When you cast a spell, you are doing magick - make sure that before you try any sort of magick you read up on the principles of magick and find out exactly what it is. Spell casting takes a bit of know-how - if you don't know what you're doing, it won't work and you'll probably get yourself into trouble.
What is a spell?
A spell is a set of words and actions that are intended to raise energy and then direct it out into the Universe to try and bring about a particular result or change in the physical world. Why do we use words and actions, you ask? The act of saying the spell and carrying out the actions focuses your mind completely on what you are doing and what you want to get out of it - consciously and subconsciously. Things work much better when all your energy is focused in the one direction.
How do I go about writing a spell?
You may wonder why you need to write spells at all when the internet is full of them - the fact is that things such as rituals and spells work much better when they have been written by the person that will use them. An original spell will direct energy much more specifically and be more effective than a generic one-size-fits-all spell. That doesn't mean you can't base your spell on one you find here on Shadows of Oz or anywhere else on the net - try to personalise it as much as possible to bring change most effectively in your life. Whatever you do, don't ever pay for a spell. A real Witch will never take money in return for working or writing a ritual or spell.
1. Know what you want
Before you put pen to paper, you need to know precisely what you want. If you don't know that, you can't even begin to write out a spell to help you get it. It helps to write your intention concisely on the top of your page - it'll help keep your mind focused on your goal while you write. When I say "know exactly what you want", you shouldn't limit the ways in which it can come about. For example, say you wanted a new job and wrote into your spell specifically that you wanted a bit of luck looking through the classifieds in the paper - you're not directing any energy towards all the other ways you could get a better job, such as being promoted. Just see yourself happy at work - don't form any preconceptions about how you might get there. Once you tell the Universe what you want, let it happen however it happens. It also helps to know why you want what you want - make sure your intentions are pure before you cast a spell. You don't want to do magick to get something just to make someone else jealous, for example.
2. Pick a time
Before you put pen to paper, you need to know when the time is best for your working. You need to look at Moon phases, the positions of the planets - even what day of the week it is. You can, in theory, do any spell at any time - but if you want it to be as effective as possible, you should try and pick a good time (you can find info on these correspondences here). But, if you need to do that spell today, right now, then do it. The Universe will 'know' you had no other choice.
3. Decide how you will cast the spell
Before you can write the words you want to say and the actions that go with them, you need to know how you're going to actually work your magick. The words you say and the actions you do while you say them will depend on how you're going to cast your spell. There are several forms of magick that you can use, such as:
Cord magick: focus your energy while you tie knots in an appropriately-coloured cord
Candle magick: pack your candle with energy and release it when you light the wick (Fire magick)
Poppet magick: working magick with an empowered doll
Incense magick: similar to candle magick, but using incense (Air magick)
Glamour magick: using a mirror to deal with self-image issues
Mirror magick: using a mirror to help banish negativity
Potion magick: use an infusion to spray around a room to remove negativity (for example)
Powder magick: use a powder of an appropriate substance and blow it into the air, sprinkle it over something, etc
Petition magick: write down your magickal intent on paper and burn it (Fire magick)
and many others I haven't listed here. Remember that your intention will give you clues as to what sort of magick would be most effective - if you were doing a love spell, for example, you would want to use the element of Fire as much as possible: so, you would tend to choose something like candle or paper magick.
4. Write out the words you want to say
This is where those masses of spells online can come in handy - if you find a few lines that really speak to you, put them in your spell. Generally, spells rhyme - this is another trick to focus the mind and also to help you remember the words! The words you write don't have to be long and flowery and complex, or even verbatim from the paper you wrote it on. You can just write down a general description of what you want to say and ad lib the actual spell while you're casting it, if you feel like doing that. However you do it, make sure you're explicitly clear about what you want.
I find that when I write a spell, I end up writing more than just the words I want to say - I find myself scripting the full event from casting the magick circle to taking it down. Not everyone does this, but I like to be highly organised. If that's not you, don't over-organise yourself - some of the best magick I've done has been spur of the moment!
There's no rule that says a spell has to be spoken out loud to be a spell - you can have no words at all and just visualise your goals. Words are useful, though, because they really help engage your mind.
5. Using correspondences
Now you know what type of magick you want to use, you can add some extra ingredients to give it a little extra power. There are many things you can do to enhance the power of your spell - you can do your magick on a certain day, while a relevant planet is in a particular sign, or under a certain Moon phase; burn a specific colour candle on your altar, anoint yourself with an oil infused with a certain herb, wear a certain gem/stone, burn a certain type of incense, and so on and so forth. There are almost endless correspondences that are useful in magick - I have a whole section devoted to magickal correspondences, if you'd like to use them in your spell. If you'd like ideas on how to use them, then look around the net for those handy collections of spells - you can pass things through incense smoke, over candle flames, sprinkle them with salt or consecrated water, do cord magick with a certain colour cord, use a certain colour pen for petition magick, etc. The possibilities are endless!
6. Building a cone of power
The heart of spell casting is raising energy - this process is called 'building a cone of power'. You can do it by chanting, beating or listening to drums, using tambourines or rattles, stamping your feet - anything that you can increase the intensity of. The idea is that you start of beating your drum (for example) slowly, then increase the tempo and intensity. While you're doing this, you visualise your goal - see yourself with what you want. Hear it, smell it, taste it - make it as real as possible. When you feel you have a strong cone of power (you'll know when you do), you release the energy, still visualising your goal - remember, actions speak louder than words. You can release your energy by ringing a bell, by visualising your energy flowing into a candle and then lighting it, giving the drum one last heavy hit - however you like.
A note on chanting to raise energy - I've read that chanting repetitive rhymes induces alpha brain waves, which means you're very relaxed but very alert (it's basically a light trance). This state of mind is very conducive to problem solving and creativity - two important features of magick. Having used chanting to raise a cone of power, I noticed that I lost track of time and also of my physical surroundings - the chanting raised a huge amount of energy that I could physically feel around me.
7. Binding the spell
This is the end point of the spell - the signal that you've finished your working. Many people say a line like "May this spell not reverse or place upon me any curse", and then the "As I will, so mote it be" thing or something similar. Say whatever seems right to you.
8. Repeating the spell
Sometimes, especially if your goal is a big one, you may want to repeat your spell a couple of times. Some Witches repeat all their spells a few times, under different conditions or using different techniques, but you don't have to. You also may want to repeat your spell if your goal hasn't materialised after 2 cycles of the Moon.
Why hasn't my spell worked?
Magick doesn't always work, for reasons we don't understand - you may get a different result than you planned or no result at all. It's most likely because the Universe has other plans that we have absolutely no concept of. All you can do is repeat your working a few times and then perhaps work for a different goal. Remember, the Universe knows best.
