A candle can be one of the simplest yet most powerful props available to the working practitioner of the magical arts. In itself, the candle requires little in the way of ritual or ceremony. This popular craft tool can be obtained easily as many aspects of life embrace their uses. Few department stores are without a varied selection of sizes or colors of candles to choose from. Candle magic can be very basic and does not require huge amounts of space.

In Western culture especially, nearly everyone has worked a ritual of candle magic whether conscious of the fact or not. The childhood custom of blowing the candles out on their birthday cake contains all three of the ingredients of magical work. Concentration is invoked to blow them out. Making a wish is Visualization as they work to see the end result of their wish and Will Power comes into play as they hope to see their desire come true. Basic and untrained, but magic nonetheless.

Of the various forms of divination, tarot cards, I Ching, rune stones, etc., one of the simplest to make and use is the pendulum. A pendulum can be used for location spells, to answer yes or no questions, and many other things.

A pendulum is simply an object that is hung from a piece of string or thin chain. It can be as simple as a ring tied to the end of some sturdy thread or as elaborate a beautiful crystal hung from a gold or silver chain. Some witches have better luck with using the crystal pendulums while others are quite content to use even an old lead fishing sinker. So long as the object used to make the pendulum is heavy enough to weigh down one end of the string, twine or chain.

Spell Craft is the art of creating and casting spells. As many witches, wizards, or magicians progress along the path of Witchcraft, Wicca, or any other Pagan spiritual path, they will design their own spells to suit their needs.

When a budding witch or wizard begins to follow the pagan path of their choice most usespells that have been passed down for many ages that have been tired and proven quite effective; and there is nothing wrong with this. In fact, it is generally best to start with such spells. This makes it easier for the witch or wizard to gain confidence in his or her spell crafting abilities.

Work your way through the complex layers of outcome that can manifest through the specific actions of a spell, so that no harm can be inadvertently done to anyone down the line of its effect, can be frustrating at times. Cause and affect can play like the final snowflake at the top of an avalanche slope if you are not careful. In order to prevent inadvertent backlash from the spells we do is of great concern.

The best offense in magic and Witchcraft is an impenetrable defense. To avoid negative feedback you need to rid yourself of the emotions that would cause you to think ill of anyone. Casting a spell intentionally directing it to throw back on an attacker can leave a vulnerability as it does create a chance of a rebound through the bit of anger/negative emotion you felt when casting.

For the beginning practitioner of the art of Witchcraft there is the temptation to just grab a book of spells and start chanting out what they desire. Because of Hollywood movies and pop fiction these newcomers are often led astray by not having realized there is a lot of knowledge about the intricacies of the Craft to learn before one will be properly prepared for spell work. This also often leads them into unnecessary danger to both their bodies and their minds.

For ritual or ceremonial spell work it would first require studying about the underlying principles of magic. They will be required to learn how to make or acquire the tools of the craft and how they are used. They must also learn how to protect themselves before they announce themselves to the etheric realm. Even the working of a simple charm can be enough to draw the attention of the etheric and elemental forces that operate the flow of magical power. Not all of these forces are particularly friendly towards humans so it is necessary that the first spell a wise practitioner of the Craft performs is to raise the protective magic circle around themselves.

For those who have chosen the magical, psychical life there is really no going back. Once exposed to the subtle flow of the etheric energies that interact with the material plain you will be attuned to and attunable by others who access this area of life's reality. Since the duality of the cosmos requires the existence of opposing forces, sooner or later you will encounter someone who takes the opposite approach from yours and will attempt to overcome your spirit force. One of the easiest places an enemy can launch a psychic attack is within your dreams.

When awake and conscious a person's personal psychic defenses can be relied on to comprehend and interpret such magical attacks and deal with them accordingly. Whether it is through the vehicle of a charm or talisman, incantation or other mental focus, the target of such an assault can perceive and deal with it. However, during sleep one does not always have full cognition and control over the elements of ones dreams.

It is a basic human need to desire love and affection from another person. To this end many forlorn folk seek surcease from their loneliness through the use of magic and witchcraft to bring someone's affection to them. While this may sound like a noble cause on the surface, the use of love spells is a very dangerous and potentially damaging activity.

On its most basic level, a "love" spell is intended to subvert the object's personal freewill and force them to give their attentions to a specific person, the spell caster, whether there is any normal attraction between them or not. By using such a spell on someone, you have set yourself up to come between the desired person and the path they may have chosen for their own life. The spell becomes a trap that holds another person hostage to your will rather than letting the natural pathway of their life to unfold.