This post is part of a series of animistic, spirit-oriented spellcasting for beginners. Go to the masterpost to see them all.

I’m having a fun time thinking of a new way to say the same disclaimer for what is now my 13th post in this series: I’m attempting to present one way of working with practical magic. This way is not universal. It’s not even particularly helpful for many. If you are already pleased with your magical success, I am not trying to invalidate you by telling you to start doing stuff in a much more formal, ritualistic way. Rather, this series is for people who aren’t happy with where they’re at and want to try new stuff to troubleshoot their success.

I’m worried that in most of this post my tone is a little more “this is definitely the right way to do things” than my other posts in this series. While I always strive to state and restate that this is really only one way of doing magic, sadly I can’t afford to hire a copy editor. Just please be aware that for the whole post I really only am talking about the style of spellcraft described in the overall series.

This post is I think the longest out of any of them, almost all of it is under the cut :)

Yes. Let’s get to it.

Stuff needs power to go.

Car needs gas. Lightbulb needs electricity. Spell needs energy.

If you have a car without gas, you’ll still have a car. The lights might even turn on and the engine will try to turn over - it’s just not going to go, you know?

I have a lightbulb in the lamp. I still have it; it’s just not doing anything. If I turn on the flow of electricity, it’s going to do it’s job - until I turn the flow off again (or it burns out; it happens).

Originally posted by helium-fox

I very commonly see spells that explain how to set up a magical machine, but fail to explain how to actually power it.

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This post is part of a series of animistic, spirit-oriented spellcasting for beginners. Go to the masterpost to see them all.

Originally posted by midnight4ever

This is a 101 theory post. Go to the masterpost to find actionable steps for altar building and consecration.

Loosely defined (remember, we aren’t trying to label everyone, we just want to clear the weeds in our corner of the magical universe), an altar is a sacred space used to facilitate two-way communication and movement with the unseen worlds.

Altars are often built to house and honor gods and spirits. There is a fairly significant difference between someone building an altar or shrine to honor their god(s), and a spellcasting altar for witchcraft.

Our goal with a spellcasting altar is not really to honor anything. We can build a separate altar or shrine to honor a god if we would like to do so.

Instead, for the purposes of this series, a spellcasting altar is:

• A hardwired connection to the otherworld,
• Which makes gathering metaphysical energy easier, and
• Drawing power out of the ethereal and grounding it into physical objects is easier, which means
• Successful manifestation is easier.
• Delivering targeted spells is easier.
• Also, it’s beacon that naturally accumulates and collects spiritual power (this is why people can put things on their altars to automatically charge them).
• And it’s powerful method of classical conditioning.

Classical Conditioning: It’s Hella Useful

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This post is part of a series of animistic, spirit-oriented spellcasting for beginners. Go to the masterpost to see them all.

This post describes a pretty specific way of working with practical witchcraft. The stuff I’m describing is not applicable to most people or their practices. I am not trying to tell all witches everywhere how they need to cast spells. I am only trying to present methodologies for people who are interested in changing or modifying their spells, or for those who just like to read about what other people’s practices :)

Heyo, friends! This post is a direct extension of the one before it: Raising Power: An Intro Into Powering Your Spells

That prior post was mostly “why does raising power for spells matter?” and “here’s like three ideas to start researching more.” And this post is going to be, “so you’ve sat down to cast a spell: how exactly can you charge it?”

This post has both theory and actionable steps.

And I think while all of the posts before in this series were like, “here’s something we can ALL do!” this post is going to start showing how even if you’re following a system like this, your spellcrafting is still inherently, necessarily customized to you :)

This is a long one, folks. My apologies in advance.

You can start gathering power for a spell the moment you conceptualize it

If you are familiar with thoughtform/servitor tech, you may be aware that one technique of creating a thoughtform is to hold its seed within your mind and slowly charge it over time with your thoughts.

So it is with spells! The very first moment you realize you could, should, or want to cast a spell on something - the instant the conceptual seed arrives in your brain - you can begin adding energy to it.

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In contemporary witchcraft, cute little rhyming couplets are both common and fun to work with. It makes me feel like a Disney witch to chant little rhymes.

Originally posted by julianemilian0

But it’s also not necessary, or always even practical. I’m not a freestyler, I can’t come up with based rhymes on the spot. So anyway, if you’re looking for discourse on how to come up with your own word-based incantations and charms, here you go:

You can keep it simple and speak plainly in your everyday language. What’s the difference between,

Creature of fire, this charge I lay: no phantom in thy presence stay! Hear my will addressed to thee; as my word, so mote it be!

and,

Candle flame, I give you this job: Chase away all illusions, uninvited spirits, and energies that conflict with my intent in this spell. As I command you, you have listened, and my will has been done.

?

The main difference, imo, is aesthetic. If you vibe with the nebulous implications of what a “phantom” is, and you like thys, thees, and motes, go with the former.

If you just want to sit there and figure out what you want, and then tell the candle to do that, go with the latter. It’s going to pretty much do the exact same thing.

Now, that being said, the specific language used can really matter, especially when working in traditional currents. Going in to that in-depth is for another post, and it doesn’t particularly apply to us for most circumstances.

Really think about exactly you want to have happen. I really believe there’s a difference between “candle flame, chase away all unwanted spirits,” and “candle flame, chase away all uninvited spirits.” Consider the implications of your words.

The intent you feel in your heart does not automatically override the crystalized meaning of your words and actions.

Originally posted by littletealights

Your words have incredible power. Once you invoke your intent with a specific word or phrase, that’s what it is.

You can reuse and repurpose the good stuff. Way back when I was starting, I read Mastering Witchcraft by Paul Huson, where he presents two cleansing charms: one for saltwater, and one for incense. The saltwater one was a rhyming couplet that was easy to remember. “Water and earth, where you are cast, let no spell nor ill intention last not in complete accord with me. As my word, so mote it be.”

The incense one was way longer and in a totally different, non-rhyming format. I wasn’t fixing to memorize two things, so I modified the saltwater one: “Fire and air, where you flare, let no spell nor ill intention last…”

Easy.

There is no practical reason that all of your spells or charms must be totally independent and unique. In fact, if you use repeating lines shared between many charms, various theories of magic would say that this actually stores and shares more power between all of them.

Having a standard format can really help. Creating a format for all of your charms is a great way to explore your personal path, because you gotta sit there and ask what stuff is important for you and what you think magic requires in order to work. It can also really aid in building charms because you’ve already decided the kind of stuff you want to include, so you’re not just starting with a blank slate. Here’s an example:

Name the influencing powers/energies
State what you want them to do
Describe how your will becomes manifest
Affirm that your will shall be done
Close/seal charm

This might look like:

Sun and Moon, crown my room, and cradle me to sleep
Not the outside world, nor stress, nor nightmares
Will touch me while I’m in your keep
My will is spoken, my word complete
By my power: so mote it be

Standard formats can make memorization easier because you know what part comes next. If you’ve just finished naming the powers, next comes telling them what you want them to do.

Take pressure off of the development process by taking your charms out for test drives. I know you, friend. You’re anxious about writing the perfect charm as an ideal vehicle for your magical power, and you might spend weeks tinkering with a single charm without ever getting out there and using it.

But here’s the thing. How are you going to know if it’s perfect if you’ve never used it? Like how do you know the changes you make are improvements if you don’t already have a baseline effectiveness?

You can (and maybe should!) use rough draft, partially completed charms - even individual lines from charms - and try them out in your daily life. Practice putting your power into them, see how they flow, see how they blend with situations. A charm that looks perfect on paper may be clunky when you vibrate it through your mind. A charm that seems to flow well the first five times you use it might have strange, unwanted energies below the surface.

Remember, your charms aren’t museum-quality historical artifacts; they are a living part of your craft that can evolve with you. I know, my beauties. We are all enchanted by the thought of a leather-bound tome to pass down to our students decades from now, hand-written in magical inks, our spells and charms immortalized for future generations. Maybe they’ll name a school of witchcraft after us one day.

But if we maintain this ideal in our minds that the spells and charms we write have to be perfect, they’re never going to get finished. Let me encourage you to accept fluidity when writing your charms, and modify them as-needed; even every time you use them. As good as you are at magic, I hope you will not be offended that I am betting against any of us writing a perfect charm used our whole lives, without ever reformatting or upgrading it.

So don’t pressure yourself to make something pristine and perfect! Let your charms be your faithful hound dogs, your tools slung in your pack. Let them grow and learn with you, and become perfectly honed to the environments within which you work.

Originally posted by chipndale

So I’m feeling a little down and very low energy, and writing and helping brings me joy, so here’s some “it’s far too overcast and cold for me to be mentally well” witch ideas:

• Light incense. Don’t visualize or do magic. Light it up and say, “yay, I like incense.”
• Make tea. Sloosh it around in your mug a little. Say, “it’s just like the ocean.” Drink the ocean.
• If you are a little cold, say, “I manifest warmth.” Go find a bigger, cozier sweater or a blankie. Get warm. Your spell has manifested. You are magic.
• Find some of your clickity clackity rocks. Make a crystal grid of no more than three rocks. No matter what grid you make, the intent is, “I have just done a productivity.” When you are done, your spell has simultaneously been cast and become manifest.
• Wash one dish. Look at it and know that it loves you. You and the dish are friends now.
• Imagine what kind of cat you would like to have, if you did want a (new) cat. Think about its appearance and personality. Give it a name. It is now your thoughtform. Enjoy.
• Watch that one Netflix show you’ve been saving forever for a time when you’re ready to focus. Do or do not focus. When you are done watching the show, say, “I knew it.”

Part of a series - go to the masterpost to see them all

The person you are reading for is only 50% of the equation. You are the other half. If the reading is not good for you, then it is a bad reading. Never let yourself be pushed into reading questions or people that make you feel uncomfortable.

Define What You’ll Read About

Many readers have categories they will not read for. Common examples include:

• Love and relationship readings
• “Spying” on a third party
• Questions set in the far future
• Questions exploring inner traumas or painful memories

Think about the categories of questions you do not want to read for, and stick to your guns. It’s a good idea to clearly state examples of readings you will do, and readings you won’t do, on your services listing.

Be Upfront About Your Specialties

Part of setting boundaries is being comfortable saying,

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Write Down That Q

Have you ever gotten twenty minutes into a detailed reading, and realized both you and the client forgot exactly what question you’re supposed to be answering?

This isn’t much of an issue for online readings where everything is in writing. It’s a fun little Easter egg for voicechat or in-person readings, though.

Write down the exact question you’re answering! If you’re going to deliver a polished Google Doc or PDF of the reading, this exact question will be important to add to that documentation as well.

With that out of the way, what about formatting the question?

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I’m bad at saying things briefly so I hope it’s ok that I made this into a post @livelist . This post right here is based on another post I made earlier, which posits that your willpower and focus can be used to channel external energies, instead of using your own power to fuel spells.

The question in response to my earlier post was, “Can you give more detail on how you harness/channel energy from your environment?”

Tl;dr: This is what all those correspondences are for!

My path is completely spirit-oriented and animistic, so to engage these powers, I call on them by name and ask (“Garlic, my man, my guy; would you help me out today?”). For those who do not believe or want to work with spirits, commanding the energy works just as well! (“I invoke the energies within garlic to empower my spell.”)

Elements: The four Western elements (earth/air/fire/water) are believed by some (including me) to permeate every part of reality, just in various ratios. The room and atmosphere around you right now contain a combination of all four. These may be readily drawn into a spell by calling on their power and asking them to arrive. I believe this is made even easier by placing representations of each element within the spellcasting space (a cup of water, a stone, some matches, and a feather, for example).

Minerals: All those “crystals” we buy are supposed to be loaded with metaphysical energies, so why not put them to use? Choose a mineral with a matching correspondence to the intent of your spell and bring it into the spellcasting space.

Plants: The same as minerals, really :)

Animals: Invoking the powers of various species of animals works the same as invoking help from plants and minerals. For animals I tend to use representations (see below) instead of the genuine animal bits.

Celestial bodies: The sun and moon shine freely upon us and their power is freely given. All the planets in our solar system have powers and energies associated with them, and those powers can be called upon. You can call on the powers of constellations as well (I personally believe planetary powers are made easier or more difficult to invoke depending on the timing, but this doesn’t mean they’re only possible to invoke at certain times. It can sometimes just be a little foggier.)

Representations: If you can’t get the physical thing in question (like some actual garlic and hematite, for example), you can create a channel for it by drawing a picture of it or using photos. I find this makes it easier to invoke their powers than if there was no representation at all, but still more difficult than working with the actual article.

Charging: Depending on your beliefs, the minerals and herbs you store in your cabinet probably need to be recharged or have power called into them before that power can be used in a spell. You don’t have to charge them with your own power; you can call their natural power back to them (once again, you are acting as the “transmission” to move around existing external powers). For me, this is asking the indwelling spirit to return and empower the physical substance. For others, this may be a charge or charm stating that the physical object be refilled with energy and made whole and powerful. I usually charge each thing I use with the specific intent for my spell (“Cinnamon, I need your help with a prosperity spell in a few days, please return and grow strong in this vessel unto that purpose”). I find it is cromulent to begin this charging process 3 or so days before the spell needs to be cast, but this is not vital.

Putting it all together: Suppose I want to work a protection spell that uses iron nails, a bloodstone, and the seal of Mars. I choose a candle to be the vessel for the spell. I clearly set my statement of intent: My home is protected during the holidays. I have chosen each ingredient because they support important components of my intent. I pick up the iron nails and focus my intent and will that what I am about to say is heard by the spirit world – this is vital, this is me transmuting external powers into a spell. I speak plainly: “Spirit of Iron, I need your help: Until the next full moon, I need to ensure my home is protected like it is surrounded by a huge iron wall with spikes on top, so that no one may pass my property line without being invited. I ask you to donate your power to this spell and work with the other powers I will also call.” I use my willpower and focus to direct the powers of Iron into the candle.

I put the nails down and speak to each other power I have chosen to invoke. I ask them for their help and ask them to work together towards a common goal. All the while my willpower and focus are engaged, not to pour myself into the candle, but to pour freely given powers into the candle; the candle is like the cauldron that holds them all and combines their might, and I am a funnel. At the end, I say something like, “you three have come together today and placed your powers in this candle to assist me in this intent: that my home is protected during the holidays.”

Still all the while, my willpower and focus are engaged, and I declare the spell complete. Perhaps I use a highly charged phrase which is good at sealing and finishing a spell: “So mote it be.”

The spell is done, I release my willpower and focus.

I give the powers a little offering (even if you don’t believe in or call on the spirits, I think equivalent exchange is still important).

I light the candle. As it burns down, it releases the spell which it held, so the spell may go out and do its work.

And again, just to clarify, this is just the way I do things!! These beliefs are not universal, they are not required, and for many they are even counter-intuitive or contradictory. I just like sharing about the way I do things!

Part of a series - go to the masterpost to see them all

To Share or Not To Share?

It’s not a bad idea to explain extra information about your divination tool and explore the various (relevant) meanings of the card, charm, rune, etc.

I find querents often appreciate and enjoy these extra explorations, and it can make readings much richer and information-dense.

Sometimes though, readers can get into the habit of reminding themselves about what the tool means by thinking out loud and talking about every possible meaning it may hold.

This becomes a problem when the reader dumps a list of definitions on the querent, many of which are likely irrelevant and which will not be used in the final interpretation. It looks like this:

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Part of a series - go to the masterpost to see them all

Please Answer the Dang Question

I can’t count the number of readings I have received where the reader never actually addressed my question. This can happen for different reasons:

• The reader spends all their time explaining things around the question, but never responds to the question itself
• The reader relates all their knowledge about the card (or rune, or planet, etc), but fails to explain which meanings are relevant or how these meanings answer the question
• The reader answers a totally different question, instead of what the querent asked

I really believe that readings shouldn’t end before you give a clear, concise statement that directly answers your client’s question. This requires remembering exactly what question was asked.

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