In order to help you set up an altar, I will show you the basic elements of a witchcraft altar, as well as how to decorate, cleanse, and protect it. Each altar is as unique as the witch who crafts it, so I encourage you to take these tips as a guide, not a rulebook!

This simple altar uses a triangular shelf to add height and storage space. The triangle represents manifestation and creation. Which shapes might you incorporate in your sacred space?

What Should Your Witchcraft Altar Include?

As you begin brainstorming what your magickal workspace will look like, remember that altars come in all shapes and sizes. The magick of witchcraft comes from tools and symbols that resonate with your personal power. Therefore, you have the freedom to use anything and everything that feels sacred, important, or relevant to you, as this is your sacred space! Use the birth of your altar to practice your creativity and resourcefulness.

Firstly, you will need to decide on the best location for all your magickal workings. A witchcraft altar can be used for meditation, spellwork, divination, and ritual, so think about the atmosphere, privacy, and amount of space you will need to perform these activities comfortably. Typically, witches will choose to use a table, dresser, nightstand, or desk as their altar surface. You may want to cover the altar surface with an altar cloth that feels magickal to you. 

People who are in the broom closet, or keep their magickal practice hidden, may choose to keep their altar hidden, or set up a witching altar that is small, obscured, or travel-sized. A simple candle on a nightstand can be the perfect altar for a witch that needs to go noticed. There is also something quite mystical and mysterious about keeping your magickal tools hidden in a drawer, chest, or shoe box.

A box containing a witch’s altar tools such as candles, crystals, a lighter, and a bundle of sage.]

Witches who travel often or want their altar to remain impermanent may choose to create a travel altar. These types of altars usually consist of the most basic tools or small, mini-sized tools. They only include what one needs to do spellwork on the fly, and can be kept in a pencil pouch, shoe box, or my personal favorite– an altoid tin! While these types of altars may feel more temporary, a travel altar allows you to practice magick anywhere you go! You may want to include:

• A piece of selenite or clear quartz
• Birthday candles or tealight candles
• Matches
• Chalk for drawing sigils
• A vial of salt water
• Sticky notes or a pocket notebook
• A pen (which doubles as a wand)

In this video tutorial, the gifted Sirena Moon will show you how to create a travel altar!

Lucky witches who have access to the outdoors may even choose to set up their magickal witching altars in nature, especially during the warmer seasons. Communal altars may be set up in public spaces for all to leave offerings or pray at, sometimes to specific spirits or deities. If you decide to set up an altar in a public or natural space, remember to maintain it and make sure your tools and offerings do not become litter in your precious environment! 

Next, you will need to decide which tools you would like to use during your magickal practices. You’ll keep many of these on your witchcraft altar. These are the things you will want to keep on, or nearby your witchcraft altar. Most often, witches will have tools on their altar that represent the energy of each of the five elements. As you call on the elements in your spellwork, the following tools may come in handy…

• Earth: Crystals, a bowl of salt, a jar of crossroads dirt or sand, a pentacle, a bowl of coins. Earth elements are typically kept on the North portion of the altar.
• Air: Incense, a feather, a sage bundle, a bell, bird imagery. Air elements are typically kept on the East portion of the altar.
• Water: A chalice filled with ritual water, seashells, seaglass, driftwood, mermaid or siren imagery. Water elements are typically kept on the West portion of the altar.
• Fire: Candles, a wand, an athame. Note: Wands and athames are considered to represent the element of Air by some witches. Choose the association that works best for you! Fire elements are typically kept on the South portion of the altar.
• Spirit: Symbols, photos, and animal totems that represent specific deities or ancestors you work with, offerings to deities and spirits you work with, or divination tools such as pendulums, tarot decks, and dice. Spirit elements are typically kept in the center portion of the altar.

You may choose only a few of these tools, or you may choose all of them! Experiment with minimalist and maximalist approaches, colorful and monochrome, or larger and smaller spaces. Figure out what feels most inspiring to you, and take into consideration the colors and symbols of any deities you honor, as well as the current season and magickal holidays. 

A public shrine to the Virgin Mary

How To Make Your Witchcraft Altar Magickal

Before you begin practicing at your altar, you will want to ensure this sacred workspace is cleansed of any negative energies. By performing the following cleansing ritual, you will make sure that you’re working on a clean slate and that no lingering energies from the space interfere with your magick. Be sure to maintain the cleanliness of your altar by repeating this ritual weekly, monthly, or as you feel necessary. Many witches, myself included, choose to cleanse their altars toward the end of a lunar cycle to start the new moon with a fresh canvas.

In this video tutorial, I will show you how to set up a beginner witching altar and bless it for magickal use. 

You will need:

• A cleaning rag
• Moon water, holy water, or salt water
• Florida water or another cleansing liquid of your choice
• A sage bundle or protective incense such as Frankincense
• A Divine oil of your choosing such as Frankincense or Jasmine

STEP #1: First, make sure your windows are open as you do this, to allow the negative energies an escape route.

STEP #2: Beginning with your barren surface, start with a physical wipe down. You may use a rag doused in florida water, which has spiritual and physical cleansing properties. You may also use lemon or vinegar water. As you do so, set your intentions for purifying the altar surface.

STEP #3: If you’re using an altar cloth, wash or spray it with the same cleanser you used to clean the table before placing it onto the surface.

STEP #4: Next, light your incense or sage bundle and wave the smoke over your altar. As you do so affirm that this altar is cleansed of all energies.

STEP #5: Using moon water, holy water, or a protective oil such as frankincense, anoint the surface in the shape of a pentacle. This will boost the magickal energy of your altar and recharge it with the power of the five elements. Jasmine oil works well if you’re looking to charge your altar with more lunar energy, which helps aid divination abilities.

STEP #6: Now that your altar itself is cleansed and charged, you will need to cleanse the tools and items you will place upon it. You can do this by waving incense or sage smoke over each tool, and thanking each item for serving you on your magickal journey.

Once your altar is set up and you feel ready to put it to use, you may bless the space with the following consecration ritual.

You will need:

• Letter writing paper
• An envelope
• A writing utensil
• An offering of 5 coins or rose petals

STEP #1: Sit in front of your cleansed and charged altar with the intention of being open to its vibrational energy. What is your altar’s vibe? Maybe it’s a safe and nurturing space where you feel comfortable and relaxed. Maybe it’s an academic space where you will study and put your spiritual wisdom to the test. Maybe it’s supercharged, making you feel powerful and limitless. Maybe it’s all of the above!

STEP #2: As you feel the energy of your altar, get back in touch with your personal energy. How will this altar serve your magickal purpose?

STEP #3: Write a letter to your altar thanking it for serving this magickal purpose.

STEP #4: Place this letter into the envelope along with the offering. Your five coins or flower petals represent the hand of the Divine, as well as the five elements.

STEP #5: On the outside of the envelope, write the following: I bless this altar with the power to aid my magickal workings. Protect me from all unwelcome energies, and serve my unique magickal mission.

STEP #6: Stash this envelope in a secret compartment, a drawer, or in between some books on your altar!

How To Use Your Magickal Altar

A witch working some potent magick at her altar. Many witches choose to adopt this more antiquated aesthetic for historic inspiration!

Now that you’re all set up, your witchcraft altar will serve as a home base for your spellwork, rituals, journaling, and so much more! Many baby witches are unsure of how often they must visit their altar or what sort of magickal workings are best performed there. The truth is, there is no wrong way to utilize your altar! Trust your intuition, and remember that your altar is meant to serve you– and not the other way around. Your witching altar is there for you to visit whenever it intuitively feels good to do so.

Some witches make a point to visit their altars daily and/or nightly, especially to begin or end their day with gratitude journaling. Other witches may practically live at their altars, allowing their mundane tasks to be supported by their magickal foundation. Some may only visit their altars for the eight sabbats or for special lunar and solar events.

The great thing about your altar is that it is always available to you whenever you need magickal support in any task. Nearly every witch will go through periods in which they do not visit their altar as frequently as they would like to. As a result, dust may collect and the magickal energy may become stagnant. If this happens, do not feel guilty! 

As all things in our lives, our magickal practice will ebb and flow. If you find that your altar space does not appeal to you, ask yourself what you can do to liven up the space and make it more practical for you. Consider decorating for the season, finding inspiration online, or choosing an area of your home that is more cozy to work in.

Lastly, do not feel pressured to imitate other witches. We are all unique, and what works well for one witch may simply not resonate with you. While some are inspired by antiquated aesthetics, some witches keep their altars on their tech devices. Appreciate what suits others, but do not give up on finding what suits you!

Your Magickal Milestone

In closing, I hope you find setting up your magickal witchcraft altar to be a fun and creative process. Creating your witching altar is a rite of passage that each witch should be extremely proud of. Congratulations on taking this step toward affirming and supporting your spiritual path!

May your altar be inviting, powerful, and protected as you grow into yourself, witchling! I am sending you Divine love and light in all of your magickal activities.

With Gratitude,

Galena Stormrider

The post Witchcraft Altars: How To Set Up An Altar For A Beginner Witch appeared first on Simple Mystic Miracles Magickal Spell Casting Blog.

I’m going to show you how to get clear on what you wish to manifest, how to release the old and make way for the new, and how to harness magick to make your dreams come true in in the new year!

First Step For Witchcraft Beginners: Set Your Intention To Your Heart’s Desire

As with all magick, the most important “ingredient” is your focused intent. What is your intention for the new year?

What would you love to create in your life? Think of your focus like a magic wand, whatever direction you point it in, an alchemical reaction occurs, creating change in the physical world. In many ways, your wand is but a symbol of your mind’s focus.

Like a straight line extending from your hand into a point, your focus forms a straight line from your mind into the world of matter. When your focus is combined with your intent for change, that’s when the world around you shifts and transforms to reflect your intention.

If you aren’t quite sure what your dreams are for this year, don’t worry, there are many simple techniques you can try to help you to get clear on your heart’s desires – and I’m going to go over a few beginner witchcraft “witchy spells” an ways to do this.

1. Beginner Witchcraft New Year Spell Prep: What Lights You Up?

My favorite way to figure out my desires is to explore what lights me up.

To do this, simply take some time to journal out everything you can think of that brings you joy, makes your heart sing and simply lights you up.

What experiences give you a boost of energy when you imagine them? Whether you have experienced them before, or have a wish to, make a list and write out every single thing you can think of gives you a boost of joy when you imagine being, doing or having the experience.

This step is a Magickal Key, especially if you are a beginner in witchcraft. 

Your list should be a combination of tiny things to grand things. Don’t question or second guess yourself, and don’t be concerned with how the experience would even be possible, just let your list of what lights you up flow freely onto your paper.

For instance, my list includes everything from the simple pleasures of drinking a morning cup of coffee, watching moonlight dance on a body of water, to enjoying a first class ticket on an international flight to Amsterdam, to playing music on stage to a crowd of 10,000 people.

Let your imagination run wild, and write out in detail every single experience you can think of that lights you up and gives you a feeling of pleasure, joy, levity and excitement!

Once you have listed about twenty or so things that light you up, take a look over your list, and notice if there are any that especially stand out and make your heart sing. Take a look at the stand out experiences, and circle five or so of them that you would like to bring into the new year.

Once you have your top five, notice if there are any connecting themes to them, or if they give you any additional clarity into your heart’s true desires for the year. Even if the experiences seem too grand or impossible, let yourself dream big enough to have them…

Nothing is off limits in this very powerful year ahead! Let your desires bring out the best in you for a truly Magickal new year!

Ring in the New Year with simple beginner witchcraft spells and rituals to make this the best year ever…

2. Beginner Witchcraft New Year Spell Prep: Who Are You Jealous Of?

I’ve learned to love the experience of jealousy – yes, you read that right, jealousy.

I realized not so long ago that when I find myself jealous or envious of someone else, that my jealousy is pointing a direct flashlight onto my own heart’s desires.

How wonderful to know that I want a certain experience, as that desire is what causes the intention within me, that with focus, brings the experience into my own reality… and into my witchy spells and rituals!

When you realize there is no lack in this Universe, and that you too can have an experience that someone else is having, jealousy becomes very short lived and rather juicy!

Make a list of everyone you have been a bit jealous or envious of lately. What did they have or experience that you wish you could also have ? Write out each experience that you now know you desire to have. In your own mind, thank each person for giving you the clarity into your own heart’s true desires!

3. Beginner Witchcraft New Year Spell Prep: Ask Your Heart.

A very simple technique I use to get clarity is to ask my heart what the truth is.

To do this, close your eyes and pull all of your focus to your heart center. Try to drop out of your head and completely into your heart. You can even put your hand on your heart to help direct your energy.

Quiet your mind and breathe a few deep breaths.

Ask your heart to show you what it is you truly desire to manifest this year. Let your heart give you the answer.

The answer could appear as a vision, or a simple knowing. Let the truth come to you, through your heart’s wisdom. More than one desire may come to you, and that is completely fine. Write down whatever your heart guides you to manifest this year.

Witchcraft For Beginners: A New Year, A New You Release Ritual

Before you can work your magick to manifest your dreams for the new year, it is important to energetically cleanse and release last year. Try any of the following new year’s  release rituals to cleanse and clear away any negative or heavy energy from the past, so that this year is a fresh new start.

New Year Release Ritual #1

To do this simple ritual for release you will need:

• A Black candle
• A Carving Tool
• A Bay Leaf
• A Fire Safe Dish
• A Marker or Pen

The steps to take:

STEP #1: On a bay leaf, write out what you are releasing from 2021. Feel with all of your heart how you are letting this go, and how it can not enter into your experience in this new year.

STEP #2: Think of a symbol that represents what you are letting go of. It could be a letter, initials, or a shape you create. Carve that symbol into your candle.

STEP #3: Light your candle. As you do say, “I release all that no longer serves me. I cleanse away (name what you are letting go of) and release it from me forever. I now go free. So mote it be!”

STEP #4: Carefully burn your bay leaf in the candle’s flame and drop it into your fire safe bowl.

STEP #5: Let the burning bay leaf and the candle burn completely out, as you feel the relief of full release wash over you. It is done!

New Year Release Ritual #2: Take a New Year Ritual Bath

This is perfect for the witchcraft beginner, because it’s super simple.

Take a bath and incorporate healing herbs such as lavender, rose or eucalyptus into your water.

Add sea salt into your bath water for energy cleansing. Light a candle and fully relax in your fragrant herbal bath. Let any stress or negativity go from your body and energy field into your healing water.

When you are done, drain your bath water as you normally would.

This time, as the water drains, imagine all of the stress and negative energy of the previous year releasing and leaving your life, going down the drain with the water. Say out loud,

“I release the past year, and I let go. So mote it be!”

New Year Release Ritual #3: Clean And Clear Clutter

By letting go of the old, we make room for the new. A powerful way to release the old is to throw out any clutter in your home.

At the start of this new year, go through your home, clean it and let go of anything that you no longer use. When we release clutter, we clear the energy of our home, and this allows new energy in. I am a believer in the ancient art of Feng Shui, and it teaches that our homes are an outer reflection of our inner state.

When our surroundings are clutter free, the energy of our home feels clear and healthy, which creates a state of clarity and health within. Having clarity and vibrancy within increases our ability to attract wealth, health and joy into our lives.

Manifest with Beginner Witchcraft Magick

Now that you have cleansed away any negative residual energy from last year, and gotten clear on what you want to manifest this year, it’s time to work with magick to help make your dreams come true!

There are so many fun and simple magickal ways to manifest your heart’s desire in the new year. Try any or all of the following beginner witchcraft Magickal tips that resonate with you!

New Year Witchcraft For Beginners Ritual #1: Create a Dreams Come True Sachet

A magickal sachet is a small bag or pouch filled with items such as herbs, crystals, and charms that are used together to enhance your intended energy. The more meaningful components and intentional energy you’re able to put into your sachet, the more powerful it becomes!

You can carry your dream sachet in your purse, place it on your altar, hang it on your wall, or even sleep with it under your pillow. By crafting and then charging your dream sachet, you help to magnetically attract your desires and wishes for the new year to you!

What you will need:

• A small bag or pouch
• A piece of string
• A small crystal, stone or meaningful charm
• A lucky penny (A penny symbolizes good luck and works great in a dream sachet! Pennies are thought to be especially lucky if you find one on the ground, but you can also use one you have in your wallet.)

STEP #1: Write out your desire in an affirmative statement on a small piece of paper and place it in your bag.

For example you might write,

“I am joyously experiencing (name your desire) in the new year.”

STEP #2: Place a variety of herbs for luck into your sachet.

The following herbs are thought to especially enhance good luck:

• Basil
• Chamomile
• Cinnamon
• Clover
• Dandelion
• Frankincense
• Irish Moss
• Mint
• Peppermint
• Rose Hips
• Rosemary
• Sandalwood
• Star Anise
• Thyme

Witchy Spell Tip:  Using any combination of the above in your sachet works great. If you don’t have any of these herbs on hand, you could tear open a pack of chamomile tea—or grab some basil or cinnamon from the grocery store—any of the herbs listed above that resonate with you are great to add inside your sachet.

STEP #3: Light a candle. Set an intention in your mind to invite in your loving and helpful spirit guides. Quietly ask them to open your heart to receive your good in 2022. Feel the gratitude for them already coming in to bless your sachet spell and help guide you to lucky opportunities to manifest your dream and more in 2022.

STEP #4: Meditate on yourself having your dreams and more come true in 2022. I can’t stress this enough—by visualizing yourself as already having that which you desire, you magnetize your desire to you. Try to feel the feelings of how you would feel after the spell actually took effect.Try to see yourself in your desired future outcome, as if it were your present reality. Feel in your heart how good it feels to have your wish come true in 2022.

STEP #5: Take your pouch and place it in the center of your table space. Keep feeling the blessings you are wanting to draw in as if they are already in your life. This will prep the sachet to receive your intention for 2022.

STEP #6: Hold your herbs in your palms and gaze upon them. Run your fingers through them, breathing in their lovely aroma. Feel yourself being super lucky, free, joyous, blessed, and happy in 2022. Place them in the sachet.

STEP #7: Pick up your crystal or charm. Picture yourself wildly lucky, abundant, prosperous, and joyous. Picture your dream coming true. Place it in the sachet.

STEP #8: Hold the penny in your hands. The copper in the coin is attractive and will draw energy to your sachet. Imagine yourself so lucky that your wish and even more comes effortlessly to you. Place it in the sachet.

STEP #9: Add your written affirmation into your sachet. As you do, say out loud, “So Mote It Be”.

STEP #10: Tie your pouch closed with your string.

STEP #11: Say the following incantation over your finished sachet: “May my dreams come true in 2022! So Mote It Be!”

Your Dream Sachet is complete! Carry it with you in your purse, sleep with it under your pillow, or place it wherever you most prefer. When you feel as though you need a boost, hold it in your hands and feel it’s powerful energy magnetically drawing your desires for 2022 into your life.

New Year Witchcraft For Beginners Ritual #2: Craft A Vision Board

This new year manifestation spell creates a dream satchet.

Gather pictures from magazines, or print pictures directly from the internet with images of experiences or things you would love to manifest in the new year.

Turn your vision board crafting into a sacred ritual by lighting a candle, and setting an intention to manifest everything you have cut out, or something even better, in the new year. Glue all of your images onto your board.

You can also cut out inspired words, or add glitter to you finished product. Hang your vision board or keep it somewhere sacred to you.

The focus and clarity you get from cutting out and forming a variety of photos onto your board works as a powerful magnet to draw those experiences to you, often in the most Magickal of ways!

Another wonderful way to use pictures to manifest your dreams, is to create a Vision Box. Have a look at the video below for step by step guidance on how to make your own beginning witchcraft magical vision box for the new year…

New Year Witchcraft For Beginners Ritual #3: Make A New Year’s Spell Jar

Crafting a Spell Jar is a powerful way to manifest your desires, and it’s a beginner witchcraft technique, so it’s very simple to do!

All you have to do is gather a glass jar with a lid, and fill it with the following magickal ingredients:

• Dandelion ( to assist in your wish coming true)
• Cinnamon (for success)
• Sea Salt (for protection)
• Bay Leaf (for luck)
• A small crystal such as Citrine or Quartz (to amplify manifestation)

As you fill your jar, supercharge each ingredient with your intention for the New Year. Seal your jar with candle wax when you are done. Place your jar on your altar to act as a powerful magnet for your wishes!

New Year Witchcraft For Beginners Ritual #4: Create Dreams Come True Oil

A wonderful way to supercharge your dreams for 2022 and beyond is to create your own Dreams Come True Oil! Have a look at the video below for step by step guidance on how to create your own magical manifesting oil!

Beginner Witchcraft Tips For Strengthening Your “Manifestation Power”

Sometimes, you can know what you want to manifest, and how to perform magickal techniques for manifestation, but still feel discouraged in the whole process.

Trust me, I have been there many times. Sometimes, you want something so bad, and do so many spells, but your desire seems to never come about.

When you have experienced disheartening results, it is really easy to throw in the towel, and become a passive observer of life happening to you.

Whenever I get into a state of discouragement, I try to remember that looking back, something even better than my original desire eventually did manifest for me in time. I try to remember all of the times that things I wished for actually did come true, and that I am a powerful co- creator with the Universe.

I have come to realize that the Universe simply understands the bigger picture, and that I must trust in the timing and the guidance I am given. I remember to “brush up” on my manifesting skills, and to return to my connection to magick within.

If you have ever felt less-than- stellar about your manifesting ability, do not be discouraged, as there are many simple strategies to vastly improve your manifesting skills!

Witchy spells and rituals can manifest your deep desires throughout the new year.

Beginner Witchcraft 101 Manifestation Booster Tip #1: Move from your Head into your Heart.

Manifesting is all about FEELING. The Universe is made of energy, and that which is energetically like itself is drawn together by the powerful Law of Attraction. Our feelings supercharge our energy, making us magnetic.

Many times, we make the mistake of attempting to manifest by holding a visual image of our desire in our mind, but we forget to incorporate our feelings into the process.

Next time you are manifesting, do your best to feel, with all of your heart, the many wonderful emotions you would feel AS IF your dream were already true. Your feeling state will more easily magnetize your desire to you, in it’s glorious and full manifestation!

Beginner Witchcraft 101 Manifestation Booster Tip #2: Let the Universe do the Work for you.

Many times we stifle our ability to manifest because we don’t trust the Universe (which is far more intelligent than we are!) to work the details out on our behalf. We get in our own way by trying to figure out the path to make something happen, which often leads us off into the bushes! When manifesting, remember to turn your intention over to the Universe to work out the details for you. Declare your desire in a spell or through feeling based visualization, and then let it go! Get out of your own way and let the Universe deliver your wish to you in perfect, divinely magical timing!

Beginner Witchcraft 101 Manifestation Booster Tip #3: Seek Happiness.

Have you ever noticed that wonderful manifestations seem to come effortlessly to you when you are feeling really happy? Next time an opportunity comes to you, seemingly from out of the blue sky, take notice of your dominant mood in the days leading up to your seeming luck.

I am willing to bet that you were predominantly in a happy feeling state!

Something magical happens when we feel happy that clears the way for the Universe to bring us what we desire. When the clouds part in your mind, the clouds part in the sky above you, and magic comes beaming in like the sun.

When you take time each day to focus on what brings you joy, your energy rises to a state where you are an energetic match to your desires, which allows the Universe to easily bring them to you!

Happiness aligns you with all of the good the Universe has lined up for you, and is the easiest way to manifest, as you don’t even have to try!

Beginner Witchcraft 101 Manifestation Booster Tip #4: Raise Your Vibration.

The most powerful way to increase your manifesting power is to raise your vibration. Your vibration is the measurable frequency that you emit, which is primarily the result of the way you feel.

When you raise your vibration, the quality of your life increases in so many ways. You feel happier, healthier and more peaceful. Your intuition is enhanced, which benefits your spell work and truly supercharges your manifestation abilities.

Manifestation works by shifting the energy with you, so that you become a magnet to what you desire. The trick is to realize that we draw to ourselves not what we want, we draw to ourselves more of what we already are.

This is why every spell, ritual or magickal practice aims to shift your inner energy away from a state of lack, to a state of being expectant that what you desire is already on it’s way to you. When you shift your inner state away from a feeling of not having what you want, to a feeling of being completely content and lacking nothing, that is when you become a magnet to your desires.

So when you raise your vibration, you naturally draw to you your heart’s desires, because you are primarily in a feeling state of peacefulness, abundance and gratitude.

Witchy Spell Practices to Raise Your Vibe

Raising your vibration to a higher frequency can happen relatively quickly, and there are so many wonderful ways to do it. By doing even one of the following practices every day, you will begin to notice a major shift in your happiness and energy level.

Witchy Spell “Raise Your Vibe” Tip #1: Get into Nature.

Nature is healing because it is vibrating at the highest level of anything on earth. Nature is beautiful and its benefits are immeasurable. As often as possible, take a walk in nature and immerse yourself in its pure energy.

If you don’t live close to nature, find a tree to put your hands onto. Let the energy of the tree heal and lift your own energy. Stand on a patch of grass with bare feet and ground your energy in the dirt. The high vibration of the earth will lift your own.

Witchy Spell “Raise Your Vibe” Tip #2: Cleanse and Clear Negative Energy.

A wonderful way to raise your vibration is to clear any negative energy from your home and your auric field with smoke.

Use a smudge stick made of sage or other high vibrational herbs, such as rosemary, to cleanse the energy around you.

The smoke from sage or rosemary removes negative energy and replaces it with a higher vibrational energy. You can really feel the difference in a room after you have cleared it with a smudge stick or incense. The air feels lighter, because it is!

Witchy Spell “Raise Your Vibe” Tip #3: Laugh.

Nothing feels as good as laughing. Practice laughing as much as possible everyday, and your life will improve in more ways than you can imagine! Laughter is such a wonderful expression of joy. To make laughing a practice, watch or read something everyday that cracks you up.

When you find yourself laughing, let your laugh be loud! Really let it out! Let yourself laugh and find every reason throughout each day to laugh. Humor is the greatest healer, and nothing raises your vibe quite as much as having good laugh!

Witchy Spell “Raise Your Vibe” Tip #4: Be Discerning With Your Attention.

Turn off low vibration programming as much as possible. While it is good to be informed, try to watch as little of the news as possible. The news is completely fear based, and watching too much of it takes your mind and energy into a lowered state.

Also, be very discerning with the shows you watch, especially before bed. Try to limit shows that contain a lot of violence or drama, as these shows will lower your vibration. Try to watch shows that are lighter, intelligent, creative or funnier in content, as they will leave you feeling light hearted and higher in energy after watching them.

Witchy Spell “Raise Your Vibe” Tip #5: Cultivate High Quality Friends.

It has been said that you are the average of the five people you spend the most time with, and I think there is truth to that. Try to spend less time with people who drag you down, and more time with people who lift your spirit! The more you give your time and attention to friends and people who feel wonderful to be around, the more you will remain in a higher state of vibration.

Witchy Spell “Raise Your Vibe” Tip #6: Do Something Everyday that Lights You Up.

Reference the list you made of what lights you up, and incorporate at least one of those things into your life every day. The more you focus on the things that light you up, the better each day will be, and the higher your vibration will raise.

Witchy Spell “Raise Your Vibe” Tip #7: Spend Time with Animals.

Animals are so healing and uplifting to be around. By playing with a dog, watching birds, or petting a cat, you naturally relax and feel more joyous. Animals are generally much more present and in tune with nature than we are, and by simply spending quality time with these magnificent creatures, you tune into your own state of presence and your vibration naturally rises.

Witchy Spell “Raise Your Vibe” Tip #8: Work with Crystals.

The vibrational energy of crystals are extremely high. Hold a crystal in your hand for a few minutes every day, sleep with them next to your bed, or wear them as jewelry to lift your vibration. The energetic influence of crystals helps to elevate your own vibrational frequency. Work with Amethyst, Clear Quartz, Selenite, Tigers Eye, or any crystal that makes you feel uplifted.

Witchy Spell “Raise Your Vibe” Tip #9: Listen to Uplifting Music.

My favorite way to elevate my vibrational frequency is by listening to music. Music that is soothing, inspiring or uplifting instantly lifts my mood and my spirit.

If your energy feels low, try listening to spiritual drumming music, and if you feel inspired, move your body to dance to it! Any kind of music that uplifts and energizes your spirit will work to lift your mood and vibration to new heights!

A wonderful release ritual would be to do some rhythmic drumming to cleanse and balance your energy.

Raising your vibration takes daily practice and focus. We are human beings and we are so complex, and life can be so hard. Life will always bring challenges, but living in a higher vibrational state means that you change the way you look at these challenges.

When you shift your consciousness and raise your vibration, your challenges become your greatest blessings, because you realize it is through these experiences you learn how to grow into your most magnificent self.

By increasing your vibration, life doesn’t suddenly become challenge free, but it does get easier, and your challenges become…less challenging. By raising your vibe, you become happier, healthier and so much more magickally powerful!

The Magick of A New Year

On a final note, I want to say that I truly believe the new year is going to be extra magickal. There is a feeling in the air, and the big theme of this year will be to dream big!

May these beginner spells for witches manifest your dreams in the new year.

In closing, I hope you have the best year of your life so far. You are worthy of all of your heart’s desires and even more. May this year bring out the best in you and the best that life has to offer! May magick, and these beginner witchcraft tips and techniques, light your way throughout this blessed year!

With Love,
Sirena Moon
xox

The post Beginner Witchcraft Spells And Rituals For The New Year appeared first on Simple Mystic Miracles Magickal Spell Casting Blog.

A lot of these raw spells, cast in a moment of desperation with little to no magickal experience, actually work, which is incredibly exciting when you’re just starting out. (Heck, I still get a buzz every time my spells work!) But then these same budding witches, raw spell caster extraordinaires, run into the dread moment all beginners are afraid of; spells that just don’t work.

Eek!

Anyone who has experienced this, which I’m here to tell you is all witches, knows that it’s a massive blow to your confidence. A spell failure at the beginning of your magickal career can have you questioning if you should even bother. Maybe it would be better to just give up the witching game, leave it to those who are “born” with the gift? After all, the spells natural witches cast always work. Right…?

Not so, my magickal friend!

Not even the most experienced, powerhouse witches out there are successful 100% of the time. But witches who have been around the block a few times manifest a lot more often, and that is because they understand some of the simple magickal principles that point a spell in the right direction, supercharge it, and make it work.

If you’re interested in mastering some beginners’ witchcraft techniques, read on my friend. Before you know it, you’ll be experiencing all kinds of mind blowing magickal success!

Casting a spell on a clean, uncluttered altar.

Getting Your Witchy Vibes Right

Casting a spell on a clean, uncluttered altar.

The very first step in casting spells that do what you want them to is creating a clear, focused intention. Now for those of you who are like, “yeah, yeah I know the thing,” take a beat before you skip ahead. This is something that trips up a lot of witches, even ones that have been practicing for years.

For those of you who don’t know, an intention is the aim or purpose of whatever spell you are casting. Basically, it’s your magickal desire. When we cast a spell, we focus on this intention the whole time, so it needs to be simple and concise. One or two sentences at most.

I like to think of intent as the rudder of a spell, it steers that fabulous magickal boat right where it needs to go. Without a clear intention magick sort of zigzags all over the place, which as you can imagine makes it pretty tough for your spell to manifest in the way you hope it will.

So, what are some of the things that make a good spell intention? I’m so glad you asked!

• Frame your intent as a do, not a don’t.

If you’re a parent you’ve witnessed the bizarre phenomenon we’re going to talk about right here. Did you know that when someone gives us a command, our brains (no matter our age) sort of skips over the words don’t, or not. So, when mum shouts, “Honey, stay on the footpath!” your brain hears stay on the footpath. But when mum yells, “Darling, don’t cross the road!” your brain often hears, cross the road.  Weird right? This is called feature-deletion if you want to look it up for yourself.

So, based on this idea you get way better results if your spell is framed positively, rather than negatively. Say your magickal aim is to fix up your finances, instead of your intention being to “not be in debt”, try instead something like, “all my debt is cleared”. Side note: all you parents just hearing about this, it changed my life!

• State your intention in the present tense.

When casting for good time loving, instead of saying, “I will find the man of my dreams”, say “the man of my dreams is coming to me”. It’s a subtle difference, sure, but babe magick is all about the subtleties! The first intention suggests that one day in the future your lover will get around to being found by you, while the second suggests he’s on his way to you right now. I know which I’d prefer.

• Make it short and sweet.

When figuring out a solid intention, it can be helpful to first write out a paragraph or two. This let’s you get all the details of what you want out onto paper, so you can pick out the bits that really pop and boil that baby down into a punchy sentence or two. Remember, you focus on your intention the whole time you cast a spell, so make it a sentence not a sonnet!

The Triangle Of Intent

Now that you have a great intention worked out, you’ve got to put some volts into it. We need this to be powerful, right? After all, a perfectly framed intention with a limp delivery, well darling, that’s not fun for anyone.

There are three important aspects to powering an intention, which I’ve coined the Triangle of Intent. A little uninspired maybe, but I think the visual helps! The three points of our proverbial triangle are confidence, emotion and focus.

It was science that first taught us that the strongest and most sturdy shape is the triangle (not the square as many imagine!). In the same way, when each point of our Triangle of Intent is activated, girl have we got ourselves one potent magickal intention!

Check it out.

Here’s what a Magical Triangle could look like when setting your intentions of the spell.

Here’s what a Magical Triangle could look like when setting your intentions of the spell.

Emotion

The first thing your intention needs is your passion! Emotion is absolutely the juice of your intention. You have full permission to immerse yourself in all the feels. To be a successful spell caster you are encouraged to really go there. Laugh, cry, get mad, look a little nuts; do whatever it takes to conjure the emotion that matches your spell.

By the way, strong emotion is part of the reason why untrained witches can cast raw spells that work so darn well.

As an example, when you cast a job spell, take the time to build up a really strong sense of absolute confidence. You are successful, not just that, you’re impressive, and of course that bloody job is yours. You’re amazing!

On the other hand, when you’re performing a love spell, make sure you invoke all kinds of delicious lusty feelings. Notice the brush of your clothes against your skin (or the tickle of air if you get down sky clad style, all power!). Awaken sensation. in the mood you would be in if your ultimate lover was in the room with you at that moment, doing all the things you want to be doing them.

Emotion is the jetpack of your intention. Successful witches, as batty as it might make them feel (don’t worry, you get used to it), really go there.

Confidence

In her fabulous book Magical Power (an amazing resource for all budding spellcasters, do yourself a favor), Deborah Lipp says, “doubt has no place in a magical working. Doubt pulls your focus away from the goal.”

Setting aside doubt is really tricky when we are casting for something we cannot see, and all evidence in our life points to a thing not being true. But I mean, why else would we bother casting a spell?

To cast a successful spell, we’ve got to enter a sacred space of believing. Even if what we desire seems utterly impossible, we leave that doubt out of the room for the time we are working. I’m not going to lie, this skill does take practice, but you don’t have to be perfect at it to get results. What you will discover is that a regular meditation practice will help you develop this ability so much faster. So, if you’re struggling to set aside doubt while you cast, give yourself a leg up and meditate for 3-5 minutes a day.

Confidence holds your intention and that emotional power steady. So, cast with absolute confidence. Know that in this time and this space, your will is so!

Focus

The final point of our wonderful Triangle of Intent is fixed focus. Keep your intention firmly in your mind as you cast your spell.

Once again you don’t need to be some mountain dwelling yogi, demonstrating meditative perfection. We all get distracted by little thoughts and mental images. The key to focus (and indeed meditation) is each time you notice your mind has wandered, you bring it back to your intent. As with all things the more you practice the better you’ll get at it.

Now every witch has their own theory on how long you need to focus on your intention to get your spell singing, and some will really chew your ear off about it! In my opinion quality is better than quantity. Start small, with whatever bouts of focus you can manage for about a minute or so, then extend that time as your skill increases.

Focus lines up your intention to hit its target, so don’t skimp on this step!

Choosing The Right Tools For Casting A Spell

Most witches cast a majority of their spells with some kind of tool or ingredient. As this is a visual aid and focal point of a spell, it’s important we choose the right ones for the job at hand. If you’re a relatively new witch, don’t worry, this isn’t as daunting as it might sound.

There are essentially two ways to choose your magickal tools; intuitively, or by-the-book (i.e. what other witches advise you should use). Both have their merits.

Choosing Tools By The Book

When it comes to choosing your tools based on “the book”, know first that there are many books, and even more opinions about what you should use in your spell. Why? Because witchcraft is a highly individualized craft and everyone’s got a true-blue experience they can share with you, to back up why their way works best.

My recommendation is that you slap on a lab coat and get your hands dirty. Experimentation is the order of the hour my love! Try anything and everything that sounds like a good idea to you (we modern witches’ term this what “resonates”). Over time you will discover the tools, ingredients, and methods you like, hate, and the ones that really work for you.

What If I Don’t Have THAT Tool?

If you find a spell another witch has created, as much as they may say otherwise, you don’t need to use the same tools or ingredients they have. When a spell creator says you simply must have a certain tool, what they’re actually saying is, “when I cast this spell I use this particular tool, and since the spell works for me I think you should use it too.”

It doesn’t matter who they are or how many credentials they have under their belt, when it comes to magick you are allowed to substitute. Magick is art darling, and all the best artists break convention!

Casting a spell using your book of shadows (or another spell book) is totally fine!

Popular Magickal Tools and Practical Substitutions When Spell Casting

Casting a spell using your book of shadows (or another spell book) is totally fine!

If you’re right at the beginning of your magickal journey, it can feel pretty daunting to come up with substitutions on your own, so I’ve included a list here to get you started. Here you’ll find some of the more popular items found in witchcraft, with a few substitution ideas for each.

Wands – this may be one of the most recognizable witch tools. You can purchase gorgeous artisan wands in metaphysical stores or online, but most witches will tell you that often their favorite wands are those they find in nature and/or make themselves.

Instead use sticks, bones, metal rods, crystal points, a pencil, your hand, or a pointed finger.

Cauldrons – this ancient magickal tool began its days as nothing more than a cooking pot!

Substitute with saucepans, frying pans, bowls, saucers, or depressions in the ground.

Candles – these delightful tools are often the focal point, or an addition to spell workings.

If a spell calls for a certain kind of candle, you can use any other kind of candle instead (including tealights. or birthday candles). All candle colors can be substituted with white, which is a shade that contains all colors.

Instead use battery operated candles, fairy lights, sunlight, moon light, an image of a candle, a fireplace, or a bonfire.

Statues – when connecting with Deity or other Spirits it can be really helpful to have a representation of them to look at.

Instead of a statue you can use a printed or drawn image, objects associated with that being (either traditional choices or your own intuitive ones) such as animals, tools, colors and so on.

Mortar & Pestles – a very practical tool, the mortar & pestle is used to grind herbs, botanicals, resins, bones and other curios into smaller chunks or powders.

Instead use a coffee grinder (make sure you have a separate one for magickal use, or only use it for edible herbs).

Choosing Magickal Tools Intuitively

Now if you’re really feeling frisky, you can let that gorgeous witch hair down and choose your tools intuitively. This just means going with your gut. As you look around your garden, your local grocery or craft store, your kitchen; what jumps out at you? What tools and ingredients do you sense might be a good fit for your intention?

If you practice going with your gut, or acting on the impulses you feel around your magick, you won’t be steered wrong. After a while you will begin to feel really confident in this natural sense. At that point you’ll be whipping ingredients off the shelf left, right and center; concocting all manner of marvelous magickal mayhem!

How To Awaken The Magick In Your Tools

Before using a tool for magickal purposes, many witches like to do a special ritual called a blessing or consecration. This process takes the object from being an ordinary, everyday thing and makes it sacred.

In this little video I show you how you can consecrate any object and magickally transform it into a powerful tool for spell casting.

Do I Need Magickal Tools To Cast A Spell?

It’s important to note here that you don’t need any tools to cast a spell, you can do it all right inside your mind with the power of visualization. For more on that… head over to our Facebook Page and YouTube Channel for on visualization and substitution for Magickal Tools in Casting Spells and do a quick search.

Tools aren’t necessary, they simply help us to focus our magickal intent. But more than that they make spellcasting a lot of fun!

Raising & Sending Energy

And for our final spell success secret of the day, now that you have your intent figured out, and the right tools for the job, you need to do a little something called raising and sending energy. This is the part where you build up lots of magickal energy and shoot it off into the ether to do whatever it is that you want to do.

Raising Energy

You may remember, back just a few mouse scrolls ago, that we explored the Triangle of Intent, with one of our three points being all about invoking lots of passionate emotion. That’s a super important part of raising energy, but there’s a few more tricks you pull out of your witchy sleeves to really get your cauldron bubbling…

Magickal Tools – each tool and ingredient you use lends its own energy to your spell. Crystals, herbs and botanicals, animal parts, pop culture figurines, your favorite incense, all of these are a source of energy. Keep in mind that when you have built a relationship with a tool or ingredient, meaning that you have been using it regularly over time, it becomes even more powerful for you. (Which FYI is often why we hear from witches that this or that ingredient is the best one to use, because in their experience it has come to be the best, for them.)

Deities – if you’re so inclined you can call on a God or Goddess to empower a spell for you. Check out this video to discover one way you can grab the attention of the Gods and ask them to help you out…

Ancestors and other Spirits –similar to Deity work, you can ask your Ancestors or other Spirits to empower your spells for you too. These other Spirits might include Guides, Animal Spirits, Faeries, Angels who whoever else you connect with.

The Earth – one of the best ways to charge up your spells is with the energy of the Earth itself. To do this you first connect to the earth’s energy through a technique called grounding (if you aren’t sure how to do that go through it in the video just above). Then you draw this abundant source of pure, beautiful energy up into your body, and direct it into your spell, but more on that part in a moment.

Movement – dance and other forms of movement are a great way to build powerful energy for spellcasting.

Sex – yes peeps, just like general movement we’ll call it, sex builds a lot of energy. You can raise energy this way with a partner, or all on your own!

Sound – all sound is vibration, which is just another form of energy. Play some music, do some drumming, sing your heart out, hum, pray, speak your desire, or do a little chanting.

How To Send Spell Energy

Wherever the energy you harness comes from, once you’ve got it you need to send it. The thing that receives your spell energy is called a target. Depending on the kind of spell you cast your target may be a person, yourself or someone else, it may be a location, or it may be a little more difficult to define. I know a lot of witches who send spell energy out into the Universe. The idea here is essentially that the Gods (or whatever you believe in) will then take care of it.

Who or whatever the target of your spell is, hold it firmly in your mind’s eye (whether this is by seeing, remembering it, hearing it, feeling it, or simply knowing that you are doing so). Then when the energy you have raised is at its crescendo, imagine that energy shooting out of you and the spell working you are doing, and travelling to that target. The spell is done.

Closing The Circle

My dear witches, today we have covered some of the important foundational aspects of casting spells that really work. If you apply each of these secrets to your spell casting; setting strong intentions, choosing the right tools (for YOU), and raising and sending energy, you’re going to bump your witching game up to a whole new level.

I look forward to chatting with you again. Until next time I’m sending you loads of love, blessings and MAGICK!

Owlvine xx

The post How To Cast Spells That Work With “Power” appeared first on Simple Mystic Miracles Magickal Spell Casting Blog.