Magic When You Need It: 150 Spells You Can't Live Without

by Judika Illes

150 spells to help you find a job, meet your soul mate, protect your home, and deal with many more common (and not so common) predicaments, from the author of the Encyclopedia of 5,000 Spells .
 
Many spells and charms can take days or even weeks to complete. In Magic When You Need It, Judika Illes offers a collection of super-powered magic to help you right now. Magic When You Need It can help you with these problems and more.
Divided into four Money and Career; Love, Sex, Marriage, and Children; Home; and Trouble, Magic When You Need It offers 150 spells to help you with many common (and not so common) predicaments.
Using simple instructions and ingredients that can be found in your pantry, combined with easy to find magical oils and botanicals, Illes blends Old World and modern magic to provide the reader with safe, effective magical remedies for many of life's troubles. Carry this book in your purse, your car, or keep it on your kitchen counter for accessible magic year-round.

Genres: Witchcraft, Spirituality, Nonfiction, Magick, Magic, New Age, Paganism

192 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2008

About the author

Born in New York City, my metaphysical career began early: My first encounter with tarot cards at age six was also my first experience of love at first sight! That passion still burns true. Although I do practice other forms of divination, tarot remains the foundation of my practice.

A lifelong pursuit of metaphysical wisdom followed and continues: astrology, mythology, Kabbalah, the Egyptian mysteries as well as spiritual, magical and healing traditions from all over Earth but particularly Africa and Asia.

I've also been a blues and free-form rock and roll disc jockey, a corporate travel consultant specializing in the Caribbean, a skin-care and cosmetics consultant, and a teacher of mythology and multicultural studies. I wrote and edited the Ancient Beauty Secrets section for the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism's monthly online magazine, which integrated modern aromatherapy with ancient methods of body care and decoration.

True love's arrows pierced my heart yet again when I first encountered a vial of essential oil. (Essential oil of frankincense, to be exact, still a favorite.) Essential oils are not true oils but potent plant extracts. Modern aromatherapy, with its roots stretching back to ancient China, Egypt, Mesopotamia and the Middle East, is the manipulation of essential oils for therapeutic and cosmetic purposes. Essential oils are perhaps the purest, most potent expression of a plant's power and play a profound role in rituals, potions and spells. Many are powerful aphrodisiacs and may be used to enhance health, beauty and peace of mind.

Following over a decade of independent study, I earned a certificate in therapeutic aromatherapy. I served on the faculty of the Australasian College of Herbal Studies as an aromatherapy tutor, teaching the certification program.

My special passion for almost fifteen years has been magical and traditional approaches to fertility. Originally stimulated by own reproductive challenges, I was frustrated by the medical options offered to me. I went searching for other avenues, gentle Earth and female-friendly solutions and found them: a vast repository of women's wisdom. Two children and many years later, I still search and research, impressed and empowered by thousands of years of women's inventiveness, endurance, defiance and humor.

Reviews

[Catherine Rose · Rating 2 out of 5]

Skimmed through to the halfway point and can't justify finishing this. A significant portion of what I read is lifted directly from hoodoo practices but gives little to no cultural context or credit. Disappointing.

[Melissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Judika, Judika. I thought that you would remain my unproblematic fave. Your Encyclopedia of 5,000 Spells was one of my first witchcraft books, bought five years ago when I was just a little witch who wasn't allowed to light candles in her room.

This book is rapt with cultural appropriation. Between her plucking hoodoo condition oils and herbs that suit her fancy and handing them out to white pagans with little understanding of how hoodoo works to her perposterous mixing of European and West African dieties, I almost popped a blood vessel reading this travesty of a book.

[Sarah Esmae Wolfe · Rating 5 out of 5]

So many great spells that aren't common. Definitely going to be referring to this often!

[Martha · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the most fun book I have read in a long time. I may need to use some of these spells in the future. This little number is divided in to four sections including 1) Money and Career 2) Love, Sex, Marriage and Children 3) Home and 4) Trouble. The introduction and botanical classifications in the back were insightful. The "spells" may not work but at least it can give you a little peace of mind. Have fun with this one.................

[theghostfactory · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Magic when you need it” refers to emergencies or difficult situations. I suppose it would be a good reference book if you often find yourself in trouble.

The most helpful part for me was explaining the idea of having general preparations available in case of emergency, like Florida Water and Crown of Success Oil.

Nearly 1/3 of this book is devoted to love, marriage, and children. To me it seems biased toward traditional family.

[Vyvyan Wormwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

Definitely a book I would recommend to my students. Judika has some very interesting things to discuss in her books. I also read her book with the spells and use it as a reference to help myself craft some important spells of my own. Definitely a good read for new students of witchery.

[Alexandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really solid book for the woo ones. Probably would not recommend for a complete beginner - although it does have a short but quite sound primer in the intro section - but if you're not a complete 'baby witch' as the kids say, I highly recommed this no-nonsense book of spells.

[JH · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked this but I am also intimidated.