Have you ever wanted to snap your fingers and change your life? Me too. While spellwork isn’t exactly what you see in pop culture, it does give us a degree of control over our lives that can be empowering. I have been doing spellwork for about 5 years now, and walk people through the basics of spellwork every single day here at the shop. My customers often tell me they’re unsure where to start. Many times, these people already know exactly what they want, they just lack the confidence to make it happen. I hope to get you excited and inspired to craft your own spells with confidence.
The most important part of spellwork is one simple concept: YOU. ARE. THE. MAGICK. Not something outside of yourself. Not something only bestowed upon the special chosen few. It’s inside all of us. Just like any other skill or talent, some people are just naturally gifted at it, but everyone can improve their skills through practice. Your unique blend of magick will be specific to you, so even the most detailed spellbooks will fall short if you don’t learn to expand on the framework they give you, and make it your own.
Spellwork is a way of concentrating your non-physical intention, and channeling it into physical reality through the use of physical representations of the non-physical concept. In simpler terms, you use items and ingredients to represent whatever you’re trying to manifest, thus making it “real”, in a sense. It’s a way of working with energy, which is a term I often use interchangeably with “magick” Spellwork is a way of placing an order with the universe, and you must do that through your own unique language. Spellwork is a form of manifestation. Prayer w props!
Now.. big fancy spells don’t always mean you’ll have the biggest payout: I’ve had some of my best results from a burnt post-it note. Ultimately the unseen force of magick decides what happens for the highest good of all, which can sometimes mean your spell falls flat. I like to believe that the Universe is always working out in my favor, and so my spell must have flopped for good reason.
While spellwork has historically been used to fight oppression, protect your home, and cast spells of obsession on prospective lovers, I must urge you to consider a newfangled concept called consent. If you are doing spellwork to bend the will of others, it crosses into morally grey territory, and I would caution against the use of spells on non-consenting / non-deserving parties.
METHODS OF SPELLCASTING
- Jars
- For energy you want to keep around. Holds the ingredients sealed within a vessel
- Candles
- For energy you want moving quickly. Uses fire to ignite the energy and the wax melting symbolizes the spell being sent to the universe/god/unseen
- Wards
- To keep energy OUT. Protection magic for your space, your energy, and your loved ones. Can take many forms, but have to do with protection, and clearing away negative energy
- Journaling
- For energy that needs written into existence, like placing an order. A very direct form of manifestation that takes very little effort. Almost every type of spell can incorporate writing. GRIMOIRES: A type of journaling specifically for collecting notes on witchcraft.
- Grids
- To lay out a physical “map” for your energy. Laying out your ingredients in an aesthetically pleasing and balanced way adds to the ritual aspect of the spell. I will use even numbers to create balanced energy in my spells, like 8 clear quartz points, 4 rose petals, or 2 candles, or any configuration of numbers that makes sense to you.
- Baths
- Great for energy that is being applied to the body. Submerging your body in a spell bath has wonderful relaxing results.
- Teas
- As long as all your ingredients are safe to be ingested, a tea is great for energy that you want literally inside of you. I would make teas for self-confidence, abundance, peace, and more.
- Omg so many more I can’t even name right now. Every tradition has hundreds and hundreds of their own spells.
WHAT MAKES UP A SPELL?
The MOST important part of the spell is your intention. You can throw all the right ingredients together, but if you don’t know what you want, and you’re not tuned into the energy, nothing will happen. Every witch has her own way of connecting to source/spirit/universe/magick, and I encourage you to find your own special way to connect with that magick source before you start building your spell. Intention is best applied in layers. I like to view applying intention like layers of paint. You really only need one layer for the spell to work, but most people like to apply a few “layers” of intention to their spellwork for extra effectiveness. The layers of intention are applied through the PHYSICAL INGREDIENTS & RITUAL.
PHYSICAL INGREDIENTS
When choosing the ingredients for our spells, we choose based on the energy that corresponds. We can look to either societal or personal correspondences. For example, roses have traditionally been associated with love and beauty, so I would gravitate towards rose for love spells. Maybe you grew up with a very protective grandmother who wore rose perfume, so for you, roses are associated with protection and safety. I tend to gravitate towards my gut feeling when choosing ingredients for myself, but when crafting spells for the shop, I often lean on traditional associations that draw on that collective human experience for strength.
- Herbs
- Herbs have always been traditional ingredients in spellwork. The earliest known graves of shaman and medicine women were found full of preserved herbs for both ritual and healing purposes. Healing and magick have gone hand in hand for thousands of years, and continue to support each other now. Herbs are often chosen based on what they can do for our physical bodies. Damiana is used for love spells because it’s an aphrodisiac. Rosemary is used for protection because it has wonderful healing properties. Mullein is used for purifying because it is an expectorant. Sage is used for cleansing because it contains antibacterial properties.
- Color
- Colors carry correspondences to energy as well. These tend to vary from person to person, so trust your gut. You can use different colored candles, table cloths, candle holders, crystals, inks, threads, anything that you use in spellwork can carry a color correspondence. Pink for love, green for money, purple for peace, etc.
- Crystals
- Crystals are physical chunks of earth energy that correspond to different energies through frequency. Crystals have a crystalline molecular structure that vibrates at a perfect frequency , and that frequency attracts the same frequency out in the world. This frequency can be replicated in your own energy field when you concentrate and visualize what you are trying to manifest. When you visualize the energy you want to attract WHILE using the crystal in spellwork, that just amplifies that frequency like crazy. This makes crystals extremely powerful tools for energy work.
RITUAL
Ritual is what ties the ingredients and the intention together. Ritual is what tells your mind and body to get on board for the casting, that it’s time to tune in and get the energy flowing. Ultimately, anything that feels special to you fits under the category of ritual.
- Spoken words
- The act of speaking your spell aloud is arguably the most important step in spellwork. This is the part where you outline exactly what you want from the universe. I led an entire workshop on the blending of poetry and spellwork, and the Magick that happens when your words sound just right. When you speak with confidence, and with holy tones, your body tunes right into the magick. It signals the energy to flow when you hear spells spoken aloud and with confidence. A solemn, reverent whisper is often just as effective, spoken like its a great secret, a hushed reverent church service between just you and spirit. Your words don’t have to rhyme at all, but I tend to rhyme as a way to connect to the ancient tradition of rhyming poems and ballads as a form of history.
- Protection
- Many witches prefer to only cast under a circle of protection. When casting in your own space, you probably already feel pretty safe there, and you may not need to cast any protections before you start your spellwork. I usually don’t when I cast at home or at the shop, since I’m well protected in both places. You may prefer to do your own little protection ritual before you sit down to cast, listen to your gut.
- Cleansing
- Cleansing your tools and ingredients before you start your spell wipes them clean of any lingering energy from past workings, stagnancy, etc. and gets them to a neutral state to start this specific working. This clears any past programming you may have applied to an object, or anyone else’s vibes if the item is secondhand. I like to do a quick cleanse of my own energy before I start my spell, too, just to get ready and centered. Cleansing may not always be required. For example, the crystal you charged with love energy may not need cleansed if you’ve worked so hard to fill it up. You may want your magick wand (optional) to carry all the combined energy of your past spellwork, getting stronger with every use. Your call! Cleansing has started overstepping its bounds a bit in pop culture lol, not everything needs to be cleansed every day!
- Timing
- Many witches prefer to do their spellwork at different times of the month depending on the phase of the moon, the season of the zodiac, or the day of the week. Fridays are associated with Venus, the goddess of Love & Beauty, so you may choose to do your glamour magick on Fridays. Thursday is ruled by Jupiter, the planet of expansion & financial opportunity, so I would do my money spells on Thursdays. I tend to do my protection magick on the first of the month, sealing the month ahead from any bad vibes. Feel free to disregard, and cast whenever you feel like it. Again, YOU are the magick, and if this doesn’t feel magickal, don’t do it.
- Five elements
- Representing the five elements when casting adds a layer of connection with the world around you, as spellwork is a way of living in harmony with the world around you. You might use a candle or burn something to represent fire, lighting incense or playing music represents air, herbs and crystals represent the element of earth, and oils, shells, or actual water to represent water. By connecting to these elements through your own energy, you become the representation of the fifth element: spirit/energy. You can quickly represent all 5 elements using the pentacle: a 5 pointed star surrounded by a circle.
- “Feeling the vibes”
- The most important part of the ritual is that it feels special to you. The feeling is the most important part. Even if you just take a few moments to slow down and take a few intentional breaths before you start, that feeling you access is the most important part. Light a candle with a scent that relights you up. Play music that makes you feel alive. Sing as loud as you can. Dance. Dim the lights. Whatever you need to set the vibes, DO IT. This part is alllll your own magick.
CREATING YOUR SPELLS
Now that you have a handle on what magick is, I’ll walk you through two simple spells: a dressed spell candle, and a spell jar.
DRESSED CANDLE:
- Ingredients: 2 candlesticks/chime candles, 2-3 herbs that correspond to your chosen intention, oil, tray covered in scrap paper, small bowl
- SET YOUR INTENTION: What type of spell are you doing? What do you hope to accomplish? It helps to write this down in your Grimoire.
- CHOOSE YOUR INGREDIENTS: Remember to choose your ingredients based on your intention. YOU’LL NEED: 2 candles of the same color (or different if you want to blend two colors together), and a few herbs. Don’t go crazy and create a fire hazard: a pinch of 2-3 herbs is enough.
- BLEND YOUR HERBS: In your bowl, mix about a teaspoon of each of your herbs together. Take this time to whisper a few words of intention over your herbs as you mix them, gently telling them what you want them to do, if you want.
- ANOINT YOUR FIRST CANDLE: add a VERY LIGHT layer of oil to your candle.
- SPRINKLE SPRINKLE YOUR HERBS: you don’t need a ton here, just add a light dusting of your herbs all over your candle while holding it over the scrap paper/tray.
- SEAL CAREFULLY: Light the second candle (the naked one) and carefully drip the melting wax all over your first candle to seal the herbs onto the candle. Let dry, and VOILA! Ready for a spell!
SPELL JAR:
- Ingredients: scrap of paper, jar with a lid, 3 – 4 herbs that correspond to your intention, a few small crystals that correspond to your intention, any other trinkets or symbols of your intention, candle
- SET YOUR INTENTION: What type of spell are you doing? What do you hope to accomplish? It helps to write this down in your Grimoire.
- CHOOSE YOUR INGREDIENTS: Remember to choose your ingredients based on your intention. YOU’LL NEED: a jar, a few tablespoons of herbs, a piece of scrap paper, a few crystals,any other random lil trinkets or ingredients that remind you of your chosen intenton, and a candle (or two).
- WRITE YOUR INTENTION OUT: Using the scrap piece of paper, write your intention. It can be a word, a phrase, a paragraph, even a symbol. Fold it TOWARD you to symbolize drawing these things towards you.
- ADD YOUR INGREDIENTS TO YOUR JAR: I like to name each ingredient and speak aloud what it’s for as I add it to my jar. Do whatever feels right to you. Maybe you write it down instead. Maybe you visualize your end goal as you add your ingredients. Add your folded paper, crystals, & herbs to the jar. REMEMBER TO LEAVE SPACE FOR THE MAGICK! Close the lid.
- INFUSE THE JAR WITH YOUR MAGICK: Hold the jar between your palms as you connect to your magick and take a few deep calming breaths. Visualize your desired outcome. Picture it. Imagine how you feel once it has come true. That feeling crystallizes into a glowing light that flows from your mind, down to your heart, through the palms of your hands, and fills the empty space in your jar with the magick.
- SEAL THE JAR WITH YOUR CANDLE + WORDS: Light your candle and seal the jar with the dripping wax, being careful not to burn yourself or your jar. As you seal your jar, tap into this reverent sacred energy, and whisper words of intention over your jar. Close your eyes halfway if it helps (but watch your flame!)
- CLOSE OUT WITH GRATITUDE: When your candle is too small to hold safely, blow it out and set it down. Your spell is complete! Say a small thank you to the universe for creating with you, and say goodbye to the energy you tapped into. I like to take a few deep breaths to come back to reality after spellwork.
I hope this has been informative & empowering!! Now, go forth!! Create your own reality!! YOU ARE THE MAGICK!! XoXo
