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writing your own spells and ritualsi get a lot of this, and it irritates the heck out of me; "can you give me a spell to do this?" or "can you give me a ritual for this holiday?" the short answer is, yes, i can, but i won't. before you start thinking that sounds like i'm being a big meany head, let me explain: the reason i don't hand out out spells is because i firmly believe all pagans should write their own. there is nothing wrong with using spells in books or on web pages, as long as they are used as guidelines for writing your own spell. there are many reasons for this. a lot of new pagans/witches might try a spell word-for-word out of a book and not know what many components of the spell mean or what they are for. therefore, the spell will not work. it's not the words you say that make the spell work, it's the intent and the energy. if you don't know the meaning of what you are doing, how can it be an effective spell? if you write your own spell or ritual, you will know the meaning and significance of every word and action contained in that spell, thus your magickal working will be full of power. following is a short "recipe" for writing your own spells and rituals. it includes many questions you will need to answer before working your spell. many answers to the questions are found on my web page; others are found in books or in other web pages. 
know the basicsunderstand what magick is. know different ways to raise, direct and ground energy. know how to cast a magick circle. know how to open a circle. know the basic outline of a spell. know the intent or purpose this is very very important!! what is it you are trying to do? heal an illness? increase your concentration? sell a house? celebrate a sabbat? before you begin any magickal working, you should have a firm grasp on what outcome you are seeking. (the worst purpose for doing a spell, by the way, is to "just see if it will work." that's just stupid, and very childish.) know the best time to work the spell if you want to be "wiccanly correct," do you know what type of magick should be worked during the waning moon and what type during the waxing moon? what type of magick is best worked on the full moon? the new moon? what days of the week are best for what types of magick? learn how the moon phases and days of the week affect magickal workings so you will know when to work your spell. know correspondences learn which colors should help bring what results. learn a little about herbalism; which herbs can be used for what magickal purposes. learn about image magick and how it works. learn about elemental magick (this is what i use the most); which elements can be used for what types of magick. basic working spell outline ritual preparation choose a time. decide the intent. choose an aspect of the divine, if you wish. decide how to raise energy (ie: dance, chanting, drumming, etc.) choose how to cast and close the circle. cleanse yourself and your magickal space. you can do this with a ritual bath for yourself, or through meditation to still and focus your mind. you can cleanse your space with your with incense, burning herbs or what ever else you deem appropriate. cast the circle invocation of the divine statement of purpose this is simply to tell the divine why you have called her/him/it/them to the circle; what you are trying to accomplish. magickal working raise energy, through chanting or drumming or however you have chosen to do so. direct or channel this energy by using candles, herbs, stones or whatever other correspondences you found to fit your specific need. ground your energy when you have completed the working. cakes and wine eat a small piece of bread or cookie and drink a little wine, milk or juice to help restore your energy. (this is completely optional, just like the rest of the ritual outline...i rarely do this unless in a group, where it's more of a social event/tension breaker.) thanking the divine closing the circle | ||||||