Spell Writing Pt 3

Spell Writing Part 3:
Intention & Magickal Ethics

Your first steps in writing or creating a spell come with your very first thoughts or desires about bringing about change. This can be a thought as simple as a wish or inner comment about something you would like to see, do or have. Magick is the act of manipulating energy to bring about positive change in one’s life. Our Correllian teachings tell us that our thoughts and emotions have a direct effect upon the energy around us. Once a thought or desire comes into our mind it will either take seed and grow in intention toward a magickal outcome, or it will simply depart, maybe to return again as a memory, or be forgotten. It is our desire that determines the path the thought or intention will take. It is the depth of our need or the strength of our emotional tie to the thought that empowers it toward fruition.

A thought that grows in intention toward a magickal end will have roots in our mind and heart. These are the seats of our thoughts and desires, respectively. At this point we must make a decision as to whether or not our desire is one we truly would like to bring about in perfect love and perfect trust. Whether our desire will be ethically correct is a choice each of us must make. Whether or not we wish to accept the responsibility of our actions is a decision that must be considered with seriousness.
Intention and magickal ethics go hand in hand and are the solid foundation that all magickal spells are built upon. When used as a first step, they are the balance that is needed to insure a well-grounded and stable spell.

Since you are reading this, you are interested in learning to write your own magickal spells and bringing about positive change in your own life. That being the case, be prepared to accept the responsibility involved in proceeding with spell-working.
We do this by considering the foremost concepts in Wiccan literature, the first of which is known as ‘The Wiccan Rede’ or simply ‘The Rede’ and the second known as ‘The Law of Three’ or ‘The Law of Threefold Return’.

The basic and foremost teaching of the Rede is simply ‘…As you harm none, do what you will…’ We must always consider these words when we first begin to entertain the idea of spell-working. It should always be our intention to cause harm to none. Period. Many ask how we can live without harming anything or anyone. We are discussing intention here. When considering the working of magick and manipulation of the energy around us, we must consider our intention first. The Rede teaches us to harm none. As such, we must consider if our intention is directed toward harming anyone. Is our spell directed negatively toward anyone or anything? As spirit creatures and children of the Goddess and God, we are each granted free will. We must insure that our workings will not directly affect the free will of another. One technique we might use in this respect is to never direct a spell toward another person without that person’s consent. No matter how positive our intentions are, we should always, when possible, get permission from the person before working a spell on their behalf.

The Law of Three works in almost the same manner as Karma. What we send out is what we will surely see return to us a multiple of times. To continue to send out the same energy is to receive the same in return until we have learned what we must from it. If we send out harmful or negative intent, we must be prepared to deal with it when it returns to us as many times as it takes for us to learn from the experiences. To follow the Rede is to insure that what returns to us is positive and enlightening. When we abide by magickal ethics we are creating a balance between our magickal efforts and nature.
When we are prepared to accept the responsibility for our magickal intentions, and when we have determined that our intent is in compliance with the main concepts of magickal ethics, then we are ready to proceed with the creation of our spell.


Banishing and Manifesting

As part of our discussion on intention, we will discuss the two major types of spell-workings to consider when writing spells. These are banishing, sending energies away or getting rid of, and manifesting, bringing energies in or creating. It is important to determine what we are trying to accomplish with our spell and considering these two categories will help us to begin.

Spells to manifest are simply spells that we use when we wish to bring something into our lives or create a positive thing or change. Spell types used for these purposes are wishing spells, attraction spells, spells that are written for the purpose of bringing something or some positive energies into our lives. We are letting the Universe know that we are open to these energies and ready to bring the desired outcome into our lives. These types of spells are usually worked when the moon is waxing or growing larger in appearance and approaching fullness or when the moon is full, also when the tide is coming in, or approaching or at high tide. The energies we are working with are those of a drawing nature and intended to bring or create.

Spells of a banishing nature are simply that. They are intended to banish or get rid of situations, bad habits, negativity and the unwanted from our lives. Examples of banishing spell intentions might be losing weight, banishing negativity, or shedding a bad habit. By banishing we are sending away undesired energies. We are letting the Universe know that we are no longer in need of these energies. Spells of the banishing type are usually worked when the moon is waning or growing smaller in appearance, or when the tide is receding or going out or at ebb. The energies we are working with are those of an expelling nature and intended to rid or send away. Banishing spells can be different from other spells as they tend to be action spells. By action, I mean they are spells that call for acting out or speaking the intention and usually focus on the spoken charm, timing, writing the intention on paper, burning, candles, etc. A banishing spell can even be written in such a way that you would “act out” the actual banishment. As an example, let’s say your intention is to leave behind or banish an old habit. You could write a spell that would require you to actually “step away” from your old habit. You might write words such as “I now leave this old habit behind!” and as you speak this charm, you actually walk forward one step, literally out of the old and into the new. Many banishing spells don’t include actual ingredients. In spells such as these, extra energy will be added by matching correspondences related to timing, candles and colors, elements and directions.