So spells are clearly a witches thing. Or also used in several cultures for healing etc. However, not many newer witches understand what a spell really is or how they really work. Heck, probably half of the community knows. I don’t think I am the only correct source, so please do look around and get more information.
Let’s get started.
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What Is a Spell?
a form of words used as a magical charm or incantation; a state of enchantment caused by a magic spell; an ability to control or influence people as though one had magical power over them(google).
For our sake, a spell is simply used with words, ingredients, items and writing. Not all have to be involved though. And most of the time they aren’t used by everyone.
Do Spells Work?
For the most part? Yes. They do. However, sometimes they won’t and that’s okay too. It just means you need to do something different or figure out how it could have gone wrong.
What if a Spell Goes Wrong?
Try a spell reversal. A lot of people have resources on this, it’s a good thing to research especially before you start spell casting.
What Can Be a Spell?
Anything. A spell for bringing love to you all the way to cursing someone who has wronged someone else. These all account as spells.
Should I Use Protection?
Ignore how I worded that. But yes. You should use any form of protection you can from tailsmans to casting a circle. Even a small chant will be better than nothing.
A Spell of Mine Didn’t Work… What Do I Do?
Take notes on what happened. Give it more time to fully manifest. Be Patient. If you feel it genuinely didn’t work you can try again, but do give it time. It might not have worked in the way you wanted it to.
How Do Spells Work?
Most of the time it’s all about energy, intent, visualizing the outcome you want, and manifesting it. While you don’t inherently need tools or ingredients(some will say otherwise) they can be helpful to give your spell an extra oomph you need especially if you don’t have a lot of energy yourself.
What Do I Need For Spells?
A Book and a Pen. All to take notes and write out your spell. Again, you don’t need anything at all for spell casting. They may be helpful, but not needed at all.
For the most part yes. The ones posted are usually meant to be used for others to help them. I typically use the spells posted to help me make my own though so it’s up to you.
How Do I Know My Spell Worked?
Did the outcome you want come? Then yes. If your unsure then go search out some answers. Tarot, or some other form of divination can be helpful.
Are Spells and Rituals the Same?
In my own personal opinion? No. To others they may be the same, but for me they have different energies. A ritual is set in stone, copied almost every time you reach a certain point. A spell is something you can do on a whim. But again. My Own Opinion. Others may have something else to say about that. It’s good to look into it though.
How Do I Write My Own Spells?
Here’s a little template for you to help as I’m not the best at wording most of the time:
1. A title for your spell
2. The Intentions you have for the spell
3. The Date, time and Moon Phase(moon phase and time are optional. Date is helpful.)
4. The Items/Ingredients you need(if any at all)
5. Any words/chants you plan to use or used.
6. Instructions!
Anyways, I wouldn’t take too much spell writing advice from me as I usually write out my spells after I cast them.
Again, I’m not a full expert on this process. I probably never will be, but I hope this is slightly helpful for those who are trying to figure it out.
Witchcraft isn’t a religion – you’re all making it into this weird culty thing and Tumblr has turned it into something stale and conformed
Wiccan and witch are not synonymous – there are witches of all religions
There’s not a right or wrong way to practice – do whatever feels right in every situation
You don’t need to believe in any gods, worship anything at all, have crystals or buy things from Instagram witch shops (most of the time they’re just capitalists anyway)
You don’t need to declare what specific type of witch you are – you can strive to be balanced
You create your own rules no matter what – it’s a deeply personalized way of life or thought process to each culture and each person
if someone tries to dictate how you do what you do, they’re gatekeeping pricks and should be throat slapped
Be true to yourself – this is only about harnessing your own strength and emotions and figuring out what parts you play in the world, not about an aesthetic or a fashion or trying to be the best witchling for other people’s admiration
Try to have fun and stop taking it so seriously, you uptight nerds
Because everyone gets sick, even witches! Witchcraft does not replace proper medical care, and please be cautious when using herbs and do proper research*
faeries (not deities, but can be worked with in a similar manner – be sure to do very comprehensive research beforehand, though, as they can be dangerous to work with)
farore (zelda pop culture deity)
fei lian
njord
sidhe
shu
thoth
urania
zeus
crystals:
amethyst
aura quartz
aventurine
carnelian
celestite
diamond
glass crystals
peridot
pumice
quartz
sapphire
smoky quartz
topaz
tourmaline
turquoise
plants to grow/use in your craft:
acacia
apricot
baby’s breath
bamboo
dandelion
eucalyptus
hazel
lavender
lemon
lemongrass
lemon verbena
lilac
nutmeg
olive
oregano
parsley
peach
pine
pistachio
sage
snow pea
spearmint
tangerine
willow
things to start doing:
go to a park/field/backyard and practice yoga
burn incense in the morning that corresponds to the intent you’d like to set for the day
look into dream magic
make a sigil that means “i am protected by the winds” and use it when you’re feeling unsafe
unleash your creative side: write poetry, paint, draw, sing, play an instrument
research angels
wear more white, grey, blue and lavender clothes
research subjects you’re interested in – amass knowledge in all its forms
make an air altar (preferably facing east): fill it with feathers, incense, crystals, hanging plants, pictures of beautiful sunsets you’ve witnessed, a flute or a record player
talk to the wind. vent your frustrations, tell it your worries, your dreams, your desires. it will always listen.
research faeries
find a signature perfume or cologne. wear it always.
learn to cleanse with the wind. sit in the breeze, feel it blow through you, taking all your negative energy to faraway places and replacing it with fresh energy.
I decided to write this after reading Timothy Jay Alexander’s old homophobic statements. Here are some tips for what to look for in sketchy people in Hellenic Polytheism and Hellenismos – I hope they are helpful!.
Talk of restoring our religion to its “rightful place”
An “ethnic” or “racial” focus to their worship
Focus on having and rearing children with the same religion (ie., indoctrination to force continuation of our faith)
Calls for violence
Labeling people who ask for basic respect or rights as whiny, etc.
Saying our faith is superior to any other
Fixation on hatred for monotheistic religions
Bigotry
Claiming that a big event is coming, or that they themselves are important to some big scale cosmic event
Using free speech as a “get out of jail” card for any bigotry
There are many ways you can offer food to the gods but I never really see this specific method (which I used to use when I was super poor) and honestly, even though I’m doing economically well, I still use this method as a bonding experience with me and the gods/spirits. I thought I’d share it for those of you who might need it.
I grew up super poor and unable to waste food because I was doing witchcraft in secret and my mother would flip or my siblings would eat the food if I left food out. Still, I felt bad because all the witch books I was reading at the time (the 90s) said I had to have a physical altar (I later learned this is such BS because you can mentally have one if you can’t physically aquire or keep one) and that I HAD to put food on it as an offering and later dig it in the Earth when it was done. (Very hard to do if you live in the city and can potentially be bad for the environment).
I was frustrated. I wanted to show the gods and spirits around me that I cared, that I was greatful for their protection and constant blessings. But with me being only able to get what I could from my mom because my mother couldn’t afford to give us an allowance, there was nothing I could do, so I got creative.
I looked at my food and was silent for a bit. My mom was so proud because she assumed I was saying Grace in my head. In actuality, I touched my plate/bowl and imagined gold energy coming out of my finger tips. The gold engulfed the food and I mentally said:
“I offer the spiritual aspect of the food I’m about to eat. I offer it to (say name/names of the gods and spirits. I visualized many copies of this food for all I was offering it to, so they can enjoy the meal I was about to eat.)You are also welcome to eat through me and taste what my tastebuds taste. I will only be consuming the physical portion of this food. I thank you from the bottom of my heart for all you do and continue to do. I love you.”
Some spirits would take me on my offer to eat through me and I could feel their energy go inside me while I ate. It was a beautiful experience and one that I still practice for a few reasons:
1) It allowed me to continue working with these gods/spirits in private.
2) I didn’t have to worry about what to do with the physical part of the food because I consumed it.
3) it was economically sound. As someone who was very poor and could only offer what I had, the spirits understood I was doing what I could. A lot of would be witches say they can’t afford the food offerings because they have to buy extra food when their normal grocery bill already looks scary.
4) I could feel the spiritual energy during these offerings. It was like being in a euphoric state of mind and that felt like we were truly bonding. It also helped me be able to identify when my spirits were near and tell them all apart.
When I got older and had a job, I was able to afford buying extra offerings but it wasn’t the same amazing experience. When I was getting rid of the food, I couldn’t help but feel bad for “wasting” it. (Something that was considered a terrible offense in my poor household.) I started to feel more and more disconnected with the spirits and before I knew it, the hectic aspects of life made it hard for me to remember to make extra for my altar so over time I stopped doing it altogether.
I find it easier for me to include the spirits in my daily life than make extra time for them because sometimes life has a way of keeping you away from your spiritual activities when it gets hectic.
Now, I do what I did when I was a kid. I interwove my gods and guides into my daily life and am experiencing magick like never before! I know some people will see this as super obvious but I felt it needed to be said for those who might need to see this.
I hope this helps and remember, no one has a right to say what is right for your craft but you! ❤
The point of this post is to raise awareness on what kind of pattern of thinking and words we may use during the manifestation process that may cause the process to go slower. These are personal experiences I’ve found while working on manifestations so I thought I’d share. I’ve seen a significant difference in manifestation time because I’ve stopped saying these phrases as much as I can as of lately.
❌ Phrases to avoid:
❌ “I can’t wait” – the universe responds to vibrations and not words necessarily. But if your vibration is representing impatience, or anxiety, rather than excited eagerness and full faith that what you desire is yours, the universe will respond to that and the manifestation process can take longer, thus making you wait. ❌ “I want” – this indicates that what you desire isn’t really yours yet simply because it hasn’t manifested physically. Instead of saying “I want”, practice saying “I AM”. I am loved, I am prosperous, I am successful, etc. Saying it in the present is full confidence that it’s yours already.
❌ “I will” – although you are confident and sure of getting/doing what you desire, “I will” can also indicate doubt or the possibility that you won’t. Again, saying “I am” is more presently active more so than “I will”.
Those are the top phrases I’ve avoided saying out loud, in writing, and in my mind. Of course, this takes practice to undo thinking patterns, but if you are presently aware it can help quite a bit! Feel free to add other things you’ve experienced that can slow the process 🔑 Happy manifesting! 💚
Unfortunately, there is no such thing as an unproblematic pagan author. Even the ones who seem like they’re doing things mostly right have their flaws.
Here are the ones to avoid, fullstop:
Silver Ravenwolf – Conflates Wicca and witchcraft, claims only Wiccans are true witches, erases non-Wiccan witches and pagans, constant Christian-bashing, misinformation, false history, cultural appropriation, contradicts herself, hateful rhetoric, racism, history of attacking critics.
D.J. Conway – HUGE problems with incorrect information about deities, questionable interpretations of historical events, also conflates Wicca and witchcraft.
Raymond Buckland – Appropriates closed cultures, uses the g-slur to exoticize certain rituals and techniques, propagates false history (documentary on “The Burning Times” is utter rubbish).
Edain McCoy – Yet more misinformation about deities and history (POTATO GODDESS!?), mostly where it applies to certain Celtic-associated personages and events. Tries to make EVERYTHING Irish, especially when it’s not.
Catherine Yronwode – Racist, perpetual bully, claims LGBTQ+ teens should kill themselves and along with her husband has provided pamphlets and counseling to encourage this, known for attacking people online, threatens critics and pirates with death magic. Oh and she claims New Orleans voodoo is “fake” to bolster her own credibility.
Christian Day – The problem here isn’t so much with his writing as with his personality. The man is a rape apologist and has harassed women on social media on numerous occasions after they’ve called him out for problematic statements, and has threatened other Salem practitioners over personal and business disputes.
Here’s what to look out for with the decent ones:
Judika Illes – Supports Silver Ravenwolf, conflates voodoo and hoodoo, some cultural appropriation.
Scott Cunningham – Outdated information (not his fault, he died in the early 1990s), incorrect correspondences, proponent of “The Burning Times” myth, incorrect history, conflates Wicca and witchcraft.
Tess Whitehurst – Frequently quotes her own beliefs as fact without supporting evidence, conflation of deities and practices.
Ellen Dugan – Vehemently against Christian witches, proponent of “The Burning Times” myth, sometimes conflates Wicca and witchcraft.
S. Connelly – Conflates voodoo and hoodoo, cultural appropriation from both.
Dorothy Morrison – Some cultural appropriation, conflates hoodoo and witchcraft.
Anna Riva – Outdated information (1970s), some appropriation, conflation of voodoo and witchcraft, mild misuse of Christian terminology and rhetoric.
Keep in mind, this list is far from exhaustive, and there are plenty of authors that I have read and not seen problems with, but that may be because I’m not looking at it from the right angle.
For instance, everyone seems to have a problem with Kate West, but I’ve found her books to be helpful and informative and aside from the obvious Wiccan fingerprinting (which you’ll find in most modern pagan literature). And I’m sure someone is going to tell me in the notes of this post exactly what it is I’m missing.
The important thing with any witchy or pagan book is to read critically and use your brains. If something doesn’t make sense or doesn’t seem to jive with what you know about history or religion, look it up in a non-witchy book. Read up on history and religion from academical sources. Read up on botany and herbology. Build a practical knowledge base so that when you run across problematic statements, you know which way the wind is blowing…and more importantly, whether it smells like bullshit.
fair--y backup 