Are Promises Really Magic Spells?

[Joan Marie]

I don't pretend to know a lot about magic but it is something I have an interest in.

One of the biggest "take-aways" I have from all I've seen, read, and heard is that it's mostly about setting intentions. And then letting them go. (Set it and forget it! )
Now, how you do this, how you go about it, opens up a lot of doors and conversations about techniques and all sorts of things.

But it has occurred to me that making a promise or commitment or a plan really IS a kind of magic spell. Maybe the most simple, most common and powerful kinds of spell.

Let me explain with an example.

It's Monday, and you go into your garage (or basement, or closet, etc. I will use garage for this example) and it's such a mess from months of just tossing things in there and running away. It's almost useless, you can't find or use anything. So you say to yourself, "This Saturday I'm going to clean this up and organise it."

If you say that to yourself, with real intention, you have just cast a spell.

The week goes on and even though you are not consumed with thoughts of this task, you will from time to time, start thinking about how you will go about it. You'll spy things around the house to use, brooms and things. You'll start re-arranging things in your mind a little bit. You may get an idea like you should paint, or build some shelves and this will prompt you to visit a hardware store where you will become even more inspired.

But here is the really powerful part, when Saturday comes, there will be nothing stopping you from this task and you won't dread it, you will be excited for it, ready to go. And in no way will you even think about NOT doing it because at this point, to "break the spell" would actually feel awful to you.

This is how you know it is a spell. It has set you on a course, put you in a groove, a zone, whatever you want to call it. It's no longer a chore, it's destiny.

Now, had you had the idea, "I should really clean this up, maybe Saturday" you will find it very easy to find something better to do and once again blow it off. But this time you had put real intention behind it, you felt it, you meant it, and in essence, you cast a spell to make it happen.

It's the same with promises and why some people have no problem breaking them and others never could. If you don't put real intention behind a promise, it's easy to forget or just not do it. But with intention, you've made it impossible for yourself to not come through (break the spell), at least not without feeling awful.

I've used this kind of banal example but our everyday lives are important to be present in, to live with intention and purpose.

The intention is set, and then circumstances start to line up, you see luck and coincidence where before you may have missed it and you use it to your advantage. People will unexpectedly come to your aid. You are not laser-focused on the intention, you are now simply in the zone where you don't have to think about IT. Setting the intention has removed obstacles or made them surmountable and enabled you to flow toward the goal and any deviation from this flow will be felt by you in very strong and negative way. It will "feel wrong."

The more aware you become of this, the more sensitive to these feelings you are, the more you will allow the spells you've cast to work their magic.

Think about it the next time you make a plan, or a promise. Take note of the feeling it creates in you and tune into that. This is your power you feel. It's real and you can learn to use it.

[Diana]

But it has occurred to me that making a promise or commitment or a plan really IS a kind of magic spell. Maybe the most simple, most common and powerful kinds of spell.

Reminds me of something I read recently : Don't judge yourself or anyone by the success you achieve, but judge only by the motive that impels you or them.

It's the motive, the intention that is the magic. The result is just an effect of the intention. And is actually secondary. We don't know always what the result of our motives will be. But if they're "pure", something good should come out of them. But the results sometimes are different to what we set out to do.

[Diana]

I've used this kind of banal example but our everyday lives are important to be present in, to live with intention and purpose.

The intention is set, and then circumstances start to line up, you see luck and coincidence where before you may have missed it and you use it to your advantage. People will unexpectedly come to your aid. You are not laser-focused on the intention, you are now simply in the zone where you don't have to think about IT. Setting the intention has removed obstacles or made them surmountable and enabled you to flow toward the goal and any deviation from this flow will be felt by you in very strong and negative way. It will "feel wrong."

The more aware you become of this, the more sensitive to these feelings you are, the more you will allow the spells you've cast to work their magic.

Was thinking about this thread yesterday. It's really all about the Magician in the Tarot isn't ? If the intention of the Magician is not devoid of ego, his/her magic will go all wonky. Once he's made that connection that he needs to make to start the magic spell... he no longer controls it. He sets it in motion and after just follows it to its ultimate conclusion.

If the Magician starts out doing the spell correctly, he/she can let go of it.