High Magic

High magic is not something I use often as my magical practices tend to be more instinctual & intuitive. But I do occasionally use it for larger issues which need added oomph. It does mean that when the time comes to do said magic it is more considered & on things that need more focus it is useful, but there are times when my usual practices of low magic can intervene, as sometimes astrological correspondences are are counter intuitive to the physical properties of ingredients used. Astrological correspondences were generally formulated in the time when it was thought that flies had four legs & that there was only four elements rather than a whole periodic table of them. I do get accused of being over analytical with my practices perhaps this is why I tend mostly to low magic as an analytical mind tends fit with the logic of magic & the physical too. Also sometimes I feel high magic is over egging the pudding too which to me can seem a little time consuming & using more effort than is required. But then you need to consider what you are doing things for low magic can sometimes only work to make a scratch in the paintwork, so I'm not totally against it, it's just half the time life doesn't throw large enough fish for me to bother with it, thankfully. Have I just jinxed myself?

The Use of Low Magic

Sympathetic magic by some is considered low magic, but surely isn't it more like say no to a sledgehammer when cracking a walnut when you have a decent set of nutcrackers? It is true thgat with sympathetic magic you don't need a set of correspondences, it relies on will non the less. It also relies on knowledge of the matter that you are working with if using ingredients such as herbs as to what they do physically, herbs that boost the immune system are often used for protection as it physically boosts protection, herbs used in love magic have aphrodisiac effects etc. So low magic is not exactly simple even if the herbal side is called simpling. Then there is the physical side of it the making of poppets or using an etched name or personal effect, this maybe an easier thing to achieve, but the effort that has to go into it is just as great. The same rules apply to these magics in principle as to high magics & are equally as effective. So why is there such a snobbery to it? Perhaps it is because it allows a certain amount of flexibility or perhaps it could be seen as too reactionary, either way I don't feel it should be shunned by people of the usual high magic brigade as the essence of a situation is often as fluid as the situation. This is not to say that I don't use high magic from time to time but I do feel more comfortable with the low magic as to me it seems more intuitive yet cerebral at the same time.

Music in Magical Practice

Something struck me a couple of weeks ago, though I never got around to posting it for some reason, which is I'm never usually doing magical practices in silence, whether it is to the accompaniment of birdsong or if it is at home something to drown out the everyday noise. It was after watching a documentary on catch up about David Attenborough & Bjork & how music works did it make sense. I tend to pick music that I feel appropiate to the cause, for instance A Brand New Me by Bitter Ruin for dealing with my post traumatic stress disorder (though it is not the original meaning of the song it helps me deal with the events that lead to it in my head). The tone of the song is just as important as the lyrics the afformentioned song makes it clear about the kind of message it is about by both its tone & lyrics, other songs don't do this, for instance if you sing Eternal Flame by the Bangles in a creepy voice, it becomes very sinister indeed. Does this mean the tone is the more important than the lyrics? Maybe, but some music can be subversive in it's sound to it's message for instance Baby Come Home To Me by the Scissor Sisters may sound cheery but the lyrics are antything but. So some music that I like makes the cut magically where as others do not. Music doesn't need to have lyrics to become appropiate, Adaggio for Strings by Barber brings peace for me if I need for the pace of life to slow down. So going back to the lyrics thing I have weaved them into magical workings, Feeling Good by Anthony Newly (always tend to have the Nina Simone version in my head when using it) I use to bring in the positive in my life. To me I have found singing albeit not very well more powerful than just saying something or if if it isn't something to be sung chanting it more than merely saying helps me focus my intent. It is said that song predated structured language & if you put yourself in extreme circumstances quite often what noise you make will still communicate feelings even if there is words there. I'm interested if any of the other people who read this are the same & what music they use.

Knowing what you are getting yourself into with spells

I'm not going to name names, but I was contacted by a friend who has been hurt by love with the appearance of a third party who showed up to cause trouble. Now my friend looked into getting a "Witch" to do a couple of spells for them, the "Witch" has charges quite the fee it appears, but the friend doesn't know exactly what type spells are being used so not 100% sure of the outcome & what it would mean for them in the long run. To me this sounds incredibly suspect/dangerous, seriously when delving into the realms of spellcasting there are some rules I would seriously consider following.

• You don't have to be a Witch to cast a spell, it tends to work better if the person who needs/wants the spell to do it as it is more likely to have an effect as you are actually involved & not a third party who may have missed a detail in your case & who may have their own agenda, which could just be a make money fast scheme. If the spell fails or goes wrong they probly won't claim responsibilty for it.
• Be clear about exactly what it is you want & what you want the outcome to be. 
• Be able to deal with the consequences if it doesn't turn out how you exactly planned it.
• Make sure in the right state of mind when you do things, when passions are high you could end up biting off more than you can chew with what you are sending out there. Be level headed about these things.
• Think it through first, is there something you can do on a physical level before hitting the spell books?

I do hope my friend will be OK for their own sake & that things turn out to how they wanted to & not something completely distorted or unwelcome.