It’s no coincidence that you found this website at this moment in your life. Witches, as well as alchemists, have always known that great transformational powers reach those who are prepared to benefit from them. And the wisest among the wise know that the greatest power is the one that comes from finding self-knowledge and achieving harmony in life.
A true Witch lives a life full of freedom to create, has a passionate sense for the mystical world and an endless love for Earth and Nature 🌏. Casting spells is an art that consists of exploring the paths of the Universe and aims to connect with the infinite source of all ancient wisdom.
How To Cast Spells The Real Way
In this lesson, you will learn:
Introduction
What is a Spell?
The word spell is not always well understood. Many people assume that spells involve strange and obscure practices, or that they can only be cast by a few chosen people. So you might be surprised to learn that much of Modern Witchcraft is nothing but an honest, spiritual way to express our desires and intentions.
A spell is a type of ritual in which we guide our mind to achieve a specific purpose. The key to casting spells is to decide what you want to achieve and focus on the right images and words so that they will take you there. In the process of focusing on what you want, you are opening a door to a world where your wish can manifest as a reality. But your willpower and intention must be strong and consistent.
The casting of a spell can be seen as a ritual act that gives start to a movement or a change in the direction you want your life to go. Accordingly, the effort, focus, and energy that you put in casting a spell is a symbol of your dedication to achieve that goal. Like a small sacrifice, we use this moment to give thanks to our Higher Spiritual Being – or Higher Self, a connection that we all have to the Deity – for allowing change to enter our lives.
The secret to this philosophy is to find the perfect balance between your conscious will and the often hidden purposes of your Higher Self. To do this, you must be very clear about what you want. Otherwise, your spellcasting attempts will fail.
Do Spells Really Work?
Thousands of people cast Magic spells every day, not necessarily being psychic, mediums, or experts in Witchcraft. You can create a sacred space for casting spells at home, a personal space in which you will always be happy, calm and safe.
In order to cast spells that really work and change your life, not only you must believe that your spells will work, but you must feel empowered to make it so. Feeling capable of fulfilling your desires is one of the most important things to master in order to become a powerful Witch.
To illustrate this, here’s a simple answer to a common question: “If anyone can get what they want through Magic and spells, then why are not all Witches rich?” 😕
Morgana Rae, author of ‘Financial Alchemy: Twelve Months of Magic and Manifestation’ explains it in simple terms:
“Most of the witches I’ve met have terrible relationships with money,”. This, according to her, is usually due to people not being properly aligned with their inner self. “Spells are worthless if they are not accompanied by inner alignment and forward action,” she adds.
In other words, spells and rituals can open many new doors in your life, but it’s still up to you to walk through those doors and take what you need. Your own confidence and efforts will pay off in the long term if you have faith and stay focused.
I Don’t Want to be a ‘Witch’, Can I Still Cast Spells at Home?
In this guide, we will focus mainly on “At Home Witchcraft”, which is one of the specialties that anyone interested can practice without belonging to a Coven or calling themselves a Witch/Warlock/Sorcerer.
- Members of Covens – groups of Witches – have access to teachers, attend preparation courses and meetings, and share their knowledge with each other, constantly expanding their wisdom.
- Solitary Witches, on the other hand, must resort to different options to get the same results. For example, studying, thought, prayer and experimentation at home.
Anyone that is experimenting with spells or Witchcraft can be called a Witch. If you have any personal beliefs against this word, read Macha NightMare’s essay on Reclaiming the “W” Word, which states:
…most Witches believe that for thousands of years in Europe, the people in a village known as “witches” were highly respected women whom everyone consulted for advice about illness, injury, childbirth, and even emotional troubles. They were mainly women, and they had special knowledge about herbs and various kinds of remedies. They were protectors of human life, and also loved, protected and respected animals and plants. Using the word “Witch,” then, reflects admiration for the role that modern Witches believe these people of ancient times played in the life of their communities and a desire to be like them.
As with any other art or craft, anyone can improve with time and practice. Some people have a natural gift or talent and they will be better at it than others. But in general, anyone can practice Magic to attract what they want into their lives. Whether you want to call yourself a Witch, Warlock, Sorcerer, Sorceress, Wizard, or just Pagan, that’s up to you.
Rules for Spellcasting
The experienced Witch has the Power to control their life and change their destiny through interaction with the Universe in all its dimensions. To begin to understand how this wisdom works, here are some simple rules that you should know and follow from now on:
- Magic is real.
- Magic is at the same time an art and an experimental science.
- The best way to predict your future is to create it.
- Always be careful what you do and what you say.
- Keep your spells a secret while you’re working with them.
- The work is not complete until you put away your tools and clean your space.
- Do not harm anyone intentionally.
- Everything you send to the Universe, good or bad, will come back to you threefold (Rule of Three).
Tap to Pin it!
As you can see, a true Witch should always act ethically and aim to be an educated and mentally active person. After all, it will be your mind that really does all the work, carrying and enforcing the effects of your Magic. For this, you must keep it in constant exercise, training and strengthening your mental capacity. The more you train your mind, the better you become at manifesting your goals.
8 Steps to Casting a Magic Spell
1. Your Altar
You don’t really need a fancy altar to cast spells. There are many Witches that work their Magic on the floor and others just use an everyday table with a tablecloth on. If you browse our Library of Magic Spells, you will notice that most spells talk about our working on the “altar“. Why? Because it’s important to have a personal sacred space.
You will learn how to set a table and a find safe place for your tools in Lesson 5: How to Setup a Basic Altar
2. Safety Measures
Energy Cleansing with a Ritual Bath
Taking a ritual bath is one of the most important steps before casting your first spell. The bath helps you to prepare the subconscious mind for the ritual. But the point is not just to be clean, or you could simply take a shower. While a regular shower will leave your body fresh and clean, it won’t relax you in the same way a bath will. During a bath, your heart rate slows down and your body and mind can find peace.
🛀 Take this bath to remove negative energies
- First, take a shower, wash your hair, and clean the bathtub before filling it.
- Fill your tub all the way so that you will be completely submerged, and add 3 handfuls of sea salt.
- While you relax in the bathtub, visualize all the problems and concerns that you want to get rid of. Dive underwater a total of three times. You can do this very slowly, to the pace of relaxing music, for a total of 5-10 minutes. If your bathtub is not deep enough, you can sit down and pour the water over your head.
- Empty the tub, sitting in the water and visualizing how your problems and concerns go down the drain with it.
- Drain your hair and let the rest of your body air dry, without rubbing your skin, so that the salt forms a protective layer on you.
Casting a Circle of Protection ⭕
Not all magical rituals necessarily require a circle of protection. This is used mainly in invocatory rituals, as well as in rituals that involve the gathering of great energies in a specific place or in a confined object.
However, if we want to keep ourselves focused, it is a good idea to cast a simple circle. This not only protects us from energies that can distract us, it also helps us to enter an adequate mental state to carry out a spell.
You will learn more about Circles of Protection in Lesson 4: Safety Tips for Casting Spells: 8 Rules Every Witch Should Know
3. Invocations and Spiritual Aids
This is an optional step, but it is conventional wisdom that Witchcraft works best if you invoke the help of higher forces so that you are not working all by yourself. Just like Catholics invoke the Holy Spirit or the Blessed Virgin Mary, Wiccans will typically invoke the God or Goddess, and other Pagans will invoke the deities of their preference. If you are new to the practice, then the Four Elementals of Nature can help you in your purpose.
Start by facing East and ask the Air to accompany you during your ritual and take care of you while you work. Then turn South and ask Fire for the same favor. Look West and ask for the help of Water. Finally, face North and call for the help of Earth. There are several ways to invoke an element. The basic form consists of pronouncing:
“Element Air, I invoke you”.
But you can do this in any way you want, as long as you do it in a way that is sacred to you. For example, simply invoke the elements in one sentence:
“Air, Fire, Water, Earth, elements of the astral birth, I call you now, come to me.”
Use an invocation that fits your preference, or create your own. If you are interested in Wicca, you will keep learning more about it on Lesson 10: What is Wicca?.
4. Define an Intention
The next thing is to decide what your intention is. What do you want to achieve? This should be as specific as possible. For example, it makes more sense to wish for “a clear skin and a strong hair”, than just saying: “I want to look good”. Also, avoid using negative statements such as “I don’t want to be shy anymore”. Instead, you can say: “I am confident, funny, and charming!”. Remember that when you work with Magic your purpose should always be for your own good or the good of other people. Magic works especially well when you eliminate any trace of negativity from your thought process.
One effective way of doing this is to write it down on a piece of paper or in your journal. By writing it down you are forcing yourself to turn your wish into clear words, helping you understand better what it is that you want.
Notice that when writing or stating any intentions, we choose to remove the words “I want”. When saying to the Universe that I want something, what I am really saying is that I don’t have it. A much more powerful mindset to manifest a wish is to say: “Thank you because I already have it”. Even if I don’t have it yet, I’m sending a message of gratitude that is in line with a reality in which I get more of that because I really deserve more.
5. Light Your Candles
Assuming your spell uses candles – many of them do – it’s time to light the candles on your altar. This ritual act symbolizes the birth of a change or transformation that is about to enter your life.
Candles represent a very powerful spiritual connection because the single act of lighting a candle is associated with all Four Elements:
- The flame itself symbolizes the element Fire as a purifier of all energies.
- Wax represents the Earth as a token of our connection to Nature.
- As it slowly melts and drips down it personifies the everflowing element Water.
- Finally, the wax is transformed into steam embodying the element Air.
The use of candles can be of great help in renewing your mood and improving your mindset as their flame and colors will attract energies that have great healing powers. More important than the color of the candle is the intention that is placed upon it.
You will learn more about candle spells in Lesson 7: Candle Magic 101.
6. Transformative Meditation
You are now ready to meditate on your goal first by emptying your mind, and then by keeping it fixed on what you want. For Witches, meditation is extremely important.
Train your mind to concentrate on a goal for long periods of time. The practice of Magic is much more than whispering around candles and spreading a few ingredients on your altar. The mind, through focus and concentration, is what really makes your spells work.
Meditation will teach you to deliberately alter your state of consciousness. The ideal state of the mind for Magical and Psychic performance is the Alpha state, when the brain waves are between 7 and 14 cycles per second. In this state of mind – which we usually experience between being awake and entering the dream state – we have greater access to the subconscious while still being in control.
The Alpha state is a light trance in which we become more in tune and receptive to our intuition. This improves our ability to feel and channel mental energy.
Learn How to Meditate with us: Meditation Roots: 10 Beginner Sessions.
When you are casting a spell, you are projecting your Will in the form of energy towards a goal. Picture that energy as a laser beam. The more concentrated the beam, the more powerful it is. Any fear, doubts, or negative emotions if mixed with that energy will act as a diffuser. They can weaken and disperse the energy you are trying to direct. It is through meditation that you will control your mind so it doesn’t control you.
Spells have two distinct phases. The first one is about gathering or concentrating Power. The second is releasing it.
7. Chants, Mantras and Prayers
This step depends entirely on the spell you are about to cast. In most cases, you will light a candle and focus on your intention through meditation and visualizations. Then you will chant a spell or perform some other ritual action.
This is where you ask the Universe to listen to you and make your wishes come true. As mentioned before, always describe your desires in great detail, being very specific with the words you choose.
📖 Our Library of Spells will help you find the right chant for your situation.
Many Witches like to end their spells with the words “So mote it be”, symbolizing the end of the order they have given to the Universe, which will now start working on it. You can also add the expression “And harm no one”, to ensure that no negative consequences arise as a result of the spell you are casting.
Other Ritual Acts
As mentioned above, there are many different types of ritual acts that are typically involved when working with Witchcraft. In this website, we have collected spells of many different kinds for you to experiment with. Use this lesson as a starting point and choose the spells that appeal to you.
8. Finishing the Spell
Give Thanks to the Universe for listening to you. This requires no words at all. It is more about feeling thankful and truly believing that the Universe knows what you are doing. If you want to put it into words, you could say:
“Thank you, Universe, for everything you’ve given me and everything that’s on the way”.
Then give thanks to the elements, spirits or deities you’ve invoked, for their protection, for guiding your energy and contributing their energy to your spell. You can do this in the following way:
Look North and say: “Spirit of the Earth, my ritual has ended. I bid you farewell”. Repeat as you turn to the left, moving from North to West, then to South and East, saying goodbye to each element.
Extinguish the candle. You can blow it out if you don’t plan on using it again, or snuff it out with your fingers, a spoon, or a special tool if you plan on using this candle again. Note that certain types of rituals call for the same candle to be lit again several times, such as novenas.
Dissolve your circle of protection. Bow your head and say:
“I declare this circle dissolved. So be it”.
Some people choose to give an end to their rituals by ringing a bell, drum, or clapping their hands to release all energies at once.
In Summary
Extra Tips
How Spells Really Work
If you’ve read and understood this far, your mind is open enough. Now, you can work on developing your Power of manifestation, that is, your willpower. You see, deep down, all Magic is based on your own inner strength and knowing how and when to use it. Choosing this path requires great willpower, and you will soon discover that Magic is not the easiest path. The creation of a true change in your life requires a real effort.
Magic and Witchcraft do not work just by the intention and power of your thoughts. You must also work on the alignment of your body, mind and spirit to cast spells successfully. These aspects of yourself can be aligned through:
- Breathing and deep meditation.
- Putting aside anxiety and impatience.
- Being aware of your connection to the Universe.
Real spells of Magic work through our intentions, thoughts, words and actions – it’s also important to correctly visualize what you are seeking. It is not just about believing that change is possible, but about knowing and feeling that it is already happening. All aspects of the Universe, including your mind, body and spirit, are connected. We are all energy. What we see around us is the physical manifestation of our thoughts, and in turn your thoughts have the power to change the dynamics of everything around you.
“Macrocosmos is the same as microcosmos. The universe is the same as God, God is the same as man, man is the same as the cell, the cell is the same as the atom, the atom is the same as…and so on, ad infinitum.” – The Mystica
Choosing the Right Spells
Once you understand how spells work, cast the spell you think is the most convenient for your situation. Choose one from our Library of Spells or write your own spell.
Sometimes, the best way to choose a spell for you is to use your intuition, that is, go with the one that calls your attention without thinking too much about it. After casting a spell, analyze what you feel. Without overthinking, relax and try to see what’s going on inside your head. Are you confident that it will work? Do you have any doubts? Was there anything that you might have done wrong? If the spell does not work for you, cast it again after reviewing all these possibilities. As a beginners, you should wait at least a month to see results before trying to cast the same spell again.
If you didn’t feel okay while casting a spell, this is your mind telling you that something is not right and you should try to find out what that is. Continue with a ritual bath or a simple meditation and see how you feel and what ideas come to your mind.
Getting Better at Casting Spells
Never get carried away by negative emotions – fear, envy, anxiety – or even negative people when it comes to casting your own spells.
You will learn more in the following lessons of this free spellcasting course:
- Lesson 7: Clear Signs the Spell You Cast is Working
- Lesson 8: How to Make Your Spells More Powerful: Tips & Tricks
Next: Ritual Magic & The Moon Phases
📓 In this lesson, you will learn the following, and more:
✦ Why are Moon Cycles Important when Casting Spells?
✦ What Spells to Cast on Each Moon
- New Moon
- Waxing Crescent
- First Quarter
- Waxing Gibbous
- Full Moon
- Waning Gibbous
- Last Quarter
- Waning Crescent
Or Browse All Lessons in the course.
Ready to Cast a Spell? Try the Perfect Spell for Tonight’s Moon or find Easy Spells for Beginners
Wow this is truly incredible, looking forward to explore more and learn.
Wow….that was very informative…
Thank you
Oh I get so annoyed. The only thing I want is to cast a spell on my ex so he’ll like me again … But managed to break spell rule 5. Told only to some friends that I’ve cast a spell on my ex. That’s it. Will the spell still work?
Hi Kjell, great question.
Sometimes rules are meant to be broken. I suggest you perform a small divinatory ritual to ask your Higher Self or personal divinity what’s going to come from the spell you cast. Burning a purple candle while meditating usually helps. Try drawing a Tarot card, or use a pendulum if you have one. The spell can still work, especially if you’re 100% committed to your goal.
Good luck!
Kjell, it is unwise to try to use magic to force someone to behave in a certain way. Would you really want him/her back if you had to compel them to come back? There are all sorts of reasons not to do this, but “karma” is the simplest way of describing the perils therein.
I end my spells with this invocation, taught to me 30 years ago: “For the good of all. For the free will and receptivity of all. No harm come. My will be done. And so it must be.”
I like this blog it’s a master piece! Glad I observed this on google.
I am really glad that google took me here I no I have the mindset and inner strenth to practice and become a with I love the learning process it is very interesting to me
I want to do magic good luck spells I have done simple spells before and they worked so I do believe that I can do this with your help thank you and God bless you
What a great blog! Blessings to the author!
Wow so much information! The image you made with the steps really helped me to see the bigger picture. Thank you so much for doing this! 🙏🏻💖💖
I’m excited to learn all this but still kinda owerwhelmed.
I was reading that when we create spells we need to keep them a secret or they don’t work, so does that mean that all those spells and enchantments that are in those books you get in bookstores don’t work? Or do we have to make them our own so they do work?
Hi Mallory,
What it means is that you shouldn’t talk about the spells that you’re casting at the moment. There’s no problem in sharing a spell that has worked for you, but it’s best not to discuss it while you’re still working with it.
Having said this, it is mostly a superstition intended to give more power to the ritual after it’s done. If you feel confident enough, you may discuss your spellwork with the people you trust.
Blessed Be!
This resonated with me where lots of others things haven’t- thank you. That being said, not everyone has the luxury of a bathtub. What is a good substitute for a ritual bath?
Thanks for your comment! There are ways to adapt a bath ritual in to a shower ritual. I think this Forum topic will answer your question or give you some ideas: https://forum.spells8.com/t/bath-improvisation/3188
Blessed Be
I just love all of this. I’m Fairly new at all of this but I can feel the energy in me and it is very strong. I’m not sure what to do next?
Start with what you’re interested in. If you’re not sure still, check out some of our courses or spells to see what gets you excited!
Ok. This is beautiful. I really enjoyed this course and how they enlisted specifically on EVERYTHING that you must do. So I have a question… Can you use a spell with just ONE element. Or doses it have to be all four?
You can use as many or as little elements as you’d like in your spells. Some people use the Western concept of 5 elements (Earth, Air, Fire, Water, and Spirit) while others use different concepts. Whichever works for you is the one you should use.
Can i chant spells in my mind instead of actually saying them? since i don’t have the option to do that I’ve seen spells that you can chant in your mind but i want to use a certain spell and not theirs.
Absolutely you can!