Results-based Workings, OCD/Other Anxiety Disorders, and Other Things
How to Not Sabotage Your Own Craft
Now, I'm not gonna go around and say that belief is 100% of what makes a spell work (personally, I think it's more complicated than that), but it can make or break a circumstance. I'm writing this because sometimes I get clients who will accidentally self-sabotage the spell I did for them, or newbies will get anxious and rely on other people to divine whether or not their own spells are working. Constantly meddling with a spell that is not meant to be meddled with can cause it to fail.
I will also say that some people's practice does benefit from constantly managing it- however, in that case, it's usually because the person is treating it like a routine chore, NOT messing with it out of desperation. There is a huge difference in those attitudes.
Other than that, this page has the standard disclaimer that everyone's practice is different. Magic interacts with everyone in a unique way. If this advice doesn't resonate with you, discard it.
- - HOO BOY - -
Ideally, you should know whether or not your spell is a "routine maintenance" type of spell, or a "set it and forget it" type of spell. Or if it's something in-between. Sometimes you'll get an intuitive feel for it, if it's not something stated in the instructions. (If you don't know what type of spell it is, most rituals are made to be cast once or so, and then you just let them do their thing.)
The reasoning is that continually messing with the former may be necessary, while messing with the latter can backfire and cancel out your magic. Or otherwise cause it to manifest in a way that wasn't oiginally intended. If you make your own spells or mostly plan on being self-taught, then some trial-and-error may be needed to get it down properly.
- - HOW TO FORGET ABOUT IT - -
Easier said than done though, right?
Look. I get it. You really want this specific thing to manifest, and you're all antsy about it. But the best thing you can do for your situation is not worry about it. Focus on something else. Looking up techniques for how to manage anxiety or OCD are really important to this kind of work.
Before I go further, let me just clarify that having intrusive thoughts about it isn't going to impact your work. It's how you act on those thoughts that matters. In essence, what you're supposed to be doing is avoiding actions that can get in the way of your spellwork.
Stop obsessively checking tarot cards for divination results after the spell is cast (this should usually be done before you work, anyway).
Stop obsessively checking your bank account if it's not actually necessary.
Stop obsessively checking your texts/emails/messages/whatever from that person you like.
When you act upon these impulses, it is possible that you are telling the world that you do not expect your spell to work, and you are actively doing rituals that foster this reality as a consequence. Also, if you have OCD, or other high anxiety traits... It's not good to be acting on these impulses anyway, because it only generates temporary relief, and ends up reinforcing the mindset/attitude that you have to micro-manage everything, or it'll all go tits-up.
Think about it this way: When you're baking something, you don't pop open the oven every 5 minutes to see if it's done. You're just letting out the heat and making it take longer to bake.
Doing an actual ritual, such as re-casting the spell, may also accidentally mess with the first casting if you're not adept enough to recognize what type of second casting is appropriate for the situation. (Sometimes a second casting is needed, however, and it is generally recommended you do some divination to check if doing the spell again would yield better results. If it all looks good, go ahead!)
Again, while faith isn't everything, trust can be an important part of your practice. You also have to understand that sometimes, things fail, and you need to be OK with that. Working on yourself to prevent these anxieties from taking over your life will improve the strength of your workings. And, more importantly- give you some peace of mind.
- - ROUTINE WORKING - -
Maybe "set it and forget it" is impossible for you. What now?
The most straightforward answer to this is to just do a different type of ritual. Doing a ritual that was explicitly designed to be worked on for multiple days can help ease your mind and make you feel like you're working towards your goals, without accidentally ruining it.
Here's some examples:
A 7-day candle where you burn it a little each day for a week straight.
A contract with your local spirits, where you will put out offerings every day for [x] amount of days in exchange for the thing you want to happen.
An attraction jar where you shake the contents every so often to "recharge" it.
A lucky box where you occasionally put in a new trinket whenever the situation calls for it.
Putting out an offering every week until you get what you want (while making sure that this is your intent from the get-go).
Now... These types of rituals may take longer to manifest, but they can still be rewarding and are recommended for people who have a particularly active brain and need something to do.
Anyway, this is still a super complicated thing and all of it depends on the situation, the spellcaster, etc etc. Start fucking around with it and see what happens. Happy conjuring!