by Charlynn Walls
A foundational aspect of many spiritual pathways is the construction and use of spells, either working in conjunction with ritual or as part of a daily devotional act. Through spells we can affect our daily lives and set into motion the change we wish to see. However, building momentum in our spells is a sometimes overlooked aspect of the process, and it is useful when we need our spells to build potency and continue to expand.
For spell building to work, you have to clearly envision the entirety of the spell and begin constructing it with that in mind. By doing so, you will choose the most appropriate times to add to your spell. You will also choose what elements to add during those times.
Spell building is for long-term magickal goals that will take time to come to fruition. As with other types of magickal workings, you will want to support your spellwork with practical, real-world effort, which will reinforce the energies you are putting forth into your spell.
Purpose of Spells
Spells help manifest a desired change. Typically the change starts as thought and becomes a physical manifestation. First, you will need to decide why you need to do the spell. Setting your intention when you determine the purpose for your magickal working is crucial because it will influence when and how you will start expanding the initial spell. You are taking the potential in yourself and around you and giving it a magickal push to start moving toward your desired outcome.
Build the Foundation: Spell Creation
Creating spells can seem like a daunting task, and there are dozens of books devoted to how to properly craft a spell. However, the main thing to realize is that through putting the spell together, you are taking control of the situation.
Spell building is based on a solid foundation spell. In this phase you are creating the base spell that you will continue to build on. You will want to make sure that you consider the following components needed for the spell:
Identify the purpose or intent.
Determine what materials are needed.
Consider the timing of the spell.
Ascertain how you will build energy and release it.
Increasing the Magick: Spell Building
Spell building is based on the stacking of spells. You take your initial spell and continue to expand on it by continually adding elements to it over a predetermined amount of time. Stacking your spells like this has some advantages. Rather than doing several one-shot spells that quickly lose their momentum or deviate from the original intent, you are allowing the energy to continue to flow by adding additional spells to it.
In order for it to be effective you will need to key into the spell’s overall purpose. Will you be working for protection, prosperity, or another goal? After the goal is set, you need to determine how long you will carry out the work. Will you be doing daily work for a week after the initial spell was cast? Or do you need to continue to renew and add to the magick for several months?
With the purpose of the spell and the time frame set firmly in mind, you will next need to determine how you will amplify the energy of your initial spell. Adding the use of candles, sigils, crystals, poppets, or other magickal focus appropriate to your purpose in any combination can give the original spell a boost. The components can be added based on your timetable and can include specific times of day or Moon phases if desired.
Putting Together the Pieces
One purpose that lends itself well to spell building is protection magick. This is a spell that is easily renewed and amplified in order to keep the energy flowing so that the protections remain in place. What follows is an example that could be used for protecting your home and property throughout the course of a year. You will want to make sure that you own the property or plan to be at the home for an extended time. The spell-building stages were chosen as examples of how different magickal components could all be tied back to protection.
Purpose: Protection of property and family
Materials Needed:
Initial Spell: Four stones (examples: obsidian, black tourmaline, onyx, and hematite); small spade for digging
Spell Building, Stage 1: Black candles; carving tool; protection sigil
Spell Building, Stage 2: Offering bowl or cauldron; sage, angelica, juniper, sandalwood
Spell Building, Stage 3: Full Moon water; chalice
Spell Building, Stage 4: Broom
Spell Building, Stage 5: Offering bowl or cauldron; graveyard dirt
Timing: Saturday or waning Moon, midnight
Building Energy: Using a chant
Spell-Building Length: One year
Initial Spell
To begin the foundation spell, you will want to walk the boundaries of your property. This can be done at any time. You will want to get a feel for the location of the natural breaks in the land’s energy and use those points to place your four anchor points that will help secure the protection magick to the area, as they will store the energy and form a perimeter around the property.
After identifying the areas you want to use, wait until either a waning Moon or a Saturday at midnight—times the protective energies will be most conducive. You can use any protection stone or combination of stones for this purpose. I like utilizing a combination of obsidian, black tourmaline, onyx, and hematite, as they all resonate protective energies.
When you are ready to begin the spell, start with the spot for the northernmost anchor point. Taking your spade, place the stone about one foot into the soil if possible. This will keep the stone from being accidentally dislodged. While doing so, you will say,
With strength of stone, my will is set to protect my home.
You will continue clockwise to the next anchor point while repeating the process of placing the stone and continuing the chant. Repeat the pattern until all of the stones have been placed into the soil. When all the stones are set, close the initial spell by saying,
All evil intent is barred; the energies gathered protect and guard.
Every couple of months you will renew and amplify the energy by rewalking the boundaries. Each time there will be a new component that will lend its unique energies to those you already established.
Stage 1
Two months after your initial spell, you will want to increase the protective energies on the property. Choose either a Saturday at midnight or the evening of the waning Moon. You can create a protection sigil for carving into a black candle. This can be as elaborate as you would like, or it can be a simple pentagram.
Again starting at the northernmost anchor point, take your black candle and use the carving tool (I use a bamboo skewer for convenience) to engrave the sigil into the candle. When you have finished, light your candle and walk from anchor to anchor in a clockwise motion. At each point, pour a little of the candle wax onto the ground as you say,
With strength sealed in stone, my will is set to protect my home.
When you get to the last point, you can again end with this:
All evil intent is barred; the energies gathered protect and guard.
Stage 2
Two months after the stage 1 spell, you will again add to the protective magick. The timing will again be a Saturday or waning Moon at midnight. Begin with the northernmost anchor point. This time you will combine a protection herb for each anchor point in an offering bowl. You will utilize the chant from the initial spell as you sprinkle the herb mixture in a large circle, making sure to leave a little extra at the anchor points. Say,
With strength grown in stone, my will is set to protect my home.
When you get to the last point, you can again end with this:
All evil intent is barred; the energies gathered protect and guard.
Stage 3
Two months after the stage 2 spell, when the timing is closest to a Saturday or evening of the waning Moon, you will again add to the protective magick. This time you will utilize Full Moon water that was collected and blessed previously. The water will enhance the protective energies already in place.
Place the water in a chalice for ease of working with it. You will start with the northernmost anchor point and begin sprinkling the water around the property line as you walk the boundaries. Again you will utilize the chant from the initial spell and end it as before:
With strength of Moon stored in stone, my will is set to protect
my home.
When you get to the last point, you can again end with this:
All evil intent is barred; the energies gathered protect and guard.
Stage 4
Two months after the stage 3 spell, you will reinforce the protective magick by banishing negativity. Take the broom to the northernmost anchor point. Begin sweeping the negative energy out of the boundaries of your property. Continue around the perimeter and chant,
With negativity banished from strength of stone, my will is set
to protect my home.
When you get to the last point, you can again end with this:
All evil intent is barred; the energies gathered protect and guard.
Stage 5
Two months after the stage 4 spell, you will add another layer to the protective magick. Place graveyard dirt that was previously collected into an offering bowl or cauldron. Proceed to the northernmost anchor point and begin sprinkling the boundary line with the graveyard dirt as you move around the property. This chant will be used to help anchor the protective energies of the ancestors to the anchor points:
With strength of ancestors anchored in stone, my will is set to
protect my home.
When you get to the last point, end with this:
All evil intent is barred; the energies gathered protect and guard.
If you wish to continue to renew the energy after the year, you can do so. The protective magick will still be potent as long as you continue to add to it on a regular basis. At this point you can repeat the cycle or continue to add new elements into the rotation.
Should you choose to stop the spell building, the spells will slowly fade with time. If you were renting or plan to move at some point from the property, you would want to remove the anchor points and take them with you to your next place of residence. They could then be placed inside the new home or anchored on the new property.
Conclusion
Spell building is not a magickal working you would consider for a regular ritual situation. The energy boost is for those times when you need to continue the magickal work on a longer-term basis in order to help achieve your magickal goals.
Typically, magick finds the path of least resistance and the quickest form of release. By prolonging the magick, you are ensuring that the energy is being consistently renewed and amplified, which helps ensure that the output is directed more adequately to your need.
However, it is a lot of work to plan out the aspects of these spells to ensure the best affect. There will be a lot of preplanning for this type of energy work to make sure that the foundation spell is sufficient and to plan how you will continue to amplify the spells that will build upon it.
Spell building is difficult to undo because it takes as much effort—if not more—to undo as to create. The spells, if not renewed, will slowly fade on their own over time because the power has been layered, ensuring longevity.
Spellwork, especially spell building, is not for the faint of heart. It is work! But the results can be staggering if you give it the due consideration that it requires.