Prosperity, Security, Generosity.

Prosperity spells may be the most common spellwork performed, both in traditional folk magic and in modern times (second only to love spells, and perhaps various healing charms, which may or may not be considered effective from a physical, medical perspective). This being the case, I thought I would share my thoughts on the matter. Perhaps, if I ever have occasion to, I might write on love or healing, though I have much more experience with those in my everyday life and thus far less experience when it comes to wanting or asking for them.

Prosperity, at first glance, seems a rather selfish thing, whereas both love and healing are other-oriented (even if a person performs a spell to bring romance or love into his life, presumably he would like it to be mutual, and thus hopes to bring love into another's life as well). In fact, prosperity magic may be the most dangerous and damaging if not thoroughly understood and approached with loving intentions. It can feed greed and egotism, laziness and callousness. Which is why, when I decided to try my hand at a prosperity spell, I spent a lot of time contemplating the subject. Here are some of my thoughts.

For each, for all, this triple key:
Prosperity, security, generosity.

I work as a waitress, a job I landed only a few months ago (before that, I had been attending college and working as a tutor). This has been my first "real world" job, plunging me headlong into the service industry. Now, I have my qualms with modern culture, and I see many of the things I like least reflected in my daily work. People who are rude, impatient and stingy make my job less than pleasant. On top of everything, I found that, for the first time, I was not earnign a regular wage--my pay depended entirely on the good graces of my customers, regardless of how hard I worked or how well I did. I'm the kind of person, I admit, who does not like this lack of control. I tend to feel frustrated and depressed, and to blame myself for poor tips. After about a month of struggling with this and feeling miserable (but not having the time, energy or resources to risk quitting and finding another job at the moment), I decided to try a prosperity spell.

My goal, put simply: to earn better tips. But how? It didn't seem enough to just ask that people suddenly start leaving me more money. First of all, it seemed the selfish, easy way out. So I thought more about it. First of all, many great Christian sayings and quotes came to mind: "Render to Ceaser what is Ceaser's," firstly, and then Lamott's great statement, "If you want to know how God feels about money, look at who She gives it to." I have always believed that money was no solution or cure. I have even sometimes suspected that having less money is better than having more, since "mo' money, mo' problems," as a rap song once put it. On the other hand, it was hard living in constant worry about paying bills and rent, counting every penny and never feeling like I had enough to, say, take my boyfriend out to dinner or pick him up a little gift from the book store on a whim. What I really wanted was to feel secure enough in my earnings to be able to be generous.

It was this triple key that unlocked the beginnings of my spellwork. Prosperity, security, generosity. For me, prosperity was a means to a greater end--one of material and emotional generosity. That is, having enough money that spending money wasn't anxiety-ridden (while also not seeking to support a lavish lifestyle at the expense of the lower class, as so many upper class people in this culture do). This was the key to earning the bigger tips I wanted: perhaps my guests would also feel more generous and grateful if they, too, felt secure and prosperous. And so, my magic would not have to be a selfish, zero-sum game, others losing so that I might gain. Instead, I could focus on helping everyone benefit. The more prosperous we all felt, the more generous we could all become, in a self-feeding cycle of gratitude and giving, rather than a downward spiral of taking and hoarding.

This, I think, is the best foundation for any prosperity spell. First we must understand what we mean by prosperity and why we truly do want to be prosperous. Are we just trying to get out of working hard? Do we have all sorts of unconscious desires planted in us through constant advertising that we do not even understand but feel compelled to keep feeding endlessly? Material prosperity may leave us dissatisfied if we cannot first address these issues. Personally, I sought a job where I felt I could help and serve people. Even though the service industry is the fastest growing sector in the American economy these days, there is very little true service for the sake of others that goes on. This is no surprise when we consider that many working class people feel incredibly insecure, both financially and often emotionally, as well. They don't work to help others in some grand scheme, but just so that they can alleviate some of their own insecurity and anxiety, things that abound in our modern consumer culture.

Magic, I believe, breaks the mold. As St. Augustine said, miracles do not go against nature, but only what we know and expect of nature. Magic is the same way--sacred magic is, after all, the realm of miracles. Prosperity magic can break away from this cycle of consumerism and materialism that has become the only way we think of work in America. Instead, it can help us seek what is truly satisfying, psychologically and spiritually. And what I have found to be most satisfying in my experience is giving and serving others. Now, I have the opportunity not only to serve others, but to provide them with the opportunity to be generous as well. Like the Buddhist monks who beg for their meals and whom the community treasures because they provide the chance for other citizens to be generous and giving, my guests can find satisfaction in tipping me well for a job well done and showing me their appreciation. Everyone gains, no one comes up short. This is prosperity magic at its finest.