| Author |
Message |
Seraphyna
Member
Joined: 29 Mar 2008
Points: 1,408
Posts: 1312
Race: Polymorphic Angel
Location: United States
|
 Are the "cookbooks" of magic truly beneficial?
Cross-posted a bunch of places
|
 |
|
A topic on another site got me thinking...do spells written by other people work as well if you use them instead of writing your own?
I personally think there's something to be said for writing your own. I mean think about the energy and intent that is focused into the work beginning with simply writing the spell. If you simply open a book or webpage is that energy and intent there? Is it possible that the intent of the author is attached to the spell and thus the spell could backfire or work differently than expected?
While I have nothing against spellbooks and grimoires or the people who use them, I much prefer to come up with my own spells.
So what are your thoughts?
|
 Posted: Sat Sep 12, 2009 1:21 am
_________________
*Everything I post comes with a built-in "I believe." It's annoying having to restate that fact over and over again. What I post is a reflection of personal belief. Nothing more.*
|
|
|
|
 |
Kane'Aishyrnaroshi
Member
Joined: 12 Aug 2009
Points: 58
Posts: 92
Race: Were
Location: United States
|
|
|
|
I'm not quite sure how to respond to your question, Seraphyna, as I have never attempted magick before. I have several spellbooks of various genres, but I have only browsed through them. When I get around to trying it, I'll let you know. 
|
Posted: Sat Sep 12, 2009 2:29 am
_________________
There is nothing noble about being superior to some other person. True nobility is in being superior to your previous self. -Proverb
|
|
|
|
|
undeadnephilim
Member
Joined: 28 Aug 2008
Points: 70
Posts: 74
Race: Fox/kitsune
Location: United States
|
|
|
|
My experience has been that its most effective to write your own spells because you know why you did everything, and because you've invested more intent in them. From what I've gathered on various pagan forums, its recommended that beginners use pre-written spells and work towards writing their own.
I think your idea about the creator's intent/energy being attached to a spell is a good one, though I don't have any experience to back it up.
|
Posted: Sat Sep 12, 2009 3:18 am
|
|
|
|
|
SOG_FG_ryan14
Member
Joined: 01 Aug 2007
Points: 210
Posts: 480
Race: Werefox
Location: United States
View Blog
|
|
|
|
That is one of the reasons why when I read spells I just change a bunch of stuff and when I write spells I leave incantations open to others and give suggestions ie: say these or similar words.
|
Posted: Sat Sep 12, 2009 4:03 am
_________________ "If I must fight for my life I can guarantee I won't fight fair"-Me
|
|
|
|
|
Strangeling
Member
Joined: 24 Jul 2009
Points: 96
Posts: 47
Race: Fae
|
|
|
|
I think it probably works differently for various people. One person might be adept at using spells made by others, while another could find it nearly impossible. I happen to be the latter. It seems that I'm still not accustomed to using them, since I suppose it was a more instinctual process before. I'm primarily a kinesthetic learner. That's why I've kind of been avoiding trying to practice seriously, though I've been doing more now that I've realized the necessity of it.
|
Posted: Sat Sep 12, 2009 4:16 am
_________________
"Skeptic does not mean him who doubts, but him who investigates or researches as opposed to him who asserts and thinks that he has found." -Miguel de Unamuno
One need not lie to deceive.
One need not know to believe.
|
|
|
|
|
Nanara
Director
Joined: 02 Sep 2006
Points: 5,482
Posts: 6293
Race: Polymorphic something
Location: New Zealand
View Blog
|
|
|
|
It's my understanding that grimoire's and BOS's were created by the practitioner for themselves. It's only with the eclectic adaptation of witchcraft and magick, and the development of the internet (and TV programs like Charmed) that has spread this idea within real practitioners that another persons book/spells would work just as well for whomever acquires it.
I personally read BOS's and Grimoire's to try and understand what they're doing, why they're using certain symbols and correspondences so that I can then use the structure to create my own equivalent. When I first started with witchcraft in my late teenage years I would simply adapt the correspondences for myself. Like, if a spell called for a particular colour to symbolise a particular element, and that elemental energy was required for the purpose of that spell, I would simply change the colour to be in line with my personal correspondences or I would replace the coloured item for something else to represent that element (such as I preferred to inscribe candles with my symbol for a particular element rather than having a candle of the related colour). So, I guess I would use other people's spells as ideas and basic structures for my own stuff, not verbatim. I found if I copied someone's spell verbatim it wasn't very effective, at least in comparison to when I adapted it to my own system.
|
Posted: Sat Sep 12, 2009 4:57 am
|
|
|
|
|
Aliael
Member
Joined: 24 Nov 2009
Points: 7
Posts: 13
Race: Angel
|
|
|
|
Based on my experiences, it depends on the form of magick and what you want to accomplish. If it's simple and/or requires a great deal of emotional energy creating it yourself is perhaps best. If it's complicated, why reinvent the wheel?
Even magick already written by someone else I've never seen not require a good amount of legwork on your part to accomplish it, so it's never really bothered me.
~Aliael
|
Posted: Tue Nov 24, 2009 9:19 pm
|
|
|
|
|
thesilentmind
Member
Joined: 05 Dec 2009
Points: 23
Posts: 31
Race: Elemental
Location: United States
|
|
|
|
I think it's better to write your own spells. When you write your own the magic really starts while you're researching and writing it, instead of just when you start to cast it.
However, I do think pre-made spells have their uses. They are good to use as a framework for other spells you want to create.
|
Posted: Mon Dec 14, 2009 5:51 am
|
|
|
|
|
donansone
Member
Joined: 12 Dec 2009
Points: 40
Posts: 18
|
|
|
|
The only things I've really found helpful to me that have been prewritten are matras or prayers or the like, because I'm the type that likes having a little prewritten material. When it comes to spells and rituals though, I do much better with my own spontaneous stuff than with anything written, either by me or another person. I have the basic idea in my head before I do anything, of course, but any spells I've done without overthinking or writing them down first have always worked better. I write them down afterward, and then consider what did/didn't work.
But it's very difficult for me to use prewritten spells/rituals from other people.
|
Posted: Tue Dec 15, 2009 3:13 am
_________________
~"The country isn't ready for you"~
..::*I'll make the country ready for me*::..
|
|
|
|
|
|
Calendar
