FUNDAMENTALS Of Spellcasting

The Basics of Spell casting

Creating & Performing effective Spells and Rituals

As a beginner witch or even an adept practitioner spell casting can be quite intimidating, especially when the spell you wish to cast seems to require unobtainable ingredients or is created with unrealistic intentions. This sheet will outline some of the fundamental elements for creating successful spells and rituals that anyone can perform no matter your level of experience.

Fundamentals of Spell casting:

1. Cleansing/ Protection

2. Activating/Enchanting/Charging

3. Intention/Visualisation

4. Attracting & Manifesting

5. Banishing & Binding

6. Raising Vibration/Enhancing the Effectiveness of your Spell or Ritual

CLEANSING AND PROTECTION

Cleansing and Spiritual protection is a must when dabbling with energies outside of yourself. Often, we call upon spirits, deities and otherworldly energies to enhance our magick and to help us in manifesting our desires, so it is important when invoking energies outside of the physical realm to cleanse and protect our space in which we are casting.

Cleansing can be done is many ways such as:

- Smoke ceremony, Burning Herbal Smudge/Cleansing Sticks

- Burning Incense or Resins

- Submerging objects/tools in water, Showers or Ritual Baths

- Visualisation (Visualise Clearing Old energy from yourself, your space or tools)

- Salt or Earth baths (Submerging items in salt or the dirt)

- Sound Purification (Using Bells, Drumming, Singing Bowls, Rattles)

Cleansing is an important first step to ensuring no residual or negative energy from previous spell-work or rituals contaminate your Altar or Spell. Cleansing yourself also ensures you do not contaminate your intentions or spell work with any lower energies you may have picked up from your environment or other people/entities.

Protection is often ensured through the Casting of a Circle after you have prepared the space or altar for casting. There are many ways to cast a circle and circles can be cast on your own or utilising the power of the coven if you are performing a group ritual. Casting a circle ensures you have the support and protection of the four directions, elements and Deities which you may wish to help you in drawing the circle. You can also use talismans, sigils or wear protective gemstones to increase your own personal protection during spell work. Protection is important because this ensures that negative energies or entities which may be attracted by the working of energy do not attach to you, and as sensitive, intuitive and magically inclined beings spiritual protection is key as we are more susceptible and open to influence. No this does not mean full on Demonic Possession! But will deter lower or negative energies from other people, yourself or entities from influencing your energy and casting.

Energetic Healing:

This is something I have felt is necessary to add when it comes to maintaining our own Energetic protection and health. As practitioners of Magick we often expose our Energetic bodies to energies which can affect the flow of energy within our Chakras and energy centres, dull our Auras, hinder intuitive abilities and lead to blockages which can manifest as physical illness. I feel it is important for begginers and advanced practitioners alike to undergo regular energetic healing to make sure our spirit bodies are aligned and the energy is flowing; this will not only enhance your own intuitive abilities but also address any underlying spiritual/energetic issues which may hinder our ability to practice or leave us vulnerable to negative energies and blocking us our our spiritual and physical Journey through this life. There are various forms of energy healing which can be utilised and we will explore in a future article.

ACTIVATING, ENCHANTING & CHARGING

Activating, Enchanting or Charging refers to the act of pre-programming your ingredients or tools with a specific purpose. This is an important step because charging your spell items ensures you are not just following a recipe, but instead programming the items with intention so that your spell work is more personalised and effective in achieving the desired results. Enchanting your items also allows you to be more intuitive with what tools or ingredients you use in your spell or ritual, not limiting you to specific ingredients. You can simply charge or activate your spell items by sitting with the item and stating what the purpose of the item/ingredient is. For Example if you were doing a prosperity spell and you were using cinnamon sticks, you would sit with the cinnamon sticks in your hands and say ‘I enchant or Charge this Cinnamon with the intention of attracting luck, prosperity and abundance’. Or if you are using Sage to cleanse your space you would say ‘With this Sage I cleanse all negative energy from this space’ You can say as many or as little words or simple say them in your mind to charge each item.

INTENTION AND VISUALISATION

Casting with intention and visualisation in magic is one of the most important aspects of casting, as this ensures you have a clear reason or intention for casting and that you get the results you are looking for. This also makes you accountable for what you manifest which is particularly important if you are casting for other people. For some witches visualisation comes naturally where others may have difficulty with visualising what the results of the spell may look like, so it is important to say aloud or think of your intention for the spell and describe what this may look like to you. Writing this into your spell chant or on a partition can also be an effective way to ensure your intentions are clear. Prayer or Affirmations are also a good way to communicate your desires for the spells or ritual you are performing, particularly if you are invoking the aid of a spirit of deity.

Divination is also a really good way of checking in with yourself to ensure that the intention of your spell aligns with the working that you will be doing and to consider any elements which you may need to address prior to performing the ritual.

ATTRACTING VS BANISHING

It is important to note that not every spell can be cast the same way; there are some simple mechanics which can result in your spell having no effect or possibly backfiring. Here we will delve into the difference between Attracting & Banishing or Binding Spells.

Note Binding can also be seen as incorporating an agent in which to bind your intent for the spell. You may bind someone if you wish for them to cease a particular behaviour or action towards you, like you would put a piece of duck tape over someone's mouth so they couldn't speak or hand cuff a criminal, your simply inhibiting one's ability to do a specific action.

Attracting: Attracting Spells are cast in order to bring or welcome something in. For example, A Spell to Increase Good luck, works to bring luck to you or enhance the luck you already have. Banishing or Binding: These spells are cast to get rid or send something or someone away or to bind someone/something's negative behaviours/traits For Example, A Spell to banish an unwanted person, works to send a specific person away or get rid of the person from your life.

Handy Tip for casting! When you are wanting to Attract or Invoke, cast in a CLOCKWISE direction, as this attracts energy TOWARDS you.

When you are wanting to Banish or Bind, cast in an ANTI-CLOCKWISE direction, as this sends energy AWAY from you.

For example: If you are stirring a love potion with the intention of inviting love into your life, stir the potion clockwise to bring in energy. If you are writing a petition to be rid of a bad habit, write the petition three times turning your paper anti-clockwise, then fold your paper away from you and turn to the left to fold again. This will direct the energy away from you.

Remember: To Attract Cast Clockwise, Direct Towards you To Banish Cast Anti-clockwise, Direct Away from you

RAISING VIBRATIONS & ENHANCING YOUR SPELL

There are simple things that we witches can do in order to make a spell more effective or powerful/potent. A prime example of this concept is using specific ingredients or tools which will align with the purpose of the spell we are casting as these ingredients will enhance the effectiveness of the spells and promote/raise the vibration we wish to enhance. Enhancing your spell can also be done through use of sigils, symbols, colours, using sounds or music, burning incense, using crystals, lighting candles, anointing candles with magic oils, invoking plant/animal energy, working with the lunar phases, choosing a specific time, day or place to cast and inviting deities, spirits or ancestors to work along side us. When you break down a spell you should be able to outline how the elements tie into the working.

Say we are casting a Love Spell, you might use colour magick and items your associate with love to enhance your spells. E.g. Use Red or Pink Candle, Rose Petals, Rose Quartz Crystal, Love heart Symbols, Play a Love song during casting, Invoke a Goddess of Love such as Aphrodite/Venus/Freya, performing the spell on a Friday or with a New moon.

All these components work within the spell or ritual to raise vibrations of love within you and invoke the desired energy for the spell.

IN SUMMARY

The most basic and fundamental aspect of casting any spell is using your Intuition. It can be quite easy to become overwhelmed at specifics when it comes to the craft, especially if you have been taught or exposed to Traditionalism, or even Google for that matter! We can be conned into thinking that for a spell to work we need 50+ ingredients that are unobtainable when in fact the simplest most effective spells are cast with a Candle, a pen, some paper and the belief that it will all work out for the best. Remember everyone practices differently and there is no wrong way to work a spell, do what feels natural to you!

Blessed Be.

ACTIVITY: CREATE A SPELL This is a simple and fun activity which can be as minimal of creative as you wish. Write and cast your own spell!

1. Name your Spell!

2. What is the Intention your Spell/Ritual?

3. What Ingredients, Items are you Going to use? Why?

4. When are you going to cast this spell?

5. Write down words for your Chant, Affirmation, Invocation or Partition (If incorporating in your spell)

Once you have cast this spell, give it time to work and write a reflection in your journal/grimoire or book of shadows on how you think it went? What you loved about it or what you think you could do to improve it!

Blessed Be,

The Kynoch Witch xx