Drink Me – An Exploration of Glamour Magic

I’m not sure if I expect to see anyone else post about this since the online community seems to be split into the camps of ‘not interested/don’t believe it’s possible’ and ‘I wanna change my eye colour like they did in that movie!’

Personally, I’ve always been interested in less popular magics.  There is really only so much healing and divination a person can do before they want to try their hand at something a little more interesting.

So, what is glamour magic?  What would one use a glamour spell for?  Can you really change your eye colour with magic?

The concept of glamour magic goes back to tales of the fae in the British Isles.  While almost every culture has their own faery creatures, that exploration will have to wait for another article.

In old Celtic folk tales, the fae used magic to hide their true appearance from humans.  Many stories speak of special salves or enchanted tokens that would allow you to see through a faery’s glamour.  Where you once saw a human of ethereal and enchanting beauty (or nothing at all), you would now see an ugly, often misshapen creature bent on mischief.  Any story about Changelings or Faery Enchantresses will be filled with glamour magics.

This sort of power can understandably be very seductive to any sort of magic worker.  Much of the information I have found regarding glamour magic both warns against the breaking of the ‘Harm None’ edict, and backhandedly denies that there is any such thing anyway.

Well, you can’t have it both ways.  Either there is such a thing, and it should be used with maturity and caution, or there isn’t and it doesn’t matter anyway.

Broken down to its base components, a glamour is an illusion.  So, what can we infer from this?  An illusion isn’t real.  It’s going to take upkeep.  It’s not going to be easy.  It’s not going to fool the mirror.

Glamour magic is about what others see.  What you see in the mirror won’t change.  I think this is an important detail to point out.  Self-image is a big problem for the western world – both for men and women.  With obesity on the rise, and the pro-ana set trying to convince young girls that looking like a concentration camp refugee is attractive, there is a lot of pressure to change how you look.

If a change in how much you weigh is what you’re after, I would urge you to seek to live a healthy lifestyle – fresh food cooked from scratch and regular exercise (which can be as simple as going for a walk to the coffee shop every day or every other day).

That said, I won’t tell you that glamour magic can’t help in terms of self-image.  Many glamour spells are designed to give you a ‘sparkle’ – that indescribable quality that elevates your charisma and attracts people to you.  This often has little to do with what you physically look like – beyond the outward trappings of clothing, make-up, etc.

Ly De Angeles has an interesting take on glamouring in her book, Witchcraft: Theory and Practise.  She likens glamouring to a mask that one puts on to blend into to certain social situations better.

This is certainly a useful skill, and one that is worth mastering.  ‘Passing’ can be helpful in a number of situations and can save you headaches and heartaches that you don’t need.

However, I don’t believe that mirroring is where the possibilities for glamour magic end.  One spell that I used frequently in my youth was an invisibility spell.  While it didn’t make me invisible in the hollywood Harry Potter sense, it helped me pass unnoticed through crowds large and small.

A simple chant repeated in your head, and an avoidance of eye contact can help you blend into the background.  Most folks won’t notice the majority of the world around them, and will pass right by as though you were no more than a potted plant – even if they are looking for you.

Aside from tricks of the eye and blending in, glamour magic can also be used to help give yourself a confidence boost.  You may not be able to see the differences others see, but you can feel the sparkle, and let it carry you through your day.

A strong, positive affirmation is a good place to start.

Don’t write this technique off.  Chanting raises energy, watching yourself in the mirror can help you to direct this power surge into yourself.  The high can last all day.

Most, if not all of the enchanted charms we often make for others can be redesigned to work for ourselves.  Be it a small poppet in your pocket or a string of prayer beads around your wrist or neck, empowered accessories are one of the easiest ways to add that energy boost.

And for those of us who wear it, why not add a bit of magic to your make up?  Empower a lip gloss with charisma and confidence that you never stumble over your words or end up chewing on your feet.  Bless your mascara for seeing only the good and beautiful in the world.  Enchant your blush to let you feel the warmth of the sun forever on your face.

So, can you change your eye colour with magic?  With enough practise, possibly.  But that’s a lot of energy to devote to a parlour trick.  Coloured contact lenses would probably be easier.