Prosperity - Part 1

Green Bamboo Candles from Aromatic Scented Candles

This weekend I got to spend a lot of quality time with my family, which got me thinking about some different things. I ate dinner with my parents and one of my brothers at a quaint-yet-elegant restaurant, which was also quite reasonably priced considering the quality of food and atmosphere. It was a celebratory dinner, so we spent a little more money than we normally would (especially in these economic circumstances). We bought three appetizers, chardonnay…not to mention the main meals…and the entire time, I kept looking at the prices and keeping track in my head, even though I knew I wouldn’t be the one paying. My father always insists on paying for me at meals when he’s around, even though I am otherwise emancipated and self-sufficient. And that’s what got me thinking. Prices, the economy, prosperity. Why is everyone freaking out about the economy? What is everyone afraid of? Should I do any rituals for prosperity, and if so, how? Can you do prosperity rituals for someone else?

First and foremost, my understanding of the inner workings of the economy is minimal. Let’s just say that the Economics class I took as a sophomore was not my best grade during that semester, and I still maintain the mentality that all I need to know about economics is how to shop online, which I already do rather effectively. Too effectively, some might say. However, when Uncle Sam pays for your education as well as your profession, it’s not always easy to remember that others’ jobs are less secure. I get paid to go to school. When I graduate this May, I have a guaranteed job for as long as I want it, and furthermore I’ll earn significantly more money than I do now (which is already higher than the average for my age-group). In short, I live comfortably, and will continue to do so potentially until retirement. Of course, there is the very distinct possibility that I may pay back Uncle Sam with my life. That fact tends to disintegrate some of the guilt I feel for being paid to serve, because that’s what I do. I serve.

Thus, due to my fairly stable personal economic situation, I have never done a prosperity spell. It never seemed appropriate to me, because money has never been a factor in my life. My hesitation likely also stems from the mentality that doing magic for self-gain is inherently wrong, or at least selfish, despite the prevalence of a “do whatever you want, provided that it doesn’t hurt anybody” attitude in modern Pagan literature. I think my mentality was formed by watching too much Charmed and Sabrina the Teenage Witch at a young, impressionable age. Both of those shows emphasize that performing magic to improve one’s situation unreasonably, rather than for the greater good, leads to negative and sometimes even dire consequences. Whether or not this is true, valid, or otherwise should color my thinking…I’m undecided. Any feedback would be most welcome! I’m still looking at the different facets of this and trying to figure out what, precisely, I think about the rightness/wrongness of performing spells/magic/rituals/prayer centered about self-gain. Furthermore, as I’ve said elsewhere on my blog, I don’t really do *spells* anyway. I just kinda pray, and then things just kind happen. Sometimes.

However, I seem to be in the minority here, at least that’s what my extensive online browsing of Sacred Mists and Azure Green and other magical supply stores seems to imply. There are quite a few spell kits dedicated to prosperity. Many of these kits include objects with correspondences which I tend to utilize in my rituals for quite different purposes, although I can see a correlation. In case there was any confusion, green is my favorite color. For crying out loud, just look at my blog layout. Yet while green seems to be the color correspondence of choice for prosperity, I tend to associate “green” with more nature/plant/earth/protection/hunting correspondences than with prosperity/money. First of all, money may be greenish in America, but I’ve traveled enough to see this is not always the case elsewhere. Gold as a color for prosperity feels much more appropriate to me. Secondly, our money, if you look at it closely, isn’t even that green.

While I would love to continue musing about prosperity, it’ll have to wait until later. I’m planning on actually going to bed at a reasonable hour tonight and getting up early to catch a run before breakfast formation. Thus, more to follow.