WOTC Extra – Steps and Procedures for Forming Your Own Spells

Following the steps below will help you create spells that are just as effective as those you learn from a book or another practitioner.

1. Boil down the purpose of the spell to a word a short phrase.

2. Find the ingredients suited to your goal.

3. Determine the best possible timing for the spell.

4. Decide if you want to include an affirmation or incantation. If so, write it so that it describes your components and your goals.

5. Cleanse and bless all the item you will be using as part of the spell.

6. Consider any actions that might help support the magick and where best to insert them in the spell-casting process (for example, lighting a candle at the outset to illustrate your intention).

7. Prepare yourself and the space where you’ll cast the spell.

8. Focus your will to raise energy and guide it mentally toward your objective, then release it and trust in the outcome.

9. Keep a journal (or grimoire) of your results for future reference.

It is not necessary to always every step of this process. There will be moments when you can’t conduct a spell at “just the right time” or when you don’t have perfectly suitable components. Some spells don’t require numerous ingredients or actions–a visualization or simple statement of intent maybe all that’s necessary. Your thoughts and your will are the most important components of any spell; the rest are optional.

Let’s Talk Witch: Adapting A Spell for Your Own Needs

Today you will find many books on spellcraft that contain instructions for casting spells. You can also purchase ready-made kits that include all the ingredients necessary for a spell. Nonetheless, if those instructions or ingredients don’t make sense to you or break your personal ethics, the spell will not work.

The best spells are those you create yourself or adapt to suit your own purpose. The process of collecting ingredients, preparing them, and designing the steps of your spell focuses your mind on your intention and adds energy to the spell. Sometimes you must adapt a tried and true spell because you can’t get the designated components. For example, if you lived in New England and used ash leaves or bark in protection spells but then moved to Texas, you would not be able to find such plant life; you could then compensate by substituting another ingredient, such as basil.

With the pervious example in mind, it’s easy to see that there will be many times when a Witch or Wiccan will want to adapt a spell or devise oone of her own. How do you begin the process? Adapting a spell is far easier than creating one, so let’s start there. When a Witch examines a spell, she looks for continuity and comprehensiveness.

Do the spell target your goal through its words, actions and components?

Does it do so on a multisensual level (involving your hearing, sight, touch, taste, and smell)?

Does every part of the spell make sense and excite your higher sentiments?

If the answer to any of these questions is no, try to find a substitute. To illustrate, many old love spells call for blood as components. But modern awareness of disease (or squeamishness) might make blood inappropriate. Instead a witch could use red wine. The red juice from crushed raspberries, strawberries, or passion fruit (fruit associated with love) would also work well. In this manner, she can still follow the basic spell while replying on components that are safe and support her ethics.

Choosing your own ingredients when adapt a spell, rather than following a prescribed formulas allows you to fine-tune a spell to your specific needs. Once you understand the basic natures and symbolism of various components, you can mix and match them to create exactly the right combination of energies.

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