I would like to share a brief story that I found rather fascinating about my husband's family today.  I was truly touched by the idea of belief and intention being a driving force behind our success.
Mr. K was just telling me the story of his Grandfather and his Spider friends.  He had a few factories in Cairo a few decades ago which were quite successful (I believe they made shoes or something of the sort).  Grandfather had a "few" spiders hanging out around the factories which he refused to let anyone take down.  People would come into the factory and suggest that he clean up the cobwebs to which he would reply, "they are the reason for my success!"  He was quite successful.  He had started from very little and had accrued a number of factories throughout Cairo, becoming a multi-millionaire in the process.  He was adamant the spiders stayed in the factories, even after his death.
However, a few years after his death, Mr. Ks father having taken over some of the factories decided that he didn't believe in the idea of the "secret to their success" and had all the cobwebs cleared out.  Within a couple of years, all the money was gone and Mr. K's immediate family was destitute.  The factories were sold, as were many personal possessions, and to this day, Mr. K's father relies on his family for financial help.  (As per Egyptian familial custom, the family takes care of each other, unlike modern American traditions...lol).
I am not happy about the outcome of the story, but I think it illustrates something very important, at least to me.  Setting our intent and believing in it, and then HOLDING ON to the intent and belief is where our real magick lies.  Respecting the spirits that surround us and aid us in our lives is so important.  
Because of the story of his Grandfather, Mr. K will never kill a spider out of respect for his grampa's memory.  He ALMOST admitted the magick of the spiders today, but, in the end he chalks it all up either to co-incidence or relates it to a Quranic story of the prophet who was aided by a spider.  (I can see the relation in that, as well, but you can't debate easily with a Muslim, so I didn't explain the whole spirit guide thing to him.  He wouldn't have appreciated it anyhow...lol.)
Its amazing to me that all of us are surrounded by magick and very few recognize it as such.