#spell work

just to preface that i am a BEGINNER in baneful magic. i've become quite knowledgeable on benevolent magic after several years of practicing it, so while i do have foundational knowledge of the materials and techniques, the execution is often very different. this post is as much for me as it is for you (whoever you may be). it is not meant to be a comprehensive introduction, nor a complete guide, but if you have any questions i will absolutely do my best to answer them :)

special thanks to @trash-bin-witch for all their help assisting my introduction to baneful magic, as they're a lot more experienced with all this than me.

You can simply play music that you love. From phones, speakers, CDs, records, TV, whichever you have available to you.

Shape-shifting has long captivated the human imagination, holding a prominent place in the realms of witchcraft and the occult. In fact, the myth of the shape-shifting witch can be found in folklore around the world and across multiple cultures, from the British Isles to the Americas to Asia and Africa. Witches were reported to turn into rabbits, cats, deer, mice, owls, ravens, and wolves. Shape-shifting is an intriguing practice that involves altering one's physical form, or at least one's perception and is often associated with mystical abilities and spiritual connections.

What Is Shape-Shifting?

Shape-shifting, in the context of witchcraft refers to the belief and practice of altering one's form or perception through magick and ritual and can take place in the Otherworld or on our current astral plane, depending on the needs of the witch. It encompasses the idea of undergoing a physical or metaphysical transformation, allowing witches to embody different beings, animals, or even objects. Often times this occurs when the witch wears the body of an animal, we know literal transformation is not possible, but it can certainly happen on an energetic or spirit level. This can occur in one of two ways: the witch's spirit transforms into the spirit of an animal or the witch's spirit 'rides' a living animal or external spirit on the physical plane or in the Otherworld. In either case, both are considered shape-shifting and can be used for the same purposes.

Some History

By the 13th century, it was widely believed witches could turn into animals at will. Witches were believed to turn into hares, toads, dogs, cats, and other animals to steal from their neighbors, curse livestock, and otherwise create mischief and mayhem. In many cases, harm done to the animal form caused similar wounds to the human.

In 1649, John Palmer of St. Albans, England confessed to transforming into a toad in order to torment his neighbor. The neighbor reportedly kicked the toad and Palmer complained of sore shins afterward. Similar stories appear in American folklore, including Aunty Greenleaf who was said to take on the form of a white doe to torment her neighbor's livestock. When the doe was shot with three silver bullets, Aunty Greenleaf was said to later die with three silver bullets in her spine.

Of course shape-shifting myths and folklore don't end there. We also have the Navajo skinwalker, the American loup-garou, Korean kumiho, Japanese yokai, the Kitsune, and the Mexican La Lechuza.

Famous incantations come from Isobel Gowdie during the 17th century witch trials. During her confessions, Gowdie named two charms one for transforming into a hare and and one for transforming back into a woman.

To Transform Into A Hare:

"I shall go into a hare

With sorrow and such a meickle care;

And I shall go in the Devil's name

Ay while I come home again."

To Transform Back:

"Hare, hare, God send thee care.

I am in a hare's likeness now,

But I shall be in a woman's likeness even now."

Other witches reported similar shape-shifting incantations as seen below.

To Transform Into A Cat:

"I shall go into a cat,

With sorrow and such a black shat;

And I shall go in the Devil's name,

Ay while I come home again."

To Transform Into A Crow:

"I shall go into a crow,

With sorrow and such a black thraw;

And I shall go in the Devil's name,

Ay while I come home again."

Modern Uses Of Shape-Shifting

In contemporary witchcraft, shape-shifting has taken on metaphorical and symbolic significance. Modern witches utilize shape-shifting as a tool for personal growth, empowerment, and self-discovery. Through the exploration of different archetypes and primal instincts, witches seek to deepen their understanding of themselves and their connection to the natural world, develop a relationship with an animal guide or totem, or even gain new perspectives on a problem. Shape-shifting becomes a means to tap into hidden aspects of the psyche and to embrace transformative experiences. This can take many forms, including calling upon different animal spirits during spellwork, meditating on different animal aspects, working with animal spirits, journaling, ritual dances, etc.

Shape-shifting also shares a deep connection with shamanic journeying and hedge riding, a practice in which the witch traverses the different realms of the Otherworld for spiritual insight and healing. Within hedge riding and othet shamanic traditions, shape-shifting serves as a means to enter other dimensions, communicate with spirits, and tap into their wisdom and attributes. By assuming the form of a particular animal, the shamen can embody ita qualities, accessing unique perspectives and guidance on their journey. An animal form is also taken often as a form of protection during otherworldly travel, as animal spirits are often able to traverse undetected, acting as a form of invisibility, much like Celtic fith-fath incantations. An animal form also allows the witch to travel more quickly and in some cases, access areas previously unreachable, such as high mountain tops, deep within an ocean or lake, or even borrowing underground or into tight spaces.

How To Shape-Shift

Modern witches engage in shape-shifting through various techniques and practices. Visualization exercises play a significant role, where witches create vivid mental images of their desired form or archetype, often coupled with ritual work such as wearing animal skin/bones, dancing, drumming, or incantations. Through meditation, yoy can enter a state of deep focus and receptivity, allowing yourself to embody the essence and qualities of the chosen form. Energy work such as harnessing personal energy or working with elemental forces, can serve as a catalyst for the transformation, although most witches find it easier to use a mask or skin, or use an ointment to prompt the change. Needless to say, there are multiple approaches to shape-shifting and you need to experiment to find which method works best for you. Below are several ways to engage in shape-shifting from both folklore and modern witchcraft.

• Incantations And Charms- This is probably one of the most commonly cited historical ways to shape-shift, with the incantations from Isobel Gowdie and her fellow witches being cited most often. These incantations can be modernized and adapted to turn you into any animal you desire. Since most witches do not incorporate "God" or the Devil in their craft, these titles can be changed to reference deities or the forces you believe in such as Lord/Lady, Horned God, Hekate, Lilith, etc. Pagan musician Damh the Bard does an excellent job of this in his "Fith Fath Song" where he says "I shall go as a wren in spring

With sorrow and sighing on silent wing

And I shall go in our Lady's name

Aye, til I come home again

Then we shall follow as falcons grey

And hunt thee cruelly for our prey

And we shall go in our Horned God's name

Aye to fetch thee home again

Then I shall go as a mouse in May

Through fields by night and in cellars by day

And I shall go in our Lady's name

Aye til I come home again

Then we shall follow as black tom cats

And hunt through the fields and the vats

And we shall go in our Horned God's name

Aye to fetch thee home again... "

Of course writing your own incantations works just as well, if not better, than using others' words.

• Wearing Animal Skins, Bones, Or Masks- Apart from incantations, many witches engage in shape-shifting by animal skins, bones, or masks to encourage a transformation. This is often coupled with ritual dancing and drumming until an altered state of consciousness is reached. In Call of the Horned Piper, Nigel Jackson describes such a ritual. In order to shape-shift, the initiate would undergo a symbolic death by undressing and crossing a lake or other body of water. Upon arriving on the other side they would don a wolf skin or belt and enter into an altered state of consciousness to "be projected forth into the form of a wolf". This same practice can be replicated with any animal pelt, bone, or mask, using a cold shower as the bridge to 'death' should you not have access to a river or lake and privacy.

• Trance, Meditation, and Visualization- Reaching an altered state of consciousness coupled with one or both of the aforementioned methods is the key to actual transformation. Reaching an altered state of consciousness can be done in a variety of ways, including ritual dancing, drumming, humming, consuming psychoactive plants, or using ointments. The methods used are essentially the same as hedge-riding, however the goal of reaching the trance state is to shape-shift. With that intention firmly in your mind, you can visualize yourself shifting into your animal form, your consciousness slowly becoming that of an animal. You may find walking/crawling on all fours, growling, hissing, or otherwise behaving like the animal aids in this transformation. Become the animal you wish to transfrom into.

If you are looking to shape-shift while hedge-riding, visualizing the shift, reciting an incantation, and donning your animal garb within the Otherworld will also work. Unlike on our plane, you won't need to shift your consciousness again, as that has already occurred. While you don't necessarily need anything physical to do this, having real animal remains or a mask on your person prior to hedge-riding will greatly aid you in your work on the astral plane.

When first starting out, start small, shape-shifting for very short periods of time. Experiment with a variety of methods, combining them into a ritual that works for you.

Shape-Shifting Safety

There are dangers to shape-shifting into an animal form. This includes not being able to return to your body because tou have forgotten you're human, forgetting which realm you belong to, being captured, injured, or killed within the Otherworld or while riding a live animal. There are many tales of witches traversing the world as an animal and being injured only for the same wounds to appear on the witch's human form. These injuries sometimes resulted in the death of the witch, so be mindful of hazards while shape-shifting.

What You Can Do To Protect Yourself

1. Set clear and firm boundaries and time limits for travel. Setting an alarm or using a musical cue can help pull you back from a trance.

2. Have a spotter who can help rouse you should you not come back when originally planned.

3. Have a safe word or incantation that when spoken pulls your spirit into your body.

4. Use a red witch's thread tied around your finger or arm to anchor your spirit to your physical body. If you get lost, follow the thread back to your body.

5. Carry or wear protective charms that will prevent your spirit from being stolen or harmed while in the Otherworld. Your familiar or household pet can also act as a protector of your body, sitting on or near you during shape-shifting to ensure nothing else tries to inhabit your body.

6. When you are finished, make sure you are completely grounded in your human body.

These aren't necessarily rules, and doing these things doesn't guarantee failure, I've just found that my practice got a lot easier once I put these things into consideration.

Doing long rituals and workings in one sitting, getting burnt out

You do NOT need to complete spells, rituals, or workings in one sitting. You absolutely CAN take breaks and pause a working. If I've been hard at work for hours, I am totally allowed to blow out a candle and resume later. Blowing out a candle mid spell will not spoil the spell if you return to it later. It is totally up to you when you close and open your circle, and you can reopen a temporarily closed circle. If you're working with spirits/ deities, just tell them that you need rest and will return later. Most understand human limitations and will appreciate the honesty. I think it is far worse to force yourself through a ritual to then get exhausted and skew the potency of the working. It is much better to pause if you feel fatigued so you can return with a focused mind to wrap things up properly.

Not planning rituals in advance

Spontaneous spell work is useful at times, and it can be fun to make stuff as we go sometimes. But once you start getting more comfortable in your practice- seeing what works and what doesn't- you're going to want to start planning rituals in advance so you can prepare your materials with intention. You certainly can bless and use rosemary straight from the package on the spot as you do your spell. I still do that sometimes.

But, I have always found greater success going through all of my ingredients and pre-blessing them before rituals so I know that- when I enter the ritual chamber- all of my supplies are already aligned with my goal and ready to go. No hesitation, no finicking with materials. Any ritual I have done once spontaneously, I try to go back and reattempt with better planning, and this usually improves results 10 fold.

Not taking the moon phase into consideration / timing in general

I made a post a while ago about not knowing shit about fuck when it comes to astrology, and that is still true, I am still very clueless when it comes to signs and knowing which planets are where.

BUT! The one exception to this that I have been putting more care into lately is the moon phase. Not taking the moon into consideration won't make your spell fail, you can do a road opener on a new moon or a banishment on a waxing gibbous, it's not mandatory. But it can greatly empower your spell and increase the ease of manifestation. An abundance spell done on a waning crescent won't fail necessarily, but an abundance spell done on the full moon will be supercharged and "buffed" so to speak, with cooperative energies. You can walk in a river against the stream, but you will find it far easier to move in the direction things are already going.

Timing matters more than I thought. Doing spells associated with healing and solar energy on Sundays at sunrise, doing spells associated with money on Thursdays with the moon phase in consideration, can change outcomes quite a bit.

Actual in depth astrology is super intricate and confusing and I have never been able to keep track of it. But the very simple eight moon phases, 7 days a week, 24 hours a day, is simple and effective enough to impact results greatly. The most important "planetary"- celestial bodies to everyone's craft are the sun and moon, and they are luckily the most simple to work with.

Avoiding unfamiliar energies/only consulting Patron

When I became Patroned by Lucifer I started consulting him for everything, and I still do this even now out of habit. Lucifer is great at very many things, but sometimes there is a domain that even he knows someone else could better assist me with, maybe Lord Hermes or Cerberus have greater influence over that specific sphere. It's strategic to consult the Patron not just for assistance, but for referral.

Especially when it comes to natural spirits and energies like the elementals or planetary spirits, you do not need to have a full introductory in depth relationship to utilize and access those energies. Energy access is a matter of correspondence, not necessarily relationship status. For example, I have absolutely no relationship with Aries or Mars, but I will employ the energy of Mars on Tuesday to obtain victory. I may work with Jupiter on Thursday even though I have no other context with that spirit because the energy is in abundance and accessible to me. I am not patroned by Flereous or Belial, but they are invoked in my circle often just by way of being elementals. I wouldn't say I've actually "met" Flereous in an astral experience or personal dialogue, but I invoked him this morning, the energy still works in the circuit.

You absolutely can call upon Apollon or Selene or Saturn if their energy aligns with your intention. Because these energies are guests in your circle, be sure to welcome them, make them comfortable, and then always close the circle with thank you's fair-wells, "go in peace."

I used to be under the impression that if I didn't get strong deity signs from a spirit, say Pluto, I would have no business working with that energy. But I absolutely can call upon Pluto for a banishment spell. I only need to be considerate of that energy and maintain respect for all parties present, including my Patron(s). And of course, always ask your Patrons for consent or advice before opening the circle to any other energies, even natural ones. They 9/10 will have no qualms with you diversifying your energetic influences.

Not replenishing energy spent

Energy work is a genuine form of work, as in, it expels energy. You do not have an infinite bank of energy, you can and will run out if you do not replenish yourself. After intense workings, my body physically feels sore, like I just ran a marathon.

Energy doesn't just come from nowhere, it naturally replenishes slowly through normal things like eating and sleeping. But that process is slow and can be inadequate after a really intense working. Therefore, after your ritual has concluded and you are closing down your circle, you should consider how much energy you have actually spent (how many blessings did you do? How much energy went into the spell?). After grounding yourself, which you should always do after any working, you can utilize things like energy vampirism to recycle energy from your environment to add to your own.

Consider the act of grounding to be like digging your energetic roots into the Earth, that's where I used to stop.

"Energy vampirism" then becomes the act of soaking up water and nutrients already present in the soil. Remember, there is useable energy around you all the time.

Some energy vampires go to a crowded place to sample off of other humans, some have people they specifically feed off of (argue the ethics yourself). Some people go to a natural area like a forest to borrow energy from large trees (which I recommend over people, I would say there is less risk of gunk). Some go to holy places like temples or churches, even graveyards. Talismans that convert and purify foreign energy into something clean and useable are great to keep on yourself for passive charging when you're out and about, especially if you work in a hostile environment. You can also create talismans and charms to protect your energy from being sampled from others.

You can always soak up energy by standing bare foot on the earth, standing in a running stream of water (natural rivers work best but a good ol shower also works. Water is water), or drawing out energy from the air/ wind itself by extending your arms up towards the sky. Generally taking in sunlight or moonlight also works. If you can dish it out you can suck it in. The same ability used for casting can be reversed for absorption.

Not using substitutes OR too many substitutes

If you're calling off an entire spell because you're missing one super specific ingredient- whether that be an herb, crystal, or something hard to obtain like owl feathers or dog teeth, there is a very high chance you could obtain the same result with a substitution that represents the same principles.

HOWEVER, if you really only have one thing in a list of 30 ingredients, you can't do the spell at the right time, and you're substituting basically everything for lower grade common items, there is a very great chance you will obtain unexpected results.

Intentions are a lot of it, which is why you can occasionally use substitutes. Grape seed oil can be replaced with sesame seed or olive oil. So long as all of your other ingredients align with abundance, using sesame seed oil rather than olive won't ruin your working.

BUT! Intentions are not everything. Sometimes a specific ingredient is chosen for a very precise reason. Sometimes materials have properties you didn't consider. If your materials differ from the reference to the point where their interactions with each other are completely different than the intended materials would, your results will be different. The resulting spell is essentially a completely different working than the one intended, the spell's core energetic blueprint is lost. Replacing salt with sugar in a hex may very well sweeten your enemies to financial opportunities, not really ideal if we want them to fail.

Thinking cheap supplies don't work

Especially for shit you burn through often (literally and figuratively) buy those dollar store candles! Buy that common grocery store basil and rosemary. It is certainly beneficial to invest in higher quality tools that you'll be using often like your athames or wands, and it can be very nice to invest in a fancy deity candle, but high frequency materials do not have to be expensive at all. You do not need to buy special materials from witchy shops - you can, some of those shops pre-bless their herbs etc.- but it is definitely not needed.

Not showering/ relieving myself before rituals

You should probably go pee. Get all the gunk out of and off of you ifywim.

I like to do most of my pre-ritual banishments and cleansing in the shower/bath, but asides from that it is just generally good to be clean when you work. If I don't shower I will at least wash my hands.

Being afraid of interruptions

This definitely varies because some people do need absolute focus and solitude when working with deities, but generally, your spirits will not freak out and be mad if your mom or boyfriend walks in during a working. If you have to go, just communicate that, excuse yourself politely, and re-establish things when you return. If someone walks in on you, it's not that big of a deal. You can apologize for the interruption and continue once the person has left.

One thing you really don't want to do is end the working abruptly without communicating with the spirits present, packing everything up and not properly closing the circle.

Understand that blowing out a candle, having to maybe hide some stuff, isn't the same as ending a ritual. If I'm doing a spell in the woods for example, and someone comes walking down the trail, even if we have to pack up and go, I haven't ended the working. It may be a bit more complicated now, but the ritual isn't done until I am done. So maybe we have to switch locations or maybe I have to resume in an hour. So long as I can return to the ritual and close the circle, the spell should be okay. Relight your candles, resume focus and keep going.

Never traveling to throw spells

Go outside. If you can and it is legal, go to a cemetery. Go to a crossroads, go to a river. Go on walks, travel. Doing spells at the altar is also great, but don't forget that the world is also your altar.

Not paying attention to the weather

Both in terms of collecting rain water, but also in terms of forecasting spells. Super clear day with no clouds? Great time to work with the sun and do abundance spells/ make sun water. Rainy day? Work with water and clear emotional blockages. Windy day? Great time for complex thoughts, communication spells, dream divination, and so on. Again, not a rule, you can do an abundance spell on a rainy day, it just makes things much easier.

Not using the 5 elementals

This seems so obvious because it is in the first chapter of every fucking metaphysical book in the world, but it is so prevalent because it just works. It's like a cheat code. Don't know how to cast a circle? Find the cardinal directions and their corresponding element, call to the energies of each to balance and protect your working, there you go. Reverse order to close circle.

The elementals will take you very very far and they will never stop popping up regardless of how advanced you go. If you are experiencing drought or influx in basically any area of your life, honing in on the elements and planets that dominate that sphere and working with them is a great place to start. Working with all of the elementals frequently, even daily, is a good practice to stay energetically balanced in general.

Using every herb every time

This is a real baby witch one because, if you only have like 5 herbs, they will all feel appropriate for every spell. Sometimes using just a few very specific and dedicated herbs is better than using 10 with more general correspondences.

Try to create some mental distinctions in your mind -and even your storage space- for which materials you use for different workings. I try to keep my baneful materials separate from my "positive" ones. I don't keep garlic and pepper next to sugar

Not doing banishments

Holy hell, do banishments. Do banishments a lot.

A banishment is specifically isolating things that you currently possess (miasma, pollution, blockages) and sending that shit FAR away from you, or burning it away. I have many banishing mantras and spend a very long time doing banishments before intense rituals, sometimes banishing can take as long as or longer than the main ritual.

(In a ritual I have written, the main abundance ritual takes 1 day, the preceding banishment period takes 9 days)

Only doing workings once and not returning to them!

So nobody told me you're supposed to top up money jars and sachets weekly.

???????

So I would do a spell, and it would work for about a week, and then fail, and I was like. ??????? What's wrong?????

𝐼𝓃𝑔𝓇𝑒𝒹𝒾𝑒𝓃𝓉𝓈: 📜

1. 𝑪𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒗𝒊𝒕𝒚 🎨

Intention: 𝙸𝚗𝚜𝚙𝚒𝚛𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗, 𝚊𝚛𝚝𝚒𝚜𝚝𝚒𝚌 𝚎𝚡𝚙𝚛𝚎𝚜𝚜𝚒𝚘𝚗, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚞𝚗𝚕𝚘𝚌𝚔𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚌𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚟𝚎 𝚙𝚘𝚝𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚒𝚊𝚕.

✧~ Pink Himalayan Salt

✧~ Jasmine

✧~ Rosemary

✧~ Cinnamon

✧~ Citrine

✧~ Lapis Lazuli

✧~ Rose

2. 𝑷𝒓𝒐𝒕𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 🧿

Intention: 𝚂𝚊𝚏𝚎𝚝𝚢, 𝚜𝚑𝚒𝚎𝚕𝚍𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚏𝚛𝚘𝚖 𝚗𝚎𝚐𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚟𝚒𝚝𝚢, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚜𝚙𝚒𝚛𝚒𝚝𝚞𝚊𝚕 𝚙𝚛𝚘𝚝𝚎𝚌𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗.

𖤓~ Black Salt / Egg Shells

𖤓~ Cinnamon

𖤓~ Rosemary

𖤓~ Lavender

𖤓~ Black tourmaline  

𖤓~ Bay Leaf

𖤓~ Clear Quartz

𖤓~ Cloves

3. 𝑳𝒐𝒗𝒆 💗

Intention: 𝚂𝚎𝚕𝚏-𝚕𝚘𝚟𝚎, 𝚌𝚘𝚗𝚏𝚒𝚍𝚎𝚗𝚌𝚎, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚊𝚝𝚝𝚛𝚊𝚌𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚙𝚘𝚜𝚒𝚝𝚒𝚟𝚎 𝚛𝚎𝚕𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗𝚜𝚑𝚒𝚙𝚜.

♡~ Himalayan Pink Salt

♡~ Sugar

♡~ Rosemary

♡~ Lavender

♡~ Rose Quartz

♡~ Rose

4. 𝑴𝒐𝒏𝒆𝒚 💵

Intention: 𝙰𝚋𝚞𝚗𝚍𝚊𝚗𝚌𝚎, 𝚙𝚛𝚘𝚜𝚙𝚎𝚛𝚒𝚝𝚢, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚏𝚒𝚗𝚊𝚗𝚌𝚒𝚊𝚕 𝚠𝚎𝚕𝚕-𝚋𝚎𝚒𝚗𝚐.

$~ Sea Salt

$~ Mint

$~ Chamomile

$~ Bay Leaf

$~ Aventurine

$~ Citrine

𝐻𝑜𝓌 𝓉𝑜 𝒰𝓈𝑒:

• Carry It With You: You can carry the spell jar in your bag, pocket, or purse to keep its energy close. This will allow you to tap into its intention whenever you need it.

• Wear It: If you prefer, you can place the jar in a macrame necklace or another wearable item. This makes it a personal talisman, by connecting you to its energy throughout the day.

• Create a Sacred Space: Set the jar in a special place in your home where you can see it regularly. This will help you stay aligned with its intention.

• Set Intentions: Take time to hold the jar and focus on your intention. Visualize what you want to manifest as you connect with its energy.

• Incorporate in Rituals: Use the jar in your rituals or meditative practices. Before starting a new project or during moments of reflection, hold the jar and invite its energy to support you.

𝔁𝓸𝔁𝓸- 𝓚𝓲𝓴𝓲 🔮