"But What Do I Say?"

Charms, Chants, and Spoken Spells.

I wrote this to address a problem that many new spell casters face, and a question that has been posed to me many times. "What should I say when casting a spell"?"

Rhyming chants seem so much a part of the archetypal spell. When many people say witch, the first image to pop in their mind are Shakespeare's trio, cackling "double, double, toil and trouble".

But how necessary is a chant in spell casting?
First, it's main purpose is to focus your intent, raise, and direct energy. Spells work best when they are personal and tailored to your need, and this is one aspect of the successful spell that is most easily customized to your situation.

Working a spell by rote is fine if the symbolism jives with you. As magic is so much about your own inner workings and landscape, if a chant as written doesn't appeal to you, ditch it and write something better. Rhyming couplets are popular because they are easily memorized after a few repetitions, and your conscious mind doesn't have to focus on them. You can get down to the nitty-gritty of magic while giving your "monkey mind" a bauble to play with.

It all depends on how your senses are aligned. Are you more of a visual person, more attuned with scent, sound, or touch? Always play to your personal strengths, ( whatever they may be), and emphasis those in spell casting.

Basically, you won't get in trouble with the powers that be for flubbing a line, so relax and get to work :)