Obligatory Pre-Raphaelite witchy Waterhouse image courtesy of Wikimedia (say THAT 3 times fast!)
Ever wonder what causes some spells to go off like a rocket and others to fizzle?
Part of it is, of course, the items you choose for your spell and timing. The other, larger part, is emotion and directed intent.
You can have the finest spell ingredients on the planet (ahem), but without a clear idea of your end goal, the time, energy, and money that you've invested into the spell is unlikely to hit even the broad side of a barn.
Since I've written my own spells nearly from the very beginning of my practice, or at the very least tailored old ones to my need, I'm going to teach you a little something that has been quite effective in practice: The spell profile.
A spell profile is a way of defining your end goal precisely, and is a good foundation to lay your spell work on for numerous reasons. The most apparent is when working magic towards (or against) a target. An example:
Say you are having problems with someone in your workplace. They spread rumors about you, take credit for your work, are untenably lazy, or just go out of their way to make your life a living hell. You've tried every mundane means of resolution possible without results and want to give them a taste of their own medicine.
But wait. Do you want to give them a taste of their own medicine, get rid of them entirely, or just run damage control ( bind them from gossiping, taking credit where it isn't due etc)?
Take a deep breath and grab a notebook. You're probably pissed off and ready to channel that rage into a spell RIGHT NOW (and raw emotion is an effective means of raising energy), but prep work makes all the difference.
Spell goal: write down exactly what you want your end goal to be. It's okay if it's a little rambling at first; you will be narrowing it down later.
Reason for the spell: what exactly has this person done? Are there certain areas that this person routinely attacks you on?
Target's mentality, strengths, and vulnerabilities: This includes motivations. Honestly contemplate what their motivations are, what they most likely seek to accomplish, or what satisfaction they gain from hurting you. What is their mental state (are they easily swayed by suggestion), are they skilled at manipulation, do they have allies within the company that enable them to continue this behavior? Do they use their looks to gain favor, and are threatened by possible competition? Write down any tendencies you've noticed in the person. Many people operate on near-autopilot, and react instead of respond to certain situations and dialogue.
Now, read through your goals as written. You can start paring them down, or you may have gained insight and inspiration into the heart of the problem.
Method of casting: The tools you will use to accomplish your end goal. In this particular example, if you have chosen to simply bind and silence her, a poppet and Stop Gossip oil can be employed. If your target has allies that would prevent their fall, you can incorporate separation magic into your working. If you wish to sour their life, a name paper (with personal concern) and vinegar bottle spell will do the trick.To get them to leave your workplace entirely, Hot Foot or Flying Devil products are the best way to go. If you want them to get back exactly what they dole out, a mirror box (or mirror bottle) spell will reflect all of their deeds right back to them.
Re-evaluate your goal and narrow it down.
Grab a Tarot deck, or your favorite means of divination, and do a reading on the situation and the effect your spell will have. Write down your tarot spread, the cards you drew, and your interpretation of them. Note any feelings or images that pop up.
This is your last chance to pull out. Your subconscious can let you know if the whole thing will blow up in your face, if the situation is well on it's way to resolution (big boss is firing them next week, etc), or that you might just want to reevaluate the spell goal entirely. You get more flies with honey than vinegar, and a sweetener spell, or heavy protection magic for yourself may be all that is needed.
If you get a "full speed ahead" reading, you now have a very clear method of effectively casting on your target.
A note on cursing: I gave this as an example because people tend to get very emotionally invested in revenge and retribution magic, even more so than with love spells. For the same reasons, many magicians go off half-cocked without thinking of the full implications or motivations for their working. I am of the personal belief that allowing an evil to exist in the world is just as bad as perpetuating it. By allowing someone to walk all over you, you grant them the power to do it to others in the future. Witches are people who take responsibility, not ninnies who say "someone should do something about that", but rather "what can I do to change this".
We all teach each other life lessons, and refusing to engage because of fear of karmic retribution is a good way to get slapped in the face by your concept of karma.
For the Wiccans reading this, I respect your Three-Fold Law, however there are still means to accomplish your goal without violating your vow and ethical structure. This is yet another reason to clearly define your end goal before casting. Unfortunately my experience has been that the people that scream white light the loudest are the first ones to throw a curse for the tiniest slight. Don't pick an ethical structure that you can put away when it becomes inconvenient.
I could give you other examples of how to use this spell template, but frankly, you guys are clever and can work it out for yourselves.
If you're still feeling a bit lost, here's a quick example of a money spell profile which would- Include goal: comfortable prosperity, a charge of luck, promotion, job, $100, etc.
Here, you are the target. Evaluate strengths, vulnerabilities, etc. What have you done to get what you want in the mundane realm?
Define your method of casting based on your end goal.
Do a reading to see if you're on track.
Now go do that hoodoo that you do so well!
As always, if you have any questions, please write them in the comments section.
-Carmin
