Pros: A unique collection of spells for a wide number of daily life purposes.
Cons: Makes use of manipulative magic and gives no guidance on component substitutions.
The Bottom Line: The book itself is well written, clear, and includes much in the way of unique material. But, its reliance on manipulative magic lost it a star for me.
jiastar's Full Review: Judika Illes - Magic When You Need It: 150 Spells ...
"Magic When You Need It: 150 Spells You Can't Live Without" is written by Judika Illes, the author of "The Element Encyclopedia of 5000 Spells."
The book opens with a brief 21 page introduction to the practice of spells, with proper attention given to not only the ethics of magic but to the importance of not expecting spellcraft alone to fix all (or any) of your problems. This section also includes a handful of recipes for basic spell components including banishing oil and florida water.
The spells themselves are broken into four categories: - money & career - love, sex, marriage & children - home - trouble
Money & Career
Opens with guidelines which cover appropriate colors and numbers to use for spells in this category as well as other useful tidbits.
The spells include those that can help you get a loan or help get your debts forgiven. Also included are spells for collecting child support, increasing business, getting a job, and even getting your boss off your back.
Love, Sex, Marriage & Children
Opens with guidelines which cover appropriate colors and herbs to use for spells in this category as well as other useful tidbits.
The spells include those that can help you get your mother-in-law to like you or to help your divorce go through. Also included are spells for finding your soul mate, healing a broken heart, get pregnant, or to protect your child from harm.
Home
Opens with guidelines which cover numbers that can play a role in spells in this category as well as information on the Archangel Michael.
The spells include those that can help you find a home or sell your home. Also included are spells which can help you find a tenant or banish ghosts.
My Thoughts
While the spells in this book are easy to understand and fairly straightforward they do require specific ingredients which will in many cases require doing some shopping via mail order, the internet, or your nearest occult shop. Examples include shaped candles, essential oils, herbs, and stones.
Unfortunately, this book lacks information on substitutions. I wish there was, if not a table of correspondences, a chapter covering how to "make do" when you feel the need to cast a particular spell but lack the necessary components. In fact the introduction seems to say that substitutions are not permitted by saying that "no part of a spell is arbitrary."
As someone who has been using spellcraft for over 20 years I can tell you that there are almost always substitutions available for magic. I can figure this out on my own. I know how to read a spell, like reading a recipe, while editing in my head so I can "make do" with what I have on hand instead of running out to a store. A novice is not going to be able to do this. When in doubt, turn to a book on magical herbalism or crystal magic for other components with similar properties.
Another caveat is that while the introduction warns the reader to avoid doing harm with their magic and to examine their motives before casting many of the spells included in this text fall into the category of manipulative magic. The best example of this in my mind is the spell found on page 53 "Make Someone Love You" which is written so that it is cast on a specific person. My own belief is that magic is to be used to help and heal in times of need, never to harm or to manipulate. A spell cast to attract love into your life manipulates no one, it simply nudges you and the right person so that either circumstances allow an existing attraction to grow or perhaps even so that your paths cross "by chance." A spell cast on a specific person has the intention of overriding their own desires with yours and this is not something I can agree with. However, it must also be said that this is not a Wiccan spell book, and therefore does not need to adhere to my ethics standards.
Additionally, the spells usually make reference to specific deities or spirits to call upon for aid. I do not suggest this practice myself, as a rule, unless you already work with that particular pantheon or already work with that particular God or Goddess.
Indexes
The book closes with a few pages devoted primarily to mail-order suppliers and the latin names of the herbs referanced in the text.
In Closing
Overall, if you are a collector of spellbooks this is a nice addition to your bookshelf. The spells themselves are interesting, unique and rarely require more than a few ingredients each. However, just because the ingredients are few does not necessarily mean you will have them on hand. Also, depending on your own faith system some of the spells may not be suitable for your use based on their manipulative slant or the deities/spirits invoked.
Please note that I received this book to review thanks to the generosity of its publisher Weiser Books for which I am very grateful.
Many spells and charms can take days or even weeks to complete. In Magic When You Need It, Judika Illes offers a collection of super-powered magic to ...More at Buy.com Marketplaces
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