Magical Power For Beginners

Deborah Lipp was initiated into a traditional Gardnerian coven of Witches in 1981, became a High Priestess in 1986, and has been teaching Wicca and running Pagan circles ever since. She has appeared in various media discussing Wicca, including the A and E documentary Ancient Mysteries: Witchcraft in America, on MSNBC, in The New York Times, and in many smaller TV and print sources. Deborah has been published in many Pagan publications, including The Llewellyn Magical Almanac, Pangaia, Green Egg, The Druid's Progress, Converging Paths, and The Hidden Path, as well as Mothering Magazine. She has lectured at numerous Pagan festivals on a variety of topics. Deborah is a technical writer with a variety of skills. She lives in Rockland County, NY, with her son, Arthur, who tap dances, and two cats. Deborah reads and teaches Tarot, designs wire-and-bead jewellery, solves and designs puzzles, watches old movies, hand-paints furniture, and dabbles in numerous handcrafts.

Contents

Exercises and Figures xiii
Acknowledgments xv
Introduction 1
How This Book Came About 3
Ritual and Magic 4
What’s in This Book? 5

Chapter 1: What Is Magic? 7
What Does Magic Do? 13
How Does Magic Work? 15
What Is a Spell? 17

Chapter 2: Everything Is Connected to Everything Else 21
Experiencing Connection 22
The Road Map of Interconnection 23
Sympathetic Magic 31

Chapter 3: Time and Space 37
Time 37
How Does Transcending Time Affect Magic? 40
The Final Frontier 42
Ritual Transcendence 44

Chapter 4: Magical Intention 47
Firm Desire 49
Fixed and Conscious Focus 51
Determination and Confidence 52
Emotion 56
Developing Mind Skills 57
Meditation 58
Grounding and Centering 71
Visualization and Sensory Exercises 76
Using Triggers 81
Using Focal Objects 83

Chapter 5: Raising Power, Part One: Power Sources, Deity, and Self 85
Where Does Power Come From? 86
Power from Deity 86
Power from the Self 95
Accessing Power from the Mind and Body Jointly 107

Chapter 6: Raising Power, Part Two: Natural and Supernatural Sources, Accumulated Power, Magic Words, and Flavor 115
Power from Natural and Supernatural Sources 115
Saved, Accumulated, or Stored Power 134
Magic Words 144
Flavors of Power 151

Chapter 7: Sending Power 159
Target and Goal 160
Splitting Focus 169
Sending in a Burst: "Male" Power Sending 175
Sending in Waves: "Female" Power Sending 178
Sending Power into Storage 179
Mass Sending 185
Deciding How to Raise and Send Power 188

Chapter 8: Spells 195
Fine-Tuning a Spell 196
The Components of a Spell 198

Chapter 9: Constructing a Spell 229
Brainstorming 230
First Steps 233
The Sample Spells 235
Evocations/Invocations 264
How to Dress a Candle 266
All-Purpose Spells 267
Some Spells Mentioned in This Book 271
Finally … 283

Appendix A: Tables of Correspondences 285

Appendix B: Spell Basics 295

Appendix C: Recommended Reading 299

Bibliography 307

Index 311 Chapter 10: Bag of Tricks 251 Stocking Your Magical Shelf 251 Consecrations 260