Field Report Friday: Workshopping Spell Failure
Not all spells work out, and this week I am bringing you a spell failure. Why would I do that? Well, because it’s important to try and workshop our failures and figure out what we can do differently to attain success. This one will have comments from me in italics and be interspersed.
Without further ado, here is Josy Smith, who was trying to enchant up some extra cash to go to HexFest 2019.
Spell Fail
To test my skills, I really wanted to go for something tangible. Measurable. Specific.
I’m trying to go to HexFest this year. I can swing travel and lodging (bunking with friends who are going). But the $370 ticket is heart palpitatingly too much, considering I’m trying to keep my business off the ground (and all of the expensive things that entails) while also paying my bills.
I tried a request with one of a group of spirits in the Sorcery of Hekate Program. I specifically asked for it to manifest as a form of charity or additional monies. Basically not from my already over stretched paycheck or scant business funds I can’t afford to use.
I’d worked a candle and some herbs with the request, and asked for it happen by the New Moon. It almost happened. So close. I was out to dinner with some decently connected friends. I helped with some concerns in a ‘here are some magickal tips’ kind of way. They were incredibly thankful and wanted to reciprocate in some way. On a lark, I brought up “send me to HexFest” because why the fuck not. They were all down to make it happen – but it was as we were out the door and contact was lost. Follow up and follow through was lost. I ran into one of said friends Sunday and did a segue kind of reminder that fell thoroughly flat. Hence the ultimate “almost”.
There was a 2nd request for the Full Moon. But, considering how this didn’t work, I’m uncertain the other will either.
This is a bummer. Makes me wonder about my ability to do this at all.
An incredibly selfish request, I know. But, I wanted something with which to measure.
Spell Analysis and Recommendations
The following comments are an analysis from me, sent to Josy after the report.
1. It was not a selfish request and it doesn’t matter why you wanted to go. Magic doesn’t work like that. I don’t care if you wanted to go to Hexfest specifically to disrupt someones lecture then get shit faced on sazerac’s and go throw money at strippers. It doesn’t matter unless you are appealing to powers that you are making some kind of altruistic oath to. Be like Elsa and let it go….
2. In your situation I would have done EXACTLY THE SAME THING regarding limiting its source. You are at a sensitive time in your business so you protected it with caveats to your spell. Here is the thing to remember: It was more important to protect your fledgling business than it was to go to Hexfest – so that caveat worked. Well done. Better to not get what you want, then for it to compromise your business in some way.
3. Why did you give such a short time line? With such a narrow avenue of manifestation and Hexfest not happening till August I am not sure why you asked for it to happen by the New Moon? How long was that? I would expect something like that might take longer to manifest because of the caveats upon it. You have time, give the time…
Josy: I gave a Short Timeline because HexFest allows only 300 tickets. I was afraid of it selling out if I extended the timeframe. Ultimately, the timeframe was 2 weeks from spellcast to New Moon.
4. You summoned one of the 8 (apologies for those not in the Hekate course who will not understand most of this). Which Triplicity did you use? How much accumulation did you do? Did you make the suggested offering? Did you repeat the rite like a Novena or was it a one-and-done. Etc.
Josy: I did not repeat it like a Novena. Good point. I did the spell twice. But I switched triplicities. I accumulated a few hundred Hekatean Mantra. 350 or so? And yes – fresh chicken livers
My final analysis: Josy did well by the looks of it. The price of caveats is that the thing we want may not be able to happen because we have tied the hands of the spirit. When we don’t have a very enchant-able situation to begin with, and we are placing a tight time line the chance of that failing goes up a lot.
My advice is to try again. Double down on the tech and extend the timeline.
Eventual Success
I think this – ultimately – boiled down to the difference between the Dark Moon & the New Moon. I’m going to have to do divination to be sure.
I had purchased a website building service via Etsy & PayPal. I was supposed to have had a site built weeks ago. I paid $300 for the service. On a whim I filed a dispute to get my money back. Because the service was broken up into 2 equal payment, I had to file 2 disputes for $150 each.
First round – PayPal approves 1 claim and denies the other. For the approved claim, they want me to ship product back.
There is no product, and, I want my money back. So, I complain.
Second round – PayPal denies both claims saying something about “material of similar design.” I complain. It’s a service that I can’t use, and have to have someone else – who I’m paying for – starting from scratch.
At the end of the second round, I immediately ask this to be escalated to a supervisor because I want my whole money back. The 2nd contractor – who’s already finished – has already been paid in 2 parts. I want my $300 for me.
The money JUST HIT MY ACCOUNT!
Perfect example of mundane activities used in support of magickal activities. It wasn’t the *whole* ticket price, but, I’m much happier paying the difference of $70 than I’d be paying the whole freaking thing.
All in all, LOTS to learn from and a terrific outcome!
Well done Josy Smith! If you need some Healing help, check her out on Healing Whispers