windvexer's spellcrafting and spellcasting checklist
These are the sorts of things I think about when I work the style of magic that I work. This stuff is based off of my beliefs which might include UPG and is therefore definitely not applicable to everyone. Take what you want and discard the rest.
I do not rigidly follow this checklist. These are just the kinds of things I think about and consider when planning and executing spells. For small, simple spells, I ignore almost all of these factors. For serious and large spells I may consider many more of them.
Do I know exactly what I want to occur?
Have I thought through a few obvious logical consequences of my intended goal?
Have I performed divination on the outcome of this intent?
Am I sure that what I'm asking for is the same thing as what I want? (e.g. do I really want more people talk to me or is my true desire make more friends?)
Do I need to crystalize my intent into one specific phrase, or is it okay for me to leave it casual or even improvise?
How soon is it rationally possible for my spell to manifest?
Do I expect the spell to manifest very rapidly? If so, what components or spellcasting style am I going to use to encourage rapid manifestation?
Do I expect the spell to work "just okay," or to be very powerful? If I want it to be very powerful, what extra steps am I going to take to fill the spell with power?
If the spell does exactly as my intent dictates, what is the most likely outcome?
Am I bound to any gods or spirits that would frown upon what I want to undertake with this spell?
Have I taken any vows or oaths that would conflict with my goals?
Does casting this spell intent conflict with personal goals I've set for myself?
If casting for others, is this truly a situation I want to involve myself in?
If casting for myself, is this spell in my own best interest?
Is there any chance I am casting this spell to side-step self care, responsibilities, or personal healing? (I don't mean don't cast a self-love spell if you actually need therapy! Cast that spell every gosh darn day if you please. I literally mean, are you using magic as an avoidance tactic, when the reality is you really really just need to eat a sandwich and do your homework?)
Have I chosen a style of spellcasting which matches my intent? (e.g., if I want to banish, have I chosen a spellcasting style that includes sending away actions such as burning a paper or throwing away a rock?)
Can I be creative with what I have to avoid delaying this spell? (e.g. I usually use candles as a beacon to draw things in, but when I think about it, a candle burning down would also be a good sending away action for a banishment).
If I have already heavily cast in the past, do I have any ongoing spells (such as wards) which would interfere with the work I want to do now?
Do I want to include a physical indicator that the spell manifested or stopped working? (Such as tying a thread around your wrist that breaks when the spell stops working)
What physical object will be used to anchor this spell? I believe that manifesting in physical reality is much easier if you tie magic to a physical object.
Do I know how the physical objects I'm using are linked to the design of the spell? (e.g., I want to banish, so I choose to use a candle for a dwindling away effect.)
Do I have a safe and practical plan for storing or disposing leftover physical objects from the spellcasting?
How can I make storage or disposal of leftover objects a part of the spell? (e.g. I take the leftover melted wax from the banishment candle and walk to the dumpster down the street, completing the spell as I throw away the last bits of their presence in my life in the garbage).
Am I intending to invoke gods, spirits, or entities in this spell? If so, do I need physical components to represent them within the casting space, or within the spell itself?
If I am intending to invoke gods, spirits, or entities in this spell, and I need physical components to represent them, is it a good idea to save and re-use these components? Do I need to make disposable representations, or can I use permanent devotional objects?
What physical components have I gathered which are unnecessary?
Does each component that I've chosen have a specific job in this spell?
Does each component and their jobs fully align with my chosen intent and spell style?
If not every component and their jobs align with my intent or method of casting, do I need to re-examine my intent and rework the foundations of this spell?
Do I need to modify or prepare any physical components? If so, do I need to do any of this ahead of time?
How much power do I believe it will take to successfully perform this spell? If the energy requirement is large, do I need to break this operation up into smaller parts and cast multiple small spells?
Will it be necessary for me to craft a physical spell vessel ahead of time so I can slowly charge it until it has enough power?
How do I intend to power this spell? (for me, I power it with my own energy, or call on external forces)
If I will use my own energy, do I have enough personal power reserves to successfully cast this spell? Or, will it burn me out, even on a day when I'm well-rested?
If I will use an external energy, how do I plan to raise or call this energy into my casting space?
How do I plan to combine power with my spell components? (sometimes this is inherent in spell style; if doing knot magic, the power is held within the knots. At other times, it must be thought through - if I draw a symbol on a rock, maybe my power will be consumed by the spell at the singular point where I draw the symbol on the rock. Or, maybe I'd like to charge the symbol ahead of time.)
If I'm using many physical components, do I need to individually charge each one?
Do my chosen energy sources align with my spell needs? (e.g. if I require very rapid manifestation, have I ensured that I am using airy, fiery, mercurial, swift, or rapid energies? Or, have I accidentally used lots of heavy, slow, earthen, saturnine, creeping energies?)
Spirits, Gods, and Entities
If asking spirits, gods, or entities for help, how is my relationship with that power? Do I need to visit them ahead of time and make sure we're on good terms before I call on them?
If asking spirits, gods, or entities for help, do I need to plan a formal invitation or petition?
If asking spirits, gods, or entities for help, do I need to repay them? If so, what do I need to collect or prepare for this purpose?
Is this a one-shot or continuous spell? Will I be maintaining and watching over the spell after it is cast, or will I let it go do its thing?
If it's an ongoing spell that will require upkeep, have I chosen a physical vessel that's practical to be worked with over a long period of time?
Will I need to make notes about this spell so I can remember what the vessel is in a few weeks or months?
How often will I need to recharge or maintain this spell?
If something went wrong, how would I undo this spell?
Have I gathered everything I need into one place?
If I forget something, is it okay for me to walk away from the spell to go get it, or is it really important I don't leave casting space until the spell is complete?
Is there anything special I need to do to prepare my casting space?
Do I need to take notes or write anything down so I don't forget it once the spell starts?
If I'm going to do a fancy ritual, do I need to write or print the ritual steps ahead of time?
If I've chosen to perform my spell at a special time, how much earlier do I need to prepare my casting space so that I can begin working within the correct time?
Do I feel safe and comfortable casting this spell?
Do I have enough personal energy to cast a spell right now? (even when conjuring external energies, you always use some of your own energy to cast spells)
If there is a risk that I will be drained, do I have anything important to do today or tomorrow that would be bad to miss or under-perform on?
Do I have enough free time today to have extra rest after spellcasting?
Do I have enough extra food to help restore me after spellcasting? (especially carbs, by the way)
Are there any tasks or activities I should do before I cast this spell, in case it is more draining than I expected?
Will I have enough energy to clean up my spellcasting space once I'm done? This includes properly disposing of or storing any spellcasting remnants or vessels.
Do I want to pray and ask for aid before I begin the spellcasting process?
Do I have any last-minute gut feelings about casting this spell? Is there a negative or worrying emotion that has been with me through this entire process that I've tried to ignore?
Do I want to exert my will upon the world?
How do I feel? (Including the physical, emotional, and mental)
Did I properly pay any spirits, gods, or entities involved in my spellwork?
Did I properly close down the spellcasting space (if applicable)?
If the working took place in my resting area, does my resting area feel comfortable? Is there anything I need to do, such as opening the window or playing music, to help my space return to normal?
Do I need to perform a restful, low-energy activity for a little while?
Would it feel nice if I went and talked to people, or would I prefer to be alone?
Did I have any special insights during spellcasting that I want to write down before I forget?
Did the spell go how I imagined it would?
Was I able to feel power being raised?
Did I end up feeling drained or buzzed after spellcasting? (note that you're not always bound to feel either, but it's worth noting as they're decent indicators that "something happened")
Did I ever feel a moment where I was still working over my physical components, but realized that they felt complete and the magic was ready?
If I called on spirits, gods, or entities, did I feel their presence? Did it seem like they had thoughts or feelings about the spell?
If I cast a spell like this again, what would I change? What would I keep the same?
Did I feel good about my disposal or storage methods for physical components?
Do I want to perform divination on how the spellcasting went?
Did I over or under-estimate how much energy the spell would require?
Did I like the style of spellcasting? Do I want to explore more spells of this style, or try a different type?
