Writing Spells And Rituals Brigid Amor Picture this: you’re having a run of bad luck- your car has stalled, you spilled coffee on your favourite shirt, you’ve lost your favourite piece of jewellery, and because you’re late you’ve lost your job. There’s nothing you can do, right? Wrong. Something is obviously going wrong so you might want to appeal to the divine through a ritual or spell for a little nudge in the right direction. It’s all well and good to run to your computer or your favourite pagan book to look for a spell or ritual in which you can ask for a little luck and prosperity to come your way. However, if you want to get the most bang for your buck, you might want to try creating your own ritual or spell. Not only do you get the chance to learn a little more about your chosen path but you also get to make sure that you understand every aspect of your ritual and have accounted for everything. What makes a good ritual or spell? Well, to begin with, a good ritual or spell provides for the rule of three (whatever you do will return to you threefold.) In providing for the rule of three, you make sure that you don’t hurt anyone (including yourself) and you don’t take anything away from anyone else. In the same vein, a good spell is one that is either just for yourself or for another with explicit permission and probably their involvement (without requesting payment of any form.) Morals and ethics aside, a good ritual or spell has clear purpose and provides for the effect of time, the elements, directions and the different domains spiritual beings hold. A good spell or ritual also makes use of as many resources as it can through colour, herbs, stones and other sources that can further your intent. Interesting rituals usually have pretty pieces of poetry used to cast the circle, call the divine, state purpose and open the circle. It’s your ritual and therefore it’s perfectly acceptable to be as plain or as flowery as you like. Below is listed a few preparations for spells and rituals, as well as the basic outline most people follow. Before you create a ritual or spell: Know the Basics: Know your magick, how to raise, direct and ground energy, how to cast and open a circle, as well as the basic outline of spells and rituals. Know Yourself and/or your Partner(s): Are you going to be doing this spell/ritual alone or with someone else? If you are doing it alone, make sure you take some time to meditate and center yourself. If you’re doing your spell or ritual with others, make sure everyone is working towards your purpose as much as possible and that they understand all aspects of it. Know the Intent or Purpose: It’s impossible to do a spell or ritual without having a clear understanding of exactly why you’re doing it. The more aware of your purpose you are in your spell or ritual, the stronger it will be. Know the Best Time to Work the Spell: Is this a spell that should be done during a waning moon? A waxing moon? During the morning? During the night? What does your chosen hour represent? What month are you in? Where are the planets positioned? It may sounds like a lot but spells are much stronger when they are done during the appropriate time. It’s impossible to find the exactly correct time to do a spell (you might find out it was 5000 years ago or 50 years in the future) but providing for the stage of the moon you’re in is the very least you should do. Know which tools to choose: A witch is nothing without his or her tools. Make sure you know exactly which tools you’re going to be using, what purpose they have and where they should be placed within the circle according to their directional correspondence. Know Correspondences: Explore colors, stones, herbs, imagery and animals within magick. Learn what they mean and aim to use them to their best within your ritual or spell. Basic Spell/Ritual Outline Choose an appropriate time. Decide your intent. Decide how you are going to raise energy. Choose how to cast and close the circle. -Cleanse yourself and your magickal space. -Cast the Circle -Invocation of the Divine (God, Goddess, elements, directions etc.) -Statement of purpose (Tell your chosen divine being why exactly they’ve been called to your circle) -Magickal working (Raise energy, direct energy, ground energy) -Cakes and Wine -Thanking the Divine -Opening the Circle Remember: Never, ever break a circle. A circle is always opened, never broken so it is always ready to be called again. Back