Everything Under the Moon

In all my studies and exploration of spellcraft, magic, and witchcraft I have often come across the concept of repeating spells and ritual actions over a set period of time in order to make the spells work. In Hoodoo it seems that this is a common practice (by lighting the vigil and repeating the prayers over for the spell to work). Other spells I have seen take repetition are poppet spells (removing pins in a specific time frame or adding them in a time frame) and prosperity spells. I personally have never done this as a magical practice. I've never felt or had the need to repeat a working in order for it to be effective. So I was wondering if some one could explain why this practice is done and why some spells may benefit repetition while others might not.

I can't say for other traditions or practices, but for mine certain workings require more time and more energy (compounding energy) for them to follow course properly. Those circumstances usually involve healing, major life changes, attitude shifting, raising awareness, removing personal blockages/obstacles, etc... Things that never happen overnight in any circumstances and require more time and effort than other things (like divination or offerings).

How often and when depends on what it is, when it arises (in the midst of other world and life circumstances), and the amount of energy needed. It can vary from one casting a night, for x number of nights in a row (or days); to once every full/new moon for x number of lunar cycles.

I don't share the details of my practice because it's not my right to do so, but I hope the overview helped to answer a few questions.

Vesca wrote:I can't say for other traditions or practices, but for mine certain workings require more time and more energy (compounding energy) for them to follow course properly. Those circumstances usually involve healing, major life changes, attitude shifting, raising awareness, removing personal blockages/obstacles, etc... Things that never happen overnight in any circumstances and require more time and effort than other things (like divination or offerings).

So healing from major traumas then might be an example of a working that got repeated? That is something that would take a lot of work and energy to completely process.

Vesca wrote:How often and when depends on what it is, when it arises (in the midst of other world and life circumstances), and the amount of energy needed. It can vary from one casting a night, for x number of nights in a row (or days); to once every full/new moon for x number of lunar cycles.

So each repeated spell or working is different based on the energetic needs of the spell and working?

Vesca wrote:I don't share the details of my practice because it's not my right to do so, but I hope the overview helped to answer a few questions.

I thank you for sharing what you have shared. I respect people who don't share a lot of details about their work. It is their choice and their right to make that choice. I personally share quite a bit of my practices and experiences, but that is also because talking about it on forums and on blogs helps me process it better. So its a learning tool for me.

Any way. The answer to your question is yes. It does answer why some one might use a repeated spell format for doing a working. I'm currently doing a repeated series of prayers over my ancestral altar to build up some power and energy there. I'm also trying to think of the best knife or tool to use to strip the bark off a staff I am going to transform into a specific tool. In the process of making that tool I am going to be doing repeated prayers and consecrations/anointing and blessings to build power in.

Yes and yes.

I often use the technique of repeating the working for something important, usually the 3 nights of the full moon, especially for healing and personal power workings, and I have been known to also use the entire waxing period building up to the full, as well as the full moon as well, especially if the purpose of the working is to make a beneficial transition of some kind.

For 'reversing' and protective magic, and anything that involves 'turning energy around', I will work from the last night of the waning crescent, over the dark moon, to the waxing crescent.

The same concept applies if you're trying to catch a particular astrological transit that's important to you.

I have one particular working that I repeat every 'favourable' lunar eclipse.

I do a lot of visualisation heavy spells and often I'll repeat the visualising. I won't always repeat the whole ritual, usually I'll just meditate and repeat the mental images, regularly focusing energy into them. But as many have said, depends on the spell/ritual.

loona wynd wrote:In all my studies and exploration of spellcraft, magic, and witchcraft I have often come across the concept of repeating spells and ritual actions over a set period of time in order to make the spells work. In Hoodoo it seems that this is a common practice (by lighting the vigil and repeating the prayers over for the spell to work). Other spells I have seen take repetition are poppet spells (removing pins in a specific time frame or adding them in a time frame) and prosperity spells. I personally have never done this as a magical practice. I've never felt or had the need to repeat a working in order for it to be effective. So I was wondering if some one could explain why this practice is done and why some spells may benefit repetition while others might not.

Think of the social context in which the use of vigil style candles & petitions were begun. Folk magic has always used what’s at-hand and easily adaptable. A spell was disguised to appear like common church approved votive practices. The Book of Psalms was seen as a spell book and was available to anyone as part of a Bible (or in free tracts) that you could have in plain sight.

The devotional custom of repetition of a series of psalms, NT readings & prayers at specific times of day is a standard function within religious houses dating back to the 1st C & until the printing press were read aloud to the group by the lector. Lay practitioners “oblates” copy the custom in their own personal devotions. There were no magical training manuals available to the common folk so they used the examples at hand.

The word novena refers to nine - a Lunar number - so a novena ritual uses nine days of repetition of a devotional reading, or three sets (dawn, noon, dusk) over three days. IMO the spell isn’t so much energetically cast & stamped onto the etheric realm in one shot as it’s gradually imprinted & reinforced, plus the effort of devotion carries merit.