The Modern Witchcraft Spell Book: Your Complete Guide to Crafting and Casting Spells - Skye Alexander 2015
A Place for Spellworking
Spellworking Basics
We’ve all had the experience of entering a place of reverence and sanctuary, whether it’s a church or temple, a meditation room at a yoga center, or a grove of trees in a peaceful, natural setting. As soon as you step inside this special space, you sense a shift in the energy. You may feel serene, safe, suddenly removed from the busyness outside, or at one with something larger than yourself.
When you do spells or rituals, you want to go to a spot where you feel this sort of heightened awareness, connection, and peace. You need to leave the mundane world behind temporarily and slip into the world of magick. Creating sacred space is just as important as preparing yourself for spellwork. Maybe you’re fortunate enough to have a place to call your sanctuary—a room in your home or a lovely, private spot in your yard. However, any place where you practice magick is your temple, and any place you treat with reverence is sacred space.
Your personal temple needn’t be elaborate or large, like the ancient and awe-inspiring religious structures in India that occupy many acres. You can create a special area for magickal and spiritual practice in a corner of a room, on your back porch, or on the roof of your apartment building. In fact, if you live with people who might not understand or accept your beliefs, you may decide it’s best to use a low-key, unobtrusive place to do your magickal work. You can place a vase of flowers, a candle, a colorful scarf, and a pretty stone on a shelf or dresser to designate your special place—you know the significance behind these everyday items, but no one else will.
BETWEEN THE WORLDS
When you prepare yourself to cast a spell or enact a ritual, you suspend your everyday concept of reality for a period of time. You expand your perception of the universe and your place in it, and get in touch with energies beyond your own. By entering the space and time “between the worlds,” as it’s often called, you can connect with the spirits who reside there. You acknowledge their presence by inviting them into your sacred space (we’ll talk about this more in Chapter 7). You agree to accept physical manifestations of their divine presence. And you agree to suspend your sense of disbelief, in order to accept that magick and psychic experiences are indeed possible and even desirable.
At first, this may be difficult, as the rational mind often requires some type of tangible “proof” that a spiritual experience has occurred. This is where trust in yourself and the entities you work with comes in. Often your interactions will be subtle, but you’ll learn in time to recognize gentle signs. You probably won’t hear a clap of thunder to assure you that the goddesses and gods have acknowledged your work. Then again, you just might.
The Distinction Between Sacred Space and a Magick Circle
What makes sacred space different from a magick circle? A circle is a consciously constructed space that partially overlaps both our material world and the divine world. The resulting area is said to be “between the worlds,” not wholly in one or the other. Sacred space is a place of peace and calm, but it is not necessarily between the worlds. Sacred space goes into the circle, or it can simply exist on its own.
CREATING SACRED SPACE
The purpose of defining and consecrating a sacred space is to give yourself a dedicated realm in which to perform magick and ritual, where you can move beyond your ordinary world when you so choose. You are, in essence, raising a temple (though not necessarily a brick-and-mortar one) for meditation, worship, divination, spellcasting, or any other aspect of magickal practice you wish to do here. You can create a more or less permanent sacred space or a temporary one, depending on your intentions and circumstances.
Cleansing Your Sacred Space
Once you’ve determined the location of your sacred space, take a broom and sweep the area thoroughly to clear away dust, dirt, and clutter. This is what witches really use brooms for, not to fly through the sky. After you finish physically sweeping the area, focus on cleansing the psychic space. In this way, you remove unwanted energies or influences, any “bad vibes” that might linger there.
Begin in the east and work your way counterclockwise around the room, in a circular fashion. Sweep the air, from the floor up to as high as you can comfortably reach. When you have gone around your area three times, lay the broom on the floor inside the circle and visualize all the negative energy breaking up and dissolving.
Some spellworkers also like to “smudge” the area with the smoke from burning sage. Light a sage wand/bundle (available at New Age shops and online) or a stick of sage incense. Walk in a circle, starting in the east, letting the smoke waft through the area. Now stand in the center of your space and feel the fresh, light, clean energy around you.
Dedicating Your Sacred Space
The next step is to dedicate your sacred space. You can begin by anointing the room or outdoor area you’ve chosen with frankincense essential oil (or another oil you prefer). Just put a little dab in each corner, starting in the east and moving clockwise around the space, creating a cross within a circle. This symbol represents the balance of female and male energies, the circle of creation, the four directions, and the four elements (about which we’ll talk more later).
You may also opt to place a stone or crystal that has meaning for you at each of the four compass directions. If your sacred space is outdoors, you can bury the stones in the ground. Or you might like to design symbols that signify peace, holiness, protection, power, etc. and position them in your space. Some people display images of beloved deities in their sacred spaces. If you wish, you can create an elaborate ritual for dedicating your space—it is up to you.
Protecting Your Sacred Space
After you’ve finished setting up your sacred space, you’ll want to protect it from intrusive energies. If you’ve designated your home or another building as sacred space, consider the following:
✵ Empower a mirror to deflect negative energy and hang it on your front door, facing outward (this is also a popular feng shui “cure”). Any disruptive energy that comes toward you will bounce back, away from your space.
✵ Bury protective stones such as onyx, hematite, or peridot under your doorstep, porch, or steps. (You can obtain these stones at your local New Age store.)
✵ Put a bunch of fresh basil in a pot with two quarts of water and simmer for ten minutes. Then strain out the basil (save it for other spells) and wash your doorstep with the basil-infused water.
✵ Hang a protective symbol on your door or near the entrance of your home: a pentagram, a Pennsylvania Dutch hex sign, or another image you associate with protection.
✵ Using saltwater, draw pentagrams or other protection symbols on the doors and windows of your home.
✵ Hang braids or wreaths of garlic, onions, and/or hot peppers in your home (don’t eat them).
✵ Set a clove of garlic on each of your windowsills to absorb any negative energy before it can enter your home. Toss the old cloves and replace them with fresh ones on each new moon.
✵ Hang an iron horseshoe above your front door, with the open end turned up.
If you can’t or choose not to consider your entire home (or another building) as sacred space, you can adapt the previous list according to your area. For example, if you have designated a portion of a room:
✵ Place a stone associated with protection there.
✵ Lay dried basil leaves in your sacred space.
✵ Position or draw a pentagram or other protective symbol there.
✵ Sprinkle some sea salt or spritz saltwater in the area.
✵ Set a clove of garlic in your space.
As you go about any daily routines that take place in your sacred space—especially if you’ve dedicated your entire home—be mindful of the energies around you. To attract positive energy, dust, mop, wash, and wipe countertops using a clockwise motion. To dispel unwanted energies, use a counterclockwise motion.
SETTING UP YOUR ALTAR
In my previous book The Modern Guide to Witchcraft I discussed in depth the process of setting up an altar. Here I’ll offer a condensed version. Your altar is your basic “workbench” where you will do magick—just as a carpenter cuts, sands, glues, and nails at his workbench. It provides a focal point when you’re casting spells, performing rites and rituals, meditating, communing with deities, or conducting any other magickal practices you may wish to engage in, either alone or with other people. You can set up a permanent altar or a temporary one within your sacred space, depending on your circumstances and preferences.
What Constitutes an Altar?
You can fashion an altar from just about anything—your intention is what’s important and your understanding that the altar you’ve established is sacred. Perhaps you’d like to designate a handsome piece of furniture as your altar. Or, you can simply lay a pretty piece of cloth on a shelf, TV table, or cardboard box. If you choose to work outside, you could dedicate a large stone or a tree stump as your altar. If you decide to erect a temporary altar for spellworking, dismantle it when you’re finished doing your spell.
Many people display their magick tools on their altars and store them there when not in use. Whether you opt to leave your tools in place more or less permanently or can only do this temporarily, display items that represent all four elements, for balance: earth, air, fire, and water. This could mean placing your pentagram, athame (ritual dagger), wand, and chalice on your altar. (We’ll talk more about these tools in Chapter 6.) Or you could set a crystal there to signify earth, incense for air, a candle for fire, and a small bowl or vase of water for water. You can position anything on your altar that holds sacred or positive meaning for you: gemstones, statues of deities, images of totem animals, fresh flowers, etc., as well as the objects that you’ll use in your spellwork. The most important thing is that you feel a sense of peace, joy, safety, and personal power when you do spells in your sacred space. Your altar serves as an anchor and a center of focus within that space.
Seasonal Altars
You may enjoy decorating your altar to celebrate the changing seasons or to mark special holidays, such as the eight sabbats (discussed in Chapter 8). Doing this will help you to attune yourself to the energies of the time and keep your altar looking fresh.
Positioning Your Altar
There’s no right or wrong place within your sacred space to position your altar. Often the location of your altar depends on how much room you have, who will perform spells and rituals there (just you or other people as well), and what type of magick you’ll do. Some people like to put the altar in the center of the space, which is convenient if a number of spellcasters will be doing magick together. Others prefer to set the altar in the north or the east. You can move your altar to different spots at different times of the year, or according to the moon’s changing phases. Depending on your space, you may decide to erect more than one altar, perhaps a main one and smaller ones at each of the four directions. It’s really up to you.
Directional Altars
If you opt to set up an altar at each of the four compass directions or “quarters,” consider decorating each one to correspond to the nature of that direction. Witches associate the color yellow with the east, red with the south, blue with the west, and green with the north. You could put candles, flowers, fabric, gemstones, or other objects of the appropriate colors on your altars to signify their energies and enhance your awareness of your place within the whole.
Remember to cleanse everything before you bring it into your sacred space and place it on your altar(s). You can do this by washing items with mild soap and water, smudging them with the smoke of burning sage or incense, gently rubbing them with a piece of citrine (yellow quartz), or envisioning them surrounded and suffused with pure white light.
CASTING A CIRCLE
Nearly every book you read about magick and spellwork will discuss the importance of circle casting and offer suggestions for how to do it. Circles embody a wealth of symbolism, including wholeness, unity, completion, protection, eternity, and power. Some people say a circle protects those within it from evil forces, and although that may be true, it’s not the main reason for casting a circle. Many traditions recommend doing magick within a psychic circle, for various reasons:
✵ A circle erects an energetic fence around the place where you do your magickal workings. This fence keeps unwanted energies out of your sacred space, so they can’t disrupt or interfere with what you’re doing.
✵ A circle contains the positive energy you raise during your spell or ritual. It holds and intensifies your power and intent until you’re ready to release them into the larger world.
✵ If you are working with other people, a circle unites and enhances your energies, so that the group’s power becomes greater than that of each individual within it.
✵ A circle brings you into closer contact with the sacred, moving you out of the mundane world temporarily and into the realm of magick and mystery. You realize that your actions are separated from your everyday existence and that increases the intensity of your focus. During the time you abide within the circle, you occupy a holy zone, nearer to the gods, goddesses, and spirits who can aid, guide, and protect you while you perform your spellwork.
As I’ve said before, casting a circle begins as an act of faith, to an extent—you believe the circle is there. Over time, or perhaps even on your very first attempt, you’ll sense that the energy within the circle is very different from the energy outside it.
Preparing to Cast a Circle
Before you begin the physical part of casting a circle, it’s important to ready the space where you’ll erect your magick circle. This means cleansing it physically and psychically, just as you would any sacred space. Clear out anything that doesn’t play a part in the spell or ritual you’ll enact here. Sweep away old energies with a broom, as discussed earlier. Smudge the area with burning sage or incense.
Remove any distractions. Turn off all electronics: TV, phone, etc. Make sure people who won’t be involved in your spell or ritual know not to disturb you. Put pets in a safe place where they won’t interrupt. Cleanse all tools, spell ingredients, and other items that you’ll use in your magick. Bring them into the area where you’ll be working.
Ready yourself and all other participants. Go to the bathroom and tend to any personal needs, so you won’t have to interrupt the spell/ritual once you get started. You may want to spend some time meditating or chanting to calm your mind and shift your focus. Smudge yourself and everyone else, to remove unwanted energies before entering the sacred space. You may wish to anoint participants with “holy” water, essential oils, or another substance that serves both to purify and to unite everyone involved.
Circle Casting 101
The ritual of casting a circle can be as simple or as complex as you want (or need) it to be. Some magick groups engage in elaborate and intricate ceremonies that contain many precise steps and ingredients. But you can also cast a perfectly effective circle by simply envisioning the area surrounded by a wall of pure white light. For many years, I worked within a large stone labyrinth that I’d built in the woods behind my house; it served as both my sacred space and a permanent magick circle. The directions offered here are suggestions only—feel free to design your own method according to your own preferences.
1. Gather all participants into the area where you’ll be working, so that once you’ve cast the circle everyone will be inside it. After you’ve entered this sacred space, do not talk unless what you say is part of the ritual or spell.
2. Walk around the perimeter (often three times) of your intended workspace, beginning in the east and moving clockwise until you’ve made a complete circle and come back to your starting point. If you wish, draw the circle using a ceremonial sword, wand, or athame. Delineate the outer edge of the circle by holding the wand or blade parallel to the ground and pointing it outward. This physical act defines the circle in your mind.
3. To expand the circle so that it exists both in the physical realm and in the spiritual one, visualize energy being channeled into the space defined by the circle. Then expand it further, so that you envision a sphere of energy that encompasses you above, below, and around. With your imagination, you draw up energy from the earth and draw down energy from the sky, blending them so that the combination fills the space.
4. If you choose to invite any spirits, guides, deities, ancestors, etc. to join in your spell/ritual, now is the time to call upon them. We’ll address this practice in Chapter 7.
Once the circle is cast, no one should leave or enter it. If it becomes absolutely necessary to admit or dismiss someone, use your athame (or your hand) to “cut” an opening in the circle in the shape of a door, so that the person can enter or depart. Seal the opening afterward.
Opening the Circle
After you’ve finished your ritual or spellwork, you must open the circle so that the energy you’ve raised within it can flow out and materialize in the greater world. Basically, you’ll reverse the steps you took to cast the circle.
1. If you’ve called upon any god/desses, angels, spirits, totems, or other nonphysical entities, thank them for their assistance and release them (we’ll talk more about this in Chapter 7).
2. If you used a ritual athame, wand, or sword to draw the circle, take it up again and hold it with the point facing out, as you did to cast the circle. Retrace the path you used to create the circle, only in reverse—walk counterclockwise (three times if that’s what you did to cast the circle) until you’ve removed all the psychic energy with which you built the circle.
3. Envision the magickal energy you raised during your spell/ritual flowing out into the universe, where it will manifest in accordance with your intentions. Sense that all is as it should be and trust that your objectives will come about in harmony with your will and that of Divine Will.
4. Extinguish candles and/or other flames. Gather up your tools (unless you prefer to leave them in your sacred space) and anything else you brought into the sacred space for the purposes of this spell/ritual. All participants can now leave the circle and return to their ordinary world.
In a nutshell, that’s it. You can adapt this very basic pattern to make it more personal, embellish it to give it more drama, or interpret it as your own beliefs dictate. In later chapters, we’ll talk more about other possibilities you may want to consider including. I also encourage you to read other books and to use your creativity to devise ways to enrich your circle casting to make it more meaningful for you. There are probably as many options as there are magickal workers—you’re limited only by your imagination.