Kate West - The Real Witches’ Craft - Magical Techniques and Guidance for a Full Year of Practising the Craft

This book is dedicated to my readers, without whom there would be no point, and also to all those who really do watch, listen, think, learn and grow in the ways of the Old Ones.

May you shine and grow, may you live in harmony with the land, and be at peace with yourselves. May you find love in those you love, and receive care from those you care for. May your wants be few and your rewards be many. And may you be ever free.

Blessed Be Kate

The path of the Graft is as much a journey of self-exploration as it is a journey into other worlds, if not more so. To understand what lies around us we have to develop and refine our own self-knowledge and awareness. We need to put aside the limitations we learned through our formative years so that we can appreciate the skills and talents we truly have. It is only through a process of self-development that we can become who we’re really capable of being, and thereby truly able to realize the magic we know we’re capable of working to help ourselves and the world around us.

In the letters written to me by readers, and in conversations with those who come to hear me speak, I am often asked how to learn and develop the abilities which go to make magic and spells really effective; how to learn to meditate, visualize and so forth. I’m also asked why some spells never seem to come together or to actually work. These are the things which cannot just be read about; they have to be practised, over and again in order to develop our skills, even by experienced Witches. In a Coven, these are the skills which the High Priestess endeavours to develop in her Covenors, but many Witches today do not belong to a Coven, so this book is a guide to developing the techniques to make magic work.

Magic, as I have so often been heard to say, is not cookery. It is not simply assembling a series of ingredients and following a recipe from a book. Nor is it something which can be bought: no matter how much money you spend on books, tools, equipment, candles, crystals or whatever, it still will not enable you to create magical change. Neither is it a question of discovering special ‘words of power’, incantations, chants and so on, which will summon invisible aid to do your bidding. There is no quick route to learning how to create effective magic. Magic and, for that matter, the other aspects of Witchcraft, depend upon learning and practising certain skills and techniques. The good news is, however, that these skills are present to a lesser or greater extent in everyone, and the techniques to learn them are available to all; it just needs guidance, application, repetition and effort.

There are several keys to effective magic: The ability to control and balance the energies of the five Elements of Air, Fire, Water, Earth and Spirit that are within each of us. The ability to harness those energies as they are in the world around us and to focus and direct them in order to create the intended change. Knowledge and understanding of the ways those Elements manifest themselves in others. The ability to fully use the senses of sight, hearing, touch, taste and smell, to enable the development of the sixth, or psychic, sense. The knowledge this brings makes it possible to make magical change without unwanted side effects. The ability to develop and maintain focus and control in order to minimize the effort required. The ability to visualize, for it is true seeing of the magical intent which makes the magic happen. The ability to use one or more methods of divination which not only give the opportunity to see what might otherwise be hidden, but which also help to determine the potential consequences of our magical actions, and indeed whether they are necessary. An understanding of ways in which magic works and why it sometimes does not. Correctly identifying magical needs. The best use of the different tools and equipment to enhance magical intent. Ways of designing the spells you cannot find in books. Creation of the Sacred Space for the working of magic at any time or place. Knowledge of the divine, the Goddess and the God, which is a key part of our Craft. Use of the Moon’s phases to enhance magic and ways of turning the spell around when it cannot wait for the ‘right’ time. Ways of stopping and undoing spells, as well as methods of protection and defence. How to use the energies of the seasons to enhance magical work throughout the wheel of the Year.

This book examines all these aspects of the Craft, explaining how they contribute to the creation of magic, and giving techniques for developing and enhancing the required skills. Each chapter explores a skill and gives exercises to enhance your abilities. Some of these may appear simplistic, and some may appear to have little to do with the practice of Witchcraft, but when practised and mastered they come together to provide the techniques necessary to create effective magic and spell-craft. If you were working within a Coven, these would be the skills you would learn and practise in training sessions, enabling you to become an effective member of the magical team. To get the most out of these, take your time and go through them carefully.

Some you may have to repeat a few times, as these are skills you probably have not practised before. Think of it as being like exercising a new set of magical muscles. Most experienced Witches have their own versions of these kinds of exercises and practise them regularly, no matter how long they have been in the Craft. There is no reason why you should not continue your existing magical practices alongside these areas of study. If you do, you will notice an increasing effectiveness in the magic you work, as each of the abilities starts to take effect. A few of the exercises require certain conditions: phases of the Moon, a particular type of weather, and so on. It is up to you whether you pause in your study and wait for the appropriate conditions or whether you carry on and return to them at a later date. But do try to ensure that you cover them all.

Be aware that everyone is different and learns at a different rate. You may well find that some skills are easier or harder to master than others, and it may take several months to master a technique; if so, persevere, it will be worth it in the long run. You may also find that there are periods when you cannot devote as much time as you would like, or when you are tired, worried or just find it hard to focus. At these times you may want to pause and reflect on how far you have come, rather than pushing yourself further. You can always take a break and come back to your studies a few days or weeks later. The Craft will still be there when you are ready to go back to it.

I strongly recommend that you keep a record, or journal, of your magical practice, often called a Book of Shadows. Make notes of what you did, what you hoped would happen, and what the actual results were. Remember to include information on the phase of the Moon, and on your feelings before, during and after your workings. Not only will this provide you with a record of your progress and help you to determine what works for you and what doesn’t, but later you will find it an invaluable record of which spells are most effective in themselves.