We know magick is an art and a science, but today I want to talk about the science part.
Specifically, I want to talk about the hazards of research on the internet.

We love our computers, and it’s wonderful that we can find so much more information these days on the internet, we can find self proclaimed witches, wizards, cunningfolk, shaman, thaumaturge, bruja, Strega, Hexe, and other magick users sharing spells on their websites, blogs, Youtube, and Facebook. But note that I said ‘self-proclaimed’. There are some great magick workers out there, and I love seeing what they’ve got. But sometimes it’s more like those life hacks (that there are also websites devoted to debunking). I’ve picked up a trick or two, but it’s not that different than when you hear it from a friend.
The next step is to go home and try it yourself, carefully. What works for one person doesn’t always work for another. You may not have caught all the information. They may have left out a step because they didn’t think of it, and there are traditions in magick that intentionally leave one bit out to keep it safe from the hands of those who shouldn’t have access.

My daughters told me about a fellow who’d decided to curse someone using the rune Algiz ᛉ (aka Elhaz). For undisclosed reasons, it included his using pepper oil to draw an Algiz on his own arm. Ouch! talk about a learning experience. We were, of course, surprised at the idea of a protection rune being used to curse someone. How does that work? I also found the image of a guy who’d gotten a tattoo with a bearded ax that had an Algiz on and someone had told him that it was a White Supremacist sign. Well, yes. If you check the website of the Anti Defamation League, it does warn you that white supremacists have adopted runes as well as a lot of other Germanic images in an attempt to glorify White “Aryan” heritage. They don’t quite go as far as to say that this is what the symbol means, but are clear that it can be used that way. It’s a pity the poor guy didn’t check it out more thoroughly before he got it permanently embedded in his skin.

Remember there’s a lot of both good and bad information out there, and before you base any decisions on how to do something, look a little deeper than a quick “google”. I admit, books are not much safer; my mother used to tell us “Pen and ink reject nothing.” I have learned through sad observation that the point of publishing is not to share information, but to sell books, so the content is often edited to appeal to popular opinion as much as posts can be clickbait. Be careful as you do your research.
Remember science. Try it yourself, see if it works for you. If it doesn’t, try it a different way, note different results. This is experimentation, and it’s how we learn about things. This isn’t quite FAFO* because it’s being careful and observant about all the things that may effect the outcome.
Magick is a ‘soft’ science. Any time there are people involved, there is bound to be variation. We all need to find how things will work under the conditions we are experiencing. What was true once, may not be true now. The constellations on the zodiac were set thousands of years ago and are now off (yet Astrology still seems to work). The magnetic north pole shifts. Our bodies change from child to adult to elder, you change size, your hair changes color, your hormones play havoc with your emotions. Have you noticed how something you used to love no longer tastes good to you? Small differences make changes that may influence a magickal working. Any rune (or symbol) can mean dozens of different, often mutually contradicting things, which is why we direct energy with our intent. Deep study and meditation on them can show you the connections, while your first glimpse results in confusion.

I have often complained about scientists who will not accept the reality of psychic abilities or magick because ‘it’s not possible’. (I remember The Occult Conceit by Owen Rachleff which was especially bad.) I love those who approach the question of the reality with an open mind, and come to the conclusion that science indicates that it’s real (The Occult by Colin Wilson 1971, is still a good read.) Come up with a theory, test it. Accept it when the evidence supports it. This is true with magick as much as anything.

*(Fuck Around and Find Out)