Do, or do not. There is no spell more powerful than that.

Today's card comes from The Wicca Deck by Sally Morningstar (Connections Publishing 2014), an oracle made up of cards depicting tools and concepts of Wicca. Illustrations are by Danuta Mayer. I'll be drawing all week from this pack, along with supporting tarot cards from Old English Tarot by Maggie Kneen (US Games 1997).

The card shows a Wand, the instrument used by Wiccans and many traditions to focus and direct power. Thus the Wand is given the key word 'Intention.' The wand in the image has clear crystal quartz points on either end, embellished with copper. There is a band of bronze or copper decorated with  a pentacle clamped around it. And carved into the wood we see the sigil 'sowilo', which stands for the sun, wholeness, success. Little chains attached to the wand lead to a small goddess charm and  three beads with a raven or crow feather, no doubt the three beads stand for maid, mother and crone.

This card certainly portends good things, but also brings the message -- good things come to those with clear intent and strong will. Not a vague wish, but a definite, focused intention.

So far so good. We all have intentions, but what comes next?  To see how the tarot would support this card, I shuffled and drew from Old English Tarot and received 8 of Batons (also known as 8 of Wands). And this is just the perfect support for our oracle card of the day! This card shows us the backbone of intent -- action. You can send all the intentions into the universe you want, but if you do not then take action, you are very unlikely to see any manifestation of your will.

'What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in food, and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, be warmed and filled," without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.' ~ James 2:14-17

Every witch or spellcaster will tell you the same. Cast your spell, then do the work. The Buddhist and Hindu will tell you, do your meditation, then do the work.

'Those who believe and do good works, their Lord guides them by their faith. Rivers will flow beneath them in the Gardens of Delight.' ~ Quran 10:9

This is a universal principle that cannot be escaped. It's common sense. If you want something, wanting is not enough. Yes, you may create a ripple of energy in the fabric of the universe. But if you want it to materialise, you are going to have to take action.

The little figures in the 8 of Batons are working very hard in the field, bending their backs again and again in the hot sun, doing repetitive labour. But what great rewards this work reaps! Bread for the winter. Fodder for the cattle. A roof for their homes. Fuel for the fire. Every stalk of that harvest must be collected and it will be put to good use. Their intention of surviving the winter will materialise.

The card gives a good idea of the kind of tasks we will likely have to do to manifest our intentions -- work that we may not want to do, that is not particularly fun to do, but that step-by-step will lead to the results we want. You don't have to go fast, but you do have to be organised and expeditious. Also tolerant and patient.

So here's your work for today. Ask yourself:

• What do I want? What do I really want? Write it down and be very specific. 
• What do I need to do to get where I want? List the actions.

Not sure how to get there? No problem:

• If you don't know exactly how to get to where you want, make a list of tasks that lead in the right direction. 
• If you don't know any tasks that lead in that direction, make a list of questions because it's time to gather information.
• Now choose one task (or one question) and do it (or ask it) today.  It doesn't matter how small that action may seem in the face of your big goal. Trust in your intention and do it.

Now you've done that task, sit back and -- wow! You did it. You're making magic happen. Well done! Congratulate yourself for taking that step.

Wait -- did I just hear you say, 'But I have so far to go and I'm not really clear yet how to get to my dream?' Well, stop that! Look at the next task on your list. Keep focused, keep acting, keep gathering in that wheat, just like in the card. You can do it. You can!