The outward work will never be puny if the inward work is great. And the outward work can never be great or even good if the inward one is puny or of little worth. The inward work invariably includes in itself all expansiveness, all breadth, all length, all depth. Such a work receives and draws all its being from nowhere else except from and in the heart of God.—Meister Eckhart, 14th Century

Many rituals are ineffective precisely because the magician wasn’t concentrating on the work at hand. Or, she or he simply needed something but didn’t want it. In either case, personal power wasn’t properly transferred to the incense, oil, or brew, so it was ineffective.—Scott Cunningham, The Complete Book of Incense, Oils & Brews

If you spend any time in Facebook discussion groups or reading responses to your favorite bloggers, chances are you’ve encountered lots of WORRY, especially from those who are new to the Craft: “What happens if I use the wrong color candle?” “What is the most powerful spell for _______?” “I’m afraid that if I cast the circle incorrectly I’ll let something bad in.” And so on.  And so forth. The basic logic of these queries is that magic happens when we have the right ingredients, the perfect spell, and the correct technique. As far as I’m concerned, nothing could be further from the truth!

Before I was introduced to the Craft, I had been practicing meditation for well over 20 years. Things such as learning to rid my thoughts of negativity, cultivating a spirit of peace, and centering on a specific intent are second nature to me. Therefore, when I started becoming a practitioner of magic I got results very quickly. I believe the reason for this is that I never doubted it would work. My focus was solely on the magical request. I visualized its effectiveness and the Powers That Be graciously lent their energies to help it succeed.

For me, magic is all about “will” and “word.” Things such an incense, candles, and herbs are helpful, and definitely enhance our magic, but the most powerful tool we have is ourselves. “Will” means our ability to focus on a specific request and to visualize it becoming a reality. “Word” is our ability to verbalize our request and enlist the power of Divine and Earth energies to help bring it into reality. If we cannot focus our magic in this manner it really doesn’t matter what props we use or spells we follow. They will most likely fizzle out without the Universe taking notice.

I cannot encourage my readers enough to develop a consistent meditative practice. Learning how to RELEASE negativity and anger, GROUND yourself in the powerful, healing energies of the Earth, and FOCUS your magical request are the most powerful tools you have at your disposal. Don’t try to shortcut this step. It is the most important thing we do as practitioners of magic. In fact, after I cast the circle, call the quarters and invoke the Divine, I spend the bulk of my time meditatively drawing energy into the circle and centering myself until I can focus on my specific magical intention without anything else getting in the way. It is then, and only then, that I do things such as add herbs to my incense burner, verbally state my request, and light candles.

If you look under the “Mediation” tab under “Categories” on the home page of my blog, you’ll find a number of meditative exercises that might be helpful to you. Don’t worry, you don’t need to be able to sit still for an hour and think of absolutely nothing! Victor Davich, in his wonderful book 8 Minute Meditation, shows how even brief periods of meditation can provide wonderful results. Don’t shortchange your magical power. Include meditation as a part of your spiritual practice and your magic will come alive with passion and power.

Copyright ©2016 by David Taliesin, http://www.sabbatsansabbaths.com