Writing Spells

What am I talking about when I say “writing spells”? Do I mean those little rhyming things that showed up in TV shows like Charmed? Yes, in this case, I do! I’m talking about actual, rhyming, poem-like incantations that set out what we want and what we need. This year, I’m focusing on writing a grimoire and I want to fill it with potions and recipes and written spells.

This isn’t something easy, especially since I do not have a poetic mind and I don’t have a long history of writing spells. My magic is typically more earthy than that. You can find me clutching a piece of clear quartz trying to clear out a headache. Simple, unspoken magic like that. So, how did I decide to get into spellwork?

Years ago, I bought a book called Herb Magic for Beginners by Ellen Dugan. Not only did this teach me that more things are herbs than I expected (Just about any plant that is used by humans is a herb), I also discovered the importance of spell writing. Yes, rhyming spells. They are a key way of focusing your power and being specific about what you want. The poems might seem silly and simple at first, but they will develop in their depth and complexity as one practises writing them.

It’s been a long time since I read that book. The details are hazy to me, but I remember how stunning and important I found it at the time. I don’t know why I didn’t start writing spells then. Maybe I did. Maybe they’re lost to my memory.

I do know that now, in 2026, my desire to write spells is back. Yes, they will rhyme. Yes, they will sound silly at first. No, they won’t seem as serious as some of the object-based spellwork that I see online. They do have one advantage over those object-based spells. There will be less stuff. To write a spell, I will need at most a pen and paper. At least, I’ll need my handy phone that already sits alongside me. So, I am going to write my own book of spells. 

Writing a book of spells will take some time. It’s not just writing rhyming couplets; I also have to see if the spell works. There’s no point having a book of half-baked spells that do not work. I imagine myself selecting only the best of the best. There’s no way of predicting the amount of time it will take to get, say, fifteen appropriately hardy spells. I will just have to give it patience and hard work, hoping that whatever comes out on the other side is worth the time I’ve dedicated to it.

It’s possible that you’re reading this, thinking I’m being silly. Perhaps you have kept a spell book since you were a baby witch. I haven’t. And it’s okay if I’m behind. It’s not a race. Maybe you think rhyming spells are less “real” than other types of ritual. That’s your belief to have, not mine. Either way, I’ll let you know how my book of spells turns out. I am excited about it.