “for the good of all, harming none, so |
| neutralize all the negatives. Give this a lot of thought; | | | | mote it be.” That is simply to account for the |
| your decision dictates the intent with which you | | | | possibility that we are all human, and can never know |
| charge the spell, and your ability to focus on a very | | | | everything there is to know about a situation, so we |
| specific intent is the essential ingredient to the | | | | ask the Universe to ensure that no harm comes to |
| success of your magick. | | | | anyone from our spell because of our ignorance of |
| Second, decide on the kind of magick that will work | | | | circumstance. |
| best for your intent and your inclination. If you are | | | | Once you have finished your spell, the most |
| ambitious and want to do a full-scale ritual to cover | | | | important thing you can do to ensure its success is |
| many positives or negatives, make sure you have | | | | let it go. Don’t worry about whether it worked, |
| the time to devote to planning and execution; the | | | | because doubts running through your mind are the |
| ability to acquire all the magickal tools that you will | | | | opposite energy to that which you used in preparing |
| want to use; and a location that will give you the | | | | the spell, and thus detract from its effectiveness. |
| room and privacy you need to work, for the length | | | | The more invested we are emotionally in having a |
| of time you will need. If you don’t have that | | | | spell work, the more likely we are to worry about |
| kind of attention span, and prefer to do something | | | | whether it did, so it’s usually best to just put it |
| fast and simple, then a quick spell involving candle | | | | out of your mind and forget about it. If you think |
| magick or some form of elemental work might be | | | | about it at all, do it by noticing positive stories in the |
| better for you. Just make sure it’s a method | | | | news that you can attribute to your spell. You |
| you have affinity for. If you are a water baby and | | | | don’t have to claim that those things happened |
| hate working with fire, then stay away from candle | | | | solely because of your magick, but by drawing a |
| magick. For ideas, try looking through Raymond | | | | correlation in your own mind between your spell and |
| Buckland’s Practical Candleburning Rituals or Scott | | | | subsequent positive events, you are both boosting |
| Cunningham’s Earth Magick . | | | | your belief in your own power, and adding the |
| Third, work out all the details of symbolism for your | | | | energy of that positive attention to your magick. |
| spell to make it most effective for your purpose and | | | | Don’t make the mistake, however, of simply |
| your psyche. For example, if you are using candle | | | | doing a spell and then forgetting about the election |
| magick, you want to choose a color of candle that | | | | entirely, thinking that you’ve done your bit. |
| symbolizes your purpose, based on your own | | | | Magick is most effective when it is used in |
| personal symbol set. Many Americans associate the | | | | conjunction with physical, real world action. Doing a |
| color green with money, for instance, so if you want | | | | spell to find a new job, for example, won’t |
| to boost fundraising, that might be a good color to | | | | generally work unless you are also actively searching |
| use. Some people prefer gold for that purpose. Make | | | | through want ads and going on interviews. Doing a |
| sure you choose a color that has the strongest | | | | spell in conjunction with those activities, however, |
| emotional association for you, personally. Use the | | | | dramatically increases your likelihood of finding a more |
| same internal logic to decide on which scented oil, if | | | | appropriate job, a better job, a higher paying job, or |
| any, to dress the candle with; which herbs or | | | | finding one faster. The psychological effect alone |
| powders to rub over the dressed candle or sprinkle | | | | does wonders for your attitude. |
| around the base; what symbols to carve onto the | | | | So get out there, and canvass for your candidate. |
| candle; whether to put a prayer, affirmation, or other | | | | Man a phone bank. Send in a donation. Post a |
| statement of your spell focus on a piece of | | | | comment at a blog listing his or her positive traits and |
| parchment to be placed under the candle as it burns; | | | | qualifications. Take substantive action to make your |
| etc. I would like to stress that all these symbols are | | | | desired outcome a reality. Take responsibility for |
| merely tools to help you focus your intent. Not a one | | | | creating the world as you want it to be. That is the |
| of them is necessary to spell work. You can do the | | | | only true purpose of magick, and everything we do |
| entire thing in your imagination, if your concentration | | | | in alignment with that goal, from voting, to marching, |
| and visualization skills are well-developed. If you | | | | to writing a letter to the editor, is a magickal act. |
| don’t feel quite that confident, but don’t | | | | Good luck, blesséd be, and may the best |
| have the money or the time to go shopping, then a | | | | candidate win. |
| simple white candle decorated with symbols drawn in | | | | |