Hi Chicken! Many times when I see a spell described, there is a part where it says 'write a petition to x spirit'. And I totally get the concept, but I tried to do some research and couldn't find anything concrete about the process. So I'm not really feeling confident with this method, as I'm not sure how one is supposed to go about writing these petitions. Coul you help me out a bit? :)
Hello :) You have come to the right inbox. I work a great deal with petitions. This is definitely just how I do things. I've never read like, books on spirit petitions or whatever.
The best advice on this I think is that to contact the spirit/entity and ask them for details. This is especially true if you're going to be working with the same guys over and over again.
In general, I find that successful petitions might contain some of all of the following:
Petitions do not have a word count limit. If it takes 3 pages to describe and define what you need, use three pages.
Poetry isn't required. I tend to write a majority of all my petitions in plain language prose.
Acknowledge the relevant powers the spirit possesses. Let's take our old trusty ally Rosemary as an example. Rosemary is helpful in matters of sleep, memory, and protection. If you are working up a petition for remembering your dreams, you might say:
"Rosemary, I'm calling on you to request help in the matters of sleep and dreaming."
Flattery. It helps. My current UPG is that Parent spirits like Rosemary, Chamomile, Obsidian, etc., are functionally demigods. As such, respect - even a degree of ego-fluffing - greases the wheels.
"Rosemary, I'm calling on you because you are famed among witches for your powers over sleep and dreaming. This spell is important to me, so that is why I want to request the help of such an effective and powerful spirit."
Clearly explain your goals and needs. I consider this to be different from a 'statement of intent'. In fact, I often do not have a crystalized single intent sentence when I write petitions. Put yourself on the throne of a monarch writing to a powerful wizard in order to request help. The more time you take to explain your needs, desires, and goals, the better the wizard will be able to help you. If it takes pages, let it take pages. A part of this is also understanding your own situation well enough that you can effectively communicate it.
[...] "I have been struggling to remember my dreams because my sleep schedule is so irregular. I struggle with insomnia. I would like your help so that I can have a healthy, balanced sleep schedule in order to remember my dreams."
I know some witches who struggle with writing petitions because they don't put what they actually want, they put what they think they are supposed to want, because they don't want to feel judged for their actual true needs. If you don't feel comfortable petitioning for what you actually want, that's fine - but don't expect to get what you want, either.
Define your limits and clarify your expectations. Basically, set boundaries :)
[...] "I have a job and night classes. Under no circumstances can I lose my job or stop taking those classes. My daytime schedule can't change - I just need to be able to fall asleep quickly after I go to bed, sleep soundly, and wake up refreshed."
Choose a termination date. The Gregorian calendar isn't great. There is no June 12th in nature. Measuring time by phases of the moon (until the next full moon), turning of the seasons (until the first leaf in my yard turns red), or other natural timings (from dawn to dusk) seems to work better. Another point of termination is simply when the spell works. Or, you may want the spell to be ongoing until you end it. That's fine too, but whatever the 'end point' is you should address it.
"I request this help until further notice."
"I request this help until the third full moon rises."
"I request this help until my sleep schedule becomes stable and manageable."
Offer payment. We may generally consider there are 2 kinds of payment: cost of materials, and hourly wages. When you hire a contractor to remodel your kitchen, you are paying for your new countertop and cabinets. But the contractor doesn't make money off of that - you still have to pay them their hourly wages.
We may consider that spirits are actively expending energy in order to help us. A bare-minimum payment should restore all the energy that they use (just as the contractor orders materials on their company card, and sends you an invoice). However, the spirit itself should also be paid above and beyond what it costs to help you.
For simple "go here and do this" petitions, a single lump-sum payment will often suffice. If your intent is to contract with a spirit for a prolonged period of time, I find that feeding the spirit (or "charging" the spell) on a regular basis - once a week or month, etc - tends to work very well.
For prolonged petitions, I will offer regular feedings and then a final payment once the terms are complete.
It is a good idea to communicate with the spirit ahead of time to determine what levels of payment are acceptable. Because if the terms aren't acceptable to the spirit, they seem to tend to simply not accept the petition :)
[...] "In exchange for these services, I will leave a small offering for you once per week. When the third full moon rises, I will pay you with a meal."
Definitely don't promise payment or an offering schedule you may not be able to deliver.
Set in a kill code. No, not killing the spirit 😅 ending the petition - a ripcord to exit the situation.
[...] "All of this I ask of you now in good faith; but if I draw a cross on this petition, and burn it while saying Rosemary, Help No More, please end all your actions on this matter - and I will still pay you as promised at that time."
Ask the spirit to accept the petition if it is all reasonable. Once you've set everything out, ask if they are agreeable.
[...] "Grandfather Rosemary, if everything I have said is suitable to you, I request your help: please aid me in my time of need."
(^^^ This is a great moment to throw a little extra flattery in)
Address why you have called this spirit - and see if you can do so in a flattering manner.
Clearly state what you want to happen. This may be paragraphs of explanation or only one sentence of intent.
Include limits and boundaries that you do not want the spirit to cross (if any).
Acknowledge either an end date, or state that you'd like this process to be ongoing.
Outline how you will repay the spirit for their services.
Include clear instructions for how you will end the spell before schedule if you need to do so.
Formally request that the spirit acknowledges your petition and accept it.
All of this can be very truncated. A petition might be multiple handwritten pages, or a handful of words. Not every single element needs to be included.
For example, I might include a 'kill code' when I create petitions for others so that they know how to end it, but I might not include one for my own petitions because I have relationships with my spirits and I can just talk to them and work it out.
Use of a pendulum may be of great assistance in order to hash out the details. But I have never had trouble with petitions where I present reasonable requests and offer fair pay.
