After the Cast, what Next?

Hey Folks! 

Recently I've had the question come up: "What do I do after I perform my ritual, cast my spell, or do my Spiritual Service?"

Many of you probably know the old adage that you should forget about the Working and speak of it to no-one. While I do respect tradition and believe that each person should do what works best for them, these are not traditions that I see as necessary. 

Why is this unnecessary? The idea that speaking of the Working to others will somehow diminish it's power actually takes the power away from you, away from the Divine, away from Spirit and into the hands of someone else. In order to believe this idea, you must first believe that someone else has the power to undo your hard work, the power to dissuade the Gods against you. There may be circumstances where your Working, Ritual or Spell is the best-kept secret, but for the most part, it is absolutely unnecessary! I believe this tradition was started at a time when Witches needed protection in general when it was not safe to be public about your practice. Of course, if you don't feel safe in your community or you are not out of the broom closet, then you must do what is best for you. However, from a magickal perspective, secrecy is not necessary for success. 

If you are concerned about protection, then, by all means, protect yourself and your work! An experienced and accomplished metaphysical practitioner will be laying their groundwork all of the time. Protection work should be attended to on a regular basis, as well as cleansing, centering and grounding. Routines and habits for reinforcing your energies should already be a part of your life. If you don't have a routine for this, now is the time to create one! 

In terms of forgetting about your Spell Working, this is also something which I find to be unnecessary. In fact, in my tradition, much Spiritual Work is continually attended to for days, weeks or months. The more energy you put into it, the more you get out of it. Of course, it is not necessary to dwell on the Work when you are not specifically attending to it, however thinking of it is not harmful. What would be harmful is doubting it, worrying about it, obsessing over it or otherwise fretting! I believe that this is where this original idea came from; as a safeguard against sabotaging the Work with worry, insecurity or self-doubt. That kind of harmful thinking will affect every area of your life, especially your Work in magick. So the important thing here is to be positive and have faith. After all, the power of your Work is ultimately coming from your own mind and from the Divine. You should know that your magick is going to work the way that you know the sun is going to come up tomorrow, no need to doubt or fret, simply know. Having faith and a positive attitude are the number one things needed to be successful in this Work and successful in life in general. 

Let's re-cap. What is important after a Spiritual Working or Spell Casting? 

1. Keep your mind right. If you need work in this area then start now with a mediation routine, a positive mantra or a gratitude practice. 

2. Have a system in place for regularly protecting yourself and your work. There is no need for secrecy within magick itself, but there may be a need for it in practical terms, depending upon your specific situation. 

3. The power is in your hands! 

4. Reinforce your Work and your energy as needed. 

5. Have faith!

~ Blessings ~