Cornerstone, the faith crisis

Faith, belief call it what you will, together with a bloodymindedness will or absolute determination are the true cornerstones of all craft working, the absolute foundation in everything that a witch does.
Imagination is often said to be another , although this is true in order to begin the journey into true belief and it is an important tool with which to do so, ultimately even this becomes a secondary one, as the places found therein become as real as the places we walk in our everyday lives.
We reach a point when either imagining is no longer necessary, or we actually do it without any realisation of it, the things we do or see when we work are then perceived by our primitive brains as real and as so become such, enough of imaginations, each to their own and all should be free to use whatever tools at their disposal.

There are many who would agree that with absolute belief or faith anything can be achieved, and many of those would also believe that a lack of faith will mean that nothing will really be achieved, by the same token a working done in a hap hazard manner with little faith will produce a result of much the same, becoming nothing more than the empty words and actions that you can experience in any number of other ways.
Another important thing concerning faith is that it is very much a two way thing, we are able to effect things and other beings in this world from one side without their prior knowledge or even their permission, however, if someone asks you to do something for them magickally it is usually a sign of faith in you or your working, this person's belief starts the magick working at the moment of asking, opening that channel if you will, your work is aided and the result is usually harvested with greater satisfaction and efficiency.
If the individual is sceptical and is trying to prove a point , we have to use our other minor psychology tricks to try and force a little belief into them, a darkened room, a few candles , a little strange behaviour and a "did you hear that"is usually enough to make the sceptic borrow enough fear and subsequent belief, and the end result will depend on that, borrowed faith.
Before you start any working, be sure of yourself, personal faith in what you are preparing to do, believe what you are doing IS going to work and it most likely will, if you waver so will the results, when you are ready let if fly.

Again, Faith is not only important in witchcraft, modern pharmaceutical medicine is pretty much useless and certainly no match for a decent herbal practitioner, the results that we get come mainly from the fact that as a western society we have greater belief in popular science than we have faith in our world (I have to say that I see the Craft as more of a scientific world than most, that is down to absolute faith and the fact that I know it works)and the result is we heal through that faith and not because a doctor has filled you full of noxious chemicals, even herbs require faith for some people.
My mother in law(no this isn't a joke) has in the past tried many herbal remedies for her complaints and ailments at our behest, they do not work for her, waste of time as her belief in them is in the negative, so it is back to the chemists for her, I however have what I would refer to as an healthy suspicion of modern medicine(T says its a phobia but I can see the germs in doctors surgeries and hospitals, all lurking ready to spring out at me, better stop for a cup of tea now, ah,that's better, i will continue), and as such suffer conversely, by which I mean that modern treatment will not work on me, I subconsciously will not let it as I have no faith in it, unfortunately this has coincided with occasions for instance when I have had to have local anaesthetics for stitches and such like, they do not work on me, so I have had to use other techniques(trying not to shout and lash out mainly), after telling the doctor that I know the difference between feeling,no feeling and feeling numb and then pain and that his bloody chemicals are having no effect(reliving a bit of a nightmare), anyway modern medicine by and large does not work for me.

I would like to make on last point concerning this matter of faith, as I feel that there are a lot of people out there missing the point by trying to treat the esoteric world as they do the waking world , i feel that some of us dedicate to much time to the petty, wordy intricacies of life and of ritual, trying to memorise too many various words or chants, recipes and repetitions, with real faith this too becomes less important, Faith lets the words flow as and when they are appropriate, the powers that be don't mind if you tread the mill ten times or one hundred only you know of your intent,or if for that matter you muddle your words, it would be a sad world if a person without speech or a poor memory could not conjure the magicks, words have power in themselves of course, but silent ritual performed mind to mind in an instinctive working can produce powerful results as there are many who can bear witness.
You don't need to memorise a thousand cures or remedies to become a healer,instinct and faith will guide you, together with, might I suggest Bartram's herbal encyclopedia and perhaps a magical one also.
Faith will show that the rules of this word as most people understand them do not apply in these realms of ours, yet without it you might as well be deaf and blind.

Open your hearts and have absolute faith, fall backwards into the arms of your goddess, you are her child and and she will not let you fall, run wildly with the lord of the hunt, for if you fall he too will always pick you up and see you are right.