I just finished some 'practical magick' and my nightly ritual (that I have begun doing again...). I worked on a few things for myself; completed some items that L. asked for and ran into a full scale healing of the land for which I wasn't really prepared. I almost cried when I discovered it - the area that a new community of condos are being built on is slowly dying due to the ignorant things being wrought on it. I did what I could. I tried to 'wake' it. I tried taking whatever negativity was there and transmuting it to healing and harmonious energies. Nothing worked. The spirits of that land are very angry and are withdrawing. It feels like watching what happens after a brown recluse bite - the area around the bite slowly necrotizes while the rest stays relatively healthy.

Once I finished working, something occured to me - just where does magick come from? Is it just floating around out there for anyone to grab or is it God/dess given? Yeah, yeah - I know this is an elementary acolyte witch question...or is it? Is it a question that needs to be revisited every now and then as experience is gained? Perhaps I'm just remembering after a long magickal slumber...

I realized that I didn't work the magick as most of the books out there 'instruct' one to do. I didn't cast an elaborate circle or invocations (I hate long, flowery circle casts and invocations - they end up distracting more than helping.) - I did do a lesser banishing ritual. That's about it. I didn't invoke anyone. I only called on Mother Earth and Epona when I felt that I couldn't do anymore - but neither of those 'entities' really answered. I did feel like the spirits of the land rose up to help me. I reached out and worked the magick to do my own bidding and only my own bidding. Yay!! I'm healed!!!

There for a while, after (I'm convinced) reading too much, I was a 'good' little witch - I cast whatever circle and called faithfully on my patron Epona and never made a move without Her. She became a crutch. Isn't that wild - a Goddess who got in the way! (Unfortunately, I know altogether too many people who use God (any of them) this way and there's no way to make them aware of it.) Don't get me wrong - I firmly believe in those higher powers but they don't spend every moment holding our hands like parents to a small child. They don't need to. We are oh so capable of handling ourselves - if only we'd make one small change in thinking. All that's needed is to change a five letter word into a three letter one: can't into can.

I wonder if there are any others out there who work the way I do? Probably. I'm not egotistical enough to think that I'm the only one in this universe who visualizes most everything and chants simple, straight forward things instead of reciting those long, complicated epic poems.

So to answer the question - where does magick come from? I don't know. I sincerely believe that it's always existed (if it didn't come into existance with the Big Bang - then it probably helped to create it) and is everywhere, free and available for those in the know to use. No special equipment is needed in it's use, except the knowledge how. So mote it be.