Why Didn't My Spell Work and How to Fix It

We have made it to the end of the Spellcrafting series! It took me a bit of time to finish this series (2 years...I know), but hopefully, it's been helpful nonetheless. Sometimes we do everything 'right,' but the spell fails. The reason a spell fails often falls into one of two categories: internal and external. An internal cause is something we did before, during, or after the spell that resulted in it failing while an external cause is something that happens outside of our control. Internal causes can usually be avoided through good spell etiquette, while external causes will require a complete reworking of the magic to be successful. 

Before we jump into the internal and external causes of spell failure, let's discuss how to know whether or not your spell failed. Sometimes we think a spell failed, but it manifested in a way we did not expect. First, did you give enough time for the spell to manifest? Did you ask for the spell to manifest in a specific time frame? Some spells can take several weeks or even months to work depending on how much you are trying to manifest. Small amounts of money tend to manifest quickly, while a good-paying job may take a couple weeks to show up. Friendship tends to manifest quickly while meaningful romantic partnerships take much longer. Make sure you have given your spell enough time to manifest before you go around saying it failed because this can harm the spell's outcome if it's still working. Second, are you sure the spell didn't manifest in a way you didn't intend? If you were asking for love but weren't specific in the type of love, you might find yourself being showered with love by your friends and family. If you asked for money, you may have found a quarter on the ground at the grocery store. In this case, try the spell again with a more specific intention.

If you're positive you have given the spell enough time to work and it didn't manifest in an unintended way, then the spell likely failed for one of the reasons below. Let's dive into the internal and external causes of spell failure and how to fix them.

Internal Causes

Internal causes are usually the reason a spell fails. This is often due to poor planning, lack of belief, the use of wrong or conflicting spell ingredients, or even lack of effort. Spells require us to raise a considerable amount of energy without our emotions getting in the way. They also require us to put in mundane effort in order for them to manifest. Below are some of the most common internal causes of spell failure.

1. Your spell intention was too specific or too vague.

An unclear or vague intention is the number one reason a spell will fail. Your intention should be specific enough that the Universe knows what you want, but vague enough to allow the Universe to work in mysterious ways. One of the best ways to accomplish this is to ask for something specific and end with the phrase "or better." This allows you to be specific in your intention but open enough to accept what is best for you. However, your intention should be attainable. Asking to win the lottery is likely not going to work as you are asking for 'too much.' The odds are not in your favor with this one, even with consistent energy raising and work. Magic very rarely brings sudden, great change. Instead, it's more subtle, nudging you in a positive direction. To read more about setting a magical intention that will work, check out How to Set Intentions, Raise Energy, and Manifest Your Desires.

How to fix: Create a specific intention and add "or better" to the end.

2. You didn't put in any mundane effort to manifest the spell.

The second largest reason a spell will fail is a lack of mundane effort. Unfortunately, magic does not behave like it does in the movies or books where we wave a wand and our heart's desire appears. If you want a new job, you have to put in applications, go to interviews, and build your resume. If you want to find a life partner, you need to get out and meet people. By putting in the mundane effort, we continue to raise energy in support of the spell, increasing the chances it will manifest. When you do nothing, you tell the Universe you don't really want whatever you are asking for, so you're less likely to receive it.

How to fix: Meet the Universe halfway by putting in the mundane work to manifest your dreams.

3. You didn't actually want it or didn't believe the spell would work.

The energy you raise, or fail to raise, has consequences on the success of the spell. The Universe knows when you really want something and when you don't. If you don't really want whatever it is you are asking for, or don't believe the spell will work, you are projecting that energy into the spell, increasing the chances that it won't work by sending the Universe mixed messages. It's like saying yes while shaking your head no. It's best not to cast a spell at all if you have conflicting energies. 

How to fix: If you don't really want something, don't ask for it. If you have doubts, rewrite your doubts as positive mantras that can be used to fuel the energy of the spell. 

4. You didn't raise enough energy.

The energy you raise for a spell is the driving force behind it. Without energy, the spell will fizzle quickly and fail to manifest as you intended. Maybe you were tired, your heart wasn't in the work, or you had other things on your mind during the spell. Maybe you did attempt to raise energy but it wasn't enough for the spell you were casting. The amount of energy you raise should be proportionate to how much you are asking for. How do you know when you have raised enough? This is a difficult question to answer. I tend to rely on my intuition to let me know when enough energy has been raised. Sometimes you just feel it deep within you. If you are unsure in the moment, raise your energy for a little bit longer and then release it. You'd rather have more energy behind a spell than less anyway.

How to fix: Don't cast spells if you are tired, anxious, or overwhelmed. When in doubt, raise more energy than you think you need, or don't do it at all.

5. You used unsuitable substitutions or conflicting ingredients.

I am a huge advocate for writing your own correspondences and making substitutions as needed, but not all substitutions are the same. While clear quartz and rosemary, the two most often cited substitutions out there, work great in most spells, they don't work in every spell. Clear quartz is particularly gifted at amplifying your magic and intention, but if you are looking to go unnoticed, clear quartz isn't the crystal for you. Rosemary, on the other hand, is associated with remembrance and therefore won't do you much good in a spell to forget. Not only could your substitutions go against your intention, but they can also work against each other. For example, mixing rue and rose quartz will often cancel each other out as their energy conflicts. One is for banishing and cursing, while the other is for drawing love and friendship. It's possible to use both in a spell, but they would have to be at separate times. I wouldn't put them both in the same spell bottle or sachet, however. To read more about writing your own correspondences and finding suitable substitutions check out How to Write Your Own Correspondences to Enhance Your Spellcrafting.

How to fix: Always double-check and cross-reference the energy and correspondences of your ingredients before using them. If they conflict with each other or your intention, rework the ingredients to better match the magic you are creating. When in doubt, less is more. If you have made this mistake, you should redo your spell.

External Causes

External causes are things that happen outside of our direct control after we have released the spell into the Universe. These causes require you to completely rework the spell with an open mind and are much harder to fix than internal issues. Oftentimes, you won't be able to pinpoint one of these reasons as the cause of your spell's failure, but they are reasons nonetheless.

1. Someone else's intention got in the way.

You aren't the only witch out there casting spells and even the intentions of non-witches can get in the way of your magic. As witches, we know that we are capable of enacting great change so its only logical that others can do the same. This can occur in a multitude of ways. 

First, another witch could also be working a spell for the same 'prize.' That other witch may be in a position to tug hard and take the win, leaving you in the dust. Second, you could be going against another person's will or intentions. This is especially true of love spells. If you are trying to get someone to love you and they feel the exact opposite, your spell isn't likely going to work the way you intend. Finally, maybe you told someone about the spell and they intentionally or unintentionally sabotage your work. If you tell someone you worked some prosperity magic, they may express jealousy over your potential success, which can disrupt your spell. 

This type of spell failure is tricky to fix as it is dependent on the feelings, thoughts, and actions of others that you may or may not be aware of. Meditate, reach out to your guides, or do some divination work to try and figure out why the spell failed. Once you have a grasp on why the spell failed, you can begin troubleshooting potential solutions.

How to fix: Try the spell again. When in doubt, keep your spells a secret until after they manifest.

2. The Universe had other plans for you/it was not meant to be.

Sometimes we do everything right, but the Universe has other plans for us. This can be difficult, especially if we really, really, really want something. You may really want a specific job. Everything about its perfect; better pay, close to home, and good benefits. You cast a perfect spell to get the job and put in all the mundane work and you are still rejected. Don't despair. There is likely a job that is a better fit for you out there. Maybe the bosses weren't great or the company is about to go under. We don't know these things, but the Universe often does. We also have to recognize that we are here to learn lessons and sometimes those lessons hurt. 

How to fix: Trust the process and be open to what the Universe has in store for you and rework the spell to be more open to what the Universe has to bring you.

***

Troubleshooting your spells as best you can is the mark of a good witch. Witchcraft, as with life, is full of lessons and growth. You are constantly learning, adjusting, and changing as time goes on. Furthermore, a spell that worked once, might not work again, so repeating the same process over and over again isn't always an option. At the end of the day, it's important to reflect upon both the successes and failures of a spell. Keep a note in your Book of Shadows or Grimoire about the outcome of the spells you cast. If they failed, be sure to include your best guess as to why so that you can learn from your mistakes. Remember, even if a spell fails, it's not the end of the world. Witchcraft requires constant work and practice to master and you don't learn anything if you never fail.

So now that we have finished the series, what are you waiting for?! Get out there and cast some spells! 

Interest in the rest of the series? 

Spellcrafting Series

What Is A Spell?

Ethics in Spellcrafting: To Curse or Not to Curse

Types of Spells

Basics of Spellcrafting

Correspondences, Substitutions, and How to Write Your Own

Perfect Spell Timing

Spell Wording: Be Clear, Be Heard

Cleansing, Charging, and Raising Energy Prior to Spellcasting

Grounding and Centering After Spell Work

Breaking Your Own Spells

What to do with Spell Remains

Recording Your Spells

Intuitive Spellcasting

Casting Spells from the Otherworld

Troubleshooting Your Spells: Why They Didn't Work

Looking for more information about writing your own spells? Check out my posts on the topic:

What is Magic?

What is Hermeticism?

Primal Language

Magic All Day Long: What Time of Day Should I Perform Magic?

The Importance of Gratitude in Witchcraft

If you liked this post and would like to support future content, please consider leaving a small tip in the jar. 

How to Cast Spells from the Otherworld

Most of the spells you cast will occur within our realm using the physical materials you have collected. However, this is not the only way to cast spells. If you are a witch who works within the Otherworld, you may find it possible to cast spells while there. In fact, some of the most potent spells I have ever cast have been done within the Otherworld with the aid of my guides. This is very energy intensive, but a worthwhile endeavor, especially if you lack certain physical ingredients. So how exactly does one go about casting spells from the Otherworld?

Setting a Purpose/Intent

Before you hedge ride, it's important you go in with a clear purpose or intent. This will give your journey direction, ensure your guides are prepared, and that you enter having everything you need to cast your spell. Unlike a spell intention, however, your hedge riding intention does not need to be nearly as specific unless, of course, you want it to be. For example, if you wish to cast a love spell while in the Otherworld, you can state just that with no specifics or you can be more detailed, saying you want to cast a love spell that uses XYZ ingredients. I usually enter with a vague purpose which allows my guides to determine the best ingredients and course of action for the spell.

Hedge Riding

Once your intention is set, it's time to embark on your hedge riding journey. I suggest traveling to your astral garden/office within the Middle Realm for spell work, although it's possible to cast spells from all realms in the Otherworld. Your garden or office, however, is a safe space where you will not be interrupted, therefore making it the best spot for spell work. Remember to ask your guides to meet you there to assist you. To learn more about hedge riding, please refer to my Hedge Riding Series.

Spell Casting

Once you have made it to the Otherworld, you can go about casting your spell as you would within our realm. Because I tend to keep my purpose vague prior to hedge riding, I rely heavily on my guides to provide exactly what I need for my spell work, although you can make specific requests should you wish it. I highly encourage you to use intuitive spell casting while in the Otherworld and work with your guides to cast the spell. When finished, return to our realm and follow up all work with grounding, centering, and a light snack to realign your energies.

And that's it! I know it may seem daunting or even a little scary to cast spells from the Otherworld, but I promise you it's incredibly simple albeit energy intensive. The methods employed in our realm to spell cast are the same you will use within the Otherworld. 

One of the most memorable spells I have ever cast was performed within the Otherworld with three of my spiritual guides and both of my animal guides. It was a spell to rid me of a spirit/soul fragment I no longer wished to have in my life and fully retrieve a portion of my soul that was given freely to another person. I went with the intention, per my guides, of removing this entity from my life. Otherwise, I left myself completely open to the experience. I met my guides deep within the forest of my astral garden, where we gathered around a fire. I was asked to give a part of myself to retrieve that which was lost, and through an elaborate ritual, we were able to banish the spirit and retrieve my soul fragment. Awaking from that journey left me feeling empowered and whole for the first time in a long time. Not all spells and rituals you cast in the Otherworld will be elaborate, but hopefully, all of them will leave you feeling empowered.

Until next time!

Interest in the rest of the series? 

Spellcrafting Series

What Is A Spell?

Ethics in Spellcrafting: To Curse or Not to Curse

Types of Spells

Basics of Spellcrafting

Correspondences, Substitutions, and How to Write Your Own

Perfect Spell Timing

Spell Wording: Be Clear, Be Heard

Cleansing, Charging, and Raising Energy Prior to Spellcasting

Grounding and Centering After Spell Work

Breaking Your Own Spells

What to do with Spell Remains

Recording Your Spells

Intuitive Spellcasting

Casting Spells from the Otherworld

Troubleshooting Your Spells: Why They Didn't Work

Looking for more information about writing your own spells? Check out my posts on the topic:

What is Magic?

What is Hermeticism?

Primal Language

Magic All Day Long: What Time of Day Should I Perform Magic?

The Importance of Gratitude in Witchcraft

If you liked this post and would like to support future content, please consider leaving a small tip in the jar. 

How to Activate and Use Your Intuition to Cast Spells

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.

When it comes to writing and casting your own spells, you may feel the need to verify everything you are doing with credible sources, historical texts, and correspondence lists. I'm here to tell you that is not necessary. Developing spells intuitively, using correspondences you have designed is just as valid as other methods of spellcrafting. Furthermore, your intuition is a great guide to reworking spells you find in books or online. If you are anything like me, you may find the spells in books, blogs, and other sources too cookbook for your liking, you may not have access to the items outlined in the spell, you don't work with the same deities, or the wording doesn't seem right. This is where intuitive witchcraft and spellcasting come in. In today's post, I briefly discuss how you can activate your intuition and cast spells intuitively.

What is Intuition?

Intuition is that innate sense of knowing or understanding that something is true. Its often referred to as a gut feeling or instinct that you can't necessarily explain. Defining what intuition looks like is more difficult as it often manifests differently in different people. Some people feel the hair on the neck stand up, hear voices, see flashes of images, or simply get strong feelings one way or another. All forms are valid, but you need to listen to yourself in order to figure out which method you are using.

Scientifically, intuition is dismissed as nothing more than subliminal messages or your subconscious mind processing information you are unaware of. I have no doubt that this is true. However, in the spiritual community, we often recognize that these messages can also be from Spirit. As with anything, I encourage you to use your best judgment and trust yourself.

Activate Your Intuition

There are multiple ways to activate your intuition and no one way is better than others. However, the basic premise is the same. You want to remove yourself from everyday distractions and stressors and calm your mind. Notice I didn't say your mind should be blank. This is impossible, but focusing on a single object, task, or thought will get you to where you need to be. Below are 10 ways to activate and and develop your intuition.

1. Meditate: Spending time in silence, away from distractions, will help you get in tune with your intuition. Again, your mind does not need to be blank in order for you to reach a calm state of mind.
2. Ground: Grounding is a great way to bring yourself into the present and open your mind to receiving messages. My favorite grounding method is earthing, where you have direct contact with the earth itself and use its energy to help ground yours.
3. Technology Fast: As much as I love technology, it keeps our minds too busy. Spend a couple hours away from your phone or computer so messages and insight can make their way to you more easily.
4. Journal: Journaling is a great way to override your conscious mind and let buried thoughts come to the surface, or at least aid you in documenting potential messages you have received that you can analyze later. You can also combine journaling with automatic writing, a form of divination in which messages are received through unconscious writing.
5. Doodle, Draw, or Paint: This process is similar to journaling but more visual. Allow your mind to quiet as you work on a repetitive task or on visually representing your thoughts and desires.
6. Flame Meditation: Staring into a candle flame and watching it dance is a great way for people who have trouble meditating with their eyes closed. This is also a great way to receive messages from beyond by interpreting the images you see in the flame. This can also be substituted with smoke from incense.
7. Dancing: If you have trouble sitting still or keeping your mind focused while still, try movement instead. Dancing, pacing, treading the mill, and other movements can help induce a trance-like state, especially if you are focusing on a single object or space while you do so. This can also be done with chanting or singing.
8. Drink a Cup of Tea: Certain herbal teas can help calm and open your mind to receiving and listening to messages. Use herbs such as mugwort (intuition), chamomile (calm), lavender (calm), rosemary (wisdom), white tea (wisdom and clarity), or blue lotus (intuition). You could also try my hedge riding tea to activate your intuition.
9. Take a Warm Bath or Shower: Bathing is usually a quiet time, and sometimes the only alone time we get in a day. The heat and steam help soothe muscles, calm the mind, and increase blood flow, thus opening you to receiving messages.
10. Breath Work: While similar to meditation, breath work requires you to focus only on your breathing. Take a deep breath through your nose for four seconds, hold for seven seconds, and then exhale completely through your mouth for eight seconds. Repeat until relaxed.

When I wish to activate my intuition, especially prior to spellcasting, I remove myself from the general hustle and bustle of my home by going to my bedroom where I ground, center, and lightly meditate.

Using Intuition in Spellcasting

Now that you have activated your intuition, it's time to start listening to it. When it comes to casting spells intuitively, you might not know where to start. That's fine. Consult with tarot or oracle cards, read through your journal to see which areas of your life may need magical intervention, ask your guides, or even listen to your body. Astrea Taylor, the author of Intuitive Witchcraft, explains that instead of dismissing areas of tension or lightness in your body during meditation, you should listen to it instead, suggesting this is a means the Universe is using to communicate with you. For example, a knot in your stomach could mean something is making you uneasy so a protection spell may be in order. If you feel butterflies, you may want to cast a love spell.

Once you have a goal in mind for your spell based on your intuition, develop your intention around it. Remember to set a clear goal for the spell, but leave it just open enough so that the Universe can bless you accordingly. 

With your intention in mind, look at the items you have on hand that could assist you in your spell. Some items you may be immediately drawn to. Your eye may go to them immediately, your hand may unconsciously pick it up, or an image of the object may appear in your mind. If items do not immediately jump out at you, lay out the items in front of you and slowly move your hand over them. You may even feel inclined to pick an item up. Feel its energy and ascertain based on your intuition if the item matches your intention. Don't get caught up in correspondences or whether or not what you are doing is "right." Rely upon and trust in yourself. What other people think does not matter here.

With your items collected, begin casting your spell using the basic structure I outlined earlier in Basics of Spellcrafting. Go with the flow here and don't get too caught up in the details. If you are in the middle of doing something and it doesn't feel right, stop and try something different. Make changes as you work and listen to yourself. The moment you stop listening to yourself is the moment you invite failure and this is true of all spellwork, not just intuitive spellcasting.

Conclusion

Intuitive spellcasting is not easy and requires time, patience, and practice to master. At first, it will likely feel very labor-intensive, but with time it will flow more naturally and you will find yourself easily casting spells without much effort. Again, you have to trust yourself and the process in order for this to work. Spend time developing and activating your intuition. Pair it with mundane work, such as working with a therapist and shadow work, to develop self-confidence and break negative self-talk and doubt. Learning to trust and use your intuition to your advantage will advance your magical practice to a whole new level, beyond that of the beginner witch.

For the next spell you cast, I encourage you to try intuitively picking ingredients; just ingredients. As you practice listening to your intuition, move on to developing entire spells. Remember, this takes time and practice, but I assure you it becomes easier with time and effort. If you would like to learn more about using your intuition in your magical practice, I encourage you to pick up Intuitive Witchcraft: How to Use Intuition to Elevate Your Craft by Astrea Taylor. She does an amazing job discussing this in greater detail. You can also find her on her blog Starlight Witch.

Until next time!

Interest in the rest of the series? 

Spellcrafting Series

What Is A Spell?

Ethics in Spellcrafting: To Curse or Not to Curse

Types of Spells

Basics of Spellcrafting

Correspondences, Substitutions, and How to Write Your Own

Perfect Spell Timing

Spell Wording: Be Clear, Be Heard

Cleansing, Charging, and Raising Energy Prior to Spellcasting

Grounding and Centering After Spell Work

Breaking Your Own Spells

What to do with Spell Remains

Recording Your Spells

Intuitive Spellcasting

Casting Spells from the Otherworld

Troubleshooting Your Spells: Why They Didn't Work

Looking for more information about writing your own spells? Check out my posts on the topic:

What is Magic?

What is Hermeticism?

Primal Language

Magic All Day Long: What Time of Day Should I Perform Magic?

The Importance of Gratitude in Witchcraft

If you liked this post and would like to support future content, please consider leaving a small tip in the jar. 

How to Record Your Spells

So you have written your spell, cast it, and disposed of the spell remains. Now what? You need to record it! When casting spells and performing rituals, it is extremely important to keep a detailed record of what you did, including the purpose, timing, ingredients, and even what you did with the spell remains. Why should you keep such a detailed log of your magical workings? Well, first of all, keeping track of your spells allows you to reflect on your successes and failures as a witch. If a spell is particularly successful, you may wish to use it again in the future. If a spell fails miserably, looking back at what you did may give some insights into where you messed up so you can improve, allowing you to troubleshoot potential pitfalls, a topic that will be covered at the end of this series. However, one of the most important reasons to keep a detailed record of your magical workings is in case the spell backfires or you wish to reverse it. Sometimes spells come back and bite us in the ass or have unintended results. Having a detailed record of your magical workings allows you to easily reverse the spell. This won't, of course, reverse the damage, but will at least allow you to stop it from harming you or others further.

How and where you record your spells is entirely up to you, but it should include the following basic information:

• Ritual or Spell Name
• Purpose/Goal
• Date, Time, Moon, and Length of Spell
• Ingredients
• Deities or Spirits Called Upon/Worked With
• Actions Performed and Words Spoken
• Unusual Occurrences Before, During, and After
• Spell Remain Location
• Loophole to Break Spells
• Results

You may also want to include additional notes including any messages received during the work. Again, this information will allow you to track your successes and failures, break spells if needed, and ultimately grow as a witch. Witchcraft is a craft, not a religion, and takes continuous practice to master. Recording your spells promotes such growth.

Most witches record their spells and rituals in a Book of Shadows, which is a journal of a witch's journey. If the spells are particularly successful, they are then transferred to a Grimoire, which is a book of knowledge and spells. However, not all witches keep both a Book of Shadows and a Grimoire or even call their journals/books by such names. There really is no right or wrong way to record spells other than that you are keeping track. With that being said, not all spells have to be recorded. Sometimes we work quick little spells throughout the day for protection, luck, relieve stress, or even jinx. These quick little spells, rituals, and prayers needn't be recorded, but you are most certainly welcome to record them if you remember them.

A couple of years ago, I put together a free Spell & Ritual Worksheet/Log that includes everything you need to record. You can snag your free, printable copy here.

***

For the next spell you cast, practice writing everything down. Find a system that works for you and run with it. Be open and willing to change this system, and recognize that as you grow as a witch, what worked originally may not work any longer.

Interest in the rest of the series? 

Spellcrafting Series

What Is A Spell?

Ethics in Spellcrafting: To Curse or Not to Curse

Types of Spells

Basics of Spellcrafting

Correspondences, Substitutions, and How to Write Your Own

Perfect Spell Timing

Spell Wording: Be Clear, Be Heard

Cleansing, Charging, and Raising Energy Prior to Spellcasting

Grounding and Centering After Spell Work

Breaking Your Own Spells

What to do with Spell Remains

Recording Your Spells

Intuitive Spellcasting

Casting Spells from the Otherworld

Troubleshooting Your Spells: Why They Didn't Work

Looking for more information about writing your own spells? Check out my posts on the topic:

What is Magic?

What is Hermeticism?

Primal Language

Magic All Day Long: What Time of Day Should I Perform Magic?

The Importance of Gratitude in Witchcraft

If you liked this post and would like to support future content, please consider leaving a small tip in the jar. 

A Complete Guide to Disposing of Your Spell Remains to Enhance Your Magic

Now that you've cast your spell, what should you do with all the stuff leftover? Unless it's built into the spell, which it should be, witches often overlook proper disposal, and sometimes this can come back to haunt you. Knowing what you did with the remains of a spell can potentially help you later if you need to break said spell. Proper disposal can also be used to enhance the spell itself, such as casting items into a river to banish or freezing to halt something. In today's post we will dive into a number of disposal methods that you can build directly into your spells and rituals to enhance your magic and ensure success. This list, of course, is not exhaustive but is more than enough to get you started. When necessary, I have also included safety information, particularly for methods that require you to dispose of your remains directly into local ecosystems. And remember, always follow local and state rules and regulations for proper disposal methods and don't trespass.

When Is a Spell Complete?

Before we dive into the disposal methods, however, we need to discuss the proper time to dispose of spell remains. The answer to this depends entirely on the spell. Most container spells will be 'disposed' of prior to them coming to fruition, while a candle spell will be 'complete' after the candle has burned out. Even still longer spells that require working over many days, weeks, or moons until the intention is realized will rely on your intuition to know when they are complete. For those longer spells and rituals that require constant attention, you don't want to dismantle the spell until the very end. Trust your intuition. It will tell you when the spell is complete and it's time to dismantle or dispose of your spell remains. As mentioned earlier, sometimes the disposal method is part of the spell, so you won't actually be dismantling it prior to disposal, especially in cases where you are burying a spell jar.

Disposal Methods

Burning

Burning can be used in a couple of ways. First, burning can be used to release or banish. Burn in a cauldron, stove, fire pit, or otherwise heat-safe dish, and scatter the remains away from your property if looking to banish or release. Fire, when combined with wind, can be used to bring swift action and send your message quickly to the Universe. Scatter the ashes close to home, especially in your garden or plants, if you are working spells for abundance or success, petitioning spirits, or even sex magic (heat things up, am I right?). 

As always, exercise caution when burning materials. Work in a well-ventilated area, have a fire extinguisher, water, or baking soda at the ready, and don't burn anything that is potentially toxic or explosive such as plastic, jars, aluminum, treated wood, polystyrene foam, dryer lint, rubber, glue, or inked cardboard.

Burying

This disposal method relies heavily on your intention for the spell and is probably the most diverse method. To draw things to you, you'll want to bury your spell close to you. To drive things away, you will want to take them away from your property. Below is a list of possible sites and the intentions associated with them.

Front Door or Yard: Bury here for protection or to draw something to you. This method is especially potent for prosperity, abundance, and success spells.

Back Door or Yard: Bury here to maintain something or keep things the same.

Cemetery: This location is most often used in banishing spells, but can also be used in spells that require ancestral help or for bindings. Be mindful of the rules in cemeteries and be sure to show the utmost respect to those laid to rest.

Construction Site: This is best for hexing and cursing because as the building is built, the spell will constantly be 'hammered' into the ground.

Crossroads: This is generally considered a neutral location to dispose of the spell remains you don't know what to do with. Remains can also be buried here that are involved in prosperity, abundance, success, cursing, hexing, chord cutting, banishing, starting a new skill, or spells involving Hekate or other crossroads entities.

Someone Else's Yard: Remains buried here are associated with spells to impact the person who lives there, usually a curse or a healing spell. If buried near their front door, this will strengthen the influence.

Despite this method being versatile, it's also one you need to be the most concerned about. Remember to follow city and state guidelines, don't trespass, be respectful of the spirits that live there, and do not dispose of anything that could harm the environment. Avoid disposing of salt, plastics, synthetic candle wax, and artificial perfumes and soaps.

Compost

Because this is keeping the biodegradable remains on your property, this is best for spells related to protection, success, abundance, and maintenance. See the 'Burying' for more details.

Trash

This is best used for spells that are sending something away, cursing, or hexing. You want to dispose of the remains away from your home, usually as quickly as possible. The 'nastier' the disposal method, the stronger the curse or hex. You can even dispose of spell remains in a port-a-potty as long as they can be easier pumped and disposed of.

If your spell remains are not environmentally friendly, you will also want to dispose of them in the trash, despite your intention. See the note below for more details.*

Water

Water is great for releasing, cleansing, healing, fertility, and abundance spells. As the water flows, it washes away what we no longer desire and empowers the spell to bring what we want. Water is also often used in cursing and hexing, especially if it involves banishing. Hex tablets were historically found around hot springs and other water sources. Flush remains down the toilet, as long as they are safe and won't clog your pipes, to flush things out of your life, especially people. I flush salt used in cleansing rituals in my home to flush the unwanted energies out of my life. The ocean tides, on the other hand, can be used to bring things back to you, as they return on the tides.

Wind

Throw your spell remains, if they are light enough and eco-friendly, into the wind to send your intent out into the Universe, blow things away from you, or even blow things to you. If you are banishing, dispose of the remains away from home. If you are drawing to you, dispose of them close to home, preferably on your property. Be mindful that what goes up must come down. Don't throw potentially heavy or harmful remains off of balconies, buildings, mountainsides, or bridges. 

*If you are unable to use any of these disposal methods and are concerned that throwing the remains into the trash will hinder your spell, follow up the disposal with a petition or offering to whatever spirits and energies you called upon for assistance. This will ensure that despite 'improper' disposal your spell still works the way you intended. However, the idea that spell remains must be disposed of in a way that helps the spell is a very privileged mindset and sometimes environmentally harmful (this is also a colonizer mindset). In very rare cases have I seen any of my spells hindered because I threw the remains in the trash when I should have buried them. So go with what feels right to you, and be mindful of how you are impacting the local flora and fauna with your choice.

Sometimes, spell remains can be reused and you don't need to dispose of them at all. Crystals, glassware, drawstring bags, cups, and small trinkets can be reused in most circumstances after thorough cleansing. You don't want to reuse candles (they should be allowed to burn all the way out anyway), herbs, incense, or other 'disposable' items though, at least in most cases. I sometimes only use a candle for its wax, and will alter reuse the candle for a similar purpose. However, this is not advised for baneful spells, including hexing, cursing, return to sender, binding, or banishing spells. You want to dispose of the spell remains properly, most often away from you and your home in a 'disgusting' manner, such as throwing them in the garbage. 

***

This week I'd like you to think about an upcoming spell or two that you would like to perform. Jot down some potential disposal methods, making sure to list the pros and cons of each method. Are there any ingredients in the spell that could be potentially environmentally harmful? What if you want to break the spell later and need the remains? Do you have to dispose of the remains at all or can you reuse them in future spells? These are important questions to answer and ones you will want to record when you finally write and cast your spell.

Interest in the rest of the series? 

Spellcrafting Series

What Is A Spell?

Ethics in Spellcrafting: To Curse or Not to Curse

Types of Spells

Basics of Spellcrafting

Correspondences, Substitutions, and How to Write Your Own

Perfect Spell Timing

Spell Wording: Be Clear, Be Heard

Cleansing, Charging, and Raising Energy Prior to Spellcasting

Grounding and Centering After Spell Work

Breaking Your Own Spells

What to do with Spell Remains

Recording Your Spells

Intuitive Spellcasting

Casting Spells from the Otherworld

Troubleshooting Your Spells: Why They Didn't Work

Looking for more information about writing your own spells? Check out my posts on the topic:

What is Magic?

What is Hermeticism?

Primal Language

Magic All Day Long: What Time of Day Should I Perform Magic?

The Importance of Gratitude in Witchcraft

If you liked this post and would like to support future content, please consider leaving a small tip in the jar. 

How to Break Your Own Spells

It's all well and good to cast a spell, but what happens when things don't go the way you intend or your previous intentions no longer align with your current intentions? This is where breaking your own spells becomes incredibly important. This topic is almost always overlooked in the occult community, leaving generations of witches ill-prepared when a spell goes awry. I hope to fill that void today by discussing why and how to break your own spells, and how to build in loopholes to make breaking them easier.

Why Break A Spell?

So first, why would a witch want to break a spell they painstakingly created, raised energy for, and cast into the Universe? Well, there are several reasons, the biggest of which being the spell flopped. Sometimes when we cast a spell, things don't go the way we initially intended, which is why logging your spells is so important. This can happen for a variety of reasons including vague intent, lack of effort, or even asking for something too specific. The Universe is very literal and does a great job of giving us exactly what we ask for, whether it's what you really want or not. This can mean a spell to attract a lover ends up attracting attention from everyone, including people you don't want attention from. Or maybe you banished negativity from your home which inadvertently ended your relationship with your significant other (Am I drama?). Needless to say, if the spell ends up backfiring or giving you something you didn't originally intend, you'll likely want to break the spell to prevent any further damage. This is where loopholes come in which I will discuss in just a moment.

Other times a spell needs to be removed because we no longer wish it to continue. This is true of protection spells and wards that you remove once you leave a property, sell an object, or no longer feel the need for the spell to continue. No matter the reason, know how to remove and break your own spells is an important skill, one that is often overlooked in most introductory books.

Creating Spell Loopholes

I have mentioned spell loopholes briefly in the past and included them on my Spell/Ritual Worksheet, but haven't extensively talked about them in any capacity. A spell loophole is a quick and easy way to stop a spell in its tracks and prevent it from continuing to do damage. Loopholes can technically be built into every spell, although there are some you don't necessarily want to break such as most protection and cleansing spells (which is why I often say these types of spells can't be undone, at least not in a traditional sense). 

Loopholes can be created in multiple ways and are completely dependent on a spell. This, again, is why keeping a detailed record of your spell work is so important. Even if you didn't initially build in a fail-safe, going back and looking at everything you said, used, and did during a spell or ritual can help you break it. Sometimes this means dismantling something you made, reversing the words and/or movements you did, or sometimes creating an entirely new spell to end the other. This last option is most often employed to break another witch's spell, but can also be used by you to counter your own spells. So how do you know which option to pick? Again, that is entirely up to the spell you performed, but below is a list of some spell types and ways to break them.

Spell Jar: Dismantle jar. Dispose of the spell remains away from your property, especially if the jar was designed to draw something to you or used for protection. You will want to cleanse yourself afterward.

Spell Sachets & Bags: Dismantle bag. Like spell jars, the remains of the spell should be disposed of away from your property or burned. Cleanse afterward.

Knot Spells: Untie the knots. Dispose of the rope or string in the trash, bury it at a crossroads (if ecofriendly), or burn. Do not look back after burying and cleanse afterward.

Candle Spells: 

Dance Spells: Perform the movements backward, stating out loud that the spell is undone. Cleanse afterward.

Chants & Other Spoken Spells: Say the spell wording backward. This can be saying the sentences in reverse order or saying the words in reverse. This will be dependent on the spell's wording. If the sentence backward still means the same thing you intended such as "I have money" versus "Money have I," you'll want to say the words themselves backward. For example, "Yenom evah I."

Candle Spells: These ones are tougher to break because the candle is used up in the spell. I suggest doing an "opposite" spell. Use a candle of the opposite color, such as black instead of white, dress in spell-breaking oils and herbs, and declare the spell undone.

Cleansing Spells: I can't imagine anyone wanted to break a spell like this, but if you wish to undo a cleansing, expose the object, person, or place to the very energies you removed.

Wards: Hold your hands up and visualize the ward dissipating, being absorbed by the Earth as you slowly move your hands down. If you walked clockwise to establish your ward, walk counterclockwise to remove it, stopping periodically to 'pull' it down.

Amulets & Talismans: Remove them, thank them for their service, and bury them (if ecofriendly). Depending on the amulet or talisman, you can bury these on your own property. If you wish to keep something you originally charged for protection, instead of burying it, you can cleanse it using whatever cleansing method you prefer.

Paper Petitions: Tear the petition up and flush it down a toilet (if septic safe) or throw the pieces away.

Cord Cutting: If you saved the string, tie the two pieces together. If not, you will need to create a new spell to mend the bonds and break the previous spell.

If one of the above methods doesn't fit the type of spell you did, you can use another spell to break it. There are many ways to do this but my favorite is to light a black candle and state which spell or spells I want to end. Sometimes I will even cut a string (cord cutting) or break a stick to symbolize the spell being broken. Since this series is all about writing your own spells, I encourage you to design your own spell for such purposes.

***

This week I'd like you to go back and look at some of your old spells. Brainstorm how you would go about breaking them and write down your best ideas near the spell, in case you need to break them in the future. For any future spells, write in a loophole to make this process easier. Drop some of your ideas in the comments below!

Interest in the rest of the series? 

Spellcrafting Series

What Is A Spell?

Ethics in Spellcrafting: To Curse or Not to Curse

Types of Spells

Basics of Spellcrafting

Correspondences, Substitutions, and How to Write Your Own

Perfect Spell Timing

Spell Wording: Be Clear, Be Heard

Cleansing, Charging, and Raising Energy Prior to Spellcasting

Grounding and Centering After Spell Work

Breaking Your Own Spells

What to do with Spell Remains

Recording Your Spells

Intuitive Spellcasting

Casting Spells from the Otherworld

Troubleshooting Your Spells: Why They Didn't Work

Looking for more information about writing your own spells? Check out my posts on the topic:

What is Magic?

What is Hermeticism?

Primal Language

Magic All Day Long: What Time of Day Should I Perform Magic?

The Importance of Gratitude in Witchcraft

If you liked this post and would like to support future content, please consider leaving a small tip in the jar. 

How to Ground and Center After Spell Work

After you cast your spell, you may notice that you are still brimming with energy, feel out of sorts, jittery, or extremely tired. It's very common to feel this way, but all can be quickly remedied through grounding and centering. Grounding and centering, however, can also be employed before spell work to get you into the right mindset or any time you are feeling off. Since witches work with energies, grounding and centering are probably two of the most important skills a new witch should learn.

Grounding

Grounding, sometimes referred to as earthing, is the process of connecting with the Earth to release unwanted energies and gain stabilizing healing energies from the Earth. According to a study published in Explore in 2020, grounding reduces inflammation, stress, and pain while improving circulation and sleep, thus promoting healing (source). While this study isn't perfect, I know from personal experience that the process of grounding reduces my stress level so it's not surprising that others have reported similar experiences.

There are several different techniques you can use to ground yourself, so try out a variety of methods to see what works for you. My personal method is to stand with my feet firmly planted on the ground and visualize roots sprouting from the bottom of my feet, sinking deep into the Earth. As the roots grow, I focus on the energies I wish to get rid of radiating into the earth while sucking up the healing energies. This is best done outside where you can actually touch the Earth, but this is not always possible so the floor of your home will also work. You can see a more in-depth guide in Elemental Magic: Earth Spells and Rituals.

If you struggle to visualize, try holding a grounding crystal such as black tourmaline, obsidian, or onyx in your hand, transferring the unwanted energies to it. You can also create an 'energy pot' by filling a pot with dirt and plunging your hands into the pot whenever you wish to ground. Feel the soothing coolness of the soil draw away the unwanted energy.

For people like myself that are desire control, grounding may be difficult because you don't want to let go. However, with practice, I know you'll get there. If you are finding yourself struggling, take a break and try again. When in doubt, focus on the part of the body that is in contact with the earth, whether it be the ground or a crystal. Focus on the temperature, texture, smell, etc, and allow yourself to slowly relinquish control.

Centering

Much like grounding, centering is the manipulation of energy, but instead of redirecting that energy into the Earth, you are bringing that energy into focus within yourself. Generally, this energy is pulled to the center of your being, which makes centering an important skill to master as it can be used to focus all that energy you raise before a spell as well as redirect it after a spell. This is a great way to bring everything back into focus, especially if you are feeling restless, overwhelmed, light-headed, or forgetful. Sometimes during spell work and especially during astral travel, we 'lose' a part of ourselves. Centering brings all these pieces back together, making you feel whole once more.

There are several techniques that can be used to center. In its simplest form, eating a piece of chocolate can center you. While this has most recently been popularized by the Harry Potter series, the practice is much older. Indigenous peoples of Central and South America knew the value of the cacao plant, using it in all manner of rituals, one of which included helping a person focus. If you wish to use chocolate to help center, try to find the purest chocolate possible. Avoid Hershey's and overly processed chocolates. If you don't mind the bitterness, try using cacao nibs. Sipping chocolate with a dash of cinnamon and chili pepper is also a great option that will not only help you center, but ground you as well. I do not suggest using chocolate to center in the middle of a ritual, as chocolate is also rather grounding. Instead, use this method after spell work or whenever you are feeling out of sorts.

Other techniques involved energy manipulation. These are more complicated and time-consuming, but certainly worth the trouble as they are invaluable to spell work overall. Begin by lying or sitting down in a comfortable position. Enter into a light meditative state, focusing on your energetic center. For some, this is the center of their chest, abdomen, or even their head. To find your center, feel around your body with your mind. Where do you feel most of the energy naturally pulling? Once you have found your center, begin pulling all the energy inside you and around you into that spot. You can do this by visualizing little hands or tentacles reaching and grabbing the energy, or actually grabbing it yourself. Another way you can do this is by rubbing your hands together for a couple of seconds then holding them a couple inches apart. Feel the energy in between your hands and compress it into a ball before pushing the ball into your energetic center. This particular technique requires a lot of practice but is just as effective as the other methods mentioned. Finally, you can also center using breathing techniques. Focus on your breath pulling energy into your center on the inhale. On the exhale, feel the unwanted energies leaving you. Visualize the energy entering slowly forming a ball that grows brighter and brighter until you feel it swelling in your chest.

Many times I see centering written off as easy or given very little thought, despite the fact that this is one of the harder energy techniques to master. However, if you are used to meditation, centering will likely come easier to you than it would if you struggle with meditation.

***

For the next week or so, practice grounding and centering before going to bed. This is a great relaxing practice and you'll likely find yourself sleeping better because of it. In the next post, I will cover how to break your own spells. This is a practice commonly left undiscussed regarding spell work, but is extremely important should a spell start to go awry. 

Interest in the rest of the series? 

Spellcrafting Series

What Is A Spell?

Ethics in Spellcrafting: To Curse or Not to Curse

Types of Spells

Basics of Spellcrafting

Correspondences, Substitutions, and How to Write Your Own

Perfect Spell Timing

Spell Wording: Be Clear, Be Heard

Cleansing, Charging, and Raising Energy Prior to Spellcasting

Grounding and Centering After Spell Work

Breaking Your Own Spells

What to do with Spell Remains

Recording Your Spells

Intuitive Spellcasting

Casting Spells from the Otherworld

Troubleshooting Your Spells: Why They Didn't Work

Looking for more information about writing your own spells? Check out my posts on the topic:

What is Magic?

What is Hermeticism?

Primal Language

Magic All Day Long: What Time of Day Should I Perform Magic?

The Importance of Gratitude in Witchcraft

If you liked this post and would like to support future content, please consider leaving a small tip in the jar. 

How to Cleanse, Charge, and Raise Energy Prior to Spellcasting

While it’s perfectly acceptable to cast a quick spell in the moment, most of your spells will likely be well planned and thought out to ensure their effectiveness and success. For these types of spells, there is groundwork that must be done before the actual spell work takes place. This groundwork includes cleansing, charging, and raising energy. 

Cleansing

Cleansing is the act of removing something unwanted from a person, place, or thing. While most people think of cleansing as removing dirt and debris, in witchcraft cleansing refers to the removal of unwanted energies, or spiritual debris if you will, that could interfere with the energy of your spell. Energy is constantly being transferred throughout a system, meaning that when you walk into a room that space now contains some of your energy. When you leave that room, the energy will linger behind, often settling in a place of least resistance. But it’s not just you that has imparted energy on the space; the space has also left some energy with you. Have you ever walked into a room that was completely chaotic? Loud noises, cluttered, disorganized, and otherwise complete chaos. When you left that space, how did you feel? How long did the feeling last? You probably felt frazzles, frustrated, easily distracted, and maybe even anxious for several minutes to several hours later. Energy transfers easily and can impact our lives in great ways. The same is true of the people, place, and objects involved in your spellwork. They all carry their own energies, some of which were imparted on them by other things, and these energies will in turn be added to your spell should you not remove them. The last thing you want to do is add chaotic energy to a job or love spell. This is why cleansing is so important. 

Before engaging in spellwork it is important to remove the unwanted energies from yourself and anyone else involved in the spell, the space, and the objects you are using. This can be done using a variety of methods including smoke, water, sound, breath, and salt cleansing. Most witches go with smoke cleansing because it’s quick and easy and can be used to cleanse everything. Simply waft the smoke over your body and around the room, and pass any magical objects through the smoke to cleanse them as well. If you decide to use water, I suggest showering or bathing to cleanse yourself and using salted water to sprinkle around the room and on the objects you are using. For sound, I recommend using a bell or even clapping, but any musical instrument or singing will suffice. Ring the bell or clap all around your body, space, and objects to remove the unwanted energies. Breath, which is my favorite method for cleansing objects, requires you to blow the unwanted energy away. This is difficult to do on yourself and in a large space, so I don’t suggest using breath to cleanse these. However, it’s perfect for objects and can be used to not only cleanse the objects but also charge them as well, a process I will discuss later in this article.

Whichever method you choose, be sure to keep your intention firmly in your mind, that you are removing all unwanted energies. You may even wish to state this out loud as you cleanse. Does every single item need to be cleansed? No. Use your intuition to guide you. As a general rule, I don’t cleanse living material or material that belonged to a living thing unless something feels off. These items contain spirits that are important to aiding in spellwork and should not be removed.

Charging

When you cleanse an object, you often remove all of the energies present, even the good ones. This is why I don’t cleanse plant material and other living or previous living things. I want their energy to remain intact. However, the removed energies can and should be replaced with new energies that align with your intent. This is called charging, programming, enchanting, or empowering. During this process, the object’s removed energy is replaced with the energy of your intention and ‘charged’ with a specific purpose. However, plant material and other living or previously living things can also be charged. An object does not have to be cleansed in order for this process to work. 

There are several ways to charge an object including sunlight, moonlight, crystals, warming, breath, or visualization. Apart from using my breath my other favorite method of charging involves holding the object in both hands until it’s warm while thinking or saying my intent. I find both methods work incredibly well. However, other methods are just as effective. Other times I may use sunlight or moonlight to charge an object, especially crystals, with the energies of these celestial bodies. Keep in mind that direct sunlight is damaging and should be used sparingly. Crystals tend to retain their unique energies, even after cleansing, and thus can be used to charge other objects, even other crystals. This is usually why people suggest storing crystals separately from each other. Simply touch the object to the crystal for a length of time. If you are charging water, use only water-safe crystals or place the crystal in a container near the water.

Raising Energy

Once you, your workspace, and tools are cleansed and charged, it’s time to start raising energy for the spell. Many witches incorporate this step directly into the spell itself, slowly building up energy as they work until it’s finally released. However, you may find that you prefer to go into the spell with the energy already raised. I often raise energy beforehand, unless performing an elaborate ritual, because it helps me get into a magical mindset, shifting away from the mundane to focus on my intention.

Raising energy is the act of pulling energy from outside yourself to you to fuel your spell. Ultimately this acts as the power source for the spell, sending it on its way to manifest. Failure to raise enough energy is one of the leading causes of spell failure and can leave you feeling fatigued, moody, and extremely hungry because all the energy used came directly from you. This act is often done inside of a magical circle, if you cast them, to contain the energy, while other witches prefer to use their bodies as the container. I am one such witch.

Energy can be raised in a variety of ways and the method you use depends on what you feel comfortable with as well as the intention of the spell. For example, I tend to chant when casting spells for money and work while I may sing or play music when casting spells to banish depression and anxiety. So how can you raise energy?

The first way I mentioned is through chanting. Aum, pronounced ohm’ is the most commonly used chant, but others can include words or phrases of your own design. Often chanting is accompanied by breathwork, which, combined not only raise energy but also results in a shift in consciousness. Other methods include drumming, rattling, or clapping. Start out slowly, playing faster and faster as the energy builds. You may notice your body also moves with the music and you may be slightly out of breath when done. You can also listen to music, especially upbeat, fast tempo music to raise energy. I find this is best accompanied with dancing, especially erratic, free form dancing. For some spells, intercourse or masturbation may be the best way to raise energy. This is especially true for love spells. Ultimately, the goal is to feel revved up, so how ever you reach that state is entirely up to you.

***

Once these steps are complete, you are ready to begin casting your spell. Direct the energy you have raised into the spell’s intention, finishing the spell by releasing the energy into the universe. I find that I do this intuitively and you will likely find yourself doing the same. However, if you are struggling, try using a wand, athame, or another magical tool to help guide the energy out of you. In the next post, I’ll cover what to do post spell work to help you come back down and accurately track your spells. Until then, I encourage you to practice cleansing, charging, and raising energy without necessarily casting a spell. Try a variety of methods over the next couple of weeks and keep detailed notes on which methods resonate or work best for you. When practicing energy raising, release that energy back into the Earth. If you decide to hold on to it for a long period of time, you'll notice you are spacy, hyper, jittery, forgetful, moody, and easily distracted. 

Interest in the rest of the series? 

Spellcrafting Series

What Is A Spell?

Ethics in Spellcrafting: To Curse or Not to Curse

Types of Spells

Basics of Spellcrafting

Correspondences, Substitutions, and How to Write Your Own

Perfect Spell Timing

Spell Wording: Be Clear, Be Heard

Cleansing, Charging, and Raising Energy Prior to Spellcasting

Grounding and Centering After Spell Work

Breaking Your Own Spells

What to do with Spell Remains

Recording Your Spells

Intuitive Spellcasting

Casting Spells from the Otherworld

Troubleshooting Your Spells: Why They Didn't Work

Looking for more information about writing your own spells? Check out my posts on the topic:

What is Magic?

What is Hermeticism?

Primal Language

Magic All Day Long: What Time of Day Should I Perform Magic?

The Importance of Gratitude in Witchcraft

If you liked this post and would like to support future content, please consider leaving a small tip in the jar.