Greetings, new to this group and WITH A QUESTION!

[deo]

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May I introduce myself, I am Deo. GREETINGS!
Just joined today because I now reside in SPAIN AND FRANKLY I am missing conversations/interaction with fellow Americans (although I do engage myself in various American political groups)... especially those involved in metaphysics. I myself am rusty.
I also have a question about a spell I recently cast, which worked pronto, but then BACKFIRED. I think I should NOT have used the moving RIVER nearby my residance as a conduit.
I never lived near a moving body of water before, and I was very excited to incorporate it and to throw something IN it, perhaps I should have held ONTO IT, lol!
Yours, deo

[Oyama]

First of all, Welcome.

If you have a question about spells backfiring, you may want to give us more details about the particular spell, what it was meant to do, how you casted it, and how it backfired. If we know the details, we will be better able to assist you in preventing spells from backfiring, as spells may backfire in a number of different ways and for a number of different reasons.

[deo]

Hello, Oyama,
Heavens, explaining the spell would be laborious!
Also, I am not TOO concerned with spells backfiring..I believe it is the INTENT that is important, not so much the nuts and bolts of it.
I would love OPINIONS on that, though!

If a person were to apply magick to a situation, any situation, HOW would YOU utilize a lovely, flowing stream in the mountains of Spain? To Bring something? To take something away?
I think I should have KEPT the remnants of my spell, the candle drippings, the plants, etc...perhaps tied them in a bundle and either buried them or put them in a safe place, AS I EXPECTED TO GAIN SOMETHING, TO KEEP SOMETHING with me.
Instead I threw my spent altar offerings INTO a MOVING water body.
I no sooner gained what I wanted ...and it was taken away! I felt like the river took it away. The water is moving and fluctuating, and I was working for a stable condition.
I just felt that in THIS CASE, it did not matter what my INTENT was, this forceful element, the water, just washed it away...even though I did receive what I had hoped for! FOR ABOUT A MINUTE, LOL! deo in spain

[Oyama]

Well, I have limited knowledge and experience with ritual/ceremonial magic, however, the omni viewpoint on ritual magick is that it basically functions through the use of symbolism in the ritual, and I can vouch for this from personal experience and studies of ritual magic. The symbols you use in your spell represent your intent(s), and the acts (also usually symbolic) of the ritual usually represent the broadcasting, affirmation, assertion, or "sending" of that intent to the universe to be carried out.

I believe you SHOULD be concerned about your spells backfiring, after all, you don't want your magic causing bad things for you or causing collateral damage to others. Magic tends to take the path of least resistance if left to its own devices, so it may end up causing unwanted side effects. A good, albeit extreme theoretical example of this was given to me by the Head of OmniNorth:

Say you cast a spell to improve your financial situation, and you don't set any parameters for the magic. Then, several members of your immediate family suddenly die and you are left with a large inheritance. Your spell worked, you got what you wanted, but it also caused unwanted side effects, and could be considered a "backfire."
Granted, this is an extreme example, but it illustrates the point in no uncertain terms. This is why it is important to set parameters on your spells.

As for the intent of a spell vs. the "nuts and bolts," they are equally important. For magic to be effective, you need to have a clear intent; this also means setting parameters when appropriate, and making sure your intent is fairly specific. Casting a spell to "make me happy" is awfully vague, and there is virtually no control on what the magic will actually do. If your intent is unclear when you cast, you may not get what you originally wanted, or it may backfire.

Interestingly, the "nuts and bolts" aspect of a spell are what I believe caused your spell to do what it did, and it seems that you have come to the same conclusion. In ritual magic, the symbols you use and how you use them can be thought of as the equivalent of "nuts and bolts." Those symbols are like the tools for manifesting your intent, and they must align correctly with your intent, i.e. the tools must be appropriate for the job.
In your case, you used the flowing river and seemed to focus on the fact that it is moving. Well, if you are trying to gain something and keep it, then perhaps the river was not an appropriate symbol to use, especially if you associate it with moving and constantly changing. The rivers aspect of making things arrive and then leave matches up exactly with what happened (i.e. you got what you wanted then lost it). The fact that you disposed of the ritual's remnants in the river, and let them be carried away from you, reinforces this idea of loss.

So in this case, the nuts and bolts were very important for your working. You need to pay equal attention to the intent of your spells and the ways in which you try to manifest them. If you are trying to manifest an intent or desire, it makes no sense to use ritual symbols that contradict that intent or will cause undesirable side effects or complications, or in your case, the swift loss of your original accomplishment after having attained it (due to the symbols you used).

Magic is a powerful force, so attention to detail and consideration of as many factors and variables as possible are very important if you wish to use it effectively for your own ends. This is true regardless of whether you are using ritual or more direct methods.

I wish you good luck in your endeavors, and continue to enjoy the Spanish scenery! (I'm jealous :p)

[deo]

Thank you, Oyama!
I really appreciate your opinion.
yes, I understand the old "YOU COULD GAIN WEALTH THRU AN INHERITANCE, & U DON'T WANT THAT!" example.
Very true, indeed.

I was just wondering if anything superceded the INTENT of ritual magick (a spell), and in your opinion it is certainly EQUAL... this is what I was fishing for....and I see your point clearly.

After I acheived the opposite effect from my INTENTION, I backtracked and deconstructed the SPELL. I wondered WHY I used the RIVER? Well, I used it because it is beautiful and I wanted to incorporate it, as it was now available to me...but the RIVER does carry things away forcefully in jerks and fits, even if it is still and quiet at times. This part of the ritual, after later examination, did not FIT the intent, as I say, I was trying to KEEP, not send away.
I just thought to myself...impossible, just because I used the river, that cannot be the reason, but I THINK IT IS! I mean, I HAD IT...I had it to begin with, I was looking to cement it...I may have lost it altogther.

Well, now I've done it! I wish I could UN do it!

Yes, spain is lovely, but it sure is LONELY...I did manage to take my dog and cats, though.
Thank you for your very interesting input, Oyama.

deo