"So What's the Next Step?"

WHAT SYMBOLS TO USE

The next step in spell-casting is deciding what symbols and materials you will use to represent your desires and goals.

The key here is that whatever you choose must have meaning to you. Regardless of what all the books and magick experts say, if the symbolism doesn't hold any meaning for you, the spell won't work. Any symbols and representations you choose are simply a means to focus your thoughts and energy. Just writing down your goal on a piece of paper can sometimes be enough of a focal point to which you can send out your concentrated energy.

The representation of your desire can literally be anything -- a photograph, a piece of wood or jewelry, a stone, a candle, a song -- whatever helps you to visualize your goal. Witches have found, however, that certain things have inherant properties that can enhance your spell.

Moon Phases

The time of the lunar month can help increase the potency of your spell.

Full Moon -- The full moon is a particularly powerful time to cast a spell as the full moon is the Mother Goddess, the Creatress. Full moons are typically a time to create positive changes. (The thirteen full moons each year are called Esbats and are Holy Days to the Witch.)

Waxing Moon -- The waxing moon, like the full moon, is the time to create positive change. As the moon ripens, so does the power of your creative energy. The full moon is simply the apex of the energy associated with the waxing moon.

New Moon -- The new moon is the crone or Dark Goddess and as such, enhances the energies of banishing spells. Use the new moon energy to get rid of those things in your life which you no longer want.

Waning Moon -- The waning moon may also be used to enhance banishing spells, its energy peaking at the new moon.

Colors

Colors can be incorporated into your spell in any number of ways -- candles, ribbons, clothing, painting -- however you feel best. Be creative. That's what magick's about, after all.

Red -- Passion, vigor, sexual love

Orange -- Courage, protection

Yellow -- Joy, divination

Green -- Finance, fertility, growth

Blue -- Healing, tranquility

Purple -- Spirituality, power

White -- Purification, truth

Black -- Mystery, origins, wholeness

Herbs and Other Plants

Plants also have inherent qualities which can be tapped for spell-working. You can use the plants as incense, sachets, powder, wraps, teas, or leave whole. (Make sure you always know about a plant's properties before ingesting anything!)

If you would like an in-depth discussion of the magickal properties of herbs, try the following link:

Whispered Prayers - Book of Shadows Herb Page

Stones

Like plants, stones also have inherant magickal properties that can be used in spell-casting. Check out these links for more detailed information on stones:

Triplemoon Witchware - Magickal Musings - Stones Page

Whispered Prayers -Book of Shadows Gemstones Page

Runes

Inscribing symbols onto an object can enhance your spell's power. Rather than using our everyday alphabet (whatever language we may speak), Witches often choose to use runes instead. You can write words using your regular alphabet without even thinking, but when you use runes or other symbols, you must concentrate more fully on what you're doing and therefore imbue more energy into your spell.

For some wonderful information on runes and their meanings, try this link:

The Runic Journey

To discover what symbols are best for your purpose, first visualize what will happen and how you will feel after the spell is successful, then do some research and trust your own intuitions to find the appropriate correlations. And remember, if someone says that a plant or stone or color means one thing, but you find a meaning entirely differently, go with your instincts. The symbols and representations are tools for you upon which to focus your energy and you must believe in what you're doing for your spell to be successful.