QYAM: November 2019 Edition

Hey there kids,

Well, it's definitely Mercury retrograde. 😉 I think between being very behind on a few replies (sorry,) and having rampant computer issues (I decided to wait until the Holiday deals come to get a new laptop, and so this one still stinks,) and the joy of everyone else's Mercury retrograde issues (emails not working, computer glitches, phone glitches, etc,) it's been a bit of an adventure. I also realized that I didn't post my communication spell article, then I went and read it, and it had some glaring problems with the composition, so it's still in drafts. 

Yay, Mercury retrograde! 

However, I've been very very eager to post a new QYAM article, so let's get this going! 🙂 The first one actually came to me when I woke up randomly a half hour before I usually do (so both Mr NinjaCat and my bird were asleep), so I guess it's a question I asked myself, haha. 

Q: Can Mercury retrograde really affect large projects as well as smaller scale situations. For example, Disney+ just released its new streaming service during Mercury retrograde – was that a bad idea for them? 

A: Let's be clear, ANY large scale project or product that has to do with technology is likely to have a few glitches when it's released. My father always told me if something is a new model or product (like a newer car, or a newer kind of tv or computer, a new advancement with an appliance, etc) to wait a year to buy it, because then you could be sure that they worked out most of the problems that they didn't foresee happening. It's good advice. HOWEVER, I do personally believe that Mercury retrograde can make these problems even more significant if the product is released during a Mercury retrograde. 

I had mentioned the release of Disney+ earlier this week. Streaming service is not a new technology. This is something where society has used these services for a pretty good amount of time, and likely problems have been identified. I do understand that with anything like this you might have a few kinks all the same – either because the design has a flaw, or the app has a flaw, but most of these would be things where it is a trivial problem which is quickly repaired. However, there does seem to be a rampant amount of issues, and for problems which the company would have been aware could happen, and prevented. For example, it crashed pretty early on (or so I'm told,) obstensibly (I'm told) because too many people were using the app at once, people had issues getting the app to open, etc., and I personally believe that the fact that they launched during a Mercury retrograde is actually creating more issues with this app/service than one would normally have releasing a similar product outside of a retrograde. 

So, if the average joe has problems with emails and texts and other electronic communications devices, probably one is best advised NOT to launch a large-scale technology-based product/service during Mercury retrograde.

However, what if your business is a bit more tangible, such as a physical product? What if, say, you make something as simple as cans for canned goods? I would say in these instances, the bigger concern is signing a new contract with a company, so if we're using canned goods as an example, either you will want to wait to sign the contract with those who want their goods canned OR you would want to wait until after a Mercury retrograde to sign the contract to send your canned goods to a particular store. 

As I've said before, Mercury retrograde impacts those things which fall under the correspondence of Mercury, and certainly, aspects of technology and communication tend to be of paramount concern. While it works wonders for RE-ESTABLISHING, OR RECONNECTING, it is not very helpful for new business or new relationships – and it is also a big culprit of sending texts and emails into some weird delayed limbo state where they show up in the wrong folder or 3 days later or etc. 😉 So, yes, I do think it affects both large scale, and small scale projects. 

Q: When I read books/stories/see movies/shows about magic, someone can do amazing things like fly, or go back in time, or immediately change their appearance! Why aren't there more spells like this? 

A: Well, basically, the idea that magic gives you God-like powers makes for some very entertaining stories, doesn't it? And, if I'm being fair, more than one dusty old tome makes similar claims about this or that working, or dealing with this or that spirit, etc. Harry Potter would be horribly bland if Harry and his chums spent 2 hours practicing what looks more like a religious ritual to get an increase on their income rather than waving a wand and saying some words and having something thrilling happen immediately, wouldn't it? 

So, the first part is entertainment. Stories people enjoy tend to be those which are fantastic in nature. Even when we watch a show where the people are supposed to be "normal" and average, they tend to live in lovely homes that poor people couldn't afford, we never see an eviction notice or hear people fighting next door or see them not having enough food to make supper – lady cops wear sexy clothes and huge earrings (which at least so far as I know is not allowed in uniform,) and during legal proceedings, the suspect almost always confesses. Well, right, because this isn't really anything to do with reality, it is just our stories coming as close as possible. While there are certainly SOME very realistic shows or books, we do tend to have a lot more of a love with the fantastic. So, let's just say what I've said more than once, – entertainment is for entertaining, not for telling the boring truth. 😉

But yes, there are those old spells that make some very fantastic sounding claims, right? So, what about this spell that claims "invisibility." I do believe that you can be "unnoticeable," TO A POINT. That is close to invisible. Does that mean I can scream "Hey look at me!" and you'll see right through me? No. In fact, it's a very simple process where if you're quiet and don't call attention to yourself, if you're not brazen about your actions as well, that the "invisibility working" basically makes people not notice you. I did this some years ago to show a friend, and almost got hit by a car crossing the street in broad daylight when there wasn't tons of traffic, nor did anyone go over 20-25 mph on that part of the road. I've walked around with no one even looking at me or noticing me (including close friends) doing this. So, historically, this type of working was often used by thieves, or people who were doing something else illegal. The person would use the working and, presuming they weren't making the noise of a marching band, they could move undetected, though generally still at night. So, do I believe invisibility spells work – I do, but I do not believe that they literally render you transparent. 

This spell here claims it can transport you in an instant to any place on the planet…. Well, alright… Do I think you're going to literally teleport using this? No. And if we look when this was made, probably those using it had no idea jetplanes would ever even exist. Not in their wildest dreams. So, what it is more likely amounting to is to be able to SEE anywhere on the planet in a scrying device. However, if used today, it might also get you some really cheap, really great plane tickets for tomorrow to whatever destination. 

And this spell here that says it will give you the appearance of a king? The spell itself would likely predate photographs. At some point, people rarely, if ever, laid eyes on their sovereign. Sure, he or she might be on your coinage, and maybe you'd even see a painting at some point, but the real person? No. This would be similar to the "invisibility" workings above. Why do you need to appear as a noble? Well this will give you the behavior and carriage of one, perhaps, but no, I don't think you're going to look like Prince William the moment you finish. It might be useful if you're working in a high powered business situation to have the demeanor of someone with wealth and power, so it's still useful, but I don't think it will further you in your desire to be the doppelganger for a famous royal. ;) 

So, while spells can do some fantastic things, I think perhaps the realm of them being absolutely wildly fantastic is more the exception than the rule. 

Q: When someone asks you what you would, spellwork-wise, do in x situation, is it different than what you would tell them to do if they had the same situation in their life? 

A: Most likely my advice as to what they should do is different than what I personally would spellcast, and there is a good reason. Assuming they are doing the work themselves, are they practiced in magic at all? If yes, is it the same kind of spellwork I specialize in? If yes, then if they're my level of expertise and we both use mostly rootwork/Hoodoo, then I will advise them to work as I would work. Otherwise, it would be unfair of me to suggest someone act as I would. 

I've said this before, but some of the easiest-LOOKING spells are the hardest to do. Some time ago, there was a post in a group I'm in where someone claimed a common practice to bind a man to you romantically did not work. The fact is that it DOES work, but it requires focus and intent, and frankly enough of both that a lot of people do not pull it off well. Further the practice is very common, but despite that, no one brings up the fact that if your man is a philanderer, it won't prevent him from cheating, necessarily…just perhaps from WALKING OUT. And lastly, as someone said in that group, you can have any number of ingredients you use in a spell that appear in cooking dishes or in other common day to day practices. Just having, for example, ammonia in your home (for cleaning your windows and your chrome items,) doesn't mean you're constantly dispelling evil spirits when you clean the windows. 😉 If used with intent, it could accomplish that, however.

Digressing back, so we can say that a beginner or novice isn't going to have the same amount of practice, and their focus and intention will not be a honed skill. Furthermore, there will be practices which are unfamiliar to them. And, let's not forget, I have plenty of spell supplies at my disposal. Most people do not. So if someone says "Cat, I want to get my ex to contact me, and I lit a candle a few times, but I have no real practice in magic," I am probably going to ask what spell supplies they DO HAVE, and then try to suggest something simple and that works well for beginners. I am also likely to suggest one or two spells, not that they do a marathon of workings like I might if in the same situation. 

If you wanted to ask me for spell coaching, so you, as a beginner, could do the work yourself, but also wanted to know what I would do in the same situation with my level of practice, that's all fine and well, and I'll tell you, but honestly, it isn't helpful to give someone instruction that is past their level of understanding. I'm not trying to be elitist, but it's like telling someone to do a trigonometry problem when they just learned how to add and subtract – they won't be able to do that yet. Learning comes in steps, and so trying to help someone means understanding the step they're on. 

Q: Do you sell or give away any of your bird's feather's for spells that use parrot feathers?

A: No. While I don't suspect most people are awful enough to do such a thing, I would be endangering him to allow others to use his feathers as someone could easily ask for them because they actually wanted to cause him harm in an effort to hurt me. HOWEVER, parrot feathers are usually available for sale – look on Amazon, Etsy, or even in some craft stores. If you don't know which birdie molted out those feathers, it is a lot less likely that they will be used to harm the bird who they came from. 

That said, it causes him no harm for me to use his feathers in spells for you. 🙂 And if you have a pet parrot, you can use your own bird's feathers in spells. 🙂

Q: Could we use spellwork/magic to combat climate change?

A: This was an interesting question, so I had to share….my answer may be a bit broad. 

I don't know as I'd tell you something silly like "Here is a spell that will reduce carbon emissions overnight." Or "cast this and the plastic in our oceans will no longer be a problem." This is a very shallow understanding of this problem if I did. HOWEVER, let's say I have a very eco-minded client who wishes to really start making a good change. What you would want to do is to promote technologies and changes that would combat the problem. So, at a local level, perhaps your city is considering passing a plastic bag ban, – you could do work here to make sure the bill passed. Or at a state level, your state wishes to have less carbon emissions and you've read the plan and it seems solid, work magic to get those bills passed. Help attract people to the cause and help clear the way to get it to pass using magic. This is a solid step for using spells to promote preventing climate change. 

Now, I can think of a few people who would try weather-magic, and let me be fair… if you did get something to happen weatherwise, it's going to be a limited outcome. You are not apt to make it rain for three years or something similar, much less make an entire summer cooler. But let's say you're some major big-thing and you're of a mind that you're such a great spellcaster that you can make the summer, winter, and every other season a great deal cooler this year. Why? Because you can, because you are that amazing. 😛 Well, assuming you are that amazing and powerful, I'd also assume you have the insight to see how that could be potentially a bad thing. So, historically, we've had mini-ice-ages, and some pretty bad climate changes which were triggered by a pretty major volcanic eruption or something causing very little sun and all sorts of badness. So, if you do this, and you're successful, you might cause some major famines (because plants love sun,) and a few other problems. 

Realistically, the best method to combat problems with pollution is really to promote smarter ways to create less waste and improve life for all. That there are people who would like to see themselves as evil geniuses who would cause a mini ice-age isn't worrisome to me – most of them could not successfully cause a volcano to explode. I would say the likelihood of it is less than 1% (or even a fraction of 1% for that matter,) that could do such a thing. However, I do believe most intermediate level magicians could, at local and even national levels, create positive outcomes in a legal way that will reduce pollution and encourage a healthier lifestyle for the planet. 

Q: Do you think curses are evil?

A: No. I think people use them with no valid reason sometimes, but I don't think that they are evil unto themselves. If someone is attacking you and you have no legal recourse, it's something that could be seen as self-defense. If, however, you just wanted to make someone's life hell because you don't like them, yes, I could see the action of cursing them as something some people might view as evil. 

Alrightey kiddos, that's enough for me today. As always, even you need me, please feel free to contact me! 🙂

~Cat