Magic is the ability to manifest your desired reality utilizing your intent (or will), objects of power, and items of correspondence. The most important of these three is the intent. If your resolve wavers, if your belief in your ability and the “rightness” of the spell falters, then your magic will fail and you will not create your preferred goal. The power objects and items of correspondence serve to bolster your intent, connecting you to outside energies in order to amplify your spellcraft. But what, exactly, are they?

Power objects are any tools that you consistently use in a ritual structure. Athames, wands, chalices, censers, ceremonial robes and cords, are all examples of traditional Wiccan power objects. However, a power object can be anything that holds significance to you. You might have a ritual hammer, ceremonial crystals, a temple snakeskin, or a sacred shell. All of these would be considered power objects if they rest on your altar or are utilized in ritual fairly often.

An item of correspondence is anything that is symbolically and energetically connected to the desired end result of your spell. Also known simply as “correspondences,” they can be as straightforward as specific colors, gems stones, and herbs or an intricate combination of ancient and modern symbols, astrological signs, animal energies, and celestial bodies, such as stars and planets, the moon and the sun. Correspondences can also relate to the seasons, moon phases, times of the day, and days of the week. It can all be very complicated, necessitating the use of a flow chart… or two. But it doesn’t have to be.

Ultimately, the power of magic rests within the practitioner. The power objects and items of correspondence aid in the manifestation of the spell but they are not necessary components. If the magician truly believes in the magic being worked, then it will succeed. This statement comes from the concept of everything being connected through energy, thus, if one believes something to be true, it is true. As many energy workers will proclaim, “Intent is everything.”

But we’re not energy workers, we’re witches! We are drawn to the pretty tools and shiny baubles. They’re fun and we love to have them around. But are they necessary? Do we need them to manifest our reality, to work our magic? The answer to this question rests within each individual witch but, in my experience, expensive power tools and hard-to-find items of correspondence are not necessary to cast powerful spells. Instead, they can be substituted with everyday items that can be found around your house.

The key to household spellcraft is in altering your mindset and looking at everyday objects in a different way. Take an inventory of items that are lying around your house. How could these be used for magic? How would you craft them together to manifest your reality? The easiest place to start looking is in the kitchen. Undoubtedly you have some dried herbs and ground spices in your cabinets. At the very least, you probably have salt and pepper. You might have cornmeal, flour, sugar, milk, honey, and food coloring.  These ingredients are commonly found in most moderately stocked kitchens.

Move on to your computer room or study. You probably have plain, white paper in your computer printer. You might even have colored and/or patterned paper if you are slightly artistic or enjoy scrapbooking. If you have children, perhaps there is construction paper tucked away on a shelf. What about different colored pens? Do you have markers, highlighters, colored pencils, or gel pens hidden in your desk drawer? All of these things can be effectively utilized in spellwork and are commonly found household items.

If your family is anything like mine, your living room is probably overflowing with unused cables and cords from previous electronic devices. Maybe you’ve got some slightly-melted candles stashed away from your harvest celebration or your family’s Christmas dinner. Do pictures of your family line the mantle? Are childproof protectors covering your electrical outlets? Really look around your family room and consider all the items that you see, even the old issues of TV Guide and the gaudy store circular that came in the mail. You get the idea. Continue rummaging around your house. Don’t forget the closets, the attic, and the basement. They are great repositories of unused stuff that can be used in spellwork.

Once you’ve looked around your house to locate your items, consider what your goal is for the spell. Take some time to word it carefully, narrowing it down to one specific intent. It should not be so vague that the universe could interpret it in a multitude of ways. For instance, if you are going to school in the autumn, your goal should not be a vague “I want to do well in school.” This could be taken in numerous ways and you might find yourself doing well socially, with numerous friends and lots of party invitations, while failing your classes. So, you’d want to re-word the intent to “I want to get all passing grades this year at school” or “I want to have lots of friends at school” or “I want to increase my concentration at school.” All of these could fall under the general “do well at school” phrase but each has a different focus and magical intent. Know what your specific intent is!

Once you’ve decided your intent for the spell, you can take a look at daily, monthly, and seasonal correspondence charts. For simple magic, I recommend choosing one celestial correspondence that resonates with you and consulting that for spellwork. Often, I will use the phase of the moon to judge and time my magic. However, there are many times when I simply feel the need to perform a spell NOW! In which case, I disregard the phase of the moon and work strictly with my intent. Can you do this and actually create magic that works? Yes… if you believe you can. If your inner guidance tells you that the moon phase (day of the week, season of the year) is of supreme importance, then you should listen to it. But is it necessary to consult them in order to create powerful spells? No.

So, you’ve crafted your intent and decided when you are going to perform your spell. Now all you need to do is find the items around your house that will work for your magic. This is where your imagination kicks in. Walk around your house, meditate, mix and match various items in your mind until you start to see a pattern that relates to your intent. This kind of creative thinking is a skill and takes some time to master. Don’t rush it and don’t give up if you have a hard time seeing the relationships between objects and your magic. Household magic is uncomplicated but it is not easy. It requires a willingness to see beyond the everyday, to see value and might in the ordinary, to believe in the sacredness of all.

Below are two spells that I created using objects that I found in my household. You can use these spells as templates for your own everyday magic. Remember, magic is as unique as the individual who performs it. Honor your individuality by using the objects that are infused with your energy every day.

An Abundance Spell

Items needed: a bowl, milk (in a jug or carton), a slip of paper, a pen

This is the milk of the Mother,

The seed of the Father,

Sent to sustain and nurture us.

It is filled with the light of the Full Moon,

With the love of the Goddess,

With the strength of the God.

 

This milk brings abundance and prosperity,

Working for the good of all

And harming none.

Focusing on your magical intent, pour the milk into the bowl, making sure it covers the slip of paper, while saying:

As the Mother nourishes

And the Father maintains,

This milk creates,

Manifesting my dearest wish

And secret desire.

Still thinking of your magical intent, sing your favorite Pagan chant or meditate on your desire in order to energize your magic. When you feel like the magic is activated (and the time will differ for everyone), send your intent up to the heavens. Ground as you normally do and pour the milk onto the earth outside. Leave your magical intent with the milk until the following day when it can be gathered and ritually burnt or buried.

The power of this spell comes from your ability to visualize your abundance goal and the power of the milk to link your goal to well-known, worldwide associations. Throughout the world, in modern and ancient times, cows and milk are seen as examples of wealth and prosperity. The spell can be energized further if you add honey to the milk as honey is connected with the concepts of fertilization, pollination, and germination. Who knew you had such powerful magical symbols located in your kitchen? 

A Protection Spell

Items needed: a piece of paper; water gathered from your household tap; and colored markers, pencils, or pens (You should have a different color for each member of your family.)

On a piece of paper draw a symbol that resonates with you and your family. This could be a pentacle, a celtic knot, a labyrinth, a spiral, a triscele, or anything else that you choose. Make sure all the colors of your family members are used in the creation of the symbol and that you are thinking of each family member when you use their color. (So, for instance, if you choose green for your husband, see his face and chant his name when drawing with the green pen or pencil.)

When you are finished with the symbol, sprinkle it with the water. Add one drop for each family member (concentrating on each as you do so) and seven drops for your protection intention. Your symbol is now energetically linked to your household through the water and through the colored pens. Carry the symbol and the water around your house, sprinkling water as you walk around. Always remember to focus on your intent of protection for your household and the members within it. Continue sprinkling the water (both inside and out, as you see fit) until you have covered your whole house. Return the water to the ground outside. Fold up your protective talisman and hang it over the main door of your house or place it on your altar. You can fold the piece of paper as many times as you like, but you might consider linking each fold to a member of your family. Your spell is now complete. You can energize your protective talisman whenever you like by sprinkling it and your house with water, as before.

This spell works with the concept of association, linking members of your family to the intent of protection through the specific colors used to create the symbol. The symbol itself energetically protects the house in the astral world. You can strengthen this symbol through visualization if you so choose. The water connects the symbol to the physical world around you and to your family, clarifying exactly who and what should be protected. Naturally, all of these everyday objects are tied together through the practitioner’s magical intent.

Copyright 2008 Michelle Skye  All rights reserved.

Unauthorized reproduction without prior written permission is a violation of copyright laws.