sol_mas
Spiritual Investigator
I'm obviously new to this area, so please humor me and please don't take offense to what I'm asking. I really just don't know, and I really do want to learn more about this path I'm trying to follow.
From what I understand, many Pagans believe in Magick, specifically as a physical, natural force that can be used/called/channeled for some purpose. From my Christian past, many Christians believe in something similar, even if they don't/we didn't call it Magick, and they don't necessarily consider it a physical or natural force, but a supernatural force (like when Peter performed miracles described in the book of Acts in the name of Jesus). I think I get this part, and I think I can go along with 'there is something there beyond what you can see'. Faith is faith.
What I have trouble getting past or understanding is what I've read about Pagan spells so far. Many seem only to be ways to convince yourself that you can do something, like when S. Cunningham talked about a money spell in his intro 'Wicca' book. Or, many books seem to have lots of love spells (that's another conversation entirely). One book by A. Drew, 'Spellcraft for Men' (or something like that), talks about that early on - that many spells are self-fulfilling. I'm ok with that too, as long as I know that going in (mind hacks work well with me).
So, finally, I guess my questions - do folks practice 'Practical' Magick that is more than self-fulfilling? Maybe not as intense as Dresden in J. Butcher's obviously fictional stories, but more than 'love potions' and the like? Are there classifications that more experienced people come up with, like 'Level 1: basic self confidence spells/rituals', 'Level 2: Spirit/energy invocation to affect physical objects' or something? How do I get past the 'love potion' books to learn more about spells/rituals for, again, no offense, Adults, with families, jobs, etc, if you will? Any resources, books, groups like this that people can recommend?
Thanks for your time,
SM, Pagan Noob
From what I understand, many Pagans believe in Magick, specifically as a physical, natural force that can be used/called/channeled for some purpose. From my Christian past, many Christians believe in something similar, even if they don't/we didn't call it Magick, and they don't necessarily consider it a physical or natural force, but a supernatural force (like when Peter performed miracles described in the book of Acts in the name of Jesus). I think I get this part, and I think I can go along with 'there is something there beyond what you can see'. Faith is faith.
What I have trouble getting past or understanding is what I've read about Pagan spells so far. Many seem only to be ways to convince yourself that you can do something, like when S. Cunningham talked about a money spell in his intro 'Wicca' book. Or, many books seem to have lots of love spells (that's another conversation entirely). One book by A. Drew, 'Spellcraft for Men' (or something like that), talks about that early on - that many spells are self-fulfilling. I'm ok with that too, as long as I know that going in (mind hacks work well with me).
So, finally, I guess my questions - do folks practice 'Practical' Magick that is more than self-fulfilling? Maybe not as intense as Dresden in J. Butcher's obviously fictional stories, but more than 'love potions' and the like? Are there classifications that more experienced people come up with, like 'Level 1: basic self confidence spells/rituals', 'Level 2: Spirit/energy invocation to affect physical objects' or something? How do I get past the 'love potion' books to learn more about spells/rituals for, again, no offense, Adults, with families, jobs, etc, if you will? Any resources, books, groups like this that people can recommend?
Thanks for your time,
SM, Pagan Noob
) in a yahoo search, found one I could tweak to suit my needs, supplies and tastes.
