will-o-the-witch:

I figured this might be nice for people who want to start making their own spells but don’t quite know where to start and might appreciate an outline.

1. Meditate on your intent. You don’t have to literally meditate, but take some time to make sure you know exactly what you want. Fine-tune it, make it more concise, make it more specific, try to get it so you have just one powerful sentence, one rock-solid goal.
2. Check spell times. I try to cast my spell to line up with the best day of the week and phase of the moon. I have a weird instinct of always coming up with a spell the day I should cast it, which is nice but doesn’t give me a lot of prep time. If the times that work with your intent don’t line up with your schedule, don’t sweat it. It isn’t crucial.
3. Think of what type of spell you’d like. Is it for confidence? Maybe you’d like to enchant a necklace you can wear out. Protecting your home? Maybe a jar spell that can rest in your windowsill. Maybe you want to do something with candles. Whatever feels most appropriate for your situation.
4. Browse materials. I flip through my grimoire and online and try to find what herbs, colors, crystals, planets, etc. line up with my intent. I rule out things that I couldn’t reasonably obtain in time, and make special note of anything that I already have. If you organize your stuff by associated planets or elements, you could even focus your spell by having everything you end up choosing in one category.
5. Throw it all together. You have an intent and a materials list, so combine them. Dress that candle in some herbs or plan to stuff your materials in a sachet or jar. Maybe you want to do some sympathetic magic and recreate your desired outcome. Build something meaningful to you.
6. Write any prayers, chants, or petitions beforehand. Trust me. Nothing is more awkward and more distracting during a spell than getting to the part where you planned to speak, and not knowing what to say. Making it up on the spot is fine if inspiration comes to you, but it also runs the risk of you forgetting some specifics or focusing more on what you’re saying than your intent. I like at the very least having a pre-written backup.
7. Chill! Don’t cast the spell immediately after you’ve designed it. If you’re like me, you’ve probably raised some energy already just through this process. Let yourself tackle it with a fresh mind and a full battery.
8. Write down everything. During/after the spell, write down anything that happened outside of your plan. Did a new chant come to you? Did you get interrupted? Were the candle flames acting weird? Make note. Follow up with what the effects were, to see if it was successful. What could have gone better? That way, if you ever do the spell again, you can see what needs revision. In this way, a spell is never actually done writing itself. It grows and gets more fine-tuned as you do!