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50 Kinds of Witch Spells
I started researching witch spells because my heroine in Her Time Traveling Duke…
is a self-taught witch who’s still experimenting. When she tries a love spell to bring her an “old-fashioned gentleman,” she does not expect a Regency-era duke to materialize in her apartment. And he is really not happy about it.
This list of magic spells is helpful if you’re writing fantasy or paranormal stories. You might want to work some wizard or witch magic (or “magick”) into the story, whether they are fun, cute spells like in my book, or deadly serious.
To create this list of spells for witchcraft, I drew extensively from ancient magic (including Latin spells, African spells, Celtic magic, Jewish magic, and more), but also from literature, modern Wiccan spells, and popular culture. Before I get into it, though, let’s talk about how to write a spell in a story.
What’s the Magic Word?
Most spells involve chants and incantations, sometimes from a magic spell book. Writers won’t be surprised by this; after all, they know words are magic! Your character may also know secret magician words and phrases about magic, in esoteric languages, or they may know someone’s true name.
What Goes Into a Spell Recipe?
It’s really up to you as a writer! In folklore and tradition, magic has involved any or several of the following, so they may inspire you in writing spells.
drawing magical circles or symbols
stones and gems
plants, herbs, and oils
specially created potions and powders
jewelry, amulets, and charms
masks
animal pelts and/or horns worn on the head
candles
burning or breaking objects
burning or burying words written on paper
burying or hiding objects
jar spells and charm bags—putting several magical ingredients, such as herbs or crystals, in a jar, small bottle, or bag to carry with you or keep nearby
certain foods and drinks
hair, blood, and bones
ritual bathing
ritual singing
ritual drumming
ritual dancing
enchanted tools such as wands and knives
enchanted objects
magical places, human-built or natural
aid from animals (sometimes called “familiars”)
aid from spirits, magical beings, demons (if they’re doing “black magic”), or deities
poppets, “voodoo dolls,” or wax or carved figures (or photographs, in a modern story)
magical timing (such as midnight, a full moon, an equinox or solstice, a holiday, or an eclipse)
sacrifice (from a drop or two of blood, to an animal sacrifice, to a human sacrifice for your truly evil villains)
All right. Here are some spells you might like to use in a story!
1
love potions, love spells, and obsession spells
Some of the spells on this list are morally wrong. Be careful how you use spells for love in a romance plot; it’s not romantic if it’s focused on one person who has no choice. However, a love spell may focus not on a specific person, but simply on finding the right person (which is what my heroine was trying to do in Her Time Traveling Duke!)
2
attraction spells
These are less serious than love spells, but the same caution above applies.
3
glamour spells
This is a name for any spell that creates an illusion of a different appearance. For instance, when the Evil Queen in the Snow White fairy tale disguises herself as an old woman, she doesn’t look “glamourous,” but it’s a glamour spell.
4
beauty spells
These are the most common glamour spells.
5
money spells
6
fame spells
7
happiness spells
8
success spells
9
new job spells
10
power spells
These can be spells to gain a promotion or a greater sphere of influence.
11
protection in battle spells
For example, it might be an invisible shield spell.
12
spells to disarm an opponent
13
general protection spells
14
healing spells
This is a huge category of witchcraft. In a few stories, “white magic” healing spells involve taking the pain from the other person onto oneself.
15
spells to ward off disease or pestilence
16
spells to cause disease or injury to another person
17
spells to cause someone to drop dead
18
spells to knock someone unconscious or “freeze” them
The “stupefy” spell in Harry Potter is an example of this in fiction.
19
sleeping spells
20
safe travels spells
21
good luck in gambling spells
These are especially common in the southern United States. Two common good luck in gambling herbs are Lucky Hand and High John the Conqueror.
22
general good luck spells
23
bad luck spells for others
In other words, general curses.
24
spells to cause an enemy to be killed in battle
25
spells to find what’s lost
26
psychokinesis spells to move objects or make them fly through the air
27
memory spells
For remembering, or for forgetting. Rosemary is often used in spells for remembering, which is mentioned by Ophelia in Shakespeare’s Hamlet.
28
rain spells to end drought
29
spells to cause natural disasters
These can include things such as tsunamis, volcano eruptions, hurricanes, earthquakes, and wildfires.
30
spells to set things on fire
This could also be a spell to send balls of fire at an opponent in a dueling spell.
31
alchemy spells
Turning lead to gold is one classic example.
32
binding spells
A binding spell doesn’t harm a person, but they prevent a person from doing harm.
33
banishing spells
These can be for people or for any negative influence.
34
karma spells
These are spells to make a person reap the consequences of their actions quickly.
35
justice spells
A justice spell asks for a fair and/or favorable outcome to a trial.
36
protection against hexes spells
37
hexbreaker or curse removing spells
38
exorcism spells
These are spells to cast out ghosts or demons.
39
spells to summon magical or supernatural beings
For instance, a spell might summon a ghost, demon, fairy, or magical animal.
40
spells to communicate with the dead
41
spells to get other people or animals to do your bidding
42
spells to create a living creature
Two examples are the homunculus in alchemy and the golem in Jewish folklore.
43
fertility spells
44
spells to open locks and doors
45
spells to create light or darkness
46
persuasion spells
These are spells used to convince someone of something or win them over to one’s side. Morally, these spells are questionable, to say the least.
47
spells to read someone’s mind or go into their psyche
48
spells to enter the body of another person or animal
49
divination spells to see into the future
50
blessing spells for homes, marriages, or individuals
You may have ordinary characters working with spells, charms, and incantations, or the magic may only work for a natural witch, magician, or other person with magical powers. A character may be casting spells for good, for neutral purposes, or for evil—which means you may need to know how to hex someone. In some traditions, a spell intended to cause harm will bounce back on the witch (sometimes by a factor of three!)
Have you ever used magic in a story? Or did this make you think of how witchcraft is used in another book? I’d love to hear about it in the comments! Thanks so much for reading, and happy writing
fantastic list!
denise
Thank you so much! 🙂
As a writer of fantasy, I have used magic. In one series, the magician uses an energy that permeates the world, running in streams, like rivers. Like water, there is always some in the air, but near the large bodies, magic use is much easier. Water is anathema to this energy and it goes deep underground near bodies of water.
In another duo, magic can only be used from gems. each type of spell is associated with gem. One spell that is most useful is an automatic translation. People hear what is said in their own language.
I love the idea of that energy! And the automatic translation…I didn’t think of that one. That’s brilliant.
I second that, Bryn! ‘Brilliant!’ Was the first thing to pop into my mind after reading V.M. Sang’s post. I’ll be honest and say I am fsilf new to the magic division when it comes to Fantasy works, but this is the first I’ve heard someone use the odds of waterways as the conduit if you will for magic.. I love the idea!
I am missing analytic and detection spells.
Reading the aura of some to see his state of mind/being/feeling for example. Often the presence of a spell can be seen more or less clearly there to. (Sometimes seeing auras is a natural ability or the effect of an illness but if you don’t have that you need a spell.)
To seeing an aura and to detect a spell might also be two totally different cases, as well as seeing and understanding what you see. It might be easy to detect magic but finding out what a specific spell does might be a real pain. And often the is needed to brake it.
As I’ve told many RPG Fantasy stories to my friends and many other fellow gamers I’ve used magic a lot and in many different forms and ways.
In my written stories I use it too.
There is a Fairytale where all bad magic comes from a bad heart but for a long time it will seem to stem from winter.
In my bards tale the main character uses magic through music and faith in a high fantasy setting where there are a lot of different types of magic. He has lost most of his power at the beginning for his goddess has been killed and he has to find out what has happened in a world, where she and the war between gods has been forgotten.
Und Lucien, my special kind of vampire uses his “natural” powers along with blood alchemy.
Writing this reminds me of how much I love each of this stories and how little time I’ve spent with them due to getting a new job. I really have to change that.
Analytic and detection spells are really good additions!
Your stories sound amazing. It takes a lot of energy to adjust to a new job, but I hope you can get back into your stories soon.
I have a paranormal romance series and have used spells in it. Spells to protect houses from evil people, spells to find missing people through a significant object in their possession, spells to find people related by blood. Of course, some people have powers that don’t require spells.
Those sound great, Debby. It’s been way too long since I’ve read paranormal romance!
In a few of my books an engimatic old man appears; “the observer” who does not interfere but mitigates magical possibilities. Normally he sits at his computer in an empty building. The computer placed centrally in a pentagram outlined in salt, a blessed candle laced with spells sits at each star point. (lol- I can tell you of each but they are long, and it would be dull) Inside the pentagram is a thirteen-pointed star for each of the moons. Runes stating the names of the seraphim adorn twelve points. The thirteenth remains unnamed as Shemyaza was cast out and hung by God. The place where evil, if fickle and clever may enter.
Most of these spells I based upon Aleister Crowley’s work and Abyssinian writings on Ahura Mazda. I have Monteusiex treatise on how to summon a deamon reprinted from the original and Crowley’s original “Summoning” but I have never attempted them.
This observer sounds fascinating! You have clearly done a lot of research, too. Thank you for sharing!
As someone who writes both Fantasy Fiction and non-fiction occult books, this list is very useful for focusing on ‘story’ magic as opposed to ‘real life’ spells. I’ve bookmarked it for reference!
Hi Jaq! So glad this was helpful! 🙂
Bryn, you are zany in a really wonderful way. I will recommend this post to my son and grandson.
Haha, thanks David! Well, these can be a lot of work if you try to put them in a book from scratch! 🙂
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