Magic is worked with for many reasons-to bring us closer to our Gods, to facilitate our communication with the Otherworld, to bring beauty and ceremony into our lives. But one of the oldest forms of magic found in all cultures and times is that of spells and rituals meant to influence a certain situation and achieve a specific outcome.

Spells to find a new lover, to make more money, to be gifted with the ability of the poet, are all examples of this kind of magic. And today as always there are those who deal in creating these rituals and make them available to individuals, usually for a fee. I count myself among those who do this kind of work, I am both an intuitive reader and a root magic ritualist-nothing gives me satisfaction like spending quality time at one of my many altars on behalf of clients. I have witnessed first hand how magic-when correctly applied-can result in wonderful manifestation and allow a person to experience the sweetness of life fully+deeply. I have also seen magic abused by so-called professionals and unknowing clients taken advantage of. 

When seeking out professional spell work there are usually two areas for clients-new or old-that can be a bit foggy. The assessment+hiring process and then what I call the waiting+expecting process. Together these make up the energetics of magical work for hire-what happens, why does it happen, and when does it happen are the questions we want to address if we are professional ritualists & questions that we want addressed if we are a prospective client. Having been both on the client and worker side of this equation and having worked for over half my life as a professional intuitive and ritualist I decided to write down a few thoughts about these processes in hopes that they will help anyone looking to do magic for themselves or to hire someone to perform a ritual or spell on their behalf.

This will be a two part series-the first part is dedicated to the assessment+hiring process, the second will deal with common questions like “how long does magic last?” and “how will I know if this works?”

Can Magic fix this?

First…make sure your situation can be effectively addressed with magic. If you are considering doing magical work for yourself and especially if you are considering hiring a “pro” please make sure that you have considered whether magic is an effective approach to your situation. This can be done in a variety of ways-usually by utilizing one or more forms of divination-and may be performed by yourself if you have a hand for divining or by a professional that is ethical and that you trust. It is important to note that not all people who divine are conversant in ritual work and vice-versa-so if you do decide to work with someone choose a person who is conversant in both. You should also consider the tradition(s) in which they work. If you are an Odhinn worshipping Heathen you may not want to work with a Yoruban spell caster.  Rarely will magic work alone or in a vacuum. To achieve your goals you may have to make changes yourself and put forth individual effort. If you, yourself have worked on a situation and you are not getting any movement it may mean that magic is not the right approach or it may mean that you are too close to the situation and need outside help.

Ethics

The importance of hiring someone ethical cannot be emphasized enough if you choose to work with a professional. Unfortunately sham spell-casters and scam artists are a dime a dozen. Many of them are easy to spot-but I have at least 2 clients a month confide in me that they were bilked for thousands of dollars by a good scam artist spell caster who used fear and hope to manipulate. Its a good idea to check testimonials-especially if the worker has testimonials that include full names and pictures of some of their clients. Understandably not everyone who seeks out divination or spell work wants to leave their full name but after years of solid work a professional ritualist should be able to provide a handful of testimonials that are not anonymous. Also consider what professional organizations your worker might belong to-are they part of any national or international groups that pertain to their magical crafts-and if so what do those groups stand for? For instance, I am a member of the Association of Independent Readers and Rootworkers (AIRR)-where all workers agree to  abide by a specific ethical code. Another example of vetting is how both Witches & Pagans and Sage Woman magazines require three letters of reference & recommendation for anyone who advertises their intuitive services. Many workers will also not take on a case until they have assessed whether the case can be successfully mediated through magic as well. 

Warning Signs

Not every situation can or should be addressed through magical mediation. In all my years of professional work I have never seen a situation that can ONLY be addressed successfully through magic—to achieve the ultimate goal the client has in mind its important to consider what behavorial changes are neccesarry as well as what support the client may need to seek out medically, professionally, academically, socially, and so on. If you work with someone and they promise you that magic will take care of everything without you having to do anything or make any changes-consider them carefully. Money-back guarantees are also to be regarded with suspicion when it comes to magic making. Finally, while there are authentic situations in which a person might be crossed, jinxed, or have bad luck-especially in certain traditions where the idea of “crossing” has real cultural currency, beware of anyone who uses fear as a primary means to manipulate you and get more money…this terrible thing will happen if…—when you start to see that run, don’t walk, away.

Fees:

One of the most controversial areas for those who provide magical services for hire is the area of fees. I know excellent magical workers who charge very low prices for their work & I know really excellent magical workers who charge high fees for their work. Fee structure depends on so many things-the kind of work the individual engages in, what their own costs are, what kind of client they are marketing to—so its really not possible to simply say—oh, she charges thousands of dollars, she must be a sham. At the same time-be a smart consumer. Are you getting what you pay for? Are you able to verify that the work has been done? Some believe that magic is a spiritual service and as such should be given away for free. I disagree with this and find it a damaging philosophy in our community generally speaking, but barters and trades in kind are welcomed by many workers if money is an issue.

When its right:

When you find the right worker for your case there is often a click, a sense that you can trust this person, that you can relax and do your part in manifesting your goals and dreams because they are going to take good care of you. Consider what aspects of the worker-client relationship are important to you-do you need constant communication, reports on the work that is being done, pictures, items mailed to you? Deciding on these things early and upfront can save miscommunication and anxiety down the road. Also, do not be surprised if the worker includes a legal addendum or contract for you to sign on to that lays out specifically what he or she does promise and what they may in turn expect from you.

It is my hope that this gives a clear sketch of how one might go about hiring a worker and assessing whether their situation can indeed be aided by magic. Next we will consider the energetics of spell work itself—its effects, permanence or lack there of, and what kind of magical maintainance you might care to consider.