I suppose I fall into this last category, as I recognize that it's all bunk, but I'm kind of a sucker for elaborate ritual, so I still have most of the candles and apparati I accumulated. I suppose, anymore, it's just childish role-play, but I guess there's no harm there, as long as I recognize that.

Sounds fair enough to me :)

Sounds quite fun, actually.

One wonders, how were the methods and ingredients of this spell and others determined? Are there records of past Wiccan researchers who tried different colors of candles or cast the spell on different days of the week? Or do these practitioners simply claim to have acquired their knowledge through oracles?

They actually did test them. It works remarkably like the scientific method, but with less independant testing, and a whole lot more confirmation bias. You start with common perceptions of things, and make out a ritual, and then you test it out. Over time, passed from one person to the next, it gets tweaked and tested into an "accepted" form, which they believe works. The simplistic ones think they're working with improperly studied laws of nature, and the really interesting ones realize that it's all in your head, but most of them don't get past the "Secret" stage. Every once in a while, you get a really bright one who sees the full effect of it, and just clings to the ritual out of habit.
I suppose I fall into this last category, as I recognize that it's all bunk, but I'm kind of a sucker for elaborate ritual, so I still have most of the candles and apparati I accumulated. I suppose, anymore, it's just childish role-play, but I guess there's no harm there, as long as I recognize that.
Ok, That wandered a bit more than I had hoped, so I'm going to shut up for now.

Yes they have, don't you recall the study earlier this year that compared prayer receivers to non-prayer receivers, where it turned out to have no significant effect at all? If praying for healing isna't a magic healing spell, what is?

The "Instant Decision Maker" is interesting because one of the things Daniel Dennett claims religion was invented for was to help with very difficult decisions.

You know, I think that there is a D&D spell called Energy Shield. I know there is Negative Energy Ray and Negative Energy Burst. I bet if I mixed D&D with some science words I could also swindle a bunch of noobs. Too bad I'm ethically opposed to parting fools from their money.

If this very special pebble is placed in a container of clear spring water it will after ten minutes or so, have a profound effect on the energy level of the water, turning it into a very powerful Healing Elixir.

…This, is because it raises the Angstrom Energy Level of the water and thereby increases its potency by an amount that has a very beneficial effect on all living things. For the good of your health, we unreservedly recommend that you drink this water, every day. According to Prof. Angstrom, the average healthy person has an energy level of 6.5Å to 7.0Å. In order to stay healthy, we should eat food and drink that has an energy level of seven of more Angstroms.

And for $500, I'll sell you a device that will raise the kinetic energy level of clear spring water by more than 335 megajoules per litre in only a few minutes. This process makes the water much more succeptible to dissociation with the leaves of certain ancient Indian plants, a ritual which I personally perform every morning, leaving me energized and ready to face the day.

Ok, it's a tea kettle. But at least mine works.

but on the other hand, they hold out an implicit, wink-and-nudge "But hey, you never know…"

I've felt this way about disclaimers for all supernatural practices for a long time. It's clearly there as a formality, and almost implies a greater confidence in their claims.