Why do spells sometimes fail to work? There are countless variables that go into creating and casting a spell. Some are under our control. Others are so far beyond our influence that we can only try to compensate in some small way and hope for the best. Think of a spell as an arrow that you shape out of metaphysical energy. When you cast the spell, you shoot your arrow into the infinite universe toward the faraway target that is your desired outcome. The whole thing is a two-part process – creating and launching – with a third uncontrollable aspect, the universe into which your spell passes when it leaves your hands.

First, you must create the best vantage point from which to shoot. What should you do to prepare the way for your spell? We have all heard that the gods help those who help themselves, which makes sense. The gods want the proof from our actions that we are so committed to our goals we will pursue them even in the face of repeated failure. Can we do less when the gods themselves are no strangers to sacrifice? To acquire forbidden knowledge, the Allfather Odin hanged himself for nine nights from the World Tree while pierced by his own spear, and he was given the runes. Likewise, we must be willing to do all the hard, mundane work in the physical world necessary to reach our goals BEFORE we create and launch our spells. If we want a better job, we should not start by turning to witchcraft and petitioning the gods. First, we research the market, network, prepare our résumés, and complete interviews. Finally, when we have exhausted our physical resources, we turn to witchcraft, knowing that we have given ourselves a huge head-start. Have you done everything necessary in the physical world to pave the way for your spell? To neglect this step increases the odds that your spell may fail.

Second, you must fashion a fine, straight, balanced arrow and shoot well. Have you included every possible magical correspondence such as herbs, candles, color, and timing to make your spell strong? Do you have a gift for writing powerful, rhythmic incantations? Have you honed your will power through meditation and visualization exercises? Do you want your outcome strongly enough? Do you believe in the worthiness of your goal? Imagine shooting your metaphysical arrow with a steady hand. You must raise energy and focus it. You must release it as you feel it about to peak.

These first two variables are mostly under your control. It is only after you send your spell into the universe that all bets are off. Think of it as deer hunting with your bow and arrow. You might have carved the best bow and arrow possible and taken your shot to the utmost of your ability and experience – and you still miss. There are bigger things beyond your control that can affect your shot. A gust of air could come out of nowhere to change your arrow’s flight. Your hand could cramp at the last minute and spoil your aim. The deer could drop its head to graze. Even though you have done everything in your power to win your quarry, it might not be enough to overcome the random crosscurrents of the universe.

There will always be variables you cannot control that can cause your spell to fail. For example, others with more ability and better vantage points might have cast counter-spells. Without even knowing about you, others might be seeking an advantage through witchcraft to compete for the same job that you want. Or something else may have set things into motion to inadvertently close off your window of opportunity. For example, imagine two hundred employees all praying for the health of their financially troubled company. Their combined intent might cause the company to reorganize, which indirectly eliminates the job position that you wanted.

Or maybe the gods in their mercy have responded to the deeper meaning of your prosperity spell and denied you the job you wanted because they can see farther into the future than we can and they know that the company with which you interviewed will go out of business in six months whereas you will rebound and find a better position somewhere else. Or maybe the failure of your spell has nothing to do with you, and the gods have decided that the district manager needs to learn some humility and resourcefulness by losing his job, which means that he is no longer available to hire you.

If you are reading all this and you’re in a skeptical mood, you might see me as an apologist for something scientifically unprovable such as witchcraft. After all, look at all these convenient excuses I have mustered for why we cannot recreate the experiment of spell casting under controlled laboratory conditions for consistent results. But this is the way I see the universe. It is as vast and unknowable as the deepest parts of the sea – the dark zone located below 1000 fathoms. There are crosscurrents and pressures beyond our comprehension that affect the tiny bursts of metaphysical energy that we put forth when we cast a spell. Sometimes everything is going our way and the outside forces align with our abilities, causing our arrows to fly true to the target, sometimes we cause no discernable effect, and sometimes we get unexpected results. All we can do when we practice witchcraft is to hone our skills and intent and then trust in the gods, knowing that we have taken our best shot.

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