When I first started learning about magick as a teen, resources were a little scarce and limited. The internet was around for sure but not the way it is today, and so I had to rely on whatever I could sneakily buy at my local bookstore.
Because of this most information revolved around Wiccan magick, and one of the first things I learned was the 3-fold-rule, which warns that whatever energy we put forth into the world will come back three-fold (or three times stronger). This of course applies to both positive and negative intentions. This of course scared the bejeebies out of me in regards to spellwork – I was so paranoid about karmic justice that it was at times stifling.
In my recent re-entry into magick and spirituality, there are a lot more resources and from many different magickal practices available. So I’ve learned that while a good rule of thumb to keep in mind, the truth is a little more complex than that.
By nature magick is neutral and balanced – and what I mean is that it does not discriminate by good or evil (which isn’t to say you can’t use magick for ill), and that it’s a give and take dance. This aligns pretty closely to my general philosophy on life (as a lover of science as well as magick). You can’t create something from nothing – it’s all an exchange or transformation, but it’s coming from the energy that already exists.
Likewise, magick doesn’t care what your intentions are – it will do its thing regardless. How (and if) it comes back is up to some deeper things at work.
Why This Matters To Your Spellwork
The reason this is important for spellwork is understanding how things can manifest or come back around, for good or ill. A good way to think of it is calling for rain – if you ask for it to rain where you are, that means water must be taken from somewhere else. And that somewhere else might need that rain just as much, if not more. Or maybe it comes in the form of torrential downpours that cause destructive flooding.
Some more spell-specific examples – You can wish for something like wealth, which isn’t a bad or evil wish to have. But it might manifest in a way you don’t expect or want – like a sudden death that leaves you with an inheritance.
Or you might be hoping to lose weight, but end up with an illness that, yes, causes you to lose weight but you’re sick.
So Be Specific In Your Intentions
This, of course, isn’t meant to scare anybody out of spellwork. But it is a reminder to be specific. And I’ll offer an example.
I had a close friend and co-worker with whom I had a falling out. The truth is I always took issue with how she handled herself in certain situations, particularly relationships – she had no problem using people, lying to them to get what she wants. She didn’t care about negatively impacting others as long as she got her way. Among other things. I was somewhat complacent in her behavior because at the time I was one of her favorites and she did what I would consider the friend version of love-bombing. Right up until I no longer could take how she acted, we fell out, and I ended up on her shit-list.
This made my life difficult, as we ran in many of the same social circles, shared a common close friend, and worked together. It got to the point where just thinking about having to be near her gave me severe anxiety. I wanted her out of my life, as much as possible. But I also did not want any harm to come to her.
I also knew she had been hoping to move to the opposite side of the country for work. So I set out to make my intentions under a full moon that she would find a good job that she could not refuse and have the ability to accept it. A few weeks later I heard from a mutual friend that she had indeed landed a job and moved right away.
This is a great example of specific intention setting that had all-around positive results – both of us got what we wanted, and nobody had to get hurt in the process.
Of course, not all situations are going to be set up so nicely. I was lucky that I already knew there was a way for us to get our desired results. But if I didn’t know and had just wished for her to “be gone” that could have come about in a much different, potentially tragic, way and that is not at all what I would have truly wanted.
So whenever you desire something to manifest, especially ones that require some big universal movement, be sure to meditate on the ways that your goals can be realized with the least amount of harm. Don’t simply ask for rain – ask for a gentle rain from a place that can spare it, or perhaps has too much, to maintain balance.
For My Readers: When have you had a spell manifest in unexpected ways? How have you changed your practice to mitigate the potential negative outcomes? Let me know in the comments!
