All ritual moves to change the mindset of the participants. Mindset means a lot in the proliferation of want. By performing the ritual the mindset of the one performing it is not only focusing their conscious mind on the goal but also the sub-conscious.The sub-conscious mind is way better at picking up the subtle queues in life to move ones choices to make the desired result of the ritual come to fruition. As the person unknowingly makes these choices in everyday life they are unaware that they are in essence fulfilling their own ritual.

My grandfather was a magician. When I was a kid he had this magic box and out of this empty box he would pull out candy. It was great. Magic all the way.

I identify as a witch but I'm an atheist who doesn't believe in spells or magic, per se. I'm more of a crafty botanist who celebrates nature because it's amazing and beautiful. I don't worship anything, believe in shit that isn't there or hex people. I think what constitutes witchcraft has changed much over time and varies by culture. Honestly, most of the theistic witch stuff is probably not "true" but, hey, I'd rather witches ran my govt than Christians lol

It has been scientifically shown that spells work.

They work at exactly the same rate as chance. How good is that!

If magic or witchcraft have any effect on reality then that effect can be recorded and measured - that will then show that there is a relationship between the claim and the action. It doesn't mean the cause is in any way magical or supernatural, it just shows a causal relationship. Once the mechanism is worked out it ceases to be supernatural or magical, just another natural effect we have a new explanation for.

However, as there is no evidence that witchcraft or magic exist except as a concept, then I'll stick it in the same box as god.

I feel like a lot of it is hooey and true "magic", like what we see in movies, isn't real. That being said, I do believe there is energy we create as humans and that we're naturally connected to the earth, so whatever energy we put out into the atmosphere we will get back. The law of attraction. Simplified example being doing/saying positive things in your daily life will cause other positive things to happen for you.

Though I will openly admit that I LOVE all the Halloween-y witchy stuff year round. Skulls and creepy antiques are kind of my aesthetic. LOL

I used to "dabble" in it. I even went so far as to buy a cauldron. Alas, it didn't really do much good. But I did have some fun times playing with fire.

I once did a spell with a cup-so long ago I don't remember the spell ingredients. It was on my boyfriend when we broke up. Took me home for x-mas to meet his family, started living together and got married 6 months later. Can't remember where the spell came from either. It was forty years ago.

Yep.

Well I have a friend who is a witch. She swears up and down she has powers and can cast spells, even cast a love spell to get a married man with children cause she claims she’s in love with him, even slept with him and swears up and down he love her. Anyway, she claims to be so powerful, but her life is still in shams and she still isn’t with the man she love, instead with one that treats her like crap. Plus she’s broke as all get out. Does that tell you just how powerful magic is?

Personally, I think love is mostly about chemical and psychological reactions, so I don’t know if the onion is going to do anything for you.

As far as witchcraft goes, I believe there’s a lot to be said about the effectiveness of repetition in the psyche and a will to power, but I’m no expert. Most likely it’s just antiquated nonsense.

Sometimes, it seems to me, that when I "put something out there" something comes back. Have you ever thought of someone you haven't seen or heard of and then ended up sitting at the table next to theirs in a restaurant you would never usually go to but suddenly decided to try? Or thought, "gosh, I'm so lucky to have this reliable car that never breaks down" and then the engine explodes 4 minutes later? Maybe it's just coincidence. I've certainly thought of people and not run into them too. But it still feels odd when you do have those moments. Like maybe the universe was listening in that moment and said "well, here you go, asshole, now what are you going to do?".
Maybe casting spells is just a hope that by throwing it out there, something will come back. I don't even know why I'm talking about this. The only reason I wanted to comment on this post was to say What Do You Mean You Place Witchcraft With Astrology?! Love me my Astrology!

I think it's a load of rubbish. However, witches don't go around telling everyone else they're going to hell unless they become witches too, haven't started any wars (well, unless you include Voldemort) and are generally pretty keen on trying to persuade people that maintaining the planet in a state that can support life. So, as religions go, theirs isn't a bad one.

There existed microbes before there was proof of them. Just my two cents as an agnostic who sees possibilities as potential truths in the eternal and infinite universe. I'm possible and my sense of self is magic and surreal when I marinate in the awe of me existing. In the realm of infinity, maybe it's possible for odd and strange realms to exist that we can't yet sense with our limited percepts and abilities as a human. We only experience our plane through the limitations of this human form. What if there are an infinite number of ways to perceive the universe that we are unable to experience as humans. Just my thoughts. Sharing not debating the truth of my beliefs.

The only harm it has done was making your eyes tear up. Have you tried to strike up a conversation with the one you fancy? Any result you get from it would give you an answer either way, certainly a more concrete one than waiting for a flower to bloom.

Good luck.

I think its rather charming if done for fun. What's the harm in a love spell? Nothing. It probably won't work but hey your lady might be "charmed" you tried.

so do i.

mumbojumbo for me. but let me entertain that notion.

ok...looking at that spell...

it looks like you don't have to actually do anything to the spell's target. it's more like a prayer and a ceremony.

if witchcraft is real, and that spell doesn't work, maybe it's because it's too indirect. are there other spells in that book that are more direct (word of magic spoken to or near her, hypnosis with magic hand gestures, love potion she'll need to drink, etc)?

just to be a rascal, I know a potion that has worked: alcohol. A lot of alcohol.

There's an old saying about witchcraft is that "When belief in it is commonly held it thrives , but when belief in it weakens it fades away".

To me its a bit like alchemy, if I made you a potion with a toxin in to make you sick, it would probably work, as would putting a dead animal in your well.

Sure.