QYAM – September 2018 edition

Hey there Occulties,

As a reader said to me this morning about my previous post, Venus retrograde makes reasons for all of us to be nicer to those we love, and while I'd agree with that, I think that many people have bad manners and suffer from bad behavior in general, so I think there is more than one person who might benefit from being a bit nicer. 😉 While I do not believe in karma, I do believe that we often reap what we sow, and that can mean that if you're a complete jerk to someone, then when you need their help, you're going to find they won't help you, as you have only sown discord. 😛

But enough on that topic for the time being. Today, we are going to discuss QUESTIONS YOU'VE ASKED ME, which is a big favorite of many readers. As always, I apologize for being repetitive. 🙂

So let's start, shall we? 

Q: I seem to find myself more nervous or obsessive in the early mornings and late at night – is this normal?

A: It isn't magical or from magic, if that's what you're implying, and if you're feeling like you're "thinking things to death," or "overthinking," or having "lust for results, it is very common when your brain in not actively engaged in "thinking tasks," to find you suffer more from these kinds of behaviors. The best thing to do is keep your mind as actively engaged in thinking tasks, rather than "no mind" tasks (something with simple repetitive motions that requires no thinking, and also tv and some internet surfing,) as much as possible. If nothing else, try reading a book and concentrating on what you're reading. Also, try to get more exercise, as this seems to help people fall asleep faster, and many people complain that they can't stop obsessing right before they sleep. 

I recommend googling non-medical practices to help with anxiety, because basically you're suffering from obsessive anxiety. I see it enough, but it is not something the spell is doing to you, it just means you're kind of high-strung naturally. 

Q: I have what I spellcasted for, but I got the outcome in a manner which I feel like it isn't right, or I don't want this to happen this way. I had thought it would manifest a certain way, and it didn't. I'm dissatisfied. Did the spell fail?

A: If you received what you asked for, then no, it did not fail. I have told the story before, but it happened long enough ago that I have more than one reader who is probably ignorant of it… Years ago I worked for a young lady where she had wanted an ex to come back, and I agreed that this was just fine, and I could do it. When he does come back to her, and things are going quite well between them, she complains that I failed her. How did I fail her when she had the desired ex back? Well, says she, she had wanted him to DREAM OF HER, and have his dreams guide him back to her, but then when she'd spoken to him, he said he didn't remember his dreams, and never really had. So, she said, since he didn't dream of her, then even though he was back, I failed.

But I didn't. I got the guy back for her, as I was paid to do. In fact, working on his dreams would have been very unhelpful as he wasn't the kind of man to remember his dreams. So…I succeeded, but she was dissatisfied all the same. :P 

There is an old story called The Monkey's Paw where an old couple has a monkey's paw that grants wishes, and so the first wish is that they get rich. Unfortunately this happens because their son dies and leaves them with a large insurance settlement or something similar. While obviously this is a fictional story, and I don't want you to think it's normal that people just drop over dead when you want money, I do know a friend who asked for a specific amount of money and then his house burned down (although no one was injured,) and the settlement check came in that very specific amount of money, so it's not entirely off base to say that sometimes spells manifest in unpleasant ways (which also is why I recommend saying, if using spirit conjure or spellwork for money that the money not come by injury to person, property, or to an animal.) Still, misfortune or no, in both cases (the Monkey's Paw and my friend having an insurance check in the desired amount) the work succeeded. 

However, with love spells, we need not worry that death or disaster is likely to occur. What might upset some people is that it may not manifest how you want. If you want someone to be declaring their love for you off the rooftops, and dancing a little jig up to you while they beg you to come back or come to them…well, honestly, it rarely works like that. Most of the time they will be careful, and they will be cautious, and in the case of returning to you, they may even come back with some new baggage. 😉 Remember, when you use spells, you use them to get the END RESULT that you want. While you certainly – in most cases – don't want death or disaster to ensue to get this end result, for the most part you have to be satisfied with that you have no say in HOW you get what you want, merely what you want as the end result. This might mean they do not "dream of you" to know to come back (they just feel the urge to come back,) and if you can't be satisfied with that, then you do not understand spells and probably have some control issues. 😉 The more exact you are in HOW something has to happen, the less likely you are to succeed. Magic takes the path of least resistance to manifestation, so often HOW something happens is a surprise…but also an "ah ha," moment. Like, I might have thought work was holding so-and-so back from admitting his feelings, only to see him have a falling out with a friend, and find out it was his friend all along who held him back. 

So, the spell did not fail…and hopefully the above made some sense.

Q: I understand that getting "fixed" on a particular date can be a bad thing, but I need (amount of money) by (particular date) because I need to pay my rent. Am I going to f* this up because I need that money by (date)?

A: Okay, to be fair the person who asked the above question had like five days, heh, so that may not apply to everyone curious about the likelihood of success where the window is very small. 😉 I tweaked the question to apply to more situations.

I think all of us find ourselves in a pinch where we should have saved more money, and then we didn't and it sucks because some emergency came up or we fell short on our bills. I wholly relate. This is actually the kind of situation where I'm most likely to think my own work to death (yes, even I get lust for results, sometimes!) so I feel for you. 

HOWEVER, the problem is even if it is entirely sensible that one might be anxious in this situation, just being able to understand or relate to how one feels doesn't make that anxiety helpful with spellwork.

Don't fret, though. There may be a solution for those of you really sweating over a very small window of time in which a result is NEEDED (and I don't mean WANTED, I mean, you need x thing to happen or else you're homeless or destitute or ruined,) and that is to call on Saint Expedite for assistance. I still suggest doing other work alongside this, but he seems to really pull through for a lot of people in a pinch. I've used his help before, and was amazed at how quickly I received the needed help. 🙂 Just be sure to "pay" him though, because he can (and often does) take back what was given if you do not "pay him." The link in this paragraph will bring you to a really fabulous site for info and instructions.

AND, there is something to be said for having faith in the work, and giving yourself even 2 weeks to let things manifest. 😉 I mean, if you have some sort of inkling a big bill is coming, and you might be short on funds, the sooner you get to work trying to fix the problem, the better.

Furthermore, maintenance work is always a good idea…and in any situation. If things seem to be going well, using supportive work to keep your life running smoothly is going to help. Whenever I have regularly cast spells for money, I have found I have very steady business, and with clients I like to work with. When I have had something disrupt my regular money blessings (for example, when a friend of mine died, I stopped doing money work,) I noticed a visible decline in my income. 

But I'm digressing off the point… Just because you have a specific date some outcome must happen by, or else the situation will either be moot in regards to it being fixed, or you're going to find yourself in hotter water than before, this doesn't mean the spell will fail on that date….rather it means just don't get your brain fixed on that date, and make yourself anxious. People tend to do that – myself included sometimes, – and the idea is just put the date out of your mind as much as possible and have faith in your work, and that should help allow the work to manifest. :) 

Q: I used a waning moon cycle, because I was confused, and I needed a waxing moon cycle… Is my work going to fail?

A: Probably not, though it won't hurt to redo the work during a waxing moon cycle if you are concerned.

About 17-18 years ago I did the same thing, and not just once, but for like 2 months in a row. I'm sure many of you are happy I wasn't working for the public at the time, ha ha. 😉 Apparently I was never outside and while I had the internet, it was not how it was today, nor was my access to it as easy. 😛 Anyhow, all my spellwork still definitely worked, and while I wasn't a novice then (though I would suspect I obviously was smoking waaaay too much weed to mix up my moon cycles,) which certainly helps insofar as having successful results, I would still say you should not fear all is lost or that you've "jinxed" the situation now. Just redo the work in the right moon cycle…or heck, if you're really feeling lackadaisical (because people often are lazy,) wait for the work you've done to manifest. 

MOST of my readers are not working with anything where timing is going to be a "make it or break it," problem. There are definitely situations when raising a particular spirit at a specific astrological time would be ill-advised, but with many beginner spells (and several intermediate ones, and even some advanced ones, for that matter,) you should be just fine. 

Q: Are you going to have the QYAM contest this year?

A: Maybe. I haven't decided. I do enjoy doing it, but I currently have enough active cases with very very communicative clients, which limits my available time to write or run a contest. If I do, I will be doing it around December. It's one of my favorite contests because it is always so fun to see all of the wild questions (plus at least one person asks me why I'm such a bitch as their question without fail each time, lmao,) but I am thinking it won't happen until I get the "Holiday lag" I get most Decembers. 😉 If I don't get a "holiday lag," it very well may not happen at all. 

Q: Can I use disposable LED "tea lights" as an offering? They are much safer.

A: I would think in this case, no, that doesn't replace a candle any more than a plastic apple is going to tide you over just as well as a real apple from a tree. 

Q: I can't leave food offerings out because of roaches/bugs – help!?

A: Yes, ants, roaches, mice, and other nasties can be a bit of a problem. 😉 While this may not help if you live in Florida (where I am assured that even an hour of having a plate of food out will cause a roach infestation unlike one has ever seen before,) I find placing a glass (or glass bowl) over the food can prevent pests, and just don't leave the food out for more than about a day. If it's still going to be a problem, leave the offering in the daylight hours, preferably near dawn, placing a circle of diametaceous earth around the plate, and placing a glass over it, and remove the offering right after sunset. Roaches hate the light, and the diametacious earth kills insects, so this should prevent any infestation issues. 

That is all for today, kiddos! Hope to be back soon with another QYAM article!

~Cat