Can You vs Should You

So many times over the years, I have had the question, "can I do this?" In regards to myriads of possible practices and things to alter a spell or ritual. And the answer is, yes. You can do anything you would like to do. But the question that is almost never asked is, "should I do this?"

"Should I" is a much deeper question that warrants deeper thought and study. "Should I" is the question that everyone should ask, because sometimes, the answer is no, it's a terrible idea. You can if you want to, but it may not end well for you.

So how do you know whether or not you should do something? Easy, research. Let's take the lesser banishing ritual of the pentagram for an example. Can you substitute the four angels for something else? Absolutely. It has been done several times, with different beings. Sometimes, it's a great substitution, as with the Celtic version. Others, it is less ideal. For instance, you might say that since Gabriel is in the west, Raphael is in the east, Michael is in the South, and Uriel is in the north, they are simply elemental energies and can be swapped out for any other elemental energies. This, however, is not the case. There is more than elemental energy at play here: these spirits know one another and get along well. If you were to swap them out with, say, Indra in the East, Vritra in the North, Kali in the South, and Raktabija in the West, simply based on energetic connection, your circle will be chaotic at best, and destructive at worst.

So the key to your research should be, why is it the way it is, and what can be changed about that without ruining the work? Always go back to your research and double check everything.

Until next time...