How to Write a Great Magick Spell

Spellcrafting is not beginner witchcraft by any means. And if you don’t feel overwhelmed when first undertaking the interest of witchcraft and magick, I would be surprised. It is intricate and layered, not always so straightforward, and at times, frustrating. But a great part of practicing your craft is spellwork. But what exactly makes a great magick spell? No, no, no. Let’s start more simply.

WHAT IS A MAGICK SPELL?

The most basic definition of a spell is a method or way to turn wants or need into a reality. An easy enough concept to grasp, no? Another way to look at what a magick spell is a wish that’s been supercharged so it’s more likely to come true.

Having said that, spells can take many forms. This is where the intricate layers of witchcraft comes in. Spells can be a rhyming poem spoken over a lit candle or a mortar full of magickal herbs waiting to be crushed and mixed together. A spell could be at the center of high magick ritual, taking time, patience, and energy to complete. Or a prayer to a particular deity has the makings of a spell.

But what if knowing how to identify a great spell isn’t enough? What if you want to write your own fantastic spell? Easy peasy, lemon squeezy Witches! By learning how to construct your own spells, you are actively improving your craft by putting yourself into it. Imprinting yourself on all that is part of your practice only solidifies your strength and confidence as a witch.

Simply put, the art of magick is about how things function. What makes them tick? How does it work? A curious mind makes for a great Witch. Beyond this, once we learn the how and start to focus on controlling our actions and reactions and then apply it our lives, we’ve got some powerful magick on our hands. But the only way to it, is through it. This is where spellwork really shines for us. Let’s get started.

THINGS TO CONSIDER FOR YOUR MAGICK SPELL

The following is a checklist of questions to ask yourself when first attempting to construct a magick spell:

1. What is the purpose for my spell?
2. How will my spell affect the environment?
3. How will my spell affect the magickal world?
4. How will my spell affect others?
5. How will my spell affect me?

By making yourself aware and accountable for your actions, it gives you pause to check-in and make sure your magick is aligned with your values. Once you’ve answered these important questions, it’s time to explore your spell’s intention.

FOCUS YOUR PURPOSE

Why are you casting this spell? To manifest money? Land a new job? Attract a soulmate? Here’s where you want to get specific, but not too specific. Why? Because you want to make sure that your intention is clear enough to direct your magick and give it aim, but left open enough to allow for some wiggle room. This could take some finessing.

Let’s look at an example. You work a money spell and the intention you set is simply “Money comes to me.” The very next day, you cross a shiny penny on your path and pick it up. Did money come to you? Technically, yes. But, if you work the intention to be a little bit more specific like, “I have all the money I need and want,” that gives your magick some flexibility to manifest your desires.

On the other hand, when you boil down an intention too much it can lead to an opposite issue. Let’s imagine you wish to manifest a college scholarship to a particular school. So you perform a spell and state, “I have been awarded the Jane Doe Scholarship at X University.” The issue with this is that that particular scholarship could have already been granted to another when you did your spellwork. Or, through Divine Timing, a better scholarship is on its way to you or you receive notification that you qualify for a grant. A preferable intention would be to say, “I have enough money to completely pay for my full tuition at X University.”

Something to note in the example above: By focusing on getting a scholarship instead of manifesting having enough money to afford it, you’re creating an unnecessary block to what you really want. Use your magick to get from point A to B as simply as possible for the best results.

WRITE IT OUT

I know it may be tempting to want to get fancy with the wording or translate your purpose into another language, like Latin or Greek. This isn’t to say that there aren’t words from classic languages that could give your spells a power boost. But if you don’t speak the language or understand the finer nuances, you could sabotage your own spell or cast something else inadvertently. How do you intend to cast strongly if you cannot understand what you’re saying? Sure, they add ancient words into spells on TV shows and in the movies, but in real life that’s just not how things work. Besides, you do not need ancient verbiage to write a powerful spell. All you need is a well thought-out and clear intention.

THE DEVIL IS IN THE DETAILS

The next thing you need to decide is how intricate your spell will be. Simple spells involve limited ingredients, using only one or two herbs and a lit candle. Sometimes it only involves a few carefully chosen words spoken as an incantation with your eyes closed. More complicated spellwork on the other hand can use multiple herbs, specific candle colors, and curated crystals while taking into account the moon phase, season, time of day, and more.

All of what you include is up to you. However, a word of warning is called for: do not get in over your head. It’s one thing to step outside of your comfort zone and try incorporating a new herb into the mix. But leaping from the baby steps of witchcraft to attempting elaborate ceremonial magick is another. Work within your realm for the safety of yourself and others.

BUILD UPON YOUR INTENTION

It can be a little much at first when you start writing your own spells. The list below made up of spell elements is extensive, especially once you really get into the finer details. So at this point in the post I want to remind you that your intention is the most important part of a spell. Without it, there’s no purpose. No reason behind casting. Having said that, there is no limit to how many elements may be used. If you wish to have a more involved spell, select as many ingredients you feel will suffice your needs. For simple spellwork, less can be more. But always, always, always build upon your intention!

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BASIC SPELL ELEMENTS & THEIR PURPOSES

Now onto the ingredients and their correspondences that will power your spell. Remember, the components equate to how your spell behaves: what is put in exhibits their correspondence.

1. Intention or Purpose
   Again, this is the driving force behind your spellwork. Your purpose drives and guides your spell. This is your need, want, or desire put into words. With this, you will know which elements to choose for your spell.
2. Component that Creates Power
   The creation of power comes from you and your actions.
3. Component that Holds Power
   If your spellwork holds long-lasting intentions or needs to be released over time, you will most likely need something to hold your power. This could be a doll, knots in knotwork magick, statues, crystals, or a sachet.
4. Moon Phase
   Moon phases have their own magickal correspondence. For example, if you’re looking to cast an abundance spell, it is auspicious to do so during the New Moon. Check out this post to read more about the moon phases!
5. Season
   Energy changes with each month and season. By casting with timing in mind, you can boost your spells.
6. Day of the Week
   Same as months and seasons, the days of the week also have their own correspondence.
7. Time of Day
   Energies correspond to the time of day, just as with the days, months, and seasons.
8. Candles
   Candle magick is powerful unto itself. It deals with all of the five elements (read about it here!)
9. Colors
   Each color has its own vibrational correspondence that we can tap into. Meanings vary from practitioner to practitioner (read about general magick color meanings here!) so finding what resonates with you is highly important.
10. Herbs
    Herbal magick is one of the more popular types of witchcraft. Kitchen Witches are prime user examples of those who follow this path.
11. Crystals
    Pretty, potent, and powerful, it’s no wonder crystals are very popular not only for the aesthetic, but their correspondence and ability to be used as a spell vessel.
12. Essential Oils
    A concentrated form of herbs, essential oils are a feature of aroma magick and can be used sparingly in spells due to their distilled nature.
13. Carrier Oils
    If your intention is to apply essential oils to the skin, carrier oils are required for proper dilution.
14. Symbols
    Symbols can add additional energy to spells. These can be commonly recognized signs such as pentacles or the triple moon, or more personal symbols like sigils.
15. Deities
    Deities can help aid in spellwork when they’re approached with respect. Not all Witches work with them, however.

NEXT STEPS

Now we have our purpose/intention, an idea of how intricate we want to make it and an introduction to spell elements that can be added in. Now it’s all about finding physical and spiritual components to help direct your energy towards manifesting your spell’s purpose. This support can be empowering, especially because you know the whys behind the ingredients. After all, you crafted the spell!

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IN CONCLUSION…

Spells created by the practitioner for themselves tend to be more potent than ones crafted by others. And not to knock those found online or in books, but the biggest difference between those and custom crafted spells have no initial connection to the caster. So by using the DIY method, you’re imprinting yourself on your spells before you even work to cast them.

When first starting out, feel free to use spells written by others. You have to start somewhere. Eventually, you may feel like you’re fine with this avenue of spellwork. On the other hand, if you sense a lack in this department of your craft, experiment with writing your own spells.

There’s a lot to take in when first undertaking the somewhat daunting craft of spell writing, but with time, patience, practice, and research, you will get there. Now go make magick!