What is a Spell?

A spell or magic ritual is the ability to cast an influence over the events of one's life, using willpower and the powers of the natural world combined. It is a technique used by witches to facilitate a specific outcome, or to bring into being the desire of the witch. Spells are not evil and magic is neither black nor white. It is simply energy that is directed towards an intention. Whether that intention is for good or ill is down to the individual witch, but the power of spell-craft itself is always neutral.

I have often described spell-casting as 'prayer with props' because that is essentially what it is. Witches are working with the powers of the universe to attract their desired outcomes. We use tools such as candles, incense, incantations, written intentions, crystals, plants and so on, to help us maintain our focus and bring in aspects of the natural energies with which we work.

Spell-casting is a collaboration between you and the universe, and you have to practice in alignment with the universal tides in order to cast an effective spell or ritual. Most spells, but not all, incorporate some kind of incantation - that is a series of words that are spoken out loud. Sometimes the incantation takes the form of a repetitive chant or a song. Its purpose is to state the intention of the spell.

How do Spells Work?

Spells work by attracting your intention towards you, using the magnetic fields of the universe. Think of the universe as a huge mirror that is designed to reflect your intentions back at you, like for like. This means that what you focus on is what you get. Keeping your thoughts positive will bring good things into your life, while allowing your thoughts to become negative will attract more things for you to complain about.

To make positive and effective magic, it is important to have a clear intention and a positive attitude towards the outcome. You must expect good things to come to you, and in a good way. This keeps your personal vibration on a high frequency, which results in positive manifestation of your intentions. Having doubts that your magic will work, or being very skeptical about magic in general, can delay the outcome, or even sabotage it completely. You cannot fool the mirror of the universe and it will always reflect back the attitude you hold in your heart and mind, so stay positive!

Modern Magic

Over the past few years, magic has had something of a facelift and has made its way into the mainstream of society, rebranded in turn as cosmic ordering, the law of attraction, or the manifestation techniques. Call it whatever you most comfortable with, as all these techniques are basically the same thing. They are all ways to connect with the power, or magic, of the universe in order to bring about a desired outcome.

If you are already familiar with the law of attraction, then you will have a good idea as to how magic works. Try to incorporate your law of attraction practices with your spell-craft to give yourself the best chance of success. Feel free to use affirmations, visualizations, vision boarding and so on, as a back up to your spells and vice versa. In this way, you are surrounding yourself with positive intentions and your spells should manifest more quickly as a result. The magic of the universe is very real and you can experience it for yourself whenever you choose to tap into it. Spells and rituals are a traditional route to this power, but the modern manifestation paths work too. Using both these techniques in conjunction with one another will make your witchery a force to be reckoned with.

Spells Versus Prayer

Sometimes spells are compared to prayer. There's some truth to this, and there's overlap. Understanding the difference between a prayer and a spell can help you understand the mystery of effective spell casting. Both prayers and spells are methods in manifesting an outcome or goal by using means that are metaphysical and spiritual. However, with prayer, you are requesting another entity to do the heavy lifting for you and trusting that they know the best way to get there. You are passive recipient in the process. In metaphor, imagine you are sitting in the passenger seat of the car and simply requesting where you would like the car to go. With spells, you are becoming an active participants in achieving your goal. You are metaphorically stepping into the driver's seat, taking personal responsibility and direct involvement. Even when involving deities and spirits in spell-casting, the goal is still partnership with you directly engaging in the energy work.

In the other words, prayer often involves supplication - it's a petition from a place of humility and surrender; you're asking the animated powers, be they spirits or gods to perform their will regarding your request. You are essentially asking them to do the work for you on their terms, trusting that they know how to achieve it a manner that is best for you. Even spells that petition the assistance of those higher powers involve uniting your will with theirs, and so are not passive affairs that simple prayers would be.

There's more of the witch's will and energy in a spell than in most forms of prayer. But on a deeper level, the witch understands that they themselves are a part of the Universal Mind, Start Goddess, or however they define the ultimate animating reality, even in spells that involve reverence and adoration of that power.