The Five Stages of Spellcasting

From my altar, I plucked the various ingredients I’d need: a vial of salt for protection, azurite crystal for enlightenment, sage for cleansing, sandalwood for amplifying the effects of the spell and for additional protection against dark entities. 

The tapered candles I chose were very deliberate as well: white because it encompasses all effects of all colors of candles, black because absorbs darkness and negativity and will make banishing it much easier, gray - as the between of white and black, gray offers the benefits of both and also serves to grant balance and spiritual wisdom, pink because this candle color welcomes love and passion and can be used for strengthening relationships, purple because this color offers divination and other aspects into the astral world.

Sitting on the floor of my bedroom, I began moving my pieces around. Starting at the twelve o’clock position I placed the black candle. Then, with the remaining four candles, I placed them to form four more points; white candle at two o’clock, gray candle at four o’clock, purple candle at eight o’clock, and finally pink at the 10 o’clock position. 

I placed two empty, shallow glass bowls in front of me; one bowl black and one bowl white. Into the white bowl on the left, I placed the azurite crystal and sprinkled salt granules and powered sandalwood over the crystal. 

I lit my sage and once it began to smoke I spread the smoke from top to bottom beginning with the corners. While I did this, I mentally prepared myself and set my intention. I determined to myself that I must not wish ill or harm upon whomever cast the black shadow that’s been following me around. I simply aim to gain insight into their motivation and I intend to sever that motivation against me.

Finished with saging my spell crafting area, I sat once again and placed the still burning sage into the black bowl so it could continue to release a nice gray mist of protection. 

Just under one minute until midnight, I closed my eyes and awaited the sound of the clock striking the time. I opened my eyes, struck a match and lit the black tapered candle I had placed at my 12 o’clock. Eyes closed again and with my hands resting gently on my knees, I began.

“On the hour of midnight tonight, I made a vow to sever my connection to my dark shadow. I will lift this curse. I have lit the black candle and thought of my inner peace that I am protecting and I seek to banish the evil entity that has been on my tail for the better part of the year 2024.”

I took a purposeful pause and breathed evenly. Then I continued. 

“I ask that this candle absorb the negative aura surrounding me and then be cleansed by the fire. I ask this candle to hold onto the darkness until it is time to dispel.”

Then I remained silent as I watched the flame grow and shrink ever so slightly, like it was taking tiny breaths. Blinking slowly, I steadied my gaze directly onto the fire. Everything else around me faded and all I saw was the glow in front of me. I concentrated on my intention and my request of this particular candle.

---

When the clock struck midnight, he felt a shivering tickle up his spine that reminded him of someone. A tug in the back of his mind that felt like a pinch and he thought he heard an echo of a girl, his recent ex, saying his name.

“Drake. Hey man, are you okay?” his friend Clark asked and patted his shoulder.

“What? Oh, yeah,” Drake said as he looked at his phone and unlocked it. He began searching his contact list. “I just had a random thought about Astrid.”

“Astrid, random?” Clark asked. “I thought you said you were over her, that you’re done thinking about her.”

“Yeah, yeah. I know, I know,” Drake said as he put the phone up to his ear, anticipating the 

Ringing to begin. Instead, he was met with an annoying error tone and the following robotic message: “We’re sorry. The number you have dialed is no longer in service. Goodbye.”

“What the hell?” Drake said and scowled at the End Call screen as the app closed and he was met with his phone’s home screen. He tapped the Phone app again and made to redial.

“Hey, what are you doing?” Clark asked and put his hand on Drake’s phone. “She just hung up, right? Or it went straight to voicemail?”

“It doesn’t even connect. I think she changed her number.” 

“I think that means something then,” Clark said. 

Drake redialed and brought the phone up to his ear. Clark quickly struck the smartphone away and it clattered onto the floor and slid under Drake’s bed.

“What the hell?” Drake moaned and went over and knelt down to retrieve the device. “This is the only way I can get through to Astrid now.” 

He pawed the phone towards him and checked it over. After he dusted it off he unlocked it and tried for the phone app again but paused short. He looked up at Clark. “You’re not getting in my way this time?” 

“Actually, I was just thinking you should call her again. Put it on speaker,” Clark answered.

“Why speaker phone?” Drake asked.

“I want to hear you being rejected. If I hear it with you, then you can’t deny it anymore, right?”

Drake scoffed, but he still hadn’t pressed the call button. “Deny what, exactly?”

“That Astrid wants nothing to do with you anymore,” Clark answered.

He pretended his friend hadn’t just said that and turned on the speaker-phone function before dialing. Once again, the high-pitched error tone played except now it rang in both their ears. “We’re sorry. The number you have dialed is–” Drake ended the call and averted his eyes to avoid Clark’s smug face.

---

Once the banishing black candle had burned about a quarter of the way down, I stuck a match and lit the next one in order, the white candle I placed at the 2 o’clock position. The wick accepted the flame eagerly and danced right to life. The white candle’s flame burned brightly and steadily and I couldn’t help but notice that the flame on the black candle flickered and shifted around like it was trying to escape the wick. 

As I discarded the spent match, I said, “I light this white candle in order to amplify the power of my words and to enhance the effects of these remaining candles. I think of the inner peace I deserve and use this to create a mental barrier as I concentrate and continue to drive away my demon.”

I finished speaking and rested my hands back onto my knees and allowed my eyes to relax and drift to wherever they pleased. My gaze fixed back to the black candle where its flame flickered wildly but didn’t threaten to spread. It appeared to me like the banishing candle’s smoke was being sucked away and drawn into the orbit of the newly lit white candle. 

The darkness may struggle but it will always yield to purifying light, I thought as I focused on the little flames telling their stories.

---

Drake couldn’t stop thinking about it, no matter how hard he tried. “I don’t get it, man,” he said.

Clark sighed. “So, this is you trying not to think about her?”

It’s only been like half an hour since you called–No, sorry–failed to get through to Astrid. You can’t go thirty minutes without wallowing?”

“Wallowing? That’s really fucking harsh, okay? She broke up with me out of the blue! Left at the altar.”

“You weren’t getting married.”

“It’s a fucking expression, Clark.”

“Why are you so angry about it all of a sudden? Didn’t she end it a while ago? Like, a few months ago?”

“After a whole year, though!” Drake argued. “We were together for a solid year and then bam, done! No explanation. Just an ‘I can’t do this anymore. Goodbye’ on the back of a grocery store receipt. There’s no closure in that. How am I supposed to move on with that?”

Clark had tilted his head back and closed his eyes. He drew in a slow breath and pinched in the bridge of his nose. “Are you ever going to finish getting ready for this party that you begged me to come with you? I personally think we should be there already. You really need to get your mind off of your ex-girlfriend.”

Drake rolled his eyes and went into his walk-in closet to change his clothes. The moment he snapped the final button on his new party wardrobe he had a realization. 

“Clark!” Drake exclaimed and swung open the door harder than necessary. Clark had yelped and nearly fallen off of his seat. He didn’t wait for Clark to regain his composure. “I think the stars aligned tonight. Astrid’s house is directly on the way to the party. We drive right by it!”

“Drake, no. Whatever you’re about to suggest, don’t,” Clark said, already shaking his head ‘no’ at the idea.

“Come on, come on, please,” Drake said and clasped his hands together, pleading to his friend. “One quick stop. I just want to talk to her for a minute. That’s all.”

“That’s a bad idea,” Clark said.

“Please, man. I’m begging you! You drive and make a pit stop that will take five minutes. Tops!”

Clark silently stared at him.

It was time for the cherry on top. “Then I’ll never talk about Astrid ever again. I won’t ever think about her either. I promise. Just one stop so I can talk to her.”

“I don’t believe a single word you just said, and you’ll let me drive? You never give up the opportunity to drive,” Clark said.

Drake snatched his keys from the hook beside the door and tossed them over in one enthusiastic motion. “My bargaining chip. I give it to you willingly. Do you believe me now? You know you hate my driving.”

---

“I light this gray candle to help preserve the balance between light and darkness, between good and evil. May this candle offer me a calm and balanced mind in which to receive spiritual wisdom.” 

With the match still aflame I lit the purple candle as well.

“As I light this purple candle, I ask for guidance from insightful spirits. Grant me the wisdom to learn from this experience, learn from this spellcasting and to continue learning how to offer solace and comfort to myself.”

---

In the car, Drake thought about what he would say when he saw Astrid. He made sure he had a response to anything she might say when she first sees him. He wanted her to know he could be calm and collected. He was able to listen with undivided attention and without judgment.

“Hey, did you hear anything I just said?” Clark asked.

Drake realized they were stopped. Clark had pulled the car off to the side of the road.

“What are you doing? We’re almost there. Just go a few more blocks,” Drake said.

“No, not yet. You need to hear this,” said Clark. “It doesn’t matter why she broke up with you. The only thing that matters now is that you accept it. So, I’m making a new deal with you. If you really want to go and knock on her door, I won’t stop you but you’re walking from here and I’m not waiting for you.”

“What the hell is this?” Drake asked. “You can’t just break the other deal we had.”

“The hell I can’t! Either shut up about how sad you are about Astrid and leave her alone so we can go enjoy this party together, or you get out of this car and you find your own way,” Clark said and pressed the button to unlock the car doors. “Up to you.”

Drake didn’t know what to say but he knew Clark was out of line. He scoffed hot air through his nose and gripped the door handle. The door unlatched when he tugged the handle but he still remained inside. 

His back to Clark and his hand still on the door handle, Drake lowered his head. “She hates me, doesn’t she?”

He heard his friend take in a deep breath. “I don’t know if she hates you,” Clark said thoughtfully, “but she definitely wants you to leave her alone.” 

Hearing the words come from his friend hurt almost as much as the first time he heard Astrid say the words, to leave her alone. His face went hot all the same, too. Drake pulled the car door closed with a quick yank and pressed his cheek against the cold window. He realized he didn’t want to hear her say those words again; he didn’t want to see her speak those words either. 

His skin emitted enough heat to briefly obscure his narrow view of Astrid’s house.

---

Now just past one o’clock in the morning, the black candle finally reaches the final minutes of its fiery life. With the banishing candle almost extinguished, it was now time to end this spellcrafting session with love in my heart.

I struck my final match and lit the pink candle. As I snuff the match and watch the pink candle’s wick snatch the flame, I take in a deep breath and exhale any lingering negativity in my mind. I think of the words I want to say next, as this will close out this ceremony.

“This pink candle shall represent my desire for love and peace. I remind myself that my goal is to push away the negative and to welcome love in its place. I pray that only positive emotions and auras enter this sacred space. May they overshadow and overpower the darkness.”

My gaze drifted over to the final moments of the banishing candle as it oozed the remainder of the black wax over the candle holder. The flame shrank and shrank until it was a tiny seed of orange and blue. Then it was gone. Snuffed. 

For the first time during this very early morning hour, a sound from outside caught my attention. Down the road, a car started up. Moments later its headlights slowly shone from one end of my room to another as the car passed by. A strange inside draft lightly swept over me in the direction of the car’s movement. At first I felt an intense chill but it settled quickly. The white, gray, and purple candles had been blown out by the draft. 

This left me with just the blazing pink candle, lighter shoulders, and a much brighter tomorrow.