Practical Magic: Glamoury and Tealight Hearths

Charms, Hexes, Weeknight Dinner Recipes, Glamoury and Unsolicited Opinions on Morals and Magic

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You Need Glamour.

glitterFor those of you who are new to my writing, I have a very unglamorous (in the conventional sense of the word) day job as a nanny. So it's a lot of screaming, crying, snotting, pooping and food all over the place for generally ten hours a day. In the unconventional sense of the word, it's very glamorous in that my Tiny Charges are small enough to completely believe in magic so that's a lovely thing to be a part of.

My posts right now will be as they once were a while ago.  I write primarily on Tiny Charge naps which are getting shorter and less certain than they once were which means I have a short amount of time to write what I'm trying to write and very little time to edit.  Without editing, I write a lot of run on sentences so please bear with me as this is a transition period in my life.  Right now it's either post without much editing or don't post at all.  I would rather post and I hope you would rather that too.  I'm working on a lot of behind the scenes things in my "regular" life to try get myself more time to write and to write properly but that takes time.  And possibly austerities.  But that's the next post.

I have to be completely honest, I don't understand why people think they don't need glamour magic as part of their personal practice.  But most people in my experience as a shop keeper think they don't need love magic either.

I'm totally a naughty pony about love magic too. I'm very quick to dismissively wave my hand and say what all my clients say, "I already have love, thank you."  It's such a ridiculous thing to say, isn't it?  It's like saying, "My relationship is so incredibly perfect right now that nothing you could offer me could improve it.  What do I need with more incredible sex, more money so we fight even less, a more compatible schedule so we actually see each other, more dates where we can focus on each other and more long lazy mornings in bed that slide into brunch?  No!  I don't need any of that!  I said, 'Good day!'"

Why are we so quick to dismiss the more feminine arts of the arte? Is it because they can be hard to quantify?  Why do we try to quantify magic anyway?  Isn't that like trying to quantify oral sex experiences from a long time partner?  One time may be better than another but the reasons for it could be anything.  You're in a better mood, partner is in a more giving place, partner hasn't used their mouth much that day, hormones, pheromones, whatever.  If you enjoy oral sex, you don't tell your partner you don't want it anymore because you can't take apart why you like it.

It is easy to tell when magic is working generally so perhaps a more accurate aspect of it would be the inability to tell when it's not working.  Maybe it's not working in the way you expected, maybe everything hasn't aligned correctly yet, maybe it fizzled out all together.  Only the Universe knows.  Going with the love magic metaphors, just because you are not guaranteed to meet potential long term partners or a great romp in the sack every time you leave the house doesn't mean you shouldn't bother leaving your house anymore, right?  Because that's crazy.

Why do you do magic?  If you are doing magic versus the spiritual worship aspect (which also completely valid in practice of course), you Want something.

No, no.  I just--

No.  You Want something.  You Want something so badly that you're willing to get into a chicken fight with the Universe to get it.  You Want something so badly that you're willing to admit to desire.  You Want something so badly that you're willing to use means and methods that are laughed at by 75% of the First World's population.  You Want something so much that you can't sleep, you can't eat (or eat too much), you can't focus on normal life.

Don't feel this way?  That's fine.  Then don't do magic because it will not be worth it to you to have your life so utterly destroyed in pursuit of an unknown future.

Let's break down why people do magic:

Protection

Revenge

Love

Sex

Power

Money

Fame

If you want to become an ascended being for the sake of being an ascended being and not for any of the reasons listed above, you're in the wrong business.  You're better suited for a life of contemplation, go find that and get to where you're trying to go.  Vaya con dios, lover.  You deserve bliss, go get it.

As for the rest of us, you want one or more of the above.  You can couch it however you like, but this is what it boils down to.  In what scenario would glamour be a hindrance?  Here's a hint: UM, NONE OF THEM.

Protection: Who gets more protection - someone that people feel inclined to help and protect or someone that people don't feel inclined to help and protect? Why do they feel inclined to protect you?  the attractive or exciting quality that makes certain people or things seem appealing or special.

Revenge: When you want an eye for an eye and you're looking for the Universe to salt the earth on your behalf, what would make goddesses and spirits more inclined to help you over someone else?  the attractive or exciting quality that makes certain people or things seem appealing or special.

Love: What makes you interested in someone else?  the attractive or exciting quality that makes certain people or things seem appealing or special.  What makes someone else interested in you?  the attractive or exciting quality that makes certain people or things seem appealing or special.

Sex: What makes you want to f**k someone?  the attractive or exciting quality that makes certain people or things seem appealing or special.  What makes someone else want to f**k you?  the attractive or exciting quality that makes certain people or things seem appealing or special.

Power: When describing powerful people, what words are often used regardless of appearance?  Magnetic, forceful, commanding, influential.  What makes someone all of those things?  the attractive or exciting quality that makes certain people or things seem appealing or special.

Money: How do you get hired for a job over someone else?  How do you get more of an inheritance than your cousins?  How do you get insider investing tips?  the attractive or exciting quality that makes certain people or things seem appealing or special.

Fame: How does someone get famous even though it's a science fact that there are many people in this world who work harder, have more talent, have more influence and connection?  the attractive or exciting quality that makes certain people or things seem appealing or special.

Who do you think is going to win in the chicken fight with the Universe?  The person who is using glamour as part of their magical practice or a person who is doing the same practice but without glamour?  Coffee's only for closers and you my friend, need to be a closer.

Learn it.  Live it.  Love it.

 

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Deborah Castellano's book, Glamour Magic: The Witchcraft Revolution to Get What You Want (Llewellyn, 2017) is available: https://www.amazon.com/Glamour-Magic-Witchcraft-Revolution-What/dp/0738750387 . She is a frequent contributor to Occult/Pagan sources such as the Llewellyn almanacs, Witchvox, PaganSquare and Witches & Pagans magazine. She writes about Charms, Hexes, Weeknight Dinner Recipes, Glamoury and Unsolicited Opinions on Morals and Magic at Charmed, I'm Sure. Her craft shop, The Mermaid and The Crow (www.mermaidandcrow.com) specializes in goddess & god vigil candles, hand blended ritual oils, airy hand dyed scarves, handspun yarn and other goodies. She resides in New Jersey with her husband, Jow and their two cats. She has a terrible reality television habit she can't shake and likes St. Germain liquor, record players and typewriters.

Comments

  • Gwion Raven
    Gwion Raven Saturday, 22 November 2014

    please, please, please continue to write run on sentences.

    Please, please, please continue minimal editing.

    Please, please, please feed your young charges sugary things so they nap less forcing you you to write in short, delicious, manic bursts of creative genius.

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