new beginnings- simple banishing and attracting spell! (baby witches encouraged)
foreword: this spell does include fire! make sure to read the safety precautions and read the entire spell through before attempting. this spell works best during full or waxing moons or big leaps of faith in your life.
any creative liberty can be taken with any parts of the spell! you may do this with as many people as you like as long as all participants keep the fire safety elements in mind.
i did not take inspiration for this spell from any other source and all information here was written by me, from my own experience. i don't claim to be the first person to do this, but if you share the spell on social media or with a friend, please give credit where credit is due.
i have been a practicing witch for 3+ years and do not claim to be extremely experienced or all-knowing.
please do not start debates or send me hate for the "legitimacy" of my practice or personal beliefs surrounding witchcraft and magick. questions about the spell or elements of such are welcomed, however!
REQUIREMENTS:
-bowl, cauldron, cup, jar, or anything else capable of holding a folded piece of paper (must be metal or glass, be prepared to burn something in it)
-candle/s (scented is fine)
-paper (any, as long as it's burnable)
-writing utensil
-string/twine (not plastic)
-matches/lighter
-water bottle (fast pouring, within reaching)
-spray bottle (on mist setting, within reach)
-a safe & quiet ventilated location (outdoors is fine! smoke alarms should be off or out of smoke range and any windows should be open)
OPTIONAL:
-flower seeds
-salt
-any herbs you'd like, as long as they're burnable. research first.
-scissors
-tweezers/tongs
SAFETY MEASURES:
-keep the spray bottle on-hand in case the smoke gets nasty
-keep the water bottle ready and any flammable objects away from flame
-smoke alarms remain off or out of reach
-keep pets away
-test burn a piece of paper beforehand to make sure you're prepared
-make sure you're prepared to handle burning paper with your bare hands or with tweezers/tongs
SPELL:
1. light a candle, if desired for burning (other option is matches/lighter)
2. take a piece of paper and write a list of things you want to banish or remove from your life. be as specific as you'd like, and take the time beforehand to plan. put intention down as you're writing & imagine the things on your list leaving your life. you can also write any relevant sigils.
3. tear or cut the paper so it is only as big as it needs to be. (second option: tear the paper into tiny pieces, collecting them on a regular sheet of paper. while envisioning tearing apart what you desire to banish or purge.)
4. fold the paper and wrap it in twine/string. if you know knot magick, feel free to use it to tie the knot. use as much twine as desired & cinch to taste. (second option: fold the sheet of paper to wrap your shredded list and tie with string. tape not recommended.) imagine or visualize this as trapping the negativity and/or you taking control.
5. make sure your bowl/cauldron is on hand before holding your wrapped spell over the candle flame, using tongs or bare hands if you'd like (if using a stick candle or lighter/match, feel free to put the spell in the bowl first if you so wish). once lit, place in bowl. try not to drop it too fast or let it go out once lit, but it's fine if either happens. if it goes out, carefully pick it up again and relight or wait until it's cooled down to retry.
f. instead of speaking or thinking words to banish or dispel the contents of the list, think/say words like "i welcome you into my heart and life. i call for these things to come in abundance. i trust that in their own time, i will have all i desire." e myself from you, and you me. i trust that in time, you will purge from my life " (creative liberty can be taken!)
7. wait until the spell burns out to remove paper. put out any embers and store in a glass or metal container until you can bury the ashes. (optional: bury with seeds to symbolize your fresh, positive experiences being given life with the ashes of your negative experiences or relationships.)
8. wait for any other participants to do their own burning. again, watch for smoke. stay respectfully quiet and help your fellow witches by adding your own visualization of their sorrows or negativity leaving their life.
9. cleanse the space and take several minutes to meditate or set final intentions in the aftermath. "reset" your energy for the next half of the spell.
10. repeat this process for attracting positivity, with the following changes:
a. write things you wish to attract or welcome into your life instead of things you wish to banish or purge
b. instead of tearing the paper as a second option to folding it, you could roll the paper
c. be gentle and unrestrictive with your twine. instead of thinking of it as "containing" the contents of the list, imagine it as "centralizing" the contents to draw them to you
d. you may add seeds to the bowl or put them into your paper, if possible, to symbolize the positivity blossoming into your life
e. once lit, watch the flames and imagine your list being released into the air, moving around you and any other members of the group (however, focus on yourself. the spell is for you!). imagine the words calling out to this positivity, inviting it.
f. instead of speaking or thinking words to banish or dispel the contents of the list, think/say words like "i welcome you into my heart and life. i call for these things to come in abundance. i trust that in their own time, i will have all i desire." (creative liberty can, again, be taken!)
g. instead of burying your ashes, you could also find other uses in your craft. options include things like using them in a black salt, adding them to salt or herb mixtures you use to charm objects, carrying them on you to attract the contents to you better, or even scatter them on the wind, in a stream, or any other (preferably natural and within reason) space to scatter your positivity as long as you trust that the contents of the list have been freed and are now just for you.
REMEMBER:
1. this spell may not do all the work for you, and you have to understand that there is a limit to what it can do. the spell won't change your physical features or personality drastically or overnight. if you want something that involves other people (and is within your reach), work for it yourself. spells are asking the universe (or your own subconscious) for a push in the right direction- it's up to *you* to get yourself there a lot of the time. cut out those toxic friends, ask them out, tell that person you like their outfit, etc.. it starts and ends with you!
2. there is no "wrong way" for the spell to go. if your paper won't light or won't stay lit or won't burn- it's no big deal. that doesn't mean it won't work. keep your patience. dissolving the paper in water will also work in a pinch. you can also interpret parts as a sign- for example, if your paper won't stay lit without your help, you could take it as your list being very centered around you getting out there and making things happen!
3. not everything will work, and not everything will work right away. have faith, but don't get too down if it doesn't happen!
4. this spell is not a substitution for professional help and should not be treated as such.
5. doing this spell with a friend, or while calling somebody with video, is recommended for fire safety purposes. if you get too focused, you may not notice any dangers popping up.
6. if your bowl is a flimsy metal, it could very well melt
7. *there is no right or wrong way to do this spell*. if you need to use water to put out the flame, or you don't feel a massive change, or you get distracted or feel intrusive thoughts, don't get yourself down. nobody and nothing is perfect, and you don't need to get it flawlessly right the first try. hardships are what make magick work- keep working, edit or personalize where needed, drop this tactic entirely, or anything else you need. good things will come, and bad things will be banished. magick is a very personal thing and if my methods don't work for you, then they don't need to.
8. be aware of ventilation and fire alarms!
SUGGESTED:
1. after i did the spell, i removed all the spell materials from my space and spent a half hour doing self-care. i found myself drained and extremely tired afterwards, but felt much better after thinking of my self-care as kickstarting the positivity rolling in. i suggest you do the same- it's fantastic
2. don't take yourself too seriously! especially with friends, giggles happen and you can get distracted. don't try to force seriousness when laughing or joking feels better or more natural. a forced atmosphere is bad for spellwork!
3. personalize, personalize, personalize
4. be prepared for emotions to come to the surface. be gentle with yourself and others, especially after casting, and sleep or do something relaxing to reset or relax your state of mind if you feel agitated or tired
MY EXPERIENCE WITH THE SPELL:
i did this on new year's with a good friend! there's a reason i have many of these safety mentions- i forgot to open a window or have a water bottle next to me while casting and we had to be a thousand times more jumpy with the fire aspects. i'm a big baby with fire, too, so i kept dropping my papers and needing to relight them.
my negativity banishment burned long and hot- the flames were licking over the (curved inward) rim of the cauldron as if reaching for me, at a height that honestly surprised me. it burned for such a long time that the cauldron melted- the arms falling off and droplets of metal sliding onto the floor as the cauldron tipped forwards me.
this got actually concerning, and the smoke became so thick we ended up putting out the flame. i poured water into the bowl as my friend sprayed the air to make sure any smoke didn't reach the fire alarm. after the danger passed, we were giddy and started to laugh at the situation before disposing of the forbidden tea into a lidded glass jar (that i ended up placing outside for the night).
my positivity paper wouldn't light or stay lit- which makes sense considering how much it pertained to things i wanted to do- and eventually i was left with ashes and a damp piece of paper reading "to attract".
when my friend burned their papers, during the negativity spell my skin was crawling and i felt slightly ill until it burned out. i interpreted it as feeling the power of them banishing the negativity- which they reported feeling as well as i burned my spell.
[image ID: a person sitting in a darkened room holding a piece of paper tied with twine over a candle flame. there are two other candles to their left and right, as well as a small metal cauldron with two ornate handles. end ID.]
[image ID: a large flame coming out of a small metal cauldron with two ornate handles, sitting next to a small candle with an average flame for comparison. end ID.]
[image ID: a small metal cauldron missing both arms, on its side to show how one set of ornate legs has been entirely melted. there are two spots where one handle used to connect. end ID.]
