Recording Spells and Rituals

If you'd like to share a spell or ritual or start your own online Book of Shadows, feel free to do so here.
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Echo_of_shadows
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Recording Spells and Rituals

Post by Echo_of_shadows »

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:
A mock record. Looks better if you click on it.
A mock record. Looks better if you click on it.
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Kassandra
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Re: Recording Spells and Rituals

Post by Kassandra »

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"Find a Hottie" lol!

No, but the spreadsheet is a great idea for record keeping. Thanks for sharing this very practical idea.



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Re: Recording Spells and Rituals

Post by Firebird »

Important stuff Echo, thanks for sharing, I can't tell you how many time I have, not taken good notes,, what great mysteries and recipes were lost. :?
Think you will remember? Unless you have a photogenic memory ...it is iffy, for things gleaned between the worlds tend to want to stay there, unless you work on bringing it to life. This is another Good reason to have a scribe in circle, especially if someone is reading oracle. Then when everyone is back in their body you have some reference to what happened.
Bb, Firebird
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Re: Recording Spells and Rituals

Post by Kassandra »

firebirdflys wrote:This is another Good reason to have a scribe in circle, especially if someone is reading oracle. Then when everyone is back in their body you have some reference to what happened.
Yes, that's one of the banes of working solo. When in that raised energy "state" wherein magic happens, it's hard to remain detached enough to remember what happened and why in order to write it out for future reference once one is not in that state anymore (if that makes any sense). A scribe would be nice sometimes.


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Re: Recording Spells and Rituals

Post by random417 »

For anyone not opposed to tech in the circle, I record everything when I work solo. All I get is audio, but I can document after that way.
So with thy all; thou hast no right but to do thy will.
Do that, and no other shall say nay.
For pure will, unassuaged of purpose, delivered from the lust of result, is every way perfect.
~AL 1:42-44
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Re: Recording Spells and Rituals

Post by Kassandra »

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Yeah, I was thinking about doing that as I was writing the post above, making an audio recording of my work and later transcribing the useful information for my records (or as some call it, "Book of Shadows"). But, I was wondering if recording myself would make me feel "on the spot" and self-conscious as I work, and therefore distract me, and worst of all make the work not as effective.

I even get distracted using the recording feature on my phone, for when I want to jot down a quick note for a mundane project, a note I'll transcribe later. I find myself all, "Uuuhh,....uuumm," and so forth. lol That is why I haven't done this during workings in the past.

Your thoughts. :wink:



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Re: Recording Spells and Rituals

Post by random417 »

It does take some getting used to, I was a bit self-conscious myself at first. I started with my daily rituals, and for a while didn't do any of the holy days or more focused stuff. What helps is to make sure to remember that it's only you that will hear it anyway. It's not for everyone, but it's been a great tool for me. I catch things on the recording I didn't catch at the time.

Having the record helps me, as I do lots of deeper trance work, where I don't remember details well.
So with thy all; thou hast no right but to do thy will.
Do that, and no other shall say nay.
For pure will, unassuaged of purpose, delivered from the lust of result, is every way perfect.
~AL 1:42-44
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Kassandra
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Re: Recording Spells and Rituals

Post by Kassandra »

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Thanks for sharing that. Perhaps when I'm in a trance state I won't be so self-conscious. I'll give it a try for a while, see how it goes. Thanks again.



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Re: Recording Spells and Rituals

Post by Firebird »

Yeah, hadn't thought of an electronically operated device, because electronics are generally banned in circle, so for the solitary that could be a great alternative.
Kass,
Not only being on the spot, but do you think the emt's may interfere?
I like the idea though, random.
Bb, ff
“There are things known and things unknown and in between are the Doors.”
― Jim Morrison
“All I have seen teaches me to trust the Creator for all I have not seen.”
― RWEmerson
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Re: Recording Spells and Rituals

Post by Kassandra »

firebirdflys wrote:Kass, Not only being on the spot, but do you think the emt's may interfere?
Well, my first instinct is that we are so bathed in EMFs most of the time our DNA has probably acclimatized to it all by now, I would think. Maybe it's not much of an issue in this context at least. But maybe it does pose a problem, I don't know. I guess that's why your coven forbids them from the circle.

Good point, though, FF. It does give one food for thought.



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