Posted by J. Roslyn Antle on 9/13/2015 to
Occult Weekly
Who controls your destiny?
Whether an individual chooses their path to spirituality or whether the path finds the individual is a topic of great debate within the Wiccan community. This does not rebuff the idea that the path to spirituality is a personal one, but instead the debate concerns the divine’s direct involvement in the process. Is our path predetermined perhaps upon our birth or even before? Or does the individual possess the real power in the decision-making process?
If you have Spells before, then you may have had times where a Spell may not have worked, or not worked the way you wanted it or expected it to. This can be frustrating, and you may wonder where you have gone wrong. There are several different reasons why a Spell may not work and some of the factors that will determine the success or failure of a Spell are as follows: 
According to legend, Odin (the Norse High God of the Aesir) hung from the world tree (known as Yggdrasil) while impaled on his own spear for nine days and nights to gain the knowledge of the runes. When, at last, they appeared before him, he picked them up and in doing so attained the runic knowledge, which also gave him power. He, in turn, eventually passed this knowledge onto the Vanir goddess Freya. In exchange, she taught Aesir the magic of seidr. Later Heimdall (the guardian god of the Rainbow Bridge) taught the runes to mankind.
Often, different historical portrayals create confusion in the present day. One of the more perplexing historical figures is Joan of Arc. Some accounts claim that Joan of Arc was a religious zealot, determined to fight in her god's name. Others claim that she was a prophet, the one chosen to hear the word of god, and carry out his orders. Others claim that Joan of Arc was simply a trained soldier, who in a day when only men could fight needed to take extraordinary measures in order to join in the combat. Even others declare that Joan was an ever powerful witch, conjuring, summoning, and casting to help lead her country to victory. Which is the truth? Can only one be true, or is it possible that Joan of Arc was as multifaceted and complex as different historical descriptions make her out to be?
