Hex Your Ex: And 100+ Other Spells to Right Wrongs and Banish Bad Luck for Good - Adams Media 2019

Spells for Every Occasion

In the world of magick, all the power is in your hands! There’s always more than one way to do your thing, so you can easily choose what works best for you. No matter the occasion, you can be sure there’s a spell for it. And if you’re having trouble finding one that’s exactly right, you can customize any spell to fit a specific situation. You can even combine two, three, or more spells to get exactly what you need. Infuse a magick potion with visual imagery. Add a written affirmation to a talisman. Magick isn’t really about the format of the spell; it’s all about the energy you put into it. The trick is to engage your mind, emotions, and senses as much as possible. This chapter will teach you everything you need to know about different kinds of spells and when and how to use them.

VISUAL SPELLS

All spells originate in the mind’s eye. If you’re naturally a visual person with a terrific imagination, you’re already a step ahead. Artists, writers, and other creative individuals often excel at magick—in fact, some of the world’s most noted artists, like William Blake and William Butler Yeats, were practitioners.

You needn’t be a master artist to be a master spellcaster. The truth is, you’re always creating images in your mind. Notice what happens when you read the word camel. You immediately pictured a large, long-legged animal with a hump, right?

Creative visualization isn’t just daydreaming, and it’s more than pretty pictures. You’ll need to follow a few simple rules to get it to work for you. Here are some tips for creating successful and powerful visualizations:

Choose an image or scenario that depicts your objective clearly, without ambiguity.

Make sure to put yourself in the picture; otherwise, the end result might transpire without you.

Include only positive imagery in your visualization.

Add action, color, sounds, smells, and other sensory cues to enhance the scene and make your image more vibrant.

Don’t try to figure out all the steps leading up to the outcome, just visualize the end result.

Let’s say you want to take a dream vacation in Rome. You could create a picture of yourself standing at the Colosseum on a beautiful sunny day, or eating pasta with a delightful companion at a trattoria near the Spanish Steps. Give your imagination free rein—really feel yourself enjoying every aspect of the experience. Hold the image in your mind while you cast your spell.

If your objective is to transform a bad situation into a good one, form an image of what you want to happen—don’t think about the problems you’re trying to overcome. For example, if you’re doing a spell to mend a broken arm, don’t envision the injury. Instead, see the arm whole, healthy, and functioning perfectly.

A Little Help for Visual Spells

You don’t have to rely totally on your own imagination to conjure up images. It’s okay to use ready-made pictures or to reinforce your own visualizations with material from other sources. For instance, cut out magazine photos that depict your desires and post them where you’ll see them often. Looking at these images regularly trains your subconscious to produce what it sees. Is your old computer ready for the museum? Place a photo of a new model you’d like to own on your desk to help you attract the real thing.

You can download visuals from the Internet, too, and use them as screensavers. Or, combine a series of images to make a magickal slide show. Assemble your own digital photo album of pictures you want to view regularly.

How Do Visual Spells Work?

Visuals can enhance any spell, so long as they accurately depict your intentions. Here are some ways to tap the power of images in your spells:

Slip an image that illustrates your desire into a mojo bag.

Draw a design on a candle—as the candle burns, it releases your intention into the universe.

Set a quartz crystal on top of a picture—the crystal will transmit the energy of the image where you want it to go.

Put a glass of water on top of a picture—the water will absorb the image. Drink the imprinted water.

Many of the spells in this book include visuals, but don’t limit yourself to the suggestions offered here. Use your imagination to devise other methods that suit your purposes.

VERBAL SPELLS

Verbal spells are among the simplest and quickest types of magick. Quite likely, the earliest spells were spoken charms requesting favors from deities. Some spells contain strange-sounding words, such as angelic names from ancient languages. Many magick rituals include statements, rhymes, chants, songs, or prayers.

Words help focus your mind and clarify your intention. Spoken words also produce sounds that resonate through your body and your environment—the sound waves influence the energy patterns to generate effects. Written words bring your intention out of the realm of thought and make it physical.

Affirmations

Affirmations are short, positive statements designed to generate an outcome. You can write affirmations or say them aloud. Repeating an affirmation regularly reprograms your mind and replaces old beliefs with new ones. Used in spellworking, affirmations tell your subconscious what you want it to do. As you probably guessed, there’s an art to writing successful affirmations. These tips will help you get it right:

Word the affirmation in the present tense, as if the outcome you desire already exists.

Keep it short and simple.

Be precise—ambiguous or unclear statements may produce mixed results.

Keep the focus on you, making sure to include yourself in your statement.

State the affirmation in positive terms, using words that convey desired conditions.

Describe only the outcome you want to achieve—don’t worry about the steps necessary to get there.

For example, a protection affirmation should be worded “I am safe and sound at all times and in all situations,” not “Nobody will harm me.” See the difference?

Incantations

An affirmation that rhymes is called an incantation. Witches often prefer incantations because the rhyme and rhythm make them easy to remember. The same guidelines apply in both cases. Short and sweet is usually best; however, incantations may be longer than non-rhyming affirmations. If you like, you can even set an incantation to music. Don’t worry too much about your poetry-writing skills. A simple, catchy, clearly worded rhyme will be more effective than an elegant ode.

Let’s try rewriting a protection affirmation as an incantation. Here’s one possibility:

“In all I do throughout the day

I am safe in every way.”

Words Have Power

The creation stories of many cultures describe words as being the instruments of manifestation. Although all words have creative potential, some are believed to contain special power. Meditators, for example, intone the word Om because its healing frequencies balance mind and body.

One of the shortest statements is also one of the most powerful: “I am.” When you utter these words, you draw upon your own higher power for creative purposes. Speak this phrase with great care and pay attention to whatever words follow—never say things like “I am fat/stupid/ugly/sick and tired/bad at handling money,” and so on. Your affirmation is likely to materialize.

When casting a spell, it’s customary to repeat an intention three times. Three is a magick number that brings the spell into the three-dimensional world. You may also choose to add a final command at the end of a spell, such as “So be it now” or “So mote it be,” to show you mean business!

Using Words in Spellwork

Of course, speaking an affirmation, incantation, or prayer is the most common form of verbal spellworking. However, you can tap the power of words in lots of other ways too:

Write your intention on a piece of paper, then burn the paper to release and activate your wish.

Write an affirmation or incantation on a slip of paper and insert it into a talisman or amulet.

Inscribe a word that encapsulates your objective on a candle—as the candle burns, it releases your intention into the universe.

Write words such as love, peace, and joy on a piece of paper, then tape the paper to a bottle of water. The word charges the water with its energy, creating a magick potion.

BURNING SPELLS

You may not realize it, but you’ve probably already done burning spells. Lighting candles on a birthday cake and making a wish is a simple magick spell. So is lighting a novena candle to ask a deity for favors. Fire, in one form or another, plays a role in many of our familiar celebrations and rituals, both secular and spiritual. That’s because fire represents the divine spark that enlivens matter, the spirit that abides in each of us.

Burning spells serve two purposes, which may seem contradictory. They create and they destroy; they attract and they banish. You can burn a written request or symbol to attract something you desire, or to eliminate something you don’t want from your life. The act of burning releases your intention into the universe, so it can be acted upon.

Candle Magick

Candle spells are among the most popular and beloved forms of magick. Because candles are so versatile, they’re included in many of the spells in this book. Here are some ways you can use candles to work magick:

Choose a candle of a color that represents your goal, then burn it to activate your wish.

Let a candle symbolize a person, object, or intention.

Arrange candles in a circle to provide protection while you’re doing magick.

Pillar candles are ideal for rituals, because they burn for hours. They’re good for spells that require repetition over a period of days. Tapers provide ambiance and dress up your magick space. Use novena or tealight candles for short spells.

It’s a good idea to wash your candles before using them to remove any unwanted energies they may have picked up along the way. “Dressing” a candle with essential oils is also a common practice, performed to dedicate the candle to your goal and trigger your subconscious.

Incense

In many religious ceremonies, incense is burned to perfume the air and to send prayers to the heavens. Incense is also burned as an offering to deities. Witches burn certain scents for certain purposes—rose or jasmine for love spells, mint for money spells, cinnamon or sandalwood for success, and so on. Here are some other ways to use incense:

Light sage incense to clear a space of unwanted energies before performing a spell or ritual.

Cast a circle by trailing incense smoke around the circumference of a space you want to sanctify and protect.

Charge talismans, amulets, and magick tools by holding them in incense smoke.

Balefire

Traditionally, balefires were built in circular, outdoor pits during ceremonies and rites. Today, a barbecue grill, hibachi, or fireplace could be an adequate substitute. Fire spells are still performed by witches to spark creativity, abundance, and purification in many forms. Here are some other suggestions for effective fire spells:

Write a wish on a piece of paper and drop it in a balefire to activate your intention.

Burn a symbol of something you want to eliminate (such as a bad habit or illness) in a balefire.

Fabricate an effigy of someone you want to be free of and burn it to dissolve the attachment.

MAGICK MOJOS

When African slaves were transported to the United States they brought their magickal traditions with them. Among those was the mojo, which derives from the Congolese word moyo meaning “soul” or “life force.” Although any charm can loosely be called a mojo, the term usually refers to a cloth bag filled with herbs, stones, prayers, and other lucky ingredients.

You can fashion a mojo either to draw something you desire to you or to ward off something you don’t want around. These two types of charms go by different names. Talismans attract blessings and benefits. Amulets repel unpleasant circumstances, people, or energies. Later in this book you’ll learn how to make both. Here are just a few ways to use mojos:

Carry an amulet in your pocket for protection.

Place a love talisman under your pillow to attract a partner.

Put a money mojo in your cash register or safe to increase prosperity.

According to some belief systems, you must feed a mojo if you want it to continue working its magick. Dab a drop of essential oil on it periodically to keep its power going strong.

POTIONS AND LOTIONS

Potions and lotions—tonics, oils, ointments, teas, and so on—are used widely for healing purposes. Some potions and lotions contain ingredients with obvious curative properties, such as a cold salve with camphor added. Others work through resonance and include no measurable plant substance. The good news is that most magick potions contain ordinary ingredients you can find in any supermarket.

In the following chapters, you’ll learn how to make magick potions and lotions for a variety of reasons. Some incorporate herbs, plant oils, or fruit juice; others rely only on your thoughts for their power. Here are some ways to enjoy magick potions and lotions:

Share a love potion served in a ritual chalice with your partner.

Dab a drop of magick lotion on an amulet or talisman to charge it.

Sip a health potion throughout the day to enhance well-being.

Mist the air with a scented potion to promote peace and relaxation.

Use caution when working with magick potions and lotions. Even natural ingredients can produce allergic reactions and some botanicals are toxic if ingested. Test essential oils before applying them to skin, as some can cause irritation.

SYMPATHETIC MAGICK

Sympathetic magick relies on what’s known as the “law of similars” by employing methods or materials that resemble the outcome you desire. For example, a spell to attract money might call for planting coins in the ground to make your bank account grow. Here are some other examples of sympathetic magick:

To boost courage, design a ritual in which you wear a lion mask and roar like a lion.

To sever an unwanted bond, tie two cords together, then cut the cords with scissors.

Stand under a shower to cleanse yourself of an unwanted condition, habit, or emotion.

One popular form of sympathetic magick involves the use of dolls or poppets. These figurines are created to represent people or occasionally nonphysical entities. Whatever you do to the doll symbolizes what you intend to do to the person it represents. If you wanted to heal a broken leg, you’d place a splint on the poppet’s leg. You can fashion a poppet of cloth, wax, wood, clay, straw, or other material. Dress and decorate it to resemble the person it represents. (Forget about those stereotypical voodoo dolls, however—poking pins in a poppet to cause someone pain is black magick.)

RITUALS AND RITES

Our lives are full of rituals—getting ready in the morning, driving to work, preparing meals, working out at the gym, heading to bed at night—that lend order to our days. Holiday rituals connect us with our heritage and the wheel of the year. Religious rituals transport us from the mundane into the spiritual realm.

A ritual is a formula, a series of prescribed steps leading to a desired outcome. Magick rituals focus your mind and build energy that can be directed toward your goal. Words, movements, ambiance, clothing, objects, etc., all contribute to the ritual’s purpose.

Spells are rituals. So are rites and celebrations. All rites are rituals but not all rituals are rites. As a general distinction, rites usually mark an event, time, or passage of significance and frequently include a spiritual and/or ceremonial aspect.

You already have experience creating rituals and rites. You’ve probably planned birthday, graduation, or anniversary celebrations, holiday festivities, maybe even a wedding. Designing a magick ritual or rite follows pretty much the same steps, and you can design a ritual or rite for just about anything. Use your imagination. The more thought and enthusiasm you put into your ritual, the more meaning it will have for you and the other participants—and the more powerful it will be.