Everything Under the Moon

Some might sound silly and dumb, but most of these questions are what cause me to get that feeling of doing it wrong, and having doubts about it working and I know I put a lot of negativity and questioning into my spells, like I am already losing hope for it working because I wonder if I am doing something wrong. Thank you for any help!

1. Do the spells need to rhyme, like is this something that helps, or just something people do IF it feels right to them? Like if you are into poetry, you might make it rhyme because you are putting more of yourself and your energy into it?
2. Do I need to use words, or can I do like a drawing, painting, and just put my intentions into it? (even if it is not good?)
Like if I set up candles and crystals and whatnot and just paint or draw? And if yes, does it have to be something see-able? Or can I color random shapes colors and textures, but just set my intentions while I painted or drew?
3. If I am casting, and want words, can I also just wright? Do I need to say the words out loud? Can I also say it in my head?
4. I know certain materials like crystals can enhance certain intentions. I usually cannot decide which ones to use. Is it okay if I use all of my crystals, or is it best to use the few that would really impact? Like is this a less-is-more thing, or a more-is-more thing?
5. Do I need to be specific? Like if I wanted to go out of town to see my family, would I just cast a spell about going to see my family and let my positivity flow, or would I need to be specific about how I want to go visit my family, but I don't want any drama, and I don't want certain people to act how they sometimes act, and go through the things I fear may ruin the trip? I always get hung up on wanting something, but being fearful of the things I know might happen, or how I don't want it to happen in a bad way, like I want to visit, but I don't want someone to die, to be the reason we visit. Like the negative possible outcomes, or the negative ways that could make it happen, make me fearful and I start to second guess even wanting it.
So is saying what I want and being clear about the outcome I want enough, as long as I am in a positive mood and putting positive energy into it, so I don't have to cover every possible scenario of how I don't want it to happen?
6. Is focusing on the outcome enough? Like if I want something, there are a million ways it can happen, and sometimes I try and think of them all and again, negativity. So is it best to just focus on the outcome I desire?
7. Can I use physical objects to help as well? Like if I use a bracelet or hair tie or scarf along my spells, something that I will be wearing that day to 'enhance' and keep my spell with me? And will this help at all?
8. How often do I need to revisit the spell, or cast for something I want? If I cast a spell that I want something specific, and after a few days it has not happened, do I need to cast again? Or will it happen when it is right? Assuming it isn't something that is long term or time consuming.
9. Is it possible to cast a spell in a short time? Like a few minutes? Or do I need to set aside real time? I have a hard time casting because I always feel that I need a good amount of time and I have 3 kids who rarely nap at the same time so it can be hard to find solid uninterrupted time.
10. Do I need to use things every time. Like crystals and candles and stuff? Or if I find a peaceful moment, can I use it to cast a spell on my own with no extra equipment?

Thank you again! Any answers are greatly appreciated!

Hi there. I'll take a swing at your Qs. Hope it helps.

1. Do the spells need to rhyme? No. Rhyme simply helps us remember so our wits don't scatter.

2. Do I need to use words? Words only focus our intention.
... can I do a drawing, painting, and just put my intentions into it? Yes, those are perfectly good methods.
... (even if it is not good?). Good is in the eye of the mind.
... If I set up candles and crystals and whatnot and just paint or draw? Many spells are done as art. Example: Tibetan Mandalas, Pennsylvania Dutch hex signs & Navaho sand paintings.
... does it have to be something see-able? Just as long as you know what it represents it's a Go.
... can I color random shapes colors and textures & set my intentions while I painted or drew? Yep, think of those geometric Mandalas & sand paintings again. Mandala kits are sold as toys.

3. If I am casting, and want words, can I also just write? Yes. Writing intent down is like writing it on the mind. Example: petitions.
... Do I need to say the words out loud? No, but under the breath seems to help. The voice is a physical manifestation of a thought, so speech acts-out physically manifesting the intent. Pennsylvania Dutch Pow-Wow "doctors" speak low so no one else can hear, the Devon & Welsh Cunning Folk also, from what I've read. Historically, going back to Sumerian times, words have power to en-act, and The Word is a cosmological action, but nobody has to overhear them but you & the Etherial realm.
... Can I also say it in my head? Yes, as long as you hear it in your mind.

4. I know certain materials like crystals can enhance certain intentions. I usually cannot decide which ones to use... Think in terms of using crystal energy as back-up support & associate a property with a goal. Be selective.
... Is it okay if I use all of my crystals? It's always Ok, but better to narrow the focus. A good way to use several at a time is in a power grid of concentric circles (woo-hoo, another mandala) radiating outward & not just in a random lump of confusion.
... Is it best to use the few that would really impact? Like is this a less-is-more thing, or a more-is-more thing? Crystals work differently with each of us so there's room to be flexible. In my own experience In magic, less is better because it focusses on one stone property i've associated with the goal. This avoids randomly scattering thought energy that only confuses the intention. So pickup the 1st one that volunteers & let it work for you. That's an intuitive approach when you don't know which stones have what properties.

5. Do I need to be specific? Yes, but keep it tied to the goal. If you want transportation then picture yourself driving the desired make & model auto or the universe might just send a bicycle, as author/HPS Phyllis Currott says.
... Like if I wanted to go out of town to see my family, would I just cast a spell about going to see my family and let my positivity flow, or ... (yadda-yadda. whoa! Stop.) Let's simplify. Just visualize being with family & feeling good about it & that eliminates that long stream of deplorable what-ifs. A general rule of thumb with magical intent is to visualize only the satisfying final outcome & verbally add on the caveat: for the good of all & harming none. Poof! All those dreads are dealt with. Trust the system to figure out the logistics.

6. Is focusing on the outcome enough? Focus and release.
... Like if I want something, there are a million ways it can happen (please, stop!)... And Magic will take the path of least resistance, so get out of it's way. When the brain just keeps running the hamster wheel around you can ground the energy every time it happens & get control. It's "simple" discipline ...like dieting when surrounded by cake .

7. Can I use physical objects to help as well? Like if I use a bracelet or hair tie or scarf along my spells, ... That's something better applied to glamour & self-confidence/motivation spells that require maintenance support.
... Or Something I will be wearing that day to 'enhance' and keep my spell with me? Usually you dont want to hang on to the spell's energy. You want to let it go & get the job done. So do it & forget it. Do not keep yo-yo-ing the power.
... And will this help at all? No, in fact it weakens the power by pulling it back & forth. Fire the danged arrow already! Release the arrow of intention to it's target. One shot.

8. How often do I need to revisit the spell ...? You don't. Once it's cast the spell is over.
... and after a few days if it has not happened, do I need to cast again? Many things we cannot see have to be aligned by the Universe so give It time to manifest. A month is not an unreasonable waiting period as it's one moon cycle. The planets move at a set pace but they do move reliably, i.e., Magic works with Nature & not against it.
... Or will it happen when it is right? Considering that magic takes the path of least resistance spells are best left to manifest when the time is right for all parties concerned. A spell is like planting a seed: if you keep uprooting it to see how it's getting along you will deform or kill it.

9. Is it possible to cast a spell in a short time? Life interrupts ... Good news, this takes 5-10 minutes start to finish, minmal effort & uses no ingredients; just raise & release focused energy. One method ive found useful is: Deep breathe, ground & center & raise up some energy by whatever is your usual way. Gently imagine the Circle as a mist rising from the Earth below your feet & spiraling around you. Think of your general intent & feed it into the spiraling mist, "i have what I need for x". Then fine-tune by feeling the satisfaction of actually having it. Just gently feel it in your gut & feed that satisfaction into the mist. Then really tie it together & softly speak your intent under your breath into the mist, phrased as a completed, present-tense event. Again use positive phrases like "i have x" whatever is short & accurate; (repeat 3 times or use a rhyme for kicks) and when you know it IS thus/so even for just an instant, give thanks & feed the mist. Finally, raise your arms & push the spiraling mist up-up-&-away with a huge exhalation of breath pushed from the gut. Push with every bit of your strength for just a second & add "for the good of all & harming none". Then relax. Catch your breath. Ground yourself to settle your wits. Forget about it. Go do something else around the house: sort laundry, shell peas, pull the toddler out of the trash can. Normal stuff. Focus on your activities & living your life.

10. Do I need to use things every time. Like crystals and candles and stuff? Or if I find a peaceful moment, can I use it to cast a spell on my own with no extra equipment? We dont need to use stuff at all. Stuff simply aids focus. We notice relationships that connect the dots in our thinking. Even the think it, feel it, say it, release it process given in #9 is just an aid. It's do-able in quiet solitude.
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That was all very helpful information and put a lot of my concerns at rest! I know I just really overthink things, like if I were to want someone out of my life, I would worry that it would happen by them dying, or getting arrested, or their life falling apart (I don't want anyone out of my life, just an example:)) So it is great knowing that if I focus on a happy outcome, then it is obvious it happened in a way that was acceptable to me.

And as far as the not carrying any item with me, I know you said no, and to release it. Do you mean metaphorically like with the mist you described? What if I used physical items like writing on paper, or painting or drawing. Do I not keep those around in my home? Do I destroy them? Put them in the trash, bury them?

And I think my other main problem is I do not like to do the same thing every time. One time I will be more than willing to sit down and focus for a good hour, use materials, get myself in a good head space, but then the next time im not feeling it. So its good to know I can paint, write, draw, and be creative instead of the same things over and over.

Number nine is amazing! Thank you so much for that! My mind strays a lot, and when I try to focus on what I want I end up worrying about what I will make for dinner. So I think having a visual of something will really help me to focus and feel like I am giving my thoughts to something, not just wandering in my head!

You have helped me a lot thank you very much again!

Re: And as far as the not carrying any item with me, I know you said no and to release it --- (please realize the earlier comments were in reference to the examples you'd asked about) --- Do you mean metaphorically like with the mist you described? --- the think-feel-say-release was one example of a complete no-frills spell. ... But I think I want to say "yes" like metaphorically.

Oops, my bad. I think I see where I'm creating confusion: charms! Charmed talismans & amulets are intended to be carried or worn after the spell has been completed. When we set an intent into a charm we have given our energy to it & instructed the spell; our involvement with the spell is ended at the point it's released into the ethereal realm. We aren't retaining, holding-on to or retracting the energy (which retards a spell). It's finished. The charm can then be carried by anyone to continually generate the protection or good luck we'd already set & activated. It just does the job we told it to do. We can set intent into jewelry & once charged the spell is done. Not all spells are charms that are intended to be carried. Once we set intent in a spell we have released our energy & the spell instructions are done. We've put energy into it. We complete the spell on the ethereal plane by Knowing the thing is already accomplished. Knowing is one of the 4 witch-powers: to know, to will, to dare, to be silent.

Just to clarify - you'd earlier referred to "keeping your spell with you" and "revisiting the spell" and I see now that you might have been talking about doing a charmed talisman so, when I said not to hang on to the spell I was originally reading your words as meaning holding back the energy; and that's not productive.

What if I used physical items like writing on paper, or painting or drawing. Do I not keep those around in my home? --- it depends on the form of spell you use & the intent.

Prosperity & protection are nice to have on-tap, continually generating force as a hex sign painted on barns would do & so would not be destroyed. Their concentric circle design continually radiates the intention that was set into them. It's like the Flower of Life design that renews & never stops generating once activated. The book the Portrait of Dorian Gray could be a fictional example.

Mandalas & hex signs are usually displayed as a means to radiate a continual force, or can be meditated on for added personal benefits, but like the sand paintings they can be intended to be destroyed (read as transformed) to release their power once, for one spell, period.

A witch's ladder knot charm is meant to disintegrate in the weather to release it's power slowly as the knots rot, the theory being that Tying a knot binds the energy & un-doing the knot releases that stored energy.

Sigils (not bind runes) as example, are written word-glyphs usually on paper and words must be transformed to "activate" & materialize. The element of fire transforms, changing a thing from one form to another & it still exists as ash. Fire is an "active" polarity element. Shredding the paper does the same thing, as Air is also an "active" polarity element. So the function of transformation activates the spell to do it's one job, one time in this sigil example.

Do I destroy them? Put them in the trash, bury them? --- Again it depends on the form of spell used & exactly what these actions signify to you magically. You can decommission a spell, cleanse & re-purpose the components. So if your painting was the best doggone thing you've ever done & you want to keep it then, after the spell has materialized you can decommission it & can keep it; but usually paper spells are transformed to activate.

Ex. A written, paper petition used with a candle is kept until the candle burns down & then the paper is burned & ash dispersed. Whereas a paper-in-your shoe petition is a charm & "worn" discreetly until the spell manifests, then shredded or burned & remains dispersed. Sometimes a written petition is included in a jar spell or in a charm bag. Sooner or later the debris has to be dealt with &' either decommissioned & disposed of or the talisman is re-upped & renewed. Many charms &'talismans are renewed annually.

Decommissioning an intention is like reprogramming the intent: state the task is done & the spell is ended. Deliberately cleanse with intent to neutralize the former energy you'd loaded into the item just like you'd cleanse & neutralize cooties from public handling of a recycled thrift shop purchase before using it for magic.

Re: to destroy - You know Einstein's saying that "energy cannot be created or destroyed, it only changes form"? Once an intent is set, once energy is in motion, it can't be made to cease existence. That's physics . So what do you do with it? What function do you want that energy to serve once it's done its job & you're done with it? Mostly we just want to shut off the current. When a spell is done we should decommission the components, state the intent has been concluded, cleanse & repurpose or recycle reusable portions, compost, etc.

Re: burying - one thing we can do with the energy is neutralize it, turn off the power. The passive polarity elements of Earth & Water pacify. Grounding an electrical current neutralizes it. Water discharges the zap & neutralizes it. Burying a spell has various meanings. As far as we're concerned the buried object seems null & void. The energy has been neutralized.

Mother Nature in Her wisdom takes that nullified energy and decomposes the item, breaking it down into nutrients that feed microbes, makes worms giddy & nurtures plant's. So, sometimes in magical use, burial isn't synonymous with cease-to-exist, but instead means cleanse, replenish & be reborn.

Re: put in trash - decommission 1st and dispose of all spell debris responsibly.

Re: meditation - Hey I know what you mean about the mind wandering during meditations. Mine usually go something like: breathe. Ground..."am I grounded? Yeh, think so." Breathe. Center - ditto. Breathe. OK, Here we go ... (pose a question) ... Breathe. Wait. "crap, I forgot to defrost the chicken..." Breathe. Wait. (repeat question with slightly more direct intention). Oof! "hello kitty." Breath. Re-claim center after cat lands on stomach. Breathe & repeat as needed. Status inquiry. "Oh-good. I'm connected." Hold position, maintain radio silence. Accept short data stream. Breathe. "i will remember & evaluate later." Breathe. "Do I want green beans or peas with that chicken later?" Breathe. Return to center. Breathe normally & scratch. Pet cat ... "Well, where'd you come from?" Focus on my feet to ground until head clears. Go to kitchen & wonder what I went in there for?! Defrost some hamburger. Two hours later I remember the chicken is still in the freezer where it can stay until Hades sees sunlight. Make notes of recalled data stream.

Thank you again for all of your help it was all very useful and helpful! I spend so much time over analyzing and worrying about doing something wrong that I know my intentions are probably full of negative energy. And it's great to know that being distracted is not enough to fully distract you and cause you to give up, I always feel that if i am being easily distracted then I should just try later, but great to know I should just push past them and refocus!

Thank you again very much!