Questions You've Asked Me: Little Things You Should Know

Hi Occulties,

I get a lot of questions, and several of these more complex questions I answer via the Questions You've Asked Me articles (check out the catagory, and you will learn A LOT!) but some of them are so quick and easy to answer, I simply reply to your questions via email or the comment box. Rather than take up that time repeating myself (frequently, lol,) I decided to put forth this post for all of you to let you in on a few quick and easy spellcraft tidbits you should know.

Q: How do I clean spell energy off of an item?

A: I was taught that spraying the item down with a bit of ammonia-based cleaner with remove negative energies, and most spell energies. You might also try spraying or rinsing the item under holy water.

Q: What in the heck do you mean when you're talking about making a name paper? I don't understand the explanation.

A: Then let me show you. ;)

Here is a name paper where I've asked you to write the target's name 9x (figure one,) the petitioner's name 9x (figure 2,) and then write the command around the names (figure 3.) Similarly, below that in the next image shows a name paper for when I say to write the person the spell is being cast upon or cast for (the petitioner,)'s name with the command written over it, see below (figure 4.)

Figure 1,

Figure 2,

Figure 3,

Figure 4.

I apologize for the darkness of the images, but I hope it illustrates what I've been trying to say for four years. ;)

Q: I don't have a doorstep or even really a front yard to inter my name paper under. What do I do?

A: Many people work around this by either taping the paper underneath a doormat with duct tape or burying the name paper in a flowerpot by the front door.

Q: How do I know which way anoint my candle (wick to base? base to wick?)

A: My rule of thumb is to bring a condition on to you or someone, or to bring something to you, you will be anointing the candle UP (base to wick.) Similarly to bring a condition to you or bring something to you using a bath, you'd wash yourself up, feet to head.

To remove a condition, or to remove/take away from yourself, anoint the candle DOWN, wick to base. Similarly, to rid yourself of a condition or problem using a bath, you wash down, head to feet.

With anointing candles, I was taught to use only seven strokes of the hand, however some people may have different teachings - I'm only telling you the way I was taught and how I personally anoint candles. ;)

Q: Can I destroy my name papers after a spell has manifested?

A: While in some spells the name paper will get immolated in the course of spellcasting, I was taught (and I actually know traditions which differ, but stick with me,) that MOST of the time burning the name paper or destroying it destroys the spell.

Let me elaborate as well with a lil' story. A million and a half years ago (actually it wasn't even a decade ago, hehe,) when I was young and excitable and well...stupid, because I was just being stupid in this case, I started dating a guy who, in theory, was good for me. I say "in theory," because we had nothing in common and he was actually so straight-laced he didn't even cast a shadow. ;) Anyhow, yours truly, in an unheard of fit of girlish love, cast a luv spell on the fellow, and lo and behold, he would NOT LEAVE ME ALONE. I can't date clingy people. Drives me nuts. Anyhow, so he became a total cling-on, and I was like, "Where's that name paper," and the evening before I burned it, he told me he loved me, okay? The day after I burned it, he actually CALL broke up with me, and his reason was his mother didn't think we should date anymore. Yes, his mommy told him to break up with me. That one was a real winner. :X

But the point to that story, other than giving you a giggle about my past choice in men, is that the spell energy was so strong, that this dude thought he was IN LOVE WITH ME... when I broke the spell, he gave me what I HOPE was the lamest excuse (and not true at all,) that his mommy thought he should break it off with me, so he did. Then again, that winner did actually once call his mom after we fooled around and told her everything we just did (which is why I was more than happy to burn said name paper, and accept the "let's break this off," request,) so he probably did break up with me because his mother was jealous of me. ;)

Short answer, purposefully destroy the name paper if you wish to break the spell you cast. ;)

Q: Can I listen to music while I cast a spell?

A: While some people find music distracting (suchas myself,) others find it helps them. My recommendation if you'd like to use music during your spellcasting is that you use something that illicits the feeling you need during your spellcasting, and if it has words, that the words are positive and related to the spell. For example, if you are casting a reconciliation spell, playing sad break up music is counter-productive. ;)

I haven't heard of anything against playing music while spellcasting, simply that some people find it distracting. If you find it helpful to your work, then I say, go for it.

Q: Is this going to effect my "karma"?

A: Karma means, that which you do in this life, effects your next incarnation. Well, I can't tell you if that's right or wrong, so I don't really know. I don't think so, but I'm not a Buddhist or a Hindu so its not part of my religious belief. This, to me, is like asking me if you are going to go to hell. Since I don't believe in hell, all I can say is that if your religion specifies the existance of a hell, perhaps you'll go there, perhaps you won't and you're best off asking a clergy-person who practices your religion.

Karma DOES NOT MEAN that which you do in this life is going to effect you immediately. In fact, I find it ridiculous enough that people who have confessed being liars and stalkers to me are worried about what a spell will do when they've been acting pretty nasty on this plane. ;) BUT, not to worry, INSTANT KARMA is a song by John Lennon. Past that, karma does not mean if you cast a nasty spell on someone right now, that within the next month something bad will happen to you. Also, no, your magical ability isn't taken from you. If I choke someone to death, my hands don't fall off, and that's the equivellant of saying "If I do something bad with spells, my magic won't work anymore." Anyone who tells you that is just trying to scare you. Curse away - the real risk there is running into someone bigger and meaner than you magically, and they might put your arse around your shoulders or worse for using dark spellcraft on them.

But, I personally have seen no proof that doing "nice" and "good" spells brings good to you and doing dark and "bad" spells bring bad to you. Its very antropomorphic of you to assume that a godforce has the same idea of right and wrong as your CULTURE does, but I've come to the conclusion that "good" and "bad" are subjective and also human concepts. I don't think your idea of divine retribution over something you feel guilt over is going to come back and hurt you, though the guilt you're feeling tells me that you didn't feel justified, so you probably shouldn't have cast a spell. If you don't feel guilty and you feel justified, I see nothing wrong with what you did.

Lastly here, for the last effing time the "Law of Three" is a Wiccan religious belief, it exists only in Wicca and Wicca-derived religions, its not interchangeable with the law of Karma (Karma doesn't state that which you do in this life comes back and bites you on the ass in this life three times, but rather, that which you do in this life effects your incarnation in the next life, ahem,) and you have no need to believe in this Wiccan religious belief unless you are a Wiccan. Sort of like Wiccans don't need to believe in the concept of Hell since in their religion there is no hell.

So will it effect your karma? Perhaps, as I can't tell you if the Buddhists and Hindus are right, but you are free to ask a Tibetan Monk/Nun or a Hindu saint or Guru. :) Me personally, I don't share those religious beliefs, so I wouldn't say it would.

Q: What is a "Road Opener" spell?

A: A spell to remove an obstacle or a blockage.

Q: Is it okay to contact my spell target?

A: While I'm not clear on the spell in this case, Mama Cat's rule of thumb is this: its never helpful or fruitful to contact a non-responsive party or a party who has told you to cease contacting them. Some spells even mandate waiting for the spell-target to initiate contact first with you. If you have not been directly told to stop contacting the target, or if they've not made it painfully clear you are to stop contacting them, ask yourself if you've called/contacted three or more times without a response. If the answer to that is yes, then cease calling/contacting the target. ;)

Short answer: No, its probably not okay to contact the spell target at this time. Leave them be. ;)

I hope this has been enlightening!

~Cat

Copyright 2008 OriginalNinjaCat.com, All rights reserved.

What happens if you steal, copy, plagiarize or in some way infringe on my copyright? Click here to find out!

Comments

[Lightstorm]

Good post. :)

That "Law of Three" thing... Sheesh...man, that just will not DIE... Seriously. Everywhere you go, you hear it. Even from people with no 'esoteric' knowledge or experience what-so-ever... "My mama always told me that everything you do will come back to you threefold..." etc. etc.

I always thought it amusing that said "Law" seems to only be brought up in conversations when someone is thinking of doing harm to another... funny how you never hear "Remember, if you give somebody a hundred dollars, you'll almost certainly get three hundred back..." or anything like that.

Well, at least I'VE never heard it...

[fiza]

Thanks Cat for such a good post.these things may be little but not for me.these are very very important for me as a newbie as i was still wondering the right way to write the names and etc.very helpful post..you are great :)

[RevRev]

Excellent and much needed posting. I have only been reading your postings long enough to be seriously envious of your straightforward, conversational prose. Have you put together a book of your thoughts, philosophy, ideas and such?

[Cat]

I've been trying to get a book together on spells and technique, but its not out yet. :)

[Nena]

when u say write a name then turn paper 1/4 u mean like the pics you have on here?

[Cat]

Yes, of course I do. The very reason I put the pics up was in fact to explain the obvious (to me) meaning of a quarter turn. If you can write several lines of writing on the edge of a piece of paper or something, I suppose you can always try it that way, though. ;)

Please don't use text speak in future posts. I'm part dyslexic and 30 (ergo, I am told I am not as cool as I used to be, hahahaha.) I don't speak that language well. U nd 2 put it all in proper Eng, thx. ;)

[Kitty]

Hi! If I use my blood instead of red ink, how will it affect the spell's efficacy? I heard that using one's own blood (particularly moonblood) increases a spell's effects, aside from the spellcaster's faith.

Thanks! :)

[Cat]

Well, it might make the spell one-sided. I'd realy have to know what you're doing. Further PERIOD or MENSTRUAL blood (this is Hoodoo, its not Wicca, so we use some pretty regular terms here - we can call things by a clinical name rather than a hippie sounding one, hehe,) is generally something used to get a mate, keep a mate, or to completely own the woman who's blood it is... If its a love spell, maybe... Is it mixed with semen (of the desired lover,) or is it just blood? And then why write in it? Why not just feed the menstruum to the spell target? or add a bit to the oil and anoint (again for love purposes)?

The spells effect would depend on what you are doing if you write in menstruum, which, I might add, is not as easy as you think...since we're both women, I'll leave it at...its not just blood, if you get what I'm saying. :X So...clarify what you want to use the menstruum for exactly, other than writing.

I'm not clear on what faith you are, but you don't need to be of a particular faith to practice Hoodoo. If your religious beliefs tell you to add period blood to all of your ink, as long as IS NOT a spell cast directly on another person having nothing to do with you, I guess you could go for it.

[sky.]

i was a bit thrown off on how to write out the petitioner & target's names in the "git yer butt back" spell. i had written down the target's name 9 times, then turned the paper sideways toward the right. After that i wrote the petitioner's name above the target's name like this:

petitioner's name (8th instance)
petitioner's name (9th instance)

t t t t
a a a a
r r r r
g g g g
-(etc)-

i hadn't understood from your directions until seeing this post with fig. 2 that the petitioner's name should be written over the target's name.

do you think that i would need to redo the spell again for results? also i used commanding oil rather than commanding powder and wasn't sure if that sufficed well enough?

after conducting your spell i tried another one which involved setting a candle atop the target's image (sitting atop a letter of intention) with the 'come to me' and 'sorceress' symbols over it and letting it burn out along with the other ingredients in a bowl. the candle flame eventually caused some of the paper to catch on fire and burn and i threw it in the garbage afterward. you'd mentioned that burning the target's name revokes a spell so i was wondering if this might have the same effect- also not throwing out something used in a spell.

sorry this is lengthy and thanks in advance for your help!

[Cat]

Hi Sky,

I would redo the first spell...

As for the second, I am not sure I understand what went on... you sigilized some words/concepts, put these over a pic/image atop an intention, and the "namepaper," for lack of a better term was immolated in the process? If this happens during the process of the actual spell (if I am reading what you did right, hehe,) that would not negate the spell. BUT, if you could have saved some name paper pieces and placed/interred them correctly, that would be recommended rather than tossing it into the garbage.

Hope that made some sense, and feel free to contact me privately if you wanted to discuss this with more detail (that you don't want all of the internet to know - your email is safe from everyone's sight but mine, but sometimes people leave out details because the comment itself is public.) ;)

~C

[Sharon]

Will the petitioner be my name?

[Cat]

The petitioner is who is requesting the spell or wants the spell done. So, if you're doing the spell for yourself, you are the petitioner. But, for example, if you asked me to do the spell for you, then you would be the petitioner, and not me.