Let's jump right in, starting with its etymology:
Will (v)
Old English *willan, wyllan "to wish, desire, want" (past tense wolde), from Proto-Germanic *welljan (cf. Old Saxon willian, Old Norse vilja, Old Frisian willa, Dutch willen, Old High German wellan, German wollen, Gothic wiljan "to will, wish, desire," Gothic waljan "to choose"). The Germanic words are from PIE root *wel- (2) "to wish, will" (cf. Sanskrit vrnoti "chooses, prefers," varyah "to be chosen, eligible, excellent," varanam "choosing;" Avestan verenav- "to wish, will, choose;" Greek elpis "hope;" Latin volo, velle "to wish, will, desire;" Old Church Slavonic voljo, voliti "to will," veljo, veleti "to command;" Lithuanian velyti "to wish, favor," pa-vel-mi "I will," viliuos "I hope;" Welsh gwell "better").
Cf. also Old English wel "well," literally "according to one's wish;" wela "well-being, riches." The use as a future auxiliary was already developing in Old English. The implication of intention or volition distinguishes it from shall, which expresses or implies obligation or necessity. Contracted forms, especially after pronouns, began to appear 16c., as in sheele for "she will." The form with an apostrophe is from 17c.
Generally, this is what comes to mind for most people when discussing spellwork. I've seen a lot of folks liken spells to Christian/Jewish/Muslim prayers, but I've never seen them that way. Perhaps it's because I don't petition a god or goddess when performing spellwork, and perhaps others do?
For me, a prayer is a petition to a god. Prayers are requests, beseechments (I made that up), implorings (yep another made up word), etc.. to a deity or deities for favor in some way.
In spellwork, it is my own will that gets the job done. It is intention, volition, strong desire, choosing. I am putting forth the effort to ensure something happens. My will has to be strong for me to make things happen, whether it's in spells or any other thing in life I set out to do.
How many of you have been called strong-willed as a child? That's supposed to be an insult. I always wore it as a badge of honor.
How many times were you told, "Wishing won't make it so"? For those of us who dared to believe something differently (or did we just innately know?), we can assert unequivocally that wishing CAN make it so, through the sheer force of will.
And, it is a force- one to both be reckoned with and one that needs discipline and focus. To me, it is the element of water. Water is the strongest force on our planet. We are made up of mostly water, and it is our lifeforce. I recommend a study on Hado by Dr. Masaru Emoto. Some will scoff, others will understand. Regardless, it is interesting to note that most traditions associate water with emotion, and that will is also connected to it there.
Water unleashed and untamed can take the form of a tsunami- one of the most destructive forces on the planet. So it is with our will, our emotions. When we are not in control of our will and our emotions, we too, can become destructive. It is through self-discipline and exercise that we are able to harness our power and utilize it for our proper purposes.
Next week, we'll take on the biggest challenge of the pyramid: "To Keep Silent". In the meantime, here are some suggestions for learning to channel the will.
EXERCISES/RECOMMENDATIONS
I always recommend martial arts for self-discipline, particularly when it comes to the will.
Meditation is always beneficial. It not only helps keep us healthy physically and mentally, but emotionally as well. You can also use the candle flame meditation to help you control your will. Try staring at the top of the candle flame.. see if you can make the flame grow higher or get dimmer by the force of your will. You may be surprised at the results, if you practice with this for awhile.
Think about your relationship to water. Are you someone who needs to be near a fresh or saltwater source? Do you have fears about drowning? As an exercise, write down all of the adjectives/adverbs that come to mind when you think of water. Now, write down all of the adjectives/adverbs that come to mind when you think of "will". How do these correlate and connect for you? You may want to create a visual of those adjectives/adverbs and add them to your pyramid.
What suggestions do you have for disciplining the will?