There are all kinds of big magic I do not understand nor dare to venture near, like that of ancient goddesses, voodoo, trees and wind and oceans, and religious miracles. Cup-of-tea magic however, I am all over.
Cup-of-tea magic is small magic, personal and connected to your real life. It doesn’t require a special world view or tools or clothing, is not arcane and anyone who wants to can do it. There is work involved like getting your head into the right place, practicing, patience, integrity and supporting the spell with other life-actions and feelings (the magic will know if you are being lazy and/or dishonest and/or are not truly invested in it).
Here are a four spells that usually work for me. If you feel like it, give them a try and if you do so honestly and intentionally they’ll probably work for you too. Otherwise feel free to scoff. I couldn’t give a shit.
Mirror do-it-to-yourself spell
This is a spell to gently deal with someone who is really not treating you well. They’re not just grumpy or won’t return a book you lent but are consciously, consistently, deeply cruel or thoughtless in a way that hurts your mind and/or heart.
You need to get a photo, draw a picture or write the name of the person who is harming you and then tape it face-down onto a mirror. This will reflect any of that individual’s actions to others, back to them. Whatever they put out is what returns. If they are mean, they get meanness. If they are kind, they get kindness.
I like this spell because it is fair on the recipient. They control the effects and you do not need to sully yourself with any horrible, desperate, or vengeful acts. It’s also easy, requiring no ritual or ongoing maintenance. Just sellotape the picture and get on with your life.
Drain-away sadness spell
This spell is about purposefully crying in a bath. When you feel hopelessly sad - for too long or out of proportion with events or it’s dangerously starting to tangle up your mind and heart – you sit in a bath and sob for as long and as loudly as you need to. Your tears will drop into the water allowing you to wallow until you no longer want or need to. Then you hop out of the bath, pull the plug and watch your tears drain away taking the sadness with them.
The bathwater can be whatever temperature you like but needs to be plain, no oils or bubbles or anything that might dilute or mask the tears. And after the bath you need to dress yourself in something new, comfy and lovely, something you’ve never cried in (residue free!) Then you should probably have a cup of tea.
Sever spell
This spell is slightly more hardcore than the previous two and involves a (small) ritual. It is to help you break free from something you are really stuck to and being damaged by. It might be a person (this is its most common use) or an activity or a place or whatever.
You need a candle – white if you want to gently separate, black if you want to rip apart. On one side of the candle score your name vertically. On the other side score the name of the person or thing you want to break free from. Put the candle on a saucer (so it can burn all the way to the bottom) then light the wick and watch it burn down the middle, physically separating the two words/things with fire. Throw the puddle of wax away.
If you are doing the white-candle gentle version of this spell you just find somewhere nice to do it and can play music, read, eat while the candle burns. If you want you can also have (some trusted & appropriate) company.
The more forceful black-candle version requires you to be alone, focus solely on the burning wick and to scream your goodbyes (in whatever words you have). You should also do the ritual outside so the newly separated entities can disperse off into the sky with minimal chance of reconnecting.
I have only done the white-candle version. I find the results of this painful enough and have no desire to go any further, deeper, harder.
Contact-me spell
You can use this spell to try and compel someone to do something they might not want to, which is a very dodgy thing to do. I once shamefully considered it but my molecules and ethics screamed NO. Plus I am not sure I can do this kind of magic (it's more cup-of-coffee than tea). I am probably too puny and that is all good.
I use it when I am legitimately worried about someone and can’t get through to them in the usual ways (it’s pretty much always my teenage daughter). You write down the name of the person you need on a small piece of paper and put it face-down against the back of your phone (in the case or taped). Then wait for them to contact you (it might be in a dream or in an email. You don't know until it happens).
So there you go. Four cup-of-tea spells. Have a biscuit.