Are you unintentionally sending mixed messages with your spells?
Recently, a friend in a witching group I belong to shared a spell she'd come across, asking if others noticed anything problematic with it. The critique of the spell was not to find fault or do ridicule—we all start somewhere. This is how we can learn to be more effective in our craft.
I write my spells from a place of desire, as we all do. That energy is an important and necessary component of the spell work. But sometimes being in the space of intense emotion is like not seeing the forest for the trees.
The spell in question was a knot spell. Knots are associated with binding, either binding something from reaching you, or keeping something bound to you. Yet the main intent of this spell was to release something no longer wanted. It was apparent a lot of work went into the spell, many of its elements were sound, but I couldn't get past the mixed message of attracting and repelling at the same time.
That spell got me wondering how many times I've sent mixed messages to the powers that be, and then wondered why my magick didn't work so well, or manifested in a way I hadn't expected or wanted.
For example, Let's say I want to reduce physical clutter in my life. Do I need a releasing spell, or one to bind me from my desire to acquire things? Both, actually, I could do two separate spells, so as not to lump releasing and binding energy together, or I could take care to make sure the energies match up. Release clutter and release me from the desire to acquire more, or bind the power my clutter has over me, and bind my desire for collecting more of the same.
It's good practice to try out different options until you find the one that feels right, that sparks some reaction in you. For me, I had a physical reaction just writing about binding the powerful hold that my "stuff" has over me—there is something in there worth exploring to help me write an effective spell.
A few more considerations in crafting powerful spell work are the timing, duration or repetition, and tokens or talisman for reinforcement. I hold no illusion that one good spell is going to cure me of collecting pretty things I don't need. I'll probably craft a spell with some elements of repetition and reinforcement.
For example, I could use a large pillar candle marked in increments, so that as it burns down the energy that compels me to collect loses sway over me. For added support, I could enchant a crystal or piece of reflective jewelry to repel any of the desire in question that escapes my binding.
Finally, always remember the universe strives for balance. If you work a spell to remove one thing, it will be replaced with something else. Even if you are manifesting something in the physical world, it has to come from someplace. Voids are created —don't leave filling the empty space to chance. At the very least, make it clear that your spell should bring no unintended suffering or harm to yourself or others as a result.
SIMPLE SPELL CHECKLIST
What Do I Want To Manifest?
What do you want to bring into being? Think of manifesting and creating what you desire, not un-creating what you don't. For example instead of losing weight, manifest making healthy life choices. Don't get me wrong. Baneful, binding and releasing, cord cutting magick are all effective, but in the interest of simple witchcrafting, doing is easier than undoing.
That said, if you are working to release or remove something from your life, be as specific as you can about what you want to replace it with. If you cast a spell to be relieved of sorrow, you might think it goes unsaid that happiness would be the result, but it could be apathy, or anger or any number of other emotions. You probably don't want a spell for a financial windfall to be granted by an inheritance from a loved ones untimely death.
Be as specific as you can in what you are asking for. If you are asking for money, exactly how much do you need? If you are working a love spell be precise in every detail when describing what kind of love—friend, nurturing, sex partner, booty call or long lasting? What qualities in do you want the other person to have? Remember that best practice for spells to attract a love interest, is to work for the one that is right for you, not necessarily a named person, especially not one who has rebuked you or is partnered with somebody else—that would be interfering with another's free will. But hey, you do you.
Who is this spell for?
Most of the magick I do is for me, because it's almost impossible to change others against their will (and perhaps not ethical). Doing healing magick for others or working to manifest their desires is compassionate, but I have a stake in it too—not wanting to see somebody I care about suffer. Even wanting world peace is about wanting a place where I can live in peace with others, where I can be free of the stress of hate, violence and war. Of course I want everybody to enjoy it, but the primal motivation is that I will benefit from it. Once you realize (or accept) that all your magick is really about you, it doesn't mean that you stop doing magick for the greater good, it means you understand how to craft your spellwork from that place of truth. Your witchcraft will grow by leaps and bounds.
What is the underlying energy I am working with?
Are you creating or destroying, adding to or taking away, attracting or releasing, expanding or diminishing? Don't cross energy streams.
What is the timing?
There are two aspects of timing to consider, the most opportune time to cast the spell, and the duration or deadline of the spell. Using the energy of days, times of day, seasons, moon phases, and planetary alignments can increase the effectiveness of your spells. It may be as simple as working with moon phases of waxing to increase, waning to decrease, full for abundance and completion, dark moon for baneful or shadow work, and endings, and new moon for beginnings. Also consider if the spell would be better as a quick, one-and-done working, or if it needs to be a repeated practice, for a week, a month or more.
Finally, when working with time aspects in your spells, when do you want it to manifest, or how long should the spell last? If you are working a money drawing spell, when do you need that money? If you are binding something or someone, for how long should it last? Or if you are casting a glamour, how long do you need the illusion in place—an hour, a day or longer?
It doesn't have to rhyme.
Honestly, I often wonder where that ever came from aside from literature and Hollywood portrayals of witchcraft. Rhyming words might sound good, and make you feel like a bad ass, cool witch when you say them, but they are not the power of your spell. Your words are powerful—period.