Get Cracking with Squidoo: My First Spell

Think about spellcasting and witchcraft and invariably a person's mind will be drawn to the image of Shakespeare's three witches from MacBeth.

The three crones gathered round a cauldron, adding ingredients weird and wonderful while chanting a rhyme to create a spell.

There are many definitions of what a spell is.

"A spell is an active prayer."
"A spell is a spoken or written formula that when used in an act of magick is intended to cause or influence a particular course of events."

This is mine:

The shaping and moulding of energy to create a purpose.

"Before you can break the rules, you have to know them"
~ Nan Thompson, 1998

The first spell I did was a money spell. I carefully looked at the rules for spellcasting as indicated by the words of the Wiccan Rede.

An' ye harm none, do what ye will.

Archaic phrasing for something that can be translated so simply: Do what you want, but harm no one.

Where the problem comes is not in translating but in interpretting.

Is this free rein to just do what you want and to hell with anyone else? Do what you will it says after all.

Or, is it incredibly restricting: harm none.

Then there is the whole bit about the Law of Three - what you send out, comes back to you. This concept is seen in biblical passages with "As you sow, so shall you reap."

Put these all together.
Do what you will, but harm none.

Who are the none you're not supposed to harm? Other people, other animals, all living creatures, all living things?

Many Pagans, witches, and Wiccans use this phrase as a way of proving they aren't so bad. See, we can't do evil or bad or black magic. The Wiccan Rede doesn't allow it.

Unlike commandments, the Rede isn't an order given to the masses from on high. The Rede is a recommendation and a suggestion.
It's a reminder to all to consider carefully what effect their actions will have upon the world around them.

20 years ago though, for me it was a reminder that I needed to create a spell to obtain money that would not in any way bring harm to any person around me. I didn't want to gain needed money by inheriting it!

Some lessons need to be learnt through experience.

This was one such lesson for me.

I gathered my supplies. Candles, incense, pen and paper.

I wrote my wishes, with all the fine print about not gaining it through bringing harm to any person or living thing.

I created a magic circle.

I raised energy

I cast the spell.

A few weeks later, I looked at that spell again.

Had it worked?

Looking back and thinking about it, yes it did.

Did I harm anyone else? No.

Did I have extra money in my bank account? Yes, I did.

I was so exhausted though, I could barely function.

Over the course of the 5 days after I had cast that spell, I worked nearly 60 hours on my job.

In ironing out the small print, I'd neglected to make sure that I also didn't cause harm to myself.

I know that a few came to this page specifically looking for information on how to create their own spell.

Before leaving disappointed that I haven't carefully written out exactly what I did in my money spell, have a read here.

Spells work better if you create them yourself!

Look to outside resources for ideas, see how other people do it, then create the spell yourself in your own words. They work better and are more likely to be effective if you do all the work yourself.

Why do they work better?

They work better because a good deal of the energy needed to create a spell come from your own emotional involvement. Someone else's words. Someone else's work. That equals someone else's emotion. No matter how enthusiastic another person might be, they will not and cannot have the emotional investment into the spell that you will have.

More words of wisdom

Avoid any website that claims they will give you access to FREE spells.

They may not cost any money, but at best they won't work because of that needed emotional involvement and at worst, they may cost you a lot more than money.

Avoid spells that interfere with the free will of others.

This means love spells generally. You cannot force someone to fall in love with you. No matter how perfect you may think he is.

Better than doing a love spell is to do work on yourself. If you do decide on a spell, make a list of what features or characteristics appeal to you most, those things you would want in a boyfriend, a girlfriend, a spouse, or a lover. Then do the spell to make yourself more attractive to someone with those characteristics.

Just remember what I said above - Be careful what you wish for, you might just get it.

9 times out of 10, a spell is not necessary

It takes a lot of energy and personal investment to create a spell. Sometimes, it's better just to do things the mundane way.