Witches and pagans honor nature, and many of their deities are derived from the natural world and its forces. When it comes to ethics and morals, witches have steadfast rules they must abide by or else they cannot call themselves witches. The most well-known law is the Threefold Law.
Any witch who has been practicing the craft will tell you about the Threefold Law. This law governs every act or thought a witch partakes in and is a powerful deterrent to doing black magic or negative spellcasting. The mass media has portrayed witches as wicked and evil, casting spells for their enemies to be turned into toads and lawn chairs, but no witch worth his or her grimoire would ever undertake such a thing thanks to this basic law.
The Threefold Law states that whatever you do returns to you threefold, so if you do good, it comes back three times as good, and if you do bad, it comes back three times as bad. Similar to how we view karma in the West, this law is a great reminder to always be careful with our words and actions because they have consequences, not just for others, but for us, too. Like a boomerang, our spells and intentions come back to us, and they do so three times as strong. It behooves us to only send good things out into the world knowing this.
Many people are under the misconception that witches worship demons and devils and make animal sacrifices to perform curses. The fact is that quite the opposite is true.
Witches don’t worship evil, demons, or devils or hurt and sacrifice small animals and children because of this rule, but also because it is not what being a witch is about, and it never has been. Those stereotypes come from the media, traditional religions, and general ignorance. Witches must, however, be careful when bending the laws of nature to assure that they are not asking for a result that might even have indirect harm on someone else, or it will come back to haunt them big-time. It’s imperative that a witch make sure whatever is being spellcasted for is not going to hurt another or coerce someone into doing something they might not want to do. No cursing or binding someone into a relationship they don’t want. No stealing something that belongs to someone else or coercing someone to commit a crime or questionable act. These ethical considerations are at the backbone of a true practice and must never be ignored, lest the witch suffer from it as well as those around him or her.
The modern witch is all about doing good and spreading good vibes when possible. At the very least, she casts spells that are meant for her highest good to no one else’s harm. Even spells cast to heal another must be pondered over because we don’t know the reason behind the illness. What if we spellcast to heal someone of cancer only to deprive that person of the power to not only heal himself or herself but possibly learn that even cancer can bring blessings? Ethics and morals are a tricky thing when trying to help other people. Trust your intuition or ask for guidance from those wiser than you, including spirit and animal guides. More on that later.
The word rede comes from the Middle English word for “counsel” or “advice.” The Wiccan Rede is a moral code used by Wiccans and other witches/pagans. Though most Wiccans are only familiar with the final eight words, “an’ ye harm none, do what ye will,” which signify a similar moral code as the Golden Rule, the entire Rede is a twenty-six-line poem originally published in the neopagan magazine Earth Religion News in 1974 and originally recorded in a 1964 speech by Doreen Valiente.
The precise origin date of the Rede is difficult to assess, but most sources place it between 1964 and 1975, and it has gone through some minor changes, basically to the final eight words. Some variations include “an’ it harm none, do what thou will” and “as you harm one, do what you will.” The famous occultist Aleister Crowley had his own version in his 1904 The Book of the Law, which was “do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the law.” Perhaps that was the precursor to the Rede.
Wiccans look to the Rede as a concept of ethical reciprocity and a system of behavior for adherents, much like the Hebrew Ten Commandments are for Jews and Christians. The Golden Rule for pagans states that you do what you will but to no one else’s harm. The emphasis is on making sure your will and desire do not interfere with or harm any person or thing, and if they don’t, you can feel good about spellcasting and doing ritual work toward that goal. The more you can include service to others, the better, but at the very least, do no harm with your intention work. It is a personal and collective call for being responsible for your actions or the actions of your coven.
It is those last eight words that stand at the center of a true witch’s practice and beliefs, that one can do as one will but never in a way that brings harm to themselves or another living thing. This is the moral foundation of witchcraft, paganism, and Wicca, all of which understand the intricate web of connectivity of all life and that what is done to one is, on some level, done to all. It is the Ten Commandments of the Hebrew Bible and the Golden Rule of the New Testament all rolled into one eight-word proclamation known to anyone who proudly calls himself or herself a witch.
Some Gardnerian Wiccans do not follow the Rede, choosing instead to find their moral code in the modern inspirational Charge of the Goddess, written by noted witch Doreen Valiente in the mid-1950s. The earliest known version comes from a document from the late 1940s by Gerald Gardner but draws extensively from the words of Charles Leland’s Aradia, or the Gospel of the Witches and works of Aleister Crowley. A Charge in Freemasonry also serves as instructions for an initiate in a temple. The Charge of the Goddess is also read to Wiccan initiates before they are accepted into a coven in a formal ritual. The modern version by Valiente removed much of Crowley’s influence and is widely used today.
Bide within the Law you must, in perfect Love and perfect Trust.
Live you must and let to live, fairly take and fairly give.
For tread the Circle thrice about to keep unwelcome spirits out.
To bind the spell well every time, let the spell be said in rhyme.
Light of eye and soft of touch, speak you little, listen much.
Honor the Old Ones in deed and name, let love and light be our guides again.
Deosil go by the waxing Moon, chanting out the joyful tune.
Widdershins go when the Moon doth wane,
and the werewolf howls by the dread wolfsbane.
When the Lady’s Moon is new, kiss the hand to Her times two.
When the Moon rides at Her peak then your heart’s desire seek.
Heed the North wind’s mighty gale, lock the door and trim the sail.
When the Wind blows from the East, expect the new and set the feast.
When the wind comes from the South, love will kiss you on the mouth.
When the wind whispers from the West, all hearts will find peace and rest.
Nine woods in the Cauldron go, burn them fast and burn them slow.
Birch in the fire goes to represent what the Lady knows.
Oak in the forest towers with might, in the fire it brings the God’s insight. Rowan is a tree of power causing life and magick to flower.
Willows at the waterside stand ready to help us to the Summerland.
Hawthorn is burned to purify and to draw faerie to your eye.
Hazel-the tree of wisdom and learning adds its strength to the
bright fire burning.
White are the flowers of Apple tree that brings us fruits of fertility.
Grapes grow upon the vine giving us both joy and wine.
Fir does mark the evergreen to represent immortality seen.
Elder is the Lady’s tree; burn it not or cursed you’ll be.
Four times the Major Sabbats mark in the light and in the dark.
As the old year starts to wane, the new begins, it’s now Samhain.
When the time for Imbolc shows, watch for flowers through the snows.
When the wheel begins to turn, soon the Beltane fires will burn.
As the wheel turns to Lamas, night power is brought to magick rite.
Four times the Minor Sabbats fall; use the Sun to mark them all.
When the wheel has turned to Yule, light the log the Horned One rules.
In the spring, when night equals day, time for Ostara to come our way.
When the Sun has reached its height, time for Oak and Holly to fight.
Harvesting comes to one and all when the Autumn Equinox does fall.
Heed the flower, bush, and tree; by the Lady blessed you’ll be.
Where the rippling waters go cast a stone, the truth you’ll know.
When you have and hold a need, harken not to others greed.
With a fool, no season spend or be counted as his friend.
Merry Meet and Merry Part, bright the cheeks and warm the heart.
Mind the Three-fold Laws you should, three times bad and three times good.
When misfortune is enow, wear the star upon your brow.
Be true in love this you must do, unless your love is false to you.
These Eight words the Rede fulfill:
“An Ye Harm None, Do What Ye Will”
The Charge is also recited during most Wiccan rituals involving a high priest/priestess to embody the energy of the goddess. An adapted form, written by Starhawk, is used in “Reclaiming Wicca.” This beautiful and descriptive poem is written in the voice of the goddess compelling her followers to seek her counsel and adhere to her morals; it includes the line “keep pure your highest ideal; strive ever toward it; let naught stop you or turn you aside.” It also speaks of a Law of Love for all beings on Earth.
Author, teacher, ecofeminist, and Neopaganist Starhawk is the author of The Spiral Dance (1979), which has been influential in the Goddess movement.
Wiccan high priests/priestesses recite the Charge after a ritual called drawing down the Moon as a way of channeling the instructions of the goddess to her worshippers. Today, many versions of the Charge exist, but they are all fundamentally the same at their source. All invoke the goddess/Great Mother deities of Artemis, Astarte, Athene, Dione, Aphrodite, Diana, Isis, Cerridwen, and other names, which echo the ancient Roman concept of the goddess Isis having ten thousand different names. No matter the name, the deity being worshipped is the universal and archetypal Great Mother, the queen of goddesses who rules above all.
Just as any other religious or spiritual tradition has its texts and documents that spell out the moral and ethical rules to be followed, Wiccans and witches use the Rede, the Charge of the Goddess, and the basic Golden Rule and Threefold Law as guideposts for their actions and behaviors and as boundaries for their spellcasting and ritual work. This is a far cry from the concept of witches as evil and sinister killers who sacrifice animals and children or put curses on their neighbors. Actions such as those would not only banish a witch from any coven but come back around to her three times stronger. Witches just plain know better.
Witches use special phrases when greeting each other. “Blessed be” is an all-purpose phrase for greetings and general blessings between two people. It can mean hello or goodbye and indicates that the speaker wishes blessings on the person being greeted. The phrase comes from a longer initiation of Gardnerian tradition, which is called the Fivefold Kiss:
The words “Blessed be” show up in the much older Thelema ceremonial magic tradition and other places. It was Gerald Gardner who incorporated it into modern Wicca and his original Book of Shadows. The term is used in the context of rituals in more traditional Wiccan covens, but many modern witches use it casually when greeting and parting as a way to wish someone well. It can also be equated with the use of “bless you” or “God bless” by Christians.
Another popular greeting is “Merry meet and merry part and merry meet again,” which translates to “Nice to see you, take care of yourself, and hope to see you again soon!” Variations of this include “Merry meet, hail and well met,” “Blessed be and merry part,” and “Merry meet.” All mean “I am happy to see you/meet you” in greeting and “Go forth happy until we meet again” in parting.
Blessed be thy feet, which have brought thee in these ways,
Blessed be thy knees, that shall kneel at the sacred altar,
Blessed be thy womb, without which we would not be,
Blessed be thy breasts, formed in beauty,
Blessed be thy lips, that shall utter the Sacred Names of the gods.
(A male version of this initiation exists, too.)
”Going to circle” is the pagan way of saying going to church. The circle is the sacred circle used in rituals. “Going to a meeting” basically means going to my coven, not a twelve-step program!
During spellcasting and rituals, you might hear another witch say “By the power of three, so mote it be.” This reference speaks of the power of the Threefold Law, which states that whatever you do comes back to you three times stronger. “So mote it be” solidifies the spell or incantation and sets it off into the universe to be made manifest. It’s like the popular saying “and so it is” but a bit fancier.
Why do we say “so mote it be” at the end of a spell or incantation? Wiccans and witches have long used this or “and so it is” in the same way traditional Christian prayer ends with “amen.” The words complete the spell and state that we expect this to be the result, that we have faith in our spell and what we have asked for, and that it is already done. We can also thank the gods or goddesses before we say “so mote it be” as if we have already received our blessing. It is an ancient, binding phrase that allows us to send our word into the universe with the intended manifestation, something we expect just as we spoke it. If you decide to end your magic with a little “abracadabra,” you might be surprised to find that those words in Aramaic are translated into “it is created by my own words” or “as it is spoken it will be,” another way of saying that our words have creative, intentional power to manifest the reality we desire.
Another popular phrase you’ll hear during coven meetings and rituals is “Perfect love and perfect trust,” which refers to adhering and aspiring to the perfect love and trust in the goddess that allows witches to manifest their intentions and cast their spells.
”As above, so below” is not a witch phrase but comes from Hermeticism and the concept of the cosmos/macrocosm mirroring the Earth/microcosm. It means that everything is connected, and what happens in the grander scale of the universe is duplicated in the lives of those on Earth. This is the basis for astrology and the art and science of using the planets, stars, Sun, and Moon to determine someone’s future.
It’s not about just memorizing the lingo. These phrases hold power and are chosen specifically for their meaning, which may or may not be understood by those outside of the craft. Witches might only use these phrases around other witches. They are to be used with respect and an appreciation for how much weight a handful of words can truly hold, something witches know about thanks to their spellcasting.
If you ask a witch where he/she gets their power to bend the will of nature for healing and good, they might say “in the liminal.” The liminal defines a threshold place or state of consciousness between one reality and another or between life and death, where one can align and connect with higher states of consciousness and paranormal experiences.
To the witch, the liminal is a vast, mysterious, and elusive borderland. This is the land of “in-between” states that occur on both physiological and conscious levels in the form of threshold experiences that are happening to people all over the world. Many people claim that the veil between realities is lifting and that our doors of perception are being cleansed to allow us these gateway experiences of what lies beyond the realm of our five senses. This is backed up by the most cutting-edge, current research on parallel worlds, alternate dimensions, and our understanding of time and space, paranormal theories, and psychological and brain/mind-connection discoveries that imply that the level of reality we exist on is not the only one and that at times, either voluntarily or involuntarily, we may be straddling the gate and experiencing the “world between worlds.”
Witches learn the skill of entering and operating within the liminal as part of their craft whether via meditation, chanting, dancing, singing, movement, yoga, walking, running, imbibing mead, or any other tool, technique, or modality that allows the conscious, waking mind to go through the doorway between what is perceived as real and what lies beyond that veil of perception. Just as a psychic or medium goes into that “other” space to access information the ordinary five senses cannot, the witch dances in the liminal and takes from it the insights he/she needs to bring back to the regular waking state.
Going “into the liminal” is venturing into a kind of borderland, in-between state of existence that lies just beyond our ordinary senses.
Any spell is just like a prayer, intended to put you into a different state of mind to ask for what you want and receive the guidance and direction to get it. That state of receptivity is the liminal state between the analytical left brain functioning and the intuitive right brain, the dream state. Dreams are liminal experiences where the body slumbers and the mind is on hold while consciousness enters different worlds, alternate realities, to experience things that cannot be experienced in real life, such as morphing into animals, flying, changing your own appearance, or visiting with dead relatives.
Witches are not afraid of liminal experiences or of entering other levels of reality or states of consciousness. Without that ability, a witch cannot properly spellcast or perform a ritual. Being trapped in the conscious mind and everyday mentality is not conducive to communicating with gods and goddesses, opening up to spirit and animal guides, channeling the powers of the Moon, Sun, and stars, or any other witchy practice. The right mindset is critical, and the right mindset requires that the mind shut off and allow the spirit, soul, or consciousness to move between worlds and cross thresholds uninhibited by doubt, fear, and uncertainty.
Here are some ways a new witch can begin familiarizing herself with the liminal:
• Meditate with or without a mantra to experience an altered state of consciousness and achieve inner stillness and calm.
• Journal about doubts and fears to get them out of the mind and onto the page, where they can be better analyzed and dealt with.
• Think of times in your life when you experienced déjà vu, a psychic perception (such as knowing someone was calling before you saw the caller ID), a spiritual encounter.… These are liminal experiences and can reinforce your existing ability to perceive them.
• Try guided visualizations, chanting, drumming, or dancing to assist you in changing the state of your consciousness through repeated sound and movement.
• Spend more time in nature and take note of the connectivity of all living things.
Witches also practice developing psychic skills that allow them to cross over into the other realities and glean information and insights from the liminal. The “sixth sense” of psychic ability is a muscle that needs to be strengthened and exercised. Some witches work on building their clairvoyance skills, inner sight and images, seeing visions, and having prophetic dreams. Others seem to have the skill of clairaudience, hearing the voices of spirit guides and their deceased ancestors, or clairsentience, feeling sensations that are otherworldly in nature.
Writing down messages that come to you via intuition, dreams, visions, synchronicities, seeing repeated numbers or words, hearing repeated words or phrases, or sensing knowledge that is coming from somewhere beyond your five senses is a great way to work that psychic muscle and make it easier to experience the gifts of the liminal. Spending time in the liminal can be scary at first, but the more you get used to it, the more you welcome it. The liminal is where the magic happens.
Magic is the simple practice witches do on a day-to-day basis. Ceremonial magic (often seen as “magick”) is known as high magic and involves a more formal combination of ritual with invoking deities and spirits that is similar to conjuring in Voodoo. This type of magic is often only permitted for those initiated into mystery schools and traditions or via hereditary witchcraft lines that pass knowledge down to future generations and are usually not open to the outside world. Much pomp and circumstance may occur in ceremonial magic, such as lavish altars and clothing and the celebration of the high priest/priestess, that to some looks like a royal event.
Ceremonial magic is structured ritual, involving talismans, amulets, sacred objects, and circles cast with consecrated tools before a gathering. It can be performed by a coven or even a solitary with participants dressed in gorgeous robes and symbolic jewels, but it goes beyond the basics of the craft to embrace a deeper focus on the ritual acts involved.
Ceremonial magic, such as the cleansing ritual, is an important part of practicing witchcraft.
Witches practice their magic every day, but they might keep the special ceremonial magic for esbats, sabbats, or perhaps a particular full Moon, when it warrants a more sophisticated or fancier ritual than normal. Think of the difference between a two-year wedding anniversary and a fiftieth anniversary and the type and scope of a party you might throw someone.
Some covens save times of ceremonial magic for practicing the symbolic act of Hieros Gamos, a sexual ritual where the high priest and high priestess, acting as the god and goddess, engage in a holy, symbolic marriage and enact sexual intercourse (or have it for real!) or go skyclad and do their rituals in the nude on special occasions. Others might choose to do a formal ritual and then share food and drink in the Feast of Cakes and Ale. It’s a matter of personal taste, and no one is ever forced to participate who does not want to.
Ceremonial and formal magic is often called high magic. Everyday, simple magic is called low magic. High magic uses the power of the deities that are invoked and channeled via the high priest/priestess and coven members in formal and structured rituals. Low magic, also called natural or practical magic, uses the power of Earth and nature and is accessible to any witch, as it comes more from a connection and power within the witch herself. Both are utilized in most practices.
Witches of all traditions honor their bodies, their sexuality, and their health because they know that without good health, nothing else works. The body is a temple to the witch, and he or she treats it well by eating organic, whole foods when possible, getting plenty of sunshine and exercise, and spending time in meditation and silence to rejuvenate the mind and spirit.
Of course, witches indulge in junk food, but they may be more aware of how their energy is affected by what they put into their bodies than most. Because they have a strong connection to nature, witches have a greater understanding of how nature’s bounty is best for the human body when it isn’t processed and laced with chemicals and pesticides.
Building a strong and healthy body on the outside is the easy part but focusing some of that energy on the inner being is where many witches trip up. It’s all too easy to skip a morning yoga class or meditation because you have too many emails to check. It’s so much quicker to pick up a sugary coffee from a nearby coffee stand than make your own with honey or natural sweeteners. Also, who wants to exercise after a long day at work? However, a healthy outer environment begins with a healthy inner environment.
Imagine a bunch of sick monks going into a temple to chant and attempt to heal someone. They can’t because they themselves are not healed. Imagine trying to cast a spell for someone to find love when your own heart is broken and devastated over a breakup. You don’t have the right energy or mindset to help yourself, let alone anyone else.
Maintaining a healthy body is a vital part of our spiritual health as well.
The temple of the human body deserves the same reverence and respect witches give to nature because the human body is the microcosm reflecting outward as part of the greater macrocosm. If the microcosm is sick and burnt out, it will reflect out only negative energy. Take good care of your temple, witch, so you can best heal yourself and others and do the highest and most positive magic possible.
Here are some ways to honor your temple both inside and out:
• Eat whole, unprocessed, organic foods.
• Keep alcohol consumption to a minimum.
• Try to exercise and move your body every day.
• Get enough sleep; a good night’s sleep is the foundation of health.
• Utilize herbal remedies when you are sick or need extra energy.
• Take a slow walk outside just to notice your surroundings. Stop and smell roses along the way.
• Meditate for at least 10 minutes upon awakening and before you go to sleep to keep the mind clear.
• Have a purpose that moves and motivates you.
• Be of service when and where you can.
• Be kind to everyone because everyone is in pain, whether they show it or not.
• Let go of any resentments and grudges, so you aren’t weighed down by anger.
• Do a few deep belly breaths in through the nose throughout the day, holding the inhale for 4–5 seconds before exhaling out the mouth.
• Relax with a hot cup of tea, a warm bath, a soothing massage, or a good movie, and don’t worry if you are not always being “productive.”
• Write, sing, dance, paint, sculpt, cook, and use your creative talents in your craft.
Make magic a daily part of your life and your spirituality by staying focused on the present moment. The NOW is where the gift of inspirations and synchronicities live. The NOW is where you can feel your connection to nature, other living things, and the divine. Society pressures us to be so focused on achievement and productivity, paying the bills and staying afloat, that we often suffer physically and psychologically from the pressure. Then, we wonder why we feel so tired and get sick so often. The temple must be respected and kept clean and clear of negative energies so that the body and spirit can thrive. You wouldn’t feel very comfortable attending a church or temple that was falling apart overhead and filled with graffiti, would you?
Let’s be honest here. The most popular forms of magic witches practice involve love and money. Whether the witch is putting an enchantment on a love match or spellcasting for another to find true love, the act of matchmaking and witchcraft have gone hand in hand for centuries, enough that a law was passed in sixteenth-century England banning all love magic. Witches were thought to manipulate men and force them to do their sexual bidding.
Love magic has been used as far back as the third century, according to National Geographic’s special issue entitled “Science and the Supernatural: Dare to Discover the Truth,” when Egyptian men made effigies of the women they desired. The effigy would be bound at the hands and ankles and pierced with thirteen pins along with a spell along the lines of, “I hold her obedient for the whole time of my life, loving me, desiring me.” The ancient Greeks also felt compelled to manipulate magical forces to acquire love, especially romantic/sexual love called eros, for which they spellcast using effigies, burning herbs, and other items, chanting their desires to the god Eros (known as Cupid in Roman mythology).
Spells run the gamut of goals, but the most popular ones involve finding love and money.
Women also used magical touches in finding a good mate and turned to spells, amulets, gemstones, and herbal potions that would enchant the man of their dreams. The local healer or witch might suggest that they eat something in a phallic shape to attract or keep a man. This was known as philia, or affection magic. Lustier women also resorted to burning effigies of the man they wanted to burn with passion for them alone. Ancient Romans would call upon Cupid to fire one of his goldtipped arrows at the object of their desire to pierce them with passion and desire. Cupid also had a few lead-tipped arrows for someone who wanted to get rid of a lover or keep someone of the opposite sex away, as these arrows created a feeling of revulsion, not attraction.
Today’s witch is more concerned with finding real love, friendship, and solid relationships the right way, recalling the Wiccan Rede of “do no harm” and the Threefold Law that discourages dirty deeds done dirt cheap.
Modern witches don’t steal other witches’ mates or force someone to love them or leave an existing relationship. Love magic may still have its dark practitioners who bend the forces of nature to bring them a particular person no matter who gets hurt, but most witches will not be a part of such nonsense. They spellcast and do rituals to the deities of love to bring them love in the highest and best ways possible and to no one’s harm.
The same goes for money. It’s really wealth, prosperity, and financial increase that witches spellcast for, not money per se. Spellcasting for money alone can bring some undesirable outcomes, like receiving a bundle of money from an insurance company after a dangerous car crash or receiving an inheritance after a loved one suddenly dies. We all need and want more money to use for the things that make us happy and to share with family and friends, but witches know it’s the essence of freedom money brings that should be spellcast for or, if asking for the green stuff, doing so in a way that only allows money to come without harm to anyone involved.
Healing magic is a close third, as many witches learn to use the forces of nature to bring better health and well-being to themselves and those they love while also being available to spellcast for others who seek them out like the village medicine men and women. Being able to heal is a power not to be taken lightly, and no witch would ever mess with another person’s mental, emotional, or physical health without first learning the ropes and acquiring knowledge of different healing modalities, including herbal medicine.
Sex magic is for those who believe that the act of intercourse is a powerful symbol of the union of male and female and the raising of power during the coming together of dualities (yes, some witches use orgasms as a way to raise the cone of powerful energy to be worked with during a ritual) and divination magic, which focuses on reading fortunes and the future for self and others via a variety of methods, such as palm reading, astrology, scrying, numerology, and tea leaves. It is not unusual for a witch to focus on just one particular area of magic, because so much information can be learned and so many levels can be achieved in terms of power. Others like to move back and forth between different types of magic when the circumstances call for it.
Every aspect of a witch’s life has a body of magical practice behind it. The whole idea of being a witch is to make the craft a part of all of life, not just something to be done once a week or on a full Moon. No doubt, witches practice forms of success magic, career magic, creativity magic, cooking magic, dating magic, travel magic, Internet magic, social networking magic, and parental magic, bringing the ways of the craft into every possible experience where a witch might need a little help from the deities and the natural world.
Witches use the power of the spoken and written word to put their intentions into the universe in the form of spells, rituals, and chants. Intention is not wishful thinking. It is focused attention upon a desired outcome with ample feeling behind it. When witches do spellwork, they have an intention in mind, whether it is to find true love or heal a disease, and the force of feeling they put into that intention makes all the difference as to whether or not it manifests.
Magic spells, charms, incantations, and enchantments are all collections of magic words that hold power above and beyond everyday, ordinary language. These words have a specific effect they seek to manifest and may even sound like sing-song or nonsense to those who do not understand their power. The use of magic words goes back to antiquity with secret and esoteric terms and phrases kept in books to be read only by the chosen initiates and wise ones. These words were not meant for the ordinary person but for those who knew how to utter them into existence as an instrument of creation or, in the case of a hex or curse, destruction. In folklore and fairy tales, magical words and formulas were often associated with a particular object that would be turned into something else, such as a pumpkin into a coach and horses or a wooden boy into a human. These whimsical incantations were spoken by a witch, wizard, sage, wise elder, or fairy godmother.
In a famous scene from Shakespeare’s play Macbeth, three witches chant rhythmically, “Double, double, toil and trouble; Fire burn, and cauldron bubble.” Such singsongy spellcasting is artistic license and not what real witches do.
When spellcasting, magic words are a necessity, but they don’t have to be the rhymed, silly phrases of old or exclusive and secretive utterances meant for dark, shadowy rooms (although if that kind of thing turns you on, go for it). They do have to have power behind them in order to create the desired outcome. It is critical to choose the correct words to best describe or encompass the spell’s intention, and sometimes that means asking for the essence of a thing and not the thing itself. For example, rather than spellcast for money, you want to experience more prosperity and abundance in life, finances included. Money can come to you in all kinds of ways, not always positive. Write or speak words that describe the true essence of wealth and draw that to you, because the end result will be so much more than just an increase in income.
”Watch what you say” is more than just a warning parents give their children every now and then; it’s a real warning against using the wrong words or phrases in spells because you didn’t take the time to really think about what you wanted. Often, spells focus on getting rid of something, yet that may backfire because it focuses attention on the unwanted and will bring more of it into our awareness. Spells can be too vague or too specific, too. Here’s a perfect example where the choice of wording makes all the difference.
You cast a spell for financial increase within the next month. You need and want the extra money for a seminar you would love to take but can’t afford at the moment, so you say, “Goddess, bring me a minimum of five thousand dollars by the thirtieth of the month. So mote it be.” Perfect enough, except that this can happen in many ways … and not all of them are desirable. The spell goes into the universe, and the appropriate things are arranged to bring you five grand … and then one day, you’re driving, and BOOM! Your car gets sideswiped and takes a tumble with you in it. You’re okay when the ambulance arrives, but your car is totaled, and because it’s not your fault, the other driver’s insurance covers the cost of a car of similar Blue Book value.
However, you’re sore and pretty sure that you got whiplash, so you get extra money for medical treatment and to cover expenses, and once you are through with physical therapy, you have five grand left. There’s your seminar money, only you’re still too sore to attend, not to mention the fact that by the time you can physically attend, it’s been over for three months!
A better way to cast intentional spells is to word it as such: “I ask for a minimum of five thousand dollars by the end of this month to arrive in my life in the highest and best way, free from all harm to myself or others.” Cover your bases. Then, feel the essence of already having it, and be thankful to the goddess or universe for it, giving it a “so mote it be” ending to send it outward. In this way, you will receive your manifestation in a manner that won’t backfire on you or anyone else, and you’ll get to enjoy that seminar (and because you asked for the amount of money as the minimum, you often might be surprised to receive above and beyond that basic need).
Too often, love spells focus on a particular individual we believe we must have to be happy, but this speaks more of addiction or obsession than healthy love and attachment. Being a witch is not about coercing, forcing, or controlling other people. This goes against the moral code of witches. It’s about aligning with and using the forces of nature to bring about what we desire in the best outcome that is right for us and our highest growth … and, if spellcasting for others, asking for THEIR highest growth and best outcome, too.
The bottom line is sitting with what we think we want to get to the core essence of what we truly desire, which is often not a material thing or person but how those things make us feel. Ask for wealth and prosperity in the highest way instead of quick cash that comes any old way. Ask for true love and partnership instead of demanding you get the guy you are obsessed with and barely even know. Ask for health and well-being instead of just losing fifty pounds, because we all know some pretty awful ways you can drop fifty pounds. Be specific, yet go for the essence of the thing.
Most importantly: always watch your words!