Witchcraft Spells

Witchcraft and spells - they go together like toast and honey, don't they? Witchcraft spells form the backbone of a witch's arsenal, but witchcraft spells alone are actually completely worthless.

These days, if you were to toddle into your local bookshop, close your eyes and fling a dart, there's a reasonably good chance you'd hit a spell book. There's an even better chance that you'd be forcibly ejected from the shop shortly thereafter, so I'm not advocating this practice. It does, though, make the point that this literary genre has never been more popular.

Witchcraft spells burst forth from this cornucopia of printed waffle - witchcraft spells to find "true love", witchcraft spells to hog-tie that wayward ex and drag them back, witchcraft spells to make us sexier, smarter, stronger, healthier and, of course, witchcraft spells to make us wealthy beyond our wildest dreams.

The biggest Witchy complaint against spell books is that the spells within in them don't (or possibly can't) work. The spell book, it's argued, looks comparable to a recipe book, but whereas Delia Smith can reliably lead most of us through the creation of an omelette, the compiler of spells is less likely to guide the average punter to health, wealth and insuperable sexual charisma.

There's some validity to this, but the better authors in the field make it clear that the spell book isn't really the equivalent of "150 Astonishing Meatloaves". It's more like sheet music: valuable to those who have put the effort into learning how to read music and perhaps play an instrument, but bookshelf clutter to those who haven't.

Witchcraft spells are less a recipe and more a starting-point for inspiration. Witchcraft spells are more like a palette than a finished painting. Only in the hands of an accomplished artist will witchcraft spells become anything which stirs the soul, or changes the world in any way.

If you want to cast witchcraft spells, and cast them effectively, you must become that artist, and master the skills which will enable you to weave the raw materials of witchcraft spells into an irresistible force.

Without this training and discipline, witchcraft spells aren't worth the paper they are written on.

Protecting child 'witches' in Africa - The Guardian

UNICEF (press release)

Protecting child 'witches' in Africa The Guardian From a child protection perspective, witchcraft accusations against children are a form of child abuse. Each "outbreak" of witchcraft accusations has to be ... Battling child witchcraft accusationMyjoyonline.com Cases of children accused of 'witchcraft' rising in parts of West and Central ...UNICEF (press release) Africa: Rising Number of Children Accused of 'Crime of Witchcraft'AllAfrica.com all 7 news articles »

How churches fight belief in witchcraft - The Guardian

DigitalJournal.com

How churches fight belief in witchcraft The Guardian The Churches' Child Protection Advisory Service (CCPAS) condemns such behaviour wherever it exists and over the past few years has worked with statutory and ... Church children beaten and branded for 'witchcraft'DigitalJournal.com CHARITY CALLS FOR LAW TO BAN BRANDING OF CHILDREN AS WITCHESCommunity Newswire all 9 news articles »

Witchcraft Accusations Hurt Vulnerable Children in West, Central Africa - Voice of America

AOL News

Witchcraft Accusations Hurt Vulnerable Children in West, Central Africa Voice of America "And then in 2006 and 2007, we had several cases of children accused of witchcraft." UNICEF's Regional Child Protection Adviser for West and Central Africa, ... Child Witchcraft Allegations on Rise in Africa, UN ReportsAOL News Number of Children Accused of Witchcraft on RisePattaya Daily News Africa's unfortunate child witchesAfrik-news all 12 news articles »

HOPING AGAINST HOPE - The Voice Online

HOPING AGAINST HOPE The Voice Online They in fact asked for protection from the police so that they can go get my son back but we are told that pathologists say the thing that was found was his ... and more »

Rising number of children stand accused of 'crime of witchcraft' - East African

Rising number of children stand accused of 'crime of witchcraft' East African Unicef's regional child protection officer for West and Central Africa Joaquim Theis said more than 20000 street children had been accused of witchcraft in ... and more »