What is spellcraft? It’s the art of using energy to help regulate your world, to attune yourself to the energies around you, and to work with those energies for a beneficial outcome. It’s important to note that a spell is not a religious act. Rather, spellcrafting is a method of using energy to power some sort of change. Using spells to protect and defend yourself, the people you care about, and various areas of your life can be part of supporting healthy living. Working protection magic can help reduce the amount of stress you have to deal with on a daily basis, and magical maintenance of your energy can help your emotional and physical well-being. Spellcraft can assist you with all this and more.
A spell is something you do with intent and awareness to create change on some level, and works on the principle that everything is connected by energy. Spells are done by performing a sequence of symbolic actions in the physical world to activate change on a different level. A spell looks to affect a situation by introducing a new kind of energy or by redistributing the energy that is already present.
When casting a spell, you function as an agent of change; you actively call upon resources to gather and direct energy. When you cast a spell, you acknowledge that your actions are the ones responsible for creating change. Initializing change is your intention, and whatever consequences follow are also your responsibility. (More on that in the sections on ethics.)
Spellwork is designed to make your life easier. However, if you’re looking to use spells to avoid work, you are in for a rude awakening. Spellcraft requires effort, thought, energy, and focus. You can’t snap your fingers and expect instant change to check off whatever goals you’re working toward. Spellcraft is a transformative process that touches you as the spellcaster as well as your goals and the environment that contains them. Energy and effort on your part must be put into the equation in order for the outcome to manifest. So you still have to do work in order to achieve your goal, but you’re more in control of what happens and how.
Everything in the world possesses energy of some kind, including situations. All those energies reach out to connect with one another, creating a weblike connection. When you seek to influence a situation with a spell, you tweak the energy in one location. That tweak sends shivers all through the web, and every energy field ripples a bit as your spell’s energy travels to the point it seeks to modify. The world is covered with these strands of energy connecting everyone and everything, and this is what enables you to send out certain energies toward a goal or pull certain energies toward you.
Does it work immediately? No. What you need to do once you’ve cast a spell is be confident that the transformation you desire has already begun and will resolve soon. Then watch for and be aware of change. When that change may come is variable. It may creep in bit by bit until one day something’s different, and you’re not quite sure when it started; it’s just the new normal. Rarely are changes staggeringly obvious and dramatic.
After a decade or so of quiet, there’s a resurgence of interest in the metaphysical these days. With an increasing load of stress deriving from the ongoing barrage of news and information coming at them every minute, people look for ways to set their minds at rest and feel like they have a hand in protecting and defending what they consider good and right in the world. Protection magic is one way for you to do that.
As dramatic as defending yourself against monsters and dark magic sounds, you actually don’t run into a lot of it on a daily basis. It is extremely rare that someone will actively use aggressive magic aimed at you or engage in deliberate psychic attack.
However, there is a bunch of negative energy out there in the world. Hatred, fear, anger—it’s inescapable. And if you’re sensitive to energy, it can really affect you. It can go so far as to adversely impact your physical health, making you ill. Even if you’re not sensitive to energy, it can affect you, sapping your energy so you’re tired, snappish, and generally exhausted for no clear reason.
Protection has several facets to it. You can protect something from general negativity. You can protect something or someone from a specific danger. You can defend against an attack, deliberate or environmental. You can protect someone, somewhere, or something from negativity by maintaining a field of positive energy around it. And perhaps most importantly, you can maintain a level of defense at all times because prevention is the best medicine.
Everyone could use more protection; safety is so important. But there are times when you feel particularly vulnerable and may want to increase your defenses.
Are you experiencing what feels like a run of bad luck? Are you becoming overwhelmed by sensations or discomfort that you can’t clearly identify, or are you having particularly vivid or disturbing dreams? These can all be signs that there’s negativity cluttering up your personal energy or the spaces in which you operate.
It’s also not uncommon to start being more aware of different energies as you start to work with spells. After all, spellwork is about working with energy, and the more you do it, the better you get at sensing, reading, and moving energy. Your new awareness can make you feel like your senses are set to maximum reception, and it can be overwhelming. Don’t assume you’re under some sort of attack; you’re just sorting through all the new information you’re picking up.
Here are some techniques to help you acclimate to this new sensitivity of awareness:
• Practice centering and grounding (see Chapter 2).
• Spend some time outdoors.
• Engage in physical activity to help you focus on your body to balance out the new energy awareness.
• Take care of yourself. Eat right, drink enough water, get enough sleep, meditate.
• Journal. Write down everything you’re experiencing and keep track of the spellwork you’re doing to see if there’s any sort of correlation.
• Do regular magical rituals to cleanse yourself and your living space to reduce the amount of energy interference.
• Be patient with yourself and the process.
Spellcraft affects the person doing it, just as it affects whatever he or she is casting at. Working with spells gives you a heightened sense of energy and awareness that boosts your everyday alertness.
Sometimes spellwork is just a heightened awareness of potential danger; that mindfulness allows you to tap into the energy of your environment and pay attention so you notice problems before they become significant. This is key in protection: becoming aware of a problem before it becomes a problem, while it’s still in the developmental stage. It’s easier to deal with a developing problem than one that has grown into a massive issue.
Your best defense in your day-to-day life is to be aware of situations, your environment, and people’s energies. Heightened awareness can alert you to a potentially bad situation before it actually starts so you can get out or invoke major protection before the negative energy comes down.
Sometimes you just get an odd feeling, as if something’s not quite right. Or perhaps you feel prompted to go a different way to work for no reason that you can clearly point to. That’s your intuition at work.
Intuition is an instinctive prompting that arises from your mind or body picking up information that you may not be consciously aware of. Remember that web of energy mentioned earlier? Energy carries information, which is how you can use spells to affect a situation elsewhere. The reverse is also true: information in the form of energy can come to you as well. Your conscious mind is usually taken up with focusing on a zillion other things, so reading this energy is often left to your subconscious.
Trust your intuition. It can help keep you safe. It’s another level of awareness that can benefit by association when you work with spells. Remember, a lot of protection is rooted in prevention. Listening to and trusting your intuition can help you avoid situations in which your safety might be threatened.
One of the most critical elements to take into account during spellcraft is ethics—specifically the ethics of whom your magic focuses on. In general, the person to affect is you. You are the person you have the most control over. You are also the person for whom you have given yourself permission to do magic.
If you are doing spellwork to improve a situation that involves a problematic individual, you work to change the situation, not the person. What about using magic to enhance the protection of your spouse who works in a dangerous job? Again, you could work to improve the situation, but what if you specifically want to protect the person?
You don’t get to do magic on or for other people without their permission. Ask! It’s a simple matter of respect. You wouldn’t walk up to someone and suit them up in plate armor or hockey gear without asking first, right? Same goes for magic. If you’re feeling awkward, a simple, “Hey, I’m worried about you in [specific situation]. Do you mind if I do a little something spiritually to help keep you safe?” If they’re open, you could even discuss a method. Would they like a charged stone to carry with them, for example?
What do you do if they say no? You can elaborate; they may need a clearer explanation in order to understand what you’re proposing. If they still say no, you have a very difficult decision to make. You can either comply with their wishes . . . or go ahead with your magic.
This is a huge issue, and not a decision to be taken lightly. If you opt to do magic on or for someone who has not agreed to it, then you accept responsibility not only for any outcome of that magic, but also for your decision to work against your friend’s wishes. That’s a heavy karmic burden.
You must weigh the situation very, very carefully. Are you afraid for your friend’s life? Is the situation serious enough to merit you proceeding anyway? If not, then you probably have no business doing it.
What if you’re doing spellwork on an area, such as a room? Area magic can be an ethically gray area. If it’s your room, you’re fine. Whoever walks through it will interact with it on a personal level, but since the magic isn’t specifically aimed at them, you should be okay. What if you need or want to do magic on a common area, like a conference room at work? First of all, examine your motivation carefully. Doing spellwork to influence people in a meeting to support you is not cool. Instead, charge and carry a stone to increase your likeability, improve your communication skills, and help you deliver your arguments clearly. That way, you’re working on yourself; you’re the target or subject. Alternatively, you may want to cast an area spell for positivity and efficiency to help the meeting run smoothly and in a focused manner. Again, you’re not performing magic on individuals without their permission; you’re inviting universally beneficial, supportive energy into the space.
There are exceptions to this ethical rule: your kids and pets. Even then, there are still ethical aspects to consider. As a parent, you are the responsible legal guardian for your children. You make the decisions regarding how to keep them safe and how to care for them. That said, it’s polite and respectful to ask their permission if they’re old enough. Better yet, work protection magic together!
What about pets? As with your kids, you are the person legally responsible for your animals, and you make decisions regarding their safety and care. They are sentient beings, however, and you can ask them if they are open to magic. You might receive the impression that they’re fine with it. If they seem uncomfortable or clearly against the idea, you can choose to respect their wishes or go ahead if you deem it the best course of action.
There are some basic things to know before you start casting spells. This section will examine workspaces and environments, planned versus spontaneous spellcasting, protecting yourself (do you need a circle or not?), and other associated things.
In magical work, a circle serves as a container for keeping the energy sympathetic to your goal inside and other energies outside. The circle also serves a mental function for you. By taking the time to create a circle, you are emphasizing in your mind that your working area is being set apart from everyday life. Inside the circle, you and your spell connect the current reality with your desired reality. A circle can help you focus on your goal and bring you closer to it.
When should you cast a circle? Ask yourself the following questions:
• Am I in an unfamiliar place?
• Am I likely to be distracted?
• Is my spell complicated?
• Is my spell going to take a long time?
If you answer yes to two or more of these questions, it’s probably a good idea to create a circle before you cast your spell.
In some spiritual paths, a circle sets apart a sacred space in which to do devotional worship. However, a circle is also an energy container, keeping what you’re focusing on clear of distraction or interference from unwanted energy. This second point is why using a circle in spellcraft can be beneficial.
If it helps you, you can make a physical circle around your chosen space with a long cord or set a line of objects such as shells or rocks around you. Different people like different-sized circles; if you’re alone and not planning on moving around very much, a circle approximately 6 feet in diameter should be fine. Hold your arms out to the sides, fingers extended, to get a sense of how wide your basic circle can be. Plan to create your energy barrier slightly beyond your reach if it makes you more comfortable. If you’re going to be moving around the room, try casting the circle right to the walls.
Building this circle uses the energies of the four cardinal directions and their associated elements. It asks that you envision the four classical elements—earth, water, air, and fire—but if you like, you can also have physical representations of them in the form of a stone, a small dish of water, a feather or incense, and a small candle with you. Place each at the associated cardinal point—the stone for north, the feather or incense for east, the candle for south, the water for west—or set them up at your workspace.
Basic Circle Cast
Before you begin, use a compass or a compass app on your phone to determine which way is north.
1. Center and ground (see Chapter 2).
2. Stand facing east. Say, “Energies of the east, of new light and stirring air, I call upon you to help create my circle of protection.”
3. Turn to the south, imagining a line of energy traveling from the east to the south. Face the south and say, “Energies of the south, of passion and bright flame, I call upon you to help create my circle of protection.”
4. Turn to the west, imagining a line of energy traveling from the south to the west. Face west and say, “Energies of the west, of transformation and flowing water, I call upon you to help create my circle of protection.”
5. Turn to the north, imagining the line of energy continuing from the west to the north. Face north and say, “Energies of the north, of stability and rich earth, I call upon you to help create my circle of protection.”
6. Turn to the east again, imagining the line of energy traveling from the north to meet the beginning of the line, forming a complete circle. Visualize the energy growing upward from that line encircling you to meet above you in a dome, then imagine the same thing happening beneath you until you are surrounded by a sphere of energy.
7. Say, “The circle is cast; by the powers of earth, air, fire, and water, I am protected.”
8. Once your circle is cast, you can go ahead and do whatever you need to do: spellwork, meditation, anything.
9. When you are done, stand in the center of your sphere again and raise your hands above your head. Slowly lower them, visualizing the energy dome above you opening and lowering down to the line again. Visualize the half sphere beneath you melting away likewise. Say, “Earth, air, fire, water, thank you for your protection and your help today.”
What do you do if you have to cross the circle for some reason during the spell? Take a moment to imagine an archway growing in the energy wall of the circle, through which you can step for a moment. When you return, imagine the archway shrinking away until all that’s left is the smooth unmarred energy wall again. Note that this isn’t ideal for extended absences; if you have a two-part spell where the second part doesn’t immediately follow the first, do the first part, take down the circle, then cast a new circle for the second part at a later time.
You won’t always have the time or opportunity to create a circle before you do spellwork; sometimes you need to act immediately in a dangerous or time-sensitive situation. Other times, when you’re in a safe, familiar place, you won’t need to set up any kind of defense or protection. In situations such as this, or when you don’t feel that you need a full-blown circle, you can invoke protection for your work by saying something like this short charm:
World above, world below,
Energy come, energy flow,
Protective light circles round me,
Mountains and sky, flame and sea.
An alternate method is simply to visualize a circle of light around you.
An altar is just a dedicated workspace. In a religious context, it’s used during worship. In this book, the spells are designed to be performed anywhere; you don’t need a blessed, dedicated space to work magic.
That said, if you do want a dedicated workspace, go ahead and make a little shelf or space on a side table on which to set out your magical working. Some people like to have a dedicated cloth that can be spread out to make a workspace wherever they like.
The key is to be comfortable. Some people like to have a magical frame of mind triggered by working in the same place each time, in the same surroundings. They may go so far as to wear the same clothing or burn the same incense. Experiment and find out what works for you.
Here are some basic things to remember while casting:
• It’s important to perform each action with intent and visualize your goal while you’re doing it. This reinforces the energy you’re pulling together and codes it for your specific goal. Remember, spells don’t work because you put together two herbs and a stone; they work because you’re using those objects associated with your goal to help energize your will and intention.
• Make sure you have all your necessary supplies with you before you begin. Nothing derails magic and focus like having to get up and go fetch a lighter or a pair of scissors in the middle of a spell. If that happens, just stop and start all over again a bit later.
• Turn off your phone and close your door to minimize distraction. If there’s ambient noise that you can’t shut out, try putting on headphones and listening to soft music that gets you into the headspace you need to be in for whatever spellwork you’re doing.
• Decide if you need a defined circle or if you can work your spell without one.
In this book you’ll encounter a variety of spellwork styles. Here’s a brief overview of the different methods you’ll encounter so you’ll be familiar with them as they show up.
An amulet is a passive object that you carry or wear that extends its power to you to ward or protect you. If you feel uncomfortable or exposed when you aren’t wearing a favorite bracelet, necklace, pendant, or ring, that piece of jewelry is already a sort of amulet: it defines part of your energy, and you associate it with your sense of self.
The previous example is an amulet that has evolved into being simply by virtue of the fact that you’re carrying it or wearing it often and it has become a part of you. When consciously creating an amulet, you can make choices based on the object’s symbol or traditional associations, your personal associations with it, the shape and color, and the material from which it’s made.
Charm bags are small pouches of objects or ingredients gathered and charged for a purpose. These are also called talisman bags, gris-gris bags, conjure bags, and mojo bags, among other names. A Native American medicine pouch serves a similar purpose. A variety of objects are carried in the pouch; these reflect the individual’s own personal medicine or energy, or serve to redress an imbalance or weakness in his or her energy at that time.
A charm bag can either be a general thing, designed to support your energy overall, or tailored to a specific use, such as good health, defense from bad luck, and so forth. Unlike an amulet, which wards, charm bags and talismans actively draw things toward you.
Once upon a time, sailors carried knotted cords that witches had made for them. To summon wind when they needed it, they would untie a knot, releasing the magic held within. Knots are a great way to do magic in advance and hold it ready to be released when it’s needed. Knots can also bind something, keeping it from roaming free and harming others.
Cotton, silk, wool, and linen are ideal fibers to use. Try to avoid nylon and acrylic. The material you use doesn’t have to be cord at all, of course; you can do knot spells with yarn, embroidery floss, tapestry wool, and strips of material. Any kind of crafting with string can be classified as cord magic, so if you knit, crochet, needlepoint, or weave, you can apply those skills to cord magic.
Candle magic is one of the most popular types of spellcraft out there, and it’s no wonder. Candles are easy to get and easy to use. Candle magic is very flexible, adapting to your needs. As a candle burns down, you can imagine an obstacle melting away or imagine the energy you’ve imbued it with being released to do its work. Alternatively, you can see it as your goal being drawn toward you as the wax melts away.
Any kind of candle can be used. Tea lights and birthday candles are ideal, as they burn quickly. Take a new candle that hasn’t previously been used for a specific purpose, hold it in your hands, think very hard about your desire or need, then light it. Make sure you have a clearly defined goal or outcome in mind; don’t think in circles around the issue. The more clearly you visualize the goal, the more effective it will be. For added support, choose a candle color you associate with the positive outcome of the spell. (See Chapter 7 for a reference list of colors and their associated energies.)
Sympathetic magic isn’t a technique so much as a classification. Sympathetic magic dictates that whatever happens to a thing representing someone or something else will also happen to the thing or person being represented. A voodoo doll is a classic example of sympathetic magic. It’s also referred to as imitative magic and is based on the idea of correspondence between the situation being represented and the representation itself. In protection spells, the thing or person you’re working to protect will be the subject of your representation.
Contagious magic is another classification. Contagious magic is exemplified by someone or something touching a charged or enchanted object in order to absorb its qualities. It also works the other way; anything that was in contact with a person or item can hold traces of its energy and can be used thereafter in magic to influence it. Something like a footprint or a piece of clothing falls into this category; likewise, the age-old idea of using someone’s hair or nail clippings is an example of contagious magic. When separated, things once united or paired can be used as a connection between them. If you’ve seen BFF necklaces—a pendant is snapped in two, and each friend wears half—that’s another form of contagious magic. The two people become connected by the halves of the pendant, just as they are connected by friendship.
Word magic is a very direct way to do spellwork. The easiest way to use word magic is to speak aloud, phrasing your magic in an active way, stating your desired reality as already achieved. For example, instead of saying, “I will be brave,” say, “I am brave.”
Affirmations can be a powerful form of word magic. Repeating something is a method of constructing a new reality. They’re particularly useful in altering an attitude toward something.
Affirmations are ideal for working to protect prosperity and financial situations; for self-esteem and confidence issues; for expanding awareness; and for enhancing your intuition, all of which contribute to better self-defense.
Like other word magic, an affirmation should always be phrased in the present tense and spoken in positive terms. “I am safe” signifies to your subconscious mind that you are protected right now and you have only to realize it, whereas “I will be safe” sends the message that your protection will always lie sometime in the future, never now. “I’m not scared” doesn’t work as well as “I am courageous,” mainly because your mind grabs onto the key concept of fear rather than the negative that accompanies it.
Another aspect of word magic is the written form. Written magic is easy to do. Take a piece of new paper of whatever size you like and write out your desire or statement. You can fold it and put it under a candle, burn it, roll it up and tie a thread around it and carry it as a talisman, or fold it up and tuck it into a locket. Use colored paper to add another level of energy or use colored inks or patterned paper from a craft store in a motif that supports your spell’s goal. The possibilities are endless.
Writing something out over and over is another physical reinforcement of the energy of a thought, like speaking something aloud. Both use physical action to underscore a concept that exists in your mind. Written magic can be carving words on a candle, writing key words on a slip of paper to carry as a talisman or amulet, or creating a piece of magical art to display in your home. (The Himmelsbrief in Chapter 3 is a terrific example of this.)
It’s all well and good to toss spells around. But what makes you an effective and successful spellcaster is paying attention to what works and what doesn’t work. If something doesn’t work, examine the potential reasons it might have failed. Keep notes regarding what day of the week or time of day you cast the spell. (Maybe lunchtime spellwork always fizzles.) What components/supplies did you use? (Perhaps rosemary is a no-go herb for you because its energy and yours don’t get along.) There is no point in wasting time and energy on a spell that isn’t going to work, and the only way to figure out how to save time is by keeping track of your successes and failures.
Grab a notebook and start noting the date and time, the weather, the ingredients/supplies/elements you used, the phase of the moon, your mood, your health—anything and everything you can think of. Write down how you felt while casting the spell and how you felt after you were done, and make sure to note any effects that manifest later, such as odd dreams, unexpected fatigue, or amped-up energy levels. Leave space to note results, if any, when you notice them. All this information provides you with a body of knowledge to review for insight into the strengths and weaknesses in your spellcasting.