THE SUBCONSCIOUS MIND

Your subconscious mind responds to thought. By thought, I mean deliberate thinking

aimed at some objective. Every day, fleeting thoughts are ignored by the
subconscious for a very good reason-if every slight thought affected the
subconscious, they would all come true! Imagine the confusion this would create!
Fortunately, only sustained thought gets through. When it does, the subconscious,
like some vast computer, carries out your wish without any further effort on your
behalf.

MAGICAL PLACES AND

EQUIPMENT

In order to work effective rituals, you will need a place to work. The place need
not be elaborate. If you have a spare room, this will work well. If not, you will
need to adapt circumstances to suit your situation. The major consideration is one
of privacy. You cannot concentrate on a ritual if you are in constant fear of
interruption
Do bear in mind that the more thought and consideration you put into the choice of
equipment, the better. Do not rush out and buy any item in the hope that it may
suffice. Magic does not work in this way. The more you become involved with your
magical equipment and the more careful you are in your choice of these items, the
better the result will be. The equipment is only there to act as a focus for your
mind. It is not the candle that attracts power. It is your mind that attracts. The
candle is merely an aid.

MAGICAL RITUALS

When you perform a ritual, there is a set procedure you must follow:
1. Think carefully about your intention.
2. Plan the ritual carefully.
3. Before starting, relax and push aside all thoughts of the day.
4. Perform the ritual, and then sustain positive thinking about your intention over
a period of time.

The purpose of any ritual is to bring together all those items that are relevant to
the intention of the rite. The intention dictates all.
Planetary energies are said to rule all aspects of life. In fact, the planets, as
such, do not rule anything.

CIRCLES OF POWER
The best procedure is as follows:
1. Think out your intention first
2. Plan your ritual
3. Prepare for your ritual.

These are essential preliminaries. At the chosen time, and with all equipment in
place, then
4. Relax;
5. Perform your ritual;
6. Clear everything away.

THINK OUT YOUR INTENTION

All doubts, fears, and uncertainties must be dealt with one at a time and replaced
with positive thoughts. No matter how long this takes, it is essential that you do
it, in order to avoid problems later. Nothing is more distracting than experiencing
a battery of worries during a ritual.
Don't ignore them, or let them take control. Instead, examine these doubts-you can
learn from them.

Weaknesses: Look at the things that could go against you or the possible weaknesses
of your position. Is it really worth it? Do the costs, in terms of time and effort,
outweigh the success? Can anything interfere with the materialization of your
intention?

Opportunities: Consider the timing. Is there an optimum time to cast the spell or
work the ritual? What do you anticipate gaining from this working? Take into
account the astrological considerations, phases of the Moon, and planetary aspects.

Threats: What could go wrong and, if it did, how would it affect the situation? How
would you cope with the new event and with the negative consequences of your spell
or ritual?

Remember every cause has an effect, and every effect has a cause. In magic,
substitute the word "thought" for "cause;' and you have a major key to power.

PLAN YOUR RITUAL

Your intention will dictate the nature of your ritual and the equipment you will
use. Some time should be spent thinking carefully about this. For instance, how
many candles will you use? What color will these be? Which incense will you use?
What is the best time for your ritual? Every last detail must be sorted out
satisfactorily. It is a good idea to write a list that can then be used as a guide
later on.

CLEAR AWAY EVERYTHING

If you are using a temporary altar, you will need to clear everything away. There
are two main reasons for this. First, it is never a good idea to leave things lying
around for others to see. The act of clearing away also helps to bring matters
"down to earth:' The purpose of a ritual is simply to focus your mind on your
intention and on the power you want to use. Let us now look at this power.

YOU AND YOUR SUBCONSCIOUS

Everything in creation contains energy. It is this energy, or power, that you use
to attract more desirable circumstances and physical objects into your life. The
instrument by which you do this is the subconscious mind. This involves a process
in which you,y our subconscious, and your beliefs make contact with universal
energy. Your subconscious mind is "the God within;' or your personal power center.
When you are dealing with magic, you are dealing with the science of instructing
the subconscious mind and using its vast potential.

YOUR BELIEFS

The subconscious mind will only act on an instruction if it is given in a specific

way. That way is through belief.
Belief is not something you have to force into existence. On the contrary, all you
have to do is simply accept that something is true and hold to this belief despite
the so-called facts. In magic, you must never let the supposed facts dictate how
you think and act. These facts are there to be altered if you wish it so. Magic is
concerned with altering these facts so they become more favorable.

RITUAL INVOLVEMENT
The more you put in your own rituals, the more you get out of them. By this, I do
not necessarily mean expensive.
The "intent" in your ritual will be obvious.
What really matters is the type of relationship that exists between you and the
object of attention.
You can either have a piece of equipment that has been chosen using superstition or
little thought, or you can have something that has been carefully thought about
and, as a result, means something to you.
When performing a ritual, you are asking something of life because you are
entitled to-it is your right. Universal energy is there to be used in any way you
wish, although a wise person will consider all aspects before performing a ritual
for some end result. You can have whatever you want if you ask in the right way.
You should always bear in mind, however, that you are responsible for whatever you
create. It makes good sense to think carefully before you set power in motion.

CANDLES
To begin with, it really doesn't matter what type of wax is used in the making of
candles, so do not be fooled into buying expensive and unnecessary beeswax.
Paraffin wax is perfectly well suited to candle-magic rituals. With regard to
shape, this is a matter of choice. Always choose your candles carefully.
Never forget that a candle acts as a focus for your mind. In other words, it is a
point of concentration. It is also symbolic. It represents something tangible, such
as a desire, a person, or even a type of energy. Unless you (and your subconscious)
understand what each candle represents or symbolizes, your ritual will be as
pointless as trying to knit fog!
The lighting of a candle is also symbolic by virtue of the fact that you have
activated the intention that is an integral part of that candle.
By itself, the candle, therefore, represents an intention that is, at present,
quite dormant. When the candle is lit during the ritual, you activate that
intention in a rather unique way. You, in fact, say to your subconscious mind:
"When I light this candle, may all that it represents come true:'

MAGICAL AND PERSONAL OILS

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