The Arte Of Witchcraft BLOG Part 2 : Statement Of Intent

BLOG – Statement of intent

The Arte Of Witchcraft BLOG Part 2 : Statement Of Intent

The Arte Of Witchcraft Part 2 : Statement Of Intent.... A blog from 40 years’ witchcraft experience…

As I pause in a quiet moment from a busy day running our witchcraft supplies store, putting down my witches’ brew, I could put more tarot and traditional witchcraft books onto our witchcraft store online… But instead, I think it’s time for the 2^nd part in my practical witchcraft series and talk about a simple but MASSIVLEY important aspect of ceremonial ritual witchcraft… The statement of intent…

So what is it??? Why is it so important to traditional witchcraft? Wicca? Ceremonial magick? Chaos Magick? And probably found in most other paths of pagan ritual magick also…

Well simply put it is a BOLD carefully and willfully prepared statement of what the ritual you are about to perform is for… And especially if this includes some kind of spell casting or magick spell work…

It must be bold because a witch is NOT a mouse. When new witches ask me how to smudge a house or “put their intention out there” I make it VERY clear that they should yell, shout, proclaim! Let every spirit, god, goddess, daemon, ancestor, fuck even the neighbors, know what you are about to do and why!

Big bad witch that he was, Aleister Crowley talks of proclaiming and vibrating holy names and magick words and spells “to the very ends of the universe”… That the universe should tremble and shake!

It is also about establishing your authority as a witch, reminding everyone present, spirits, gods, goddesses, angels and demons that YOU have the POWER and RIGHT by magick rite and ritual to send your will out into the universe.

Lets break it down, and look at MY practice… As usual I am not saying my way is the right way or only way…. But it works for me.. And I have led a pretty charmed and blessed magickal life of abundance and manifestation…

In part one I discussed liminal space.. The statement of intent is therefore the FIRST thing I do as I step into my circle/temple and approach the altar… BEFORE I CAST MY CIRCLE, anything else… I bellow my statement of intent… Here is an example…

“I, I, I Frater Cerno! Cordis Serpentus, Serpentarius! I who stood in the high place of witches before the Horned One on Burns Down in Cornwall and claimed the power of the witch! I who have been initiated to High Priest of the 3^rd degree! I who have achieved the rank of Perfect Initiate and Knight of the East and West in Ordo Templi Orientis.. I proclaim that by MY WILL I this day conjure a spell of protection about my home! That by my will and magick rite my home be free of all curses, bad intentions, evil spirits and malicious ends.”

So.. Lets break that down…. Why is that statement of intent so important to witchcraft and pagan ceremonial magick…

First note the language… Those who know NLP or Neural Linguistic Programming will notice the very direct and intentional language… Nothing wishy washy here! Just power and intent. NLP says that using words like “Try” or “Hope” or “might” or any other variation is giving yourself permission to fail… Its AN “out”..

Ever said something like “I hope to get that done today” or “I’ll try to get that for you this week”… Bullshit! You are lying to yourself and who ever you are speaking to… You are giving yourself an escape clause! A WITCH or PAGAN MAGIKIAN does NO such thing! MEAN IT… Use this instead…

“I WILL get that done today!”

Did you know that Yoda in Star Wars is an NLP expert… "Do or do not. There is no try,"

Same with the word “Can”… For example “I can get that done today…” – OK, fine, but is it the same as a promise???? Does it have the power of “I will get that done today!”

Words are important. Words ARE magick! Those who do not understand this are fools! MEAN IT! Be a lion not a mouse! If you dare throw spells around and send your intentions out into the universe THEN BE CLEAR, PRECISE AND MEAN IT!!!

Secondly… ALWAYS avoid negatives in magick petitions, booms, pacts, spells or dealing with any entity… This is one of the best and safest tips I will tell you… NEVER use a negative… Somehow the preternatural entities, spirits, daemons seem to not under stand negatives…. For example…

“This spell must be completed soon with NO consequences to my family or loved ones! Nothing bad must bounce back on me or mine!”

Somehow negatives just get ignored by entities in magick… My daughter used to call it “reverse magick” or “nega magick”…. And therefore the sentence above does the exact opposite and will leave you open to blow back and repercussions… You almost invite it… ALWAYS REMOVE NEGATIVES FROM MAGICKAL INTENTIONS AND SPELLS…

Try this instead…

“This spell must be completed soon FREE from ALL consequences to my family or loved ones! All those I love must be kept safe from Maleficent and nefarious intentions and repercussions from this spell”.

Thirdly, Magick is a head trip. It requires supreme confidence in your abilities; doubt is the enemy of success and the forerunner of failure!!! … BECONFIDENT that the spell you cast WILL come to pass, its merely a case of reality catching up and aligning with your desire and will….

Therefore, STATE your authority… List your initiations and achievements… TELL the entities and gods WHY you have the right to work magick by ritual rite!

Many initiatory orders have special robes, or ritual bling or tools, or signs, gestures or secret words of office to tile you to a particular degree!

USE THE EGREGORE OF YOUR LINE! One of the greatest magicians I ever knew would always use the entry level degree of Minerval in Aleister Crowley’s OTO… After entering the temple and before casting a circle he would utter the secret word of Minerval and give the secret gestures and signs… Even though he had achieved many degrees higher in the Order… His reasons were simple… That there are many MORE people who have taken the MInerval entry degree worldwide than any other… And therefore calling on the combined power and egregore of ALL Minervals past, current and present is much more potent.

Fourthly and simply… Tell your circle, gods, ancestors and any and all enities you are working with of your REASON and REQUIREMENT for the ritual.

Simply put… A Statement Of Intent clarifies… It sets… It puts it firmly in your mind and anything and everything and everyone else’s… Exactly what you are about to do, and achieve, in clear precise unambiguous and very intentional terms…

Remember – your words are your power… Use them wisely and thoughtfully…

Plan ahead – make sure what you are going to say BEFORE you perform the ritual working.

Long before I started our witchcraft store online or our bricks and mortar Witchcraft Supplies store, Artes and Craft, one of my best occultistfriends told me “Your witchcraft supplies store will be a success because you said it will be and therefore it already is”.

Here are some great witchcraft books and tools from our witchcraft supplies Online store…. The phrase “Statement Of Intent” is found commonly in sigil magick, but is very appropriate for all forms of witchcraft and pagan ritual magick….

A highly recommended book on creating sigils and statements of intent : Practical Sigil Magic

Ritually charged witchcraft spell candles from our Witchcraft Supplies store : Powerful Ritual Witchcraft Spell Candles