Working Magic - Go With Your Gut, or Plan Ahead?

[Oddball]

When you work magic, do you just do it on the spur of the moment, when you feel like it, or do you plan out rituals ahead of time?

[SnowCat]

Most of mine is spontaneous. I do very little ritual work.

Snow

[planewalker]

Hi Oddball. Nice to converse again. Long time no communicate. I do both. I usually have some cantrips I can throw with half a thought. Other things, there are certain rites of an Adept of the Light. I also find there are times I need to do a more major working in the Craft or with my Medicine that needs preparation and planning. I can't say that I favor one above the other. I do, of course, find the cantrips easier because of the well worn neural pathways and lack of need for formal preparation.

[SpiritTalker]

I don't think I've ever done any spells when I "felt like it" mostly because I'm a lazy cuss and it takes a stick of dynamite under my tail feathers for me to want to make the emotional effort.

I tend to invest at least a little planning to discern if the intent is the right thing to do, and a few minutes meditation to get my intention clearly fixed in my head and feelings. The ritual familiarity aids the flow of juice. Working tool-less only takes a couple minutes to cast a circle, and "get the Witchy on." Setting up a special altar will require more effort. Either way, once I'm under way, and into the spell, it just flows & I go with the flow at that point.

That's not to say i never do spontaneous work when you have to seize the moment so as not to lose an opportunity, such as a good wind or responding to a sudden situation. And who can resist a bit of random wish-fulfillment?

[T'a Nuk]

Sometimes planning is part of it. Major sabbats, especially if there will be others, planning to some degree is necessary and enjoyable. There are also the times when it just speaks to you and you must seize the moment. Magic is creation, it flows from both form and spontaneity.

[Xiao Rong]

I find that group rituals work best with a lot of planning (but still leaving some room for flexibility and spontaneity). Trying to do a totally spontaneous ritual when other people are involved is a nightmare. Most of what we do as a coven is related to celebrating the Sabbats. My own personal rituals often are spur-of-the-moment with minimal to no planning, though.

[Corbin]

A good point. I work as a solitary.

This question highlights the difference between Apollonian and Dionysian practice. One works on building patterns and through attention and detail really "puts soul" into the work, the other is intuitive, able to tap into a flow and add energy to form.

The strongest stereotypes? The ceremonial magician and the natural witch. In reality, every shade and nuance inbetween - structure and energy - both are a requirement, neither are opposed. Apollo and Dionyus were not enemies, they were brothers.

Which is better? Wrong question ... Which style suits your personal natural character, better question.

I fall into the second camp, allow the awen to flow, but loving poetry and art this is my character., yet I utilise the first. I learn a lot of formulated magic and magical theory but form my own opinions, apply very light thought, so I can just forget about it and let it stew in the subconscious - create frameworks and patterns and hang them in the wardrobe.

As for directed workings, I find initially some lightly structured guided act as an initiator is important - to then be set aside and forgotten about until "the right moment" when curcumstance or intuition arise ... when awen flows ...

[Lord_of_Nightmares]

I do both. I plan and I do ones on gut instinct.

[Newbiewitch94]

I do both

[blue_moon]

The only big prep i make is get together the things i want to use. I'm very very spontaneous - usually just grab a few things and go for it.

[RyukaAscendant]

I my prep is simply reading of science, magic, or religion. When it actually comes time to do something it just flows and I just know what to do.

Of course this led to me casting three different spells on the road today but that's beside the point.