After the financial excesses at the end of last year many people are starting 2015 with a level of financial strain varying from mild to severe. One of the most common symptoms of this isthe number of Pagans and other magick users who turn to advice on using Creative Visualisation to attract money without thinking about grounding the results in reality. It doesn’t help that some of the systems that provide instruction on this art say that you should have a list of things to buy when the visualisation begins to bring in money.

Two of the main problems with this are that these days money is more a concept than an actual thing, and if you spend it on items as soon as it comes in then you soon end up in the same financial position as before- only with more possessions. Far better to either work magick for a specific advantageous situation, such as a new job, or a steady income that you can invest wisely to build up a ‘nest egg’. The latter can be in the form of a bank account, or something that you know about and will keep its value.

Before the advent of banks and other financial institutions people invested in precious metals and jewels and even today these are a commodity that keep their value. However, as with most investment strategies, you have to know the market you are investing in. In the case of jewellery it is very easy to mistake - or be miss-sold- flawed stones and low grade metals unless you understand what to look and test for. On the upside Pagans who invest in antiques connected with their spiritual path and practices frequently find themselves with a good investment that is symbolic of wealth on several levels.

Whiskey and Seaweed Wealth Spell

This can sound like an expensive spell, but it is just as effective with a miniature (50 millilitres) bottle, a very small jar or lip balm container, and a pinch of seaweed. Focus and intent are more important than the quantity of ingredients

Fill a clean purified jar with whiskey and add half a handful of seaweed. Cap tightly and place on the kitchen window sill. This is a very simple but effective spell, but needs some fine tuning re the type of whisky and seaweed that works best. Magick workers I know who have claimed to have performed this spell say that the best two varieties of seaweed to use are kelp, distinguishable by its’ large brown fronds with their leaf-like fronds, or Bladderwrack. In England the latter is also called “Sea Oak” and is found on most parts of the coast.

The type of whisky used seems to be less discussed, usually being thought of as “Whiskey is whiskey” by most magickal practitioners. However, while visiting the Spey Valley in Scotland which is the site of seven working distilleries I discovered that there is a great deal of lore associated with this spirit. A grain spirit the main constituents of the mash, which ferments to make the alcohol to be distilled, have a strong correspondence with Venus. Among other things this energy is associated with gaining money in the long and short term, this prosperity energy is enhanced by the distilling process which is done in copper vessels. Since copper is a metal of Venus concentrating the essence from the mash in this way empowers it exponentially. Anecdotal evidence suggests that Athol Brose and 20 year old Glenfiddich single malt whisky are the best to use, although you may have to invest some of the income generated from a lesser whiskey to be able to afford it!

Tarot Spells for Wealth

In many parts of the world Tarot cards are used in spellcasting as much as they are divination. Usually a magick worker will keep one pack for insight and seeing into potential futures and another pack for use in enchantments. In the latter case this can be a pack where the cards are re-used after being cleansed of the energies from the previous spell, or the design is either copied freehand or by tracing, and colouring in the picture. For many people the energies raised by the latter process are far more effective in casting the spell because of the focus involved.

Having chosen your deck and either consecrated the cards, or drawn and hand-coloured them. You can cast the spell. The most common technique for wealth magick is to set up a specific altar with a gold candle representing the God on the right, and a silver candle representing the Goddess on the left. The Deities you chose should ideally be of the same pantheon if you are just starting out but, as you gain experience, you can use different Gods and Goddesses depending if they ‘feel’ right to you.

As an example let’s look at the energies in available in the Mythic deck. In this case you might like to place the cards (or your copies of them) in front of the appropriate candle. Apollo, who appears on the Sun card might be a good choice for the God aspect, and Wheel of Fortune for the Goddess card. These cards aren’t the only ones you could use of course; the choice of card depends on the way you relate to the Divine and the aspects of the Deities that you are invoking. You can then lay out the spread, or single card that encapsulates the way you want wealth to arrive in your life as part of a wealth ritual or spell.

The Mythic deck is an excellent one to practice Tarot magick with, as it has key archetypes and underlying themes so it encourages you to do some research. Those people who are aware of the elemental and astrological connections may prefer to 'fine tune' using them as well, but such detailed knowledge is not necessary for spells cast with the deck to be effective.

In the next article we will look at wealth altars and how to site and dress them for maximum effect. Until then, practice the spells outlined above if you feel they can aid you, making any changes or enhancements you feel would make them even more effective for you.