Witchcraft and the Principles of Magic

Witchcraft is a Science, an Art, and a Spiritual Practice. Magic is the creative work, or the "Craft", and the magic practiced in Witchcraft works in accordance with certain scientific principles and laws. Some of these principles or laws are:

1) The Principle of Correspondence:  "As above, so below." These simple words which contain some of the most important tenets of magic and witchcraft are frequently heard throughout the magical community. This concept was said to have been first written in The Emerald Tablet, a work attributed to Hermes Trismegistus, or Hermes "thrice great." Who Hermes was, is not generally agreed upon, (usually he is acknowledged as a great master and teacher of spiritual wisdom), but the meaning of the words- "As above, so below" is often used in the sense of the microcosm (being oneself), and the macrocosm (being the Universe.)  The whole (the universe) contains the part, and the part (you) contains the whole. What resides within the one, also resides in the other, and through understanding the one (usually the microcosm) you can understand the other. The Principle of Correspondence is commonly used in Herbalism- in accordance with the Doctrine of Signatures, and with Color by way of Candle Magic.

Some common Color Correspondences used in Candle Magic are listed here:

White:  Spirit Drawing, spiritual blessings, Healing

Blue: Peace, Protection (anti-evil eye), Kind intentions

Yellow: Psychic power, Attraction, Money (gold), Road Opener, devotion, and prayer

Green:  Money Spells, prosperity, gambling luck, business luck, fertility

Red:  Love Spells, Passion, Lust,

Pink: Affection, friendship, attraction

Purple:  Spiritual Power, Commanding, Control, Mastery, Ambition

Orange:  Dreaming True, Psychic Power, Road Opener

Brown:  Court Case Spells

Black:  Protection, Crossing, Binding, Separation, Freedom from Evil

Red/ Black (Double Action): Most used Reversing Candle. Removal of Love-Jinx

White/ Black (Double Action): Return evil back to sender.

Green/ Black (Double Action): Removal of Money Jinx.

2) Principle of Mentalism:  This principle encompasses the belief that there is a higher power, and that everything in the universe is a "creation of "The All", or one "Cause", of which we, and the entire universe are all a part of. "The All" is a nongender, nonpantheistic way of referring to the Divine, whether you call it God, Goddess, Universal Spirit, Mother Father/ God, or the Source. This force, or higher power is also known as the Divine Mind.  The principle of Mentalism holds the concept that we are all thoughts of the Divine Mind, existing within the Divine Mind. We appear to be separate, but we are all made up of the same thing- the Divine Mind, therefore the universe and everything in it responds to our thoughts. Thoughts supplied with energy become reality. The ability to create, is a power that we share because we are all part of the Divine.

Clear Intention, and clear thought are key factors in projecting your magical intention. Try projecting your intention into an object, such as a talisman, or a candle. Hold the object in your hands, close your eyes and breathe deeply. Imagine, as well as you can the outcome of you goal, or intention as a picture in your mind's eye.  Now feel yourself imprint this image and thought onto the object.

3) The Principle of Vibration:  This principle states: "Nothing rests; everything moves; everything vibrates." On a molecular level- even when something appears to be staying still, it is not. Hermetic philosophers were aware of this thousands of years ago, but science has only recently caught up.  the differences between physical matter, energy, and spirit are the level at which they vibrate. Physical matter is a denser, lower vibration and the Divine is said to be at an infinite level of vibration. There is said to be millions upon millions of varying degrees of vibration between objects of the lowest vibration and the highest level ("The All").  Do you ever meet someone and feel drawn to them because of the "good vibes" you feel? Or conversely, have you ever felt uncomfortable around someone because of the negative vibes?

We all contain energy and spiritual vibrations. Part of Witchcraft is understanding these energies and learning how to work with them.

4) The Principle of Cause and Effect:  The principle of Cause and Effect states that "Every cause has it's effect; every effect has it's cause." The base of this belief is that nothing happens by sheer chance. Everything in your life and the life of others, happens for a reason and if you look closely you can often find the root cause.

If every action has a result, be careful and accept responsibility for your choices and actions.

5) The Principle of Polarity:  the principle of Polarity embraces the idea that everything is dual, everything has two poles and everything has its opposite. All manifested things have two sides or two aspects. These opposites are neither good, nor bad. Sun and Moon, Earth and Sky, magical and mundane. the principle of polarity is often more about working with these opposite energies, or, when needed, bringing them into balance within our lives.

6) The Principle of Gender:  The principle of Gender focuses in on one vital polarity- masculine and feminine. Masculine and feminine energies and characteristics are both found in everything and everyone. Witches celebrate the Divine as a feminine/ mother goddess energy interacting with a masculine/ father god energy joining together to create all of life. Feminine goddess energies are associated with the Moon phases. The Sun is associated with the masculine god energies. Sometimes when working magic certain items are seen as having masculine properties and some as having feminine. One example is the pairing up of magnetic lodestones. Often in Love spells pairs of stones are matched up to work together based on their magnetic ability, or how strongly they draw each other, and the stones are also paired up by shape. Rounded stones are considered feminine, and edged or pointed stones masculine.

7) The Principle of Rhythm: This principle embodies the idea that in everything that is manifested in the universe has it's own rhythm. "everything flow, out and in, everything has it's tides. . ."  Part of witchcraft is learning to recognize the tides of natural energies. The earth has it's own seasons, the  ocean tides have a cycle that coincide with the phases of the Moon, and our own heart beats a certain number of times per day. Being tuned in with the rhythm of the season, the Moon cycle, and your personal rhythm can make your magical work easier or more difficult. The time of the Full moon enhances magical and psychic work, while the waning moon is a good time for banishing spellwork, and a waxing moon is a good time for most other spellwork. 

8) Synchronicity:  Synchronicity is a term coined by Carl Jung for the experience of two or more events which are causally unrelated, occurring together in a meaningful manner. An example of this could be thinking of a person one day that you haven't seen or thought about for years, and then seeing that person as you round the next corner. Drawing tarot cards that accurately describe the situation or events that are currently manifesting in your life would be a synchronous event and this concept is found in most magical cultures.

Synchronous events will come to you if you pay attention. Relax, and let your intuition guide you.  Synchronous events are signposts, they are meant to guide you to greater spiritual awareness and insight.

9) Sympathetic Magic:  is a type of magic based on imitation or correspondence. Often this imitation involves using human effigies to affect another person. In southern African American hoodoo practice these effigies are referred to as "doll babies".  In the old days a plastic or rubber doll bought at the five and dime would frequently be used. Most people of European background will refer to these effigies as "poppets", and they would frequently be made of cloth.  In "sympathie" these figures or effigies were used to cause harm or good (such as in healing magic), or in Protection spells (where the doll "takes the hit for you".) This is an old form of magic and there are many variations.