Recording Spells and Rituals
Posted: Tue Dec 31, 2013 11:39 pm
Recording Spells and Rituals
Recording you spells and rituals is helpful. By keeping a record of your actions, you’ll have a future reference if you need to repeat your working or to do something similar. Writing down both your successes and failures have merit. Written records are useful for both spells and rituals you’ve gotten from books as well as those you have written yourself. Here is a list of things you might want to record:
Name of Spell/Ritual
Date(s) Performed
Intention
Astrological Timing (Day, Moon phase, Zodiac, and/or Planetary hour)
Preparations (fasting, bathing, purification, etc.)
Invoked (Quarter energies, Deities, Ancestors, etc.)
Tools Used (altar paraphernalia, oils, herbs, stones, etc.)
Disposal (Keep, burn, bury, flush)
Mood (your emotions, atmosphere [props/aids, interruptions])
Result
Other notes (menstrual cycle, author, feelings [before, during, after] revelations from meditation, trance, etc.)
Explanations
Name of Spell/Ritual = Self explanatory. It’s a good idea to know the name of the spell or ritual you performed for reasons such as finding it easily in the future, sharing it with others, etc.
Date(s) Performed = Some spells need to be repeated a set number of days. Knowing the date(s) can be helpful if you need to look back at any astrological timing you may not have recorded.
Intention = Why did you perform this spell or ritual? This question can help you identify what type of spell this is, especially if the spell’s title doesn’t give any indication.
Astrological Timing (Day, Moon phase, Zodiac, and/or Planetary hour) = Some times are more conducive to certain spells than others. For example, Friday and the hour of Venus are good times for working love magick.
Preparations (fasting, bathing, purification, etc.) = The actions taken to ready yourself physically and mentally. You can also record the actions taken to prepare your work space for ritual.
Invoked (Quarter energies, Deities, Ancestors, etc.) = What energies or entities did you call upon? This is good to know if you wish to keep track of which energies you work best with, and finding out which you are most comfortable with.
Tools Used (altar paraphernalia, oils, herbs, stones, etc.) = Though tools aren’t a necessity, sometimes they are used to help aid ritual consciousness. Tools also help create sympathetic links.
Disposal (Keep, burn, bury, flush) = Some spells call for something to be made, such as poppets or mojo bags. Whether you keep these items or dispose of them, depends on the spell. It’s helpful to record what you did with the item in case you need to do something else with it in the future. For example, if you were to try to break or reverse the spell, you may need to destroy the item.
Mood (your emotions, atmosphere [props/aids, interruptions]) = Spells done in haste or while consumed by negative emotions can backfire. The spell itself might not have failed, it could have just been cast improperly due to being cast in anger. Did you achieve a state of ritual consciousness and concentration? Do your rituals flow more smoothly with soft music and the scent of jasmine in the background? Did you have to stop repeatedly to answer the phone or the door?
Result = Did you succeed or fail? Both results offer a learning experience. Take note of what worked for you as well as what didn’t. The more you know about what works for you, the more often you can avoid what doesn't work for you. If a spell or ritual fails, you can go over your notes and see where you might want to change things. For example, you might want to change what day of the week you perform the spell and try again.
Other notes (menstrual cycle, author, feelings [before, during, after] revelations from meditation, trance, etc.) = These notes can be about anything you wish. You could write down things that you think may have had an effect on what you did. For example, if you’re a female, maybe your magick is more successful during certain days of your menstrual cycle. Did you receive any revelations or visions from any meditations or trances that you did during your ritual? It’s a good idea to record these revelations even if you don’t know their meaning yet. You can always come back later to give them more thought. How you felt is a bit different from what I meant by mood. By feelings, I’m referring to your intuition. Were you nervous or on edge? Did something in your gut tell you “This isn’t going to work?” Did you do a spell to get something for yourself, perhaps a new car, then spend the entire time telling yourself that you don’t deserve nice things? Perhaps you started out feeling anxious, but after invoking the Lord and Lady, you felt totally at peace.
Spreadsheets are good for making recording charts, but how you record your spell and ritual information is up to you. Here is an example of what a written record might look like:
Recording you spells and rituals is helpful. By keeping a record of your actions, you’ll have a future reference if you need to repeat your working or to do something similar. Writing down both your successes and failures have merit. Written records are useful for both spells and rituals you’ve gotten from books as well as those you have written yourself. Here is a list of things you might want to record:
Name of Spell/Ritual
Date(s) Performed
Intention
Astrological Timing (Day, Moon phase, Zodiac, and/or Planetary hour)
Preparations (fasting, bathing, purification, etc.)
Invoked (Quarter energies, Deities, Ancestors, etc.)
Tools Used (altar paraphernalia, oils, herbs, stones, etc.)
Disposal (Keep, burn, bury, flush)
Mood (your emotions, atmosphere [props/aids, interruptions])
Result
Other notes (menstrual cycle, author, feelings [before, during, after] revelations from meditation, trance, etc.)
Explanations
Name of Spell/Ritual = Self explanatory. It’s a good idea to know the name of the spell or ritual you performed for reasons such as finding it easily in the future, sharing it with others, etc.
Date(s) Performed = Some spells need to be repeated a set number of days. Knowing the date(s) can be helpful if you need to look back at any astrological timing you may not have recorded.
Intention = Why did you perform this spell or ritual? This question can help you identify what type of spell this is, especially if the spell’s title doesn’t give any indication.
Astrological Timing (Day, Moon phase, Zodiac, and/or Planetary hour) = Some times are more conducive to certain spells than others. For example, Friday and the hour of Venus are good times for working love magick.
Preparations (fasting, bathing, purification, etc.) = The actions taken to ready yourself physically and mentally. You can also record the actions taken to prepare your work space for ritual.
Invoked (Quarter energies, Deities, Ancestors, etc.) = What energies or entities did you call upon? This is good to know if you wish to keep track of which energies you work best with, and finding out which you are most comfortable with.
Tools Used (altar paraphernalia, oils, herbs, stones, etc.) = Though tools aren’t a necessity, sometimes they are used to help aid ritual consciousness. Tools also help create sympathetic links.
Disposal (Keep, burn, bury, flush) = Some spells call for something to be made, such as poppets or mojo bags. Whether you keep these items or dispose of them, depends on the spell. It’s helpful to record what you did with the item in case you need to do something else with it in the future. For example, if you were to try to break or reverse the spell, you may need to destroy the item.
Mood (your emotions, atmosphere [props/aids, interruptions]) = Spells done in haste or while consumed by negative emotions can backfire. The spell itself might not have failed, it could have just been cast improperly due to being cast in anger. Did you achieve a state of ritual consciousness and concentration? Do your rituals flow more smoothly with soft music and the scent of jasmine in the background? Did you have to stop repeatedly to answer the phone or the door?
Result = Did you succeed or fail? Both results offer a learning experience. Take note of what worked for you as well as what didn’t. The more you know about what works for you, the more often you can avoid what doesn't work for you. If a spell or ritual fails, you can go over your notes and see where you might want to change things. For example, you might want to change what day of the week you perform the spell and try again.
Other notes (menstrual cycle, author, feelings [before, during, after] revelations from meditation, trance, etc.) = These notes can be about anything you wish. You could write down things that you think may have had an effect on what you did. For example, if you’re a female, maybe your magick is more successful during certain days of your menstrual cycle. Did you receive any revelations or visions from any meditations or trances that you did during your ritual? It’s a good idea to record these revelations even if you don’t know their meaning yet. You can always come back later to give them more thought. How you felt is a bit different from what I meant by mood. By feelings, I’m referring to your intuition. Were you nervous or on edge? Did something in your gut tell you “This isn’t going to work?” Did you do a spell to get something for yourself, perhaps a new car, then spend the entire time telling yourself that you don’t deserve nice things? Perhaps you started out feeling anxious, but after invoking the Lord and Lady, you felt totally at peace.
Spreadsheets are good for making recording charts, but how you record your spell and ritual information is up to you. Here is an example of what a written record might look like: