Hey There!

I understand that as you grow with your craft, there are moments that can feel overwhelming. Performing your first 'big' spell that's more than a spell jar or burn spell is one of those. I'm hoping that this list, from my own experience, is helpful for y'all.

The order of spell casting:

Intent. This is the very beginning of any spell, even spell jars and burn spells. This is where you decide what your spell is going to do, how it's going to do it, and why. This is the cornerstone of your spell. Based off of your intent, you decide what herbs, crystals, candles, etc. you're going to use.

Building. Going back to intent - this is when you build or plan your spell. What ingredients are you going to use? What time? Moon phase? Place? Are you going to create your own spell or use something you found from someone else?

Kills switch/Protection. I always have two things in my spellwork: a kill switch if things go terribly wrong, and protection from outside forces. These can be involved in a variety of ways, so do some of your own research. You can also reach out to me if you have any questions and I can do my best to point you in the right direction.

Energy Gathering. Just what it sounds like. Big spells take big energy. Focus on your intent, breathe, imagine your energy like a hot sphere in your chest and breathe out. As you breathe out, imagine the heat sliding across your shoulders and down your arms to gather in your hands. At least, that's how I do it. Whatever works for you.

Energy Distribution. Each step of your spell requires some of that energy. However it works for you, make sure you have a steady flow throughout your spell. Focus on your intent. Don't let go of it, keep feeding a steady stream of your energy into the spell. If you tried my method that's above, you can imagine slowly pouring some of that heat into each step of your spell.

Completion. After your spell is completed, it's time to wrap it up. This is important, do not skip this step! Just stopping at the 'end' of a spell leaves it open and unfinished. You have to shut it down somehow.

Leftover Energy? It happens. In my experience, there are two ways to deal with it. The harder option is to reabsorb it. I personally imagine the heat traveling back up my arms and into my chest, sinking into my core and warming my entire body. The easier method is to release it harmlessly. This is where grounding comes in. Once you are grounded, slowly release the excess, exhaling as you do so. It should feel like it's slowly fading, almost evaporating from you.

Thoughts. This is also an important step, although technically optional. I like to journal about my experience and write down ways I think I could have improved the spell or things that I could have done differently. How did you feel during it? Are you tired? Was it too much?

Other things to keep in mind:

If you don't include a kill switch, either on purpose or accidentally leave it out, you can typically shut down the spell by slowly dismissing the energy from each part in reverse order. While you do that, make sure you take apart the physical components of the spell in the reverse order you set them up. Then at the end, come up with a phrase to close it down and pour more energy into it before clamping down on it. This does not apply to every spell, so do research before you attempt to shut down a spell early!

Write down your experiences somehow. Include how you set it up, how you planned it, and your thoughts on each step. This will give you a reference in the future if you want to set something similar up. It's also a good way to reflect back on your progress and journey.

Mistakes happen. Don't beat yourself up over them. We are human before we are witches and naturally, mistakes are a part of our lives.

Do not, under any circumstances, leave in the middle of the spell unless it's an emergency. Yes, there are ways you can incorporate a 'pause', but it can be difficult. This is another reason why I suggest a kill switch.

Keeps pets out of the room. They can become curious and interrupt the process, or burn themselves on a candle.

If you're doing this on a floor, please protect it by laying out a cloth or sheet. Maybe sure you cleansed it first. In fact, most spells should be done on some kind of protective layer, just in case something spills or gets messy. Again, it happens.

Again, keep in mind this is just based off of my personal experience. Some of it may work for you, and some of it may not. If anyone else has anything to add, feel free to leave a comment or reblog with it in the tags/comment! As always, do your research, be safe, and blessed be.