‘Magic’, in its simplest form, has been used by ancient cultures to control the elements and bend the forces of nature to the will of the user. Prehistoric man was very in tune with how they were placed in nature and often felt that he should forego sacrifices and offerings to his gods to keep them happy. These rituals are the oldest forms of spell casting, since their power to give thanks helped them in their cultivation or food gathering tasks.
African and Native American cultures had their wise men and women cast their spells for similar reasons. They used wands and crystals to help them cast spells and offered thank you gifts for spiritual powers. They focused more on charms and trinkets, or dolls to wear, and could cast spells where needed. Those who performed the spells were highly revered in their society, having proven strong enough to wield the power of the spirits.
The Egyptians and Greeks were more direct in their spellcasting, with their magic being used to control the will of others, or giving healing spells directly to an individual through their sleep. The performance of the rituals had little change from earlier times, as they still believed that their Gods and Goddesses wanted cleansing from the user and offerings or gifts to thank for the use of their powers.
However, the rise of Christianity during Roman times paved the way for other forms of spell casting, returning to prayers to God or the use of rosaries and the cross. Although the use of magic began to be prohibited due to its pagan roots, the simple spells given by the Romans gave them the peace to actively coexist with other sorcerers from other cultures for a certain time. If the prayers worked then they would be given permission to enter their version of the afterlife and their form of spells would work for them.
During the Middle Ages, the practice of witchcraft was illegal and many people fell under government bodies for the accusation of casting spells on others. Stories surrounding these times often tell of spells that caused devilish images to appear in the victim’s dreams, or spells that could alter a person’s temperature, or evil sorcery that caused the death of another. Although it was a crime to use witchcraft, those who followed the old path were forced underground and the practice of spells continued. The nature of these spells was the same as that of their ancestors. Small rituals to give thanks for their goods, prayers to their ancestors, and also the use of herbs to cure diseases were used in their daily lives until the revival of pagan religion.
There are many different ways to cast spells. Each depends on the cultural background of the person requesting assistance. Although the love spell is the most common, the use of spells is extremely useful in providing the guidance we need in our daily lives.
A prayer, offered to the spirits or to the Gods or Goddesses of your religion is the simplest form of a spell. By asking for help and guidance from those of a higher power, the follower is using the magical energies of the gods to benefit their lives. However, due to its strict religious connotations, it is rarely classified as a spell, but rather a way of giving thanks to the chosen deity.
The art of writing words is a relatively new phenomenon, so written spells were often considered more powerful than a spoken one. Words written on different objects were kept as charms and trinkets around the person to ensure the spell continued or to make sure nothing happened to stop the magic. The amulets and trinkets worn can also be wounded by spoken words or imbued with the magical power of the elements around it. Additionally, rituals can be performed to strengthen these powers and make the amulets potent for the wearer.
Casting spells can be easy, but others require the use of instruments and divination tools that allow for the connection between the natural world and the spirit realm. The wand is most often associated with witchcraft, especially if it is carved from natural wood with an offering of thanks for the use of the tree. The wand acts as a buffer against magical power and aids spells by directing power in concentrated doses. A ceremonial knife, or athame, may also be used for these purposes. The wand connects the user to the spirit realm and ensures that thanks are given for their help.
Other items that can be used to create a spell include ribbons for wrapping packages or bags, much like those that have been passed down through the centuries. Wrapping spells allows the power to be held firmly within until enough time has passed for it to return to the natural state from which it came.
A small broom, often made from small twigs tied together, may be used before a ritual to cleanse the space to be used. Ridding the area of all unnecessary energy has been shown to increase the effectiveness of the spell. Throughout history, there have been many rituals associated with the use of a broom, most notably the notion of spring cleaning, which is used to bring good luck for the upcoming season.
In addition to these, candles, feathers, clay, oils, incense, water, and crystals are used. They help the spell because they represent the elements that are used; the candle for the fire, the feathers for the air, the clay or earth for the earth and the crystals to sustain the spirit. All of these elements are natural substances and have been used for many years in all cultures to aid in the creation of spells. All of the tools used in the divination process, including the use of tarot cards, crystal balls, dream catchers, and herbal bags, are designed to convey elemental powers and spiritual messages from the user to the gods or intended recipient. of the spell
Love: The most powerful emotion that a person can feel; the emotion that penetrates deep into the heart of the soul and causes that person to behave differently from his norm. In all cultures, there has always been talk of ways to attract love into your life, or to keep a lover, or to enhance the love that is shared, or even to end a relationship. One way to do this is by using a spell.
Prehistoric or ancient cultures used their shamans to find ways to alter the course of nature, asking spirits to bless marriages or bring love into their lives. Popular cultures have dramatized the rituals of their time regarding the relationships they have, with the use of omens before marriage; for example, the weather must be controlled and prayers must be offered to the ancestors to bless the unions. These spells were considered important to the custom of the time. If something bad happened, then the spells were considered not strong enough, and the gods were simply not pleased with the unions. Since then, these people have often asked to bring the right love into their life in order to please the spirits.
Other cultures have their own forms of love spells. Binding spells are most common in occult circles, where the spell item is bound to the user by altering her emotions to believe that he has affection for the spell caster. Casting this spell could have been primarily part of a violent nature towards the user, a latent desire to control the victim. The ancient Greeks and Egyptians often used these curses to provide physical pleasure and alleviate the suffering of the user by inflicting the same on the victim. These forms of spells are dangerous, as many times the harmful nature of the spell comes back to haunt the user. However, there is still a lot of evidence to suggest that this magic continues.
Throughout the centuries, although the use of spells and magic had to be hidden, the love spell continued. Many forms of the love spell can be found; prayers were offered to the spirits, the user could use herbal sachets, potions could be placed on the user’s pillows to dream of their loved one, and effigies of the desired one could also be brought to bring their wish to them. Although this is not so pointed out, the wearing of trinkets or the addition of perfumes that are worn today to feel attractive and attract others are all connected to the charms and spells used by witches of earlier times.
After the latter parts of the 19th century and the revival of many pagan religions that were forced into hiding, many more people turned to the art of spell casting to help them in their daily lives.
Freemasonry played an important role in the use of spells as a natural occurrence. They believed that it was possible to shape their own destiny and control the forces of nature by living as equals under the stars. Although their spellcraft was limited, they often carried with them a pentagram with a human body in the center, to represent how deeply rooted they were in their convictions.
Africans and Native Americans continued their own voodoo practices and their lives, while happily coexisting with Christian practices, remained largely unchanged. They used their spells to heal the sick and to offer prayers of thanks to their ancestors or spirits. They used their dolls and other amulets to protect themselves, and completed the cycle of life with other spells and rituals to aid both birth and death.
Since the 1900s the practice of the art of spells has taken more natural forms, and there has been a clear shift of many spells being used for harm, and more for healing powers, and to draw in natural energies to change the self. Although wizardry in general remained unchanged, with similar rituals being carried out and the tools remaining the same, it was clear that the popularity of the witch and the practice of wizardry meant that more people joined. Covens appeared and spells began to grow that included a greater number of people participating. These spells could be more powerful, though the elements of earth, air, water, fire, and spirit were still the only energies that were channeled. Charms and trinkets are still used, and perfumes are still used to attract others and create a positive effect, and more herbs are used in natural remedies as spells to help the sick.
After 1900, with the rise of popular media, we began to see positive images of the witch. Spell books were increasing in volume and more information was passed on to others to help them with their own spells. Works of fiction viewed witches as heroines, or as people who used their spells to help the hero along his journey, both of which were invaluable to the stories. Television made a huge leap into the realm of wizardry, and magic was seen to be a powerful use of nature, and spell-making intrigued many people.
The use of spells today has not changed in using the items to alter one’s life for the better, nor has it moved from the original state of using it to help others. However, spell-crafting is now recognized as a way of knowing that the user is one with the world and the natural cycles contained within it.
