‘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 attuned to how they were placed in nature and often felt that they had to give up sacrifices and offerings to their gods to keep them happy. These rituals are the first forms of spell casting, as their power to give thanks aided them in their cultivation or food gathering tasks.
African and Native American cultures had their sages and women to perform their spells for similar reasons. They used wands and crystals to aid them in casting spells and offered gifts of thanks for the spiritual powers. They focused more on amulets and trinkets, or dolls to carry, and could perform spells where necessary. Those who performed the spells were highly revered in their society, as they had proven themselves strong enough to wield the power of spirits.
The Egyptians and Greeks were more direct in their spell casting, and their magic was used to control the will of others or to give healing spells directly to an individual during sleep. The performance of the rituals had little change from previous times, as they still believed that their gods and goddesses wanted cleaning from the user and offerings or gifts to thank 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 the rosary and cross. While 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 spellcasters from other cultures for a set time. If the prayers worked, then they would be given permission to enter their version of the afterlife and their spell form worked for them.
During the Middle Ages, the practice of witchcraft was illegal, and many people fell under the governing bodies for accusing them of casting spells on others. The stories surrounding these times often speak of spells that caused diabolical images to appear in the victim’s dreams, or spells that could alter the person’s temperature, or evil sorceries that caused the death of another. Although the use of witchcraft was a crime, those who followed the ancient path were forced to hide and the practice of spells continued. The nature of these spells was the same as that of their ancestors. Small rituals of gratitude for their goods, prayers to their ancestors, and also the use of herbs to cure diseases were used in their daily life until the revival of pagan religion.
There are many different ways to cast spells. Each depends on the cultural background of the person requesting help. Although the love spell is the most common, the use of spells is extremely helpful in providing the guidance we need in our daily lives.
A prayer, offered to the spirits or 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 as a way of thanking your selected deity.
The art of writing words is a relatively new phenomenon, so written spells were often considered to be more powerful than spoken ones. The words written on different objects were kept as amulets and trinkets around the person to ensure that the spell continued, or to ensure that nothing happened to stop the magic. The amulets and trinkets that are worn can also be blessed with spoken words or imbued with the magical power of the surrounding items. Additionally, rituals can be performed to strengthen these powers and make the amulets powerful for the wearer.
Performing spells can be easy, but others require the use of divination instruments and tools that allow the connection between the natural world and the spiritual 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 for magical power and aids spells by directing the power in concentrated doses. A ceremonial knife, or athame, can also be used for these purposes. The wand connects the user with the spirit realm and ensures that their help is appreciated.
Other items that can be used to create a spell include tapes for wrapping packages or bags, very similar to those that have been passed down through the centuries. Finishing spells allows the power to stay firmly within you until enough time has passed for it to return to the natural state it came from.
A small broom, often made of twigs tied together, can be used before a ritual to clean the space to be used. Ridding the area of all unnecessary energies has been shown to increase the effectiveness of the spell. Throughout history, there have been many rituals that involve 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 the 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 tools used in the divination process, including the use of tarot cards, crystal balls, dream catchers, and bags of herbs, 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 their 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 maintain, with the use of omens before marriage; for example, the weather should be controlled and prayers should be offered to the ancestors to bless the unions. These spells were considered important to the custom of the time. If something bad happened, 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 to please the spirits.
Other cultures have their own forms of love spells. Binding spells are more common in occult circles, where the object of the spell is bound to the user by altering their emotions to believe that they have affection for the spell caster. The performance of this spell could have been primarily part of a violent nature in the user, a latent desire to control the victim. The ancient Greeks and Egyptians often used these curses to bring physical pleasure and alleviate the user’s suffering by inflicting the same on the victim. These forms of spells are dangerous, as many times the damaging 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 wear herbal bags, potions could be placed on the user’s pillows to dream of their loved one, and effigies of the loved one could also be carried to bring their wish for them. Although this is not as pointed out, the use of trinkets, or the addition of perfumes that are used today to feel attractive and attract others, are all connected to the charms and spells worn by the witches of earlier times. .
After the latter parts of the 19th century, and the resurgence of many pagan religions that were forced into hiding, many more people turned to the art of casting spells to aid them in their daily lives.
Freemasonry played an important role in the use of spells as a natural fact. 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 spell art was limited, they often carried a pentagram with a human body in the center, to represent how deeply rooted they were in their convictions.
African Americans 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 they completed the cycle of life with other spells and rituals to aid in both birth and death.
Since the 1900s, the practice of spell crafting took on more natural forms, and there was a clear shift from many spells being used to cause harm, and more for healing powers, and to attract natural energies in order to change. The I. Although spellcraft in general remained unchanged, with similar rituals taking place and tools remaining the same, it was clear that the popularity of the witch and the practice of sorcery meant more people were joining in. The Covens appeared and spells began to grow that included a greater number of people who participated. These spells could be more powerful, although the elements of earth, air, water, fire, and spirit remained 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 the 1900s, with the rise of popular media, we began to see positive images of the witch. Spell books grew 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 using their spell to aid the hero on his journey, both of which were invaluable for stories. Television made a great leap into the realm of sorcery, and magic was considered to be a powerful use of nature, and spell-making intrigued many people.
The use of spells today has not changed in the use of the elements to alter one’s life to make it better, nor has it moved from the original state by being used to help others. However, it is now recognized that spell-making is a way of knowing that the user is one with the world and the natural cycles it contains.