Components of a Spell
Intent
Intent is the most important component and is the starting point of any magical process. Part of manifesting your desires into reality is defining them clearly and empowering that thought.
Making your intent specific is very important because it will help you avoid unwanted outcomes. Here are some examples of intents:
Weak: Protect me.
Better: Protect me from negative energy.
Strong: Protect my mind, body, and spirit from negative energy while allowing good energy in.
If you are less specific, you may find that you block of good energy as well as bad energy! The universe can also twist your words in ways you do not expect so be sure that your intent is clear.
General and simple intents may work for some practitioners but I recommend beginners strive to be specific.
Everything from here on will be directly related to your intent.
Materials
Choosing materials sounds difficult but if you have a clear intent, it should not be too difficult. Having a book of shadows or notebook and taking notes on spell materials is very helpful to crafting spells. As a beginner, you may be overwhelmed by the wide variety of herbs, flowers, spices, and crystals. Try to focus on a few at a time and keep track of their associations.
Pick materials that align with your intent. For example, if we are using the previous example you would want the following materials:
One that brings protection
One that connects to the self or the mind/body/spirit
One that absorbs or deflects negative energy
One that welcomes positive energy
You do not necessarily need all of these materials, as when you are performing the spell you can compensate for this through your words or actions.
Finding the correct components will involve research so be prepared! Your choices should be based on a combination of outside sources and personal experience. As you cast and create more spells you will become more advanced at using and choosing materials.
Words
The words you choose to speak, sign, or think, when casting a spell should reflect your intent. Your spell does not have to rhyme but the rhythm of a rhyming poem can 1. make it easier to remember and 2. help you connect more deeply to your spirit. You can also use repetition to strengthen the spell and solidify your intent.
If you are lacking in components, you should take great care in crafting your words. This is your chance to communicate to the universe what you want and need.
I recommend researching different types of poetry and literary techniques. In a way, your poem is an offering to the universe as a thanks for empowering the spell. There is value in choosing beautiful and meaningful words to aid your spell.
Actions
I find the actions people use when executing a spell vary depending on their religion and background. In the end, you have to go with your gut and choose actions that feel right to you. Some examples of actions you can take during a spell are as follows:
Kissing a component
Burning a material
Grinding or combining materials
Drawing shapes or sigils with your hands
Facing a specific direction
Sitting, standing, walking
Dancing or physical exercise
As you can see, actions are much more open ended which I why they are difficult to explain. However, I can say that the actions you take can aid in adding power and energy to your spell. For example, dancing releases your physical energy which can charge your spell.
Actions can also help you invoke specific spirits or deities. There is a reason many Christians make a cross motion when praying. The motions themselves are a symbol that invoke whatever power you are calling upon.
Conclusion
Much of spell-making is a personal process of research and discovery. But, hopefully this post gives you an idea of where to start! I invite people to add on to this post with other ideas and suggestions as well as critiques!
(image from pixabay)
