How Do Spells Work? Peek Behind the Veil for the Truth about Magic

Magic spells and witches’ brews have been part of humanity since the dawn of time. 

You’d think with modern science, magic would fall to the wayside, but the opposite seems true. Witchcraft is growing!

There’s a reason women continue to cast spells, brew potions, and practice their craft even in the face of horrendous persecution: it works.

How Do Spells Work?

Don’t roll your eyes just yet. Today, we’re uncovering the truth about how spells work with a pinch of science and a leap of faith. 

Keep in mind that real witchcraft is far different than the spell work you see in fantasy novels and television shows. Nobody is making fireballs with their hands, or hexing people so slugs come out of their mouths. 

Real spells do work, but not in the way pop culture promotes. 

The Science Behind Magic Spells

There is real science behind how spells work. 

Don’t scoff, it’s true. 

The science may not be modern, but it often originated with the best understanding nomadic people had of how the world worked, along with tried and true remedies ancient witches passed down through the generations. 

So, although the word “science” may be generous with a modern lens, many spells work through knowledge of the natural world.

Potions and Brews

The most glaring example of magic spells that work through natural science is brews and potions. Throughout history, healers developed concoctions using natural herbs and ingredients to cure ailments and help the sick. In the Middle Ages, these healing women were often persecuted as witches.

Perhaps they were, in our modern view of the craft. Today’s witches embrace natural healing, using herbs and home remedies as a first resort to cure headaches, coughs, and even chronic illnesses. They concoct healing potions, calming teas, and soothing ointments. 

In the medieval era, witches were persecuted for doing the same thing. They weren’t evil sorceresses sacrificing children to demons. They were ordinary women using the power of nature to help those around them. 

Potions and brews provide the best examples of how spells work. Though incantations and secret ingredients may be components, most potions work through their natural ingredients. 

Ginger really does soothe a sore throat. Turmeric can help with inflammation. 

And we often forget how the work of early witches led to the development of modern medicine. 

It’s not witchcraft; it’s science. 

Incantation

Many spells feature a verse, saying, or repeated words. In the witch’s realm, these words are called “incantation.”

Does that remind you of anything in modern religions? How many people use prayer or chanting to express their faith or plead with their God for help? 

People use it because it works, but not in the way we think. Prayer works because we believe it will work. When we speak to a deity, we believe they are listening and will guide us toward the answer we seek. 

We have faith that those watching over us will help us in our time of need.

Incantation is similar, but rather than focusing on a deity to guide us, it focuses on the power inherent within ourselves. When witches cast magic spells using an incantation, they channel the energy of their minds to focus on their goals.

Words Have Power

Witches understand the power of words. Affirmations and intentions are common with new-age witches because they know how powerful the human brain is and how susceptible it is to suggestion.

Telling yourself you have worth can help you build confidence. The opposite is also true. If you constantly tell yourself you can’t do something, you’re likely to fail. Words have the power to inspire, motivate, and support, but also to tear down, destroy, and suck someone into a cycle of despair.

The power of words is why it’s critical to surround yourself with supportive people. A friend group that supports and encourages you will help you succeed, whereas a toxic group will tear you down and prevent you from accomplishing your dreams.

Witches embrace chanting to focus their words into a powerful message, helping them achieve the outcome of the spell they are casting.

The Law of Attraction

Incantation also works through the Law of Attraction, a natural law often associated with new-age magic and witchcraft. Though there are seven parts, the basic idea is that if you ask the universe for something, you will get it.

It’s not quite as easy as that – no one gets everything they want simply by asking for it. The law stresses that you need to want this thing deep in your soul and that everything you do in life must align with getting the object of your desire. 

The law of attraction works because it focuses our minds on obtaining that one goal. We ask the universe for it, but at the same time, we put all our thoughts and energy into it. Asking puts our goals into words, but we must take action to achieve them.

Incantation is related to the Law of Attraction. When witches recite their verses, they put their goals into the universe. At the same time, they are focusing their minds on accomplishing the task at hand.

Does Science Say Prayer and Incantation Really Work?

Whether spells and prayer actually work is up for debate in the scientific realm. Dr. Ketan Parmar, MD, psychiatrist and mental health expert at ClinicSpots, explains that there is no clear scientific consensus on the effectiveness of spells or prayer, but offers intriguing theories suggesting they may work.

Dr. Parmer says that some scientists believe spells could work by changing our brain function and improving our focus. Other researchers believe that confirmation bias plays a role in how we perceive the results of spells and prayer.

The scientific community needs to perform more research to determine whether spells can genuinely influence our lives, but Dr. Palmer believes there is no harm in trying these things if they make a difference for you.  

Sprinkle in a Little Faith

Witches have faith that the higher powers watching over us know best. If a spell fails, they consider it a sign from above that it wasn’t meant to be.

Witches also know that successful spells may not always turn out as intended. A witch may see evidence of successful magic in the beauty of a sunrise, the fresh growth of a flower, or a coincidental encounter.

This faith highlights the truth about witchcraft: it’s not a science but a spiritual practice similar to other religious practices. Some witches consider themselves Wiccan, a federally recognized religion, while others embrace spirituality outside the confines of organized religion. 

However, when they practice their craft, all witches understand that there’s an element of faith behind every magic spell they cast.

Magic Spells in Pop Culture

Pop culture abounds with ridiculous portrayals of magic spells and witchcraft. The familiar trope of the obsessive, nerdy teenager casting a love spell on a popular target with ensuing chaos is as entertaining as it is ridiculous.

The other trope featuring a small coven seeking revenge against their bullies by cursing them with ever-escalating horrors culminating in an epic battle between the “good” witch and the “evil” one makes for riveting television, but it is far from the realities of modern witchcraft.

Witches in Science Fiction and Fantasy

Mythical mages, wizards, and spell casters abound in fantasy games, literature, and movies. The earliest fictional witches, found in poetry and plays from Ancient Greece, tend to revolve around evil sorceresses using their enchanting wiles to lead men to their doom.

Although many of the witches in stories surviving from the Middle Ages follow the same pattern, such as the witches in Shakespeare’s Macbeth, some Medieval legends included wizards as powerful allies. For example, Merlin helped King Arthur defeat his foes and ascend to his throne. 

Modern science fiction and fantasy portrayals of witches include both good and evil. Witches can be formidable adversaries controlling the elements, or mighty allies striking back against hordes of evil. 

The dichotomy produces masterful battle scenes and heart-pounding action perfect for the big screen, but they don’t reflect any reality about spell work or witchcraft. 

Magic Spells in Real Life

In real life, spells don’t work the way they do in pop culture. No witches concoct love spells to secretly poison their unrequited love, and learn valuable lessons about consent. Witches can’t control lightning, throw fire, or hex unsuspecting men.

Most real witches don’t seek to harm with their magic but to heal, help, and support.

Dark Magic vs. White Magic

Although most witches aren’t practitioners, dark magic does exist. It’s possible to create a harmful potion or set your mind on harming someone. Any actions to intentionally cause harm are considered dark magic, and most witches avoid them. 

A common rule in witchcraft, the rule of three, states that whatever energies a person puts out into the world will be returned to them threefold. Witches know that if they attempt to hex, the negative energy surrounding those hexes will return to them three times over.

Dark magic is never worth the cost.

Witches typically use white magic, which invokes positive energies, thoughts, and feelings.

How To Cast a Spell

The best way to discover how spells work is to cast a spell for yourself. However, if you don’t believe in magic spells or witchcraft, your spell will be doomed to fail from the start. 

Believing in the power of your actions and words is a crucial ingredient in spell casting.

If you are ready to try and have faith in magic, here’s what you need to cast your first spell:

• Space
• Tools
• Ingredients
• Incantation

Space

It’s essential to designate a specific space for your practice. Many witches create a ritual circle, a sacred space within their homes used to create spells. Creating and using this sacred space will help you get into the correct mindset for casting your spell.

Tools

Different witches use a variety of tools to craft spells. Some may use candles, crystals, amulets, herbs, stones, bones, a ceremonial dagger, or other natural materials. 

These items are typically placed upon an altar and used to channel energies for the magic. The altar can be either in the center of your ritual space or at the edge, allowing you to take the center space. 

The most important tool every witch needs is their book of shadows. A book of shadows is a spell book that includes ingredients, incantations, and notes for properly casting each spell. 

Although you can start with charms created by other witches, the best and most powerful spells are the ones you make yourself.

Ingredients

Each spell has a specific set of ingredients, which will differ widely depending on the type of magic you are practicing and the spell’s intent. Candle magic requires specific types and colored candles, while potions focus more on herbs.

Spell ingredients are specific to your stated desire. For example, if you’re casting a prosperity spell, you will use elements related to wealth, riches, and prosperity. Every ingredient used should relate to prosperity in one way or another. 

Your candles and threads should be green, the color of money. Choose crystals long considered to have wealth-obtaining attributes, like pyrite or jade. Job’s tears and four-leaf clovers have been associated with wealth and luck for ages.

When starting, you may not know which herbs, stones, or oils you need. A store dedicated to the craft, like the fantastic Eye of the Cat in Long Beach, CA, can help beginners get just the right ingredients. They also offer spell kits for those who aren’t sure how to put their own spell together. 

The store is rebuilding after a devastating fire a few years ago, reduced traffic due to COVID, and is trying to stay afloat during these tough financial times. 

If you don’t wish to make a purchase, consider donating to help them continue to serve the community:

 

Incantation

The final requirement for casting a spell is your incantation. An incantation is a verse you recite related to your desired outcome. In your money spell above, your incantation may include words about prosperity, abundance, wealth, or riches.

It’s vital that you truly believe the words as you recite them. Play with them on your tongue, feel them in your soul, and offer them to the universe as a valid declaration of what you deserve.

You may want to borrow a chant from a spell kit or another witch’s book of shadows for your first few spells, but as you learn the craft, you should change the words around and create your own to make the magic work for you.  

Add the new spell to your own grimoire!

Casting Your Spell

The final step is casting your spell. Follow the steps in your book of shadows for lighting the candle and putting the ingredients together. 

Breathe deeply and focus on your results. 

Recite the incantation and blow out the candle to complete the spell. 

Expert Tips for Making Spells Work

Michele Lefler, Shamanic Energy Alchemist at Living Moon Meditation, offers advice on the steps she takes to cast a spell. Lefler believes magic comes from herself, and every step she takes in crafting a spell revolves around this belief.

Here are Lefler’s five easy steps to casting a spell:

1. Get Specific

Understand exactly what you want to do or create with your spell. While attuning to your goal, exploring what your subconscious truly desires is essential. Your conscious and subconscious must be completely aligned to achieve your desired outcome.

2. Mindset

You must be in the proper mindset for performing a spell. Ingrained ideas and negativity may cause unintended effects. You must banish these old energies and patterns from your life for a spell to work successfully.

3. Spiritual Assistance

Call in help from your guiding deities. Many witches use ancestral magic or spiritual guides to assist them with rituals. Now is the time to call on them. 

New witches may be unsure of their guiding entities, but you can find traces and signs of them both in dreams and in waking life.

4. Understanding

To understand how spells work, you need to understand the true nature of magic. Study the craft. Learn how the phases of the moon and other outside energies may affect your casting. 

Use this information to plan your spell.

5. Casting

Cast with love and grace. Forgive yourself for imagined shortcomings, forgive others in your life, and forgive the universe for spells that may not have worked as intended. 

Send love, empathy, and acceptance to yourself and the universe. 

Did the Spell Work?

The outcome of a magic spell is never immediate, and it might not be exactly what you expect. Perhaps your prosperity spell led to a raise at work, a winning lottery ticket, or a surprise bonus. Those outcomes would be significant proof that your craft worked as intended.

However, spells are tricky things. 

They may take months to come to fruition or create unexpected results. You may lose a job but find a new opportunity that better fits your mental health. You may discover a new hobby that brings you far more joy and satisfaction than any job. 

The inner workings of magic spells are never black and white, so consider how your magic might guide you toward what you’re meant for, whether you know it or not.

Learning How Spells Work Helps Us Uncover the Magic All Around Us

Spells don’t have to be scary, malevolent curses regaled to the shadows. Mystical energies and magic surround us. Spells work by helping us unlock those energies and use them to benefit ourselves and those around us.

Allow yourself to explore the metaphysical and learn how spells work. You may discover that the magic was inside you all along.