So What Kind of Spell Do You Need?

Putting a spell together takes some thought, some research, some planning, and some foot-work (particularly if you don’t have necessary items on hand and have to purchase them, or cultivate them from nature).  So start with a question:  What kind of spell do you need?

Okay, I have a volunteer– “Stacy”.  She has asked me to put a spell together for her to help her with issues of fertility;  and she has kindly agreed to allow the making of this spell to be posted publicly, though her identity will be kept secret.  (Thank you, Stacy!)

First, what does this issue involve deity-wise; what planetary and elemental connections are we talking about here; what sort of herbs would add the energy needed; candle color; timing; what sort of ritual to set this magic off– informal, most likely for a solitary practitioner who practices quietly; what other objects or ‘personal items’ would we need to collect; how would we finish this spell up– release the energy– dispose of the remnants (Or would we dispose of the remnants?).  Can you see all the questions involved in constructing a spell?  Can you see why the practice of witchcraft can be a lot of work?  It requires a vesting of our energy, our mental thought and attention; it can be time consuming, and it must be carried off to work in the first place– which means making the time to actually cast the spell.

It isn’t easy being a witch.  It’s not like the movies at all.  There’s no big ole’ magick wand that we can wave with a special word or two spoken and ‘voila, the spell is cast and magick happens immediately.  Get “real”, sez I.  Here’s how real magick works, get ready to roll up your sleeves and put your energy into it…

First, the Deity:  It might surprise you that I’m not going to choose one of the many goddesses who are connected to physical fertility; instead, I’m going to invoke the energy and spirit of “Papa Legba”.  This entity was greatly maligned recently on a popular television program, depicted as a cocaine snorting devil with an unquenchable thirst for pure human souls (babies).  It’s wise to remember that a lot of what you watch on tv is Fiction, and that creating a riveting story is part of the screen writer’s job.  The ultimate irony in this is that Papa Legba is noted, invoked, and drawn upon by women with fertility issues, he is actually the anti-thesis of his television portrayal:

Papa Legba is the famous, and infamous, spirit of the crossroads, often appearing as an old black man.  He’s a spirit from the West African Voodoo tradition, and you will find him under the guise of many other names, including:  Elegba, Exu, and Papa La Bas– his New Orleans incarnation.

 Papa Legba is a trickster who delights in practical jokes and word games, but he is also a spirit of amazing generosity and protective care.  He protects infertile women, removing obstacles to motherhood; and he assists the poor, often opening up paths and removing obstacles that hinder their growth towards prosperity.  It is said that Papa Legba stands at the crossroads with his shepherd’s crook, where he opens and closes access to life’s path.

Now that we’ve chosen the deity to invoke for the energy we need, what’s going to go along with him???

Ideally I would prefer to work with the energy of a full moon, or at least a waxing moon.  Papa Legba’s ideal days are Mondays and the third day of every month.  Mondays– perfect!– connected to the Goddess, women’s mysteries, the Moon, the element of Water, fertility, women’s physical and mental health.

Candle colors and altar colors would be red, black, and white (Also, ironically, these colors are connected with the three faces of the goddess: red, the mother; black, the crone; and white, the maiden.)  The unique thing about being notoriously eclectic is that it broadens my spiritual path, allowing me to make connections and magickal links to topics, energies, and entities that those aligned with only one tradition or magickal practice might not think about.

The main herb I want to use with this spell is the strawberry…but you can also incorporate other herbs in this spell, and I would suggest herbs and flowers that produce through abundant seeds, such as dill, dandelion, goober daisies, cherry tomatoes, etc.

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Okay, we have our deity, the timing, the colors, the herbs, now you have to decide what kind of magick you’re going to use, how are you going to process this spell and cast it.  I’m going to suggest a combination of candle magick with a mojo bag, using the remnants left over to create the mojo bag that will be kept in a safe and sacred spot…and we can even do something especially significant here.  Stacy, I’m going to speak directly to you now– go to one of those hobby shops (like Hobby Lobby or Michael’s), buy a small wooden box that you will paint and decorate yourself in a way that resonates with you and your idea of a baby; decorate this box in ways that connect with your deep desire.  To this box you can add baby booties, a bottle of baby lotion, a pacifier, a letter to this baby, and whatever else you have room for that will bring this child to life in your mind, that will make its existence real and solid, so that you can almost bury your face in his fuzzy fine hair and smell the scent– most importantly, you will add to this box the mojo bag full of spell remnants– the candle wax and ashes (if you burned any type of spell paper with it).  You could also add to the box small bags of the magickal herbs listed above.

Put this box in a very special and safe place, and have patience dear Lady, nature will work it’s own brand of magick at the perfect moment.

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*Note: the photos are courtesy of Pinterest