Art by a robot
Have you ever wondered why some spells you cast work brilliantly while others fall flat? We certainly have, and we’ve discovered that learning how to cast spells to bring about desired change that work consistently might seem mysterious, but the secret often lies not in ancient grimoires but in your own mind.
We believe in combining spiritual and esoteric practises, such as tarot, astrology, meditation and magick with the more grounded wellbeing methods of counselling and holistic wellbeing in order to support actual, intended change. So if you have found yourself frustrated with “quick-fix” magick, and want to make sense of your transformation logically and mystically, then this article is for you.
For example, the connection between modern psychology and magickal practise becomes particularly fascinating when we examine neurolinguistic programming (NLP). Created in the 1970s by Richard Bandler and John Grinder, NLP offers various principles and techniques aimed at changes in self-awareness and self confidence to name a few. What’s interesting is that when you learn how to cast spells effectively, you’re essentially training your mind to focus intention, which sounds remarkably similar to what we as NLP practitioners do in the coaching and therapy space.
We believe that NLP’s approach to manifesting change is particularly relevant here and it’s something we like to work on with our clients. For example, as NLP practitioners we refer to our desires as “well-formed outcomes” and they are deeply connected through our sensory systems. This means outcomes must be something we can see, hear, or feel and they should be attainable and measurable. This makes perfect sense when you consider that successful magickal practise involves concentrating on what change looks like by visualising how it might see or feel when it happens.
Throughout this article, you’ll discover how applying NLP wisdom to your spell casting can dramatically improve your results. We’re not suggesting you abandon your traditional practises, but rather that understanding the psychology behind effective magick can transform your practise from hopeful wishing to confident creation. And who wouldn’t want that?
Understanding the Psychology of Spell Casting
We believe the secret to successful spell casting resides not in exotic ingredients or complex rituals, but in the psychological elements you bring to your practise. From clearing blocks to understanding your own sense of self worth, it’s all important when trying to manifest changes that improve your work or your lifestyle. So it is by understanding these mental mechanisms into how to cast spells that work consistently, that offers the most practical insight and we believe this is where many magickal practitioners get stuck.
Why intention matters more than ritual
Intention forms the foundation of effective spell work, and frankly, we’ve seen too many people obsess over getting every ritual detail perfect whilst completely neglecting this crucial element. Despite elaborate rituals, without clear intention, magick can lack direction. Your focus will become the driving force that channels energy toward specific outcomes. Rather than obsessing over perfect ritual execution, spend more time clarifying what you genuinely want by setting intentions. This clarity helps communicate your desires more effectively to your subconscious mind and prevents accidentally manifesting unwanted outcomes.
As experienced NLP practitioners we recommend stating intentions in the present tense as if your desired outcome is already happening, which strengthens your psychological commitment. It’s a simple shift, but the difference it makes can be quite remarkable.
The role of belief in successful outcomes
Belief acts as the catalyst that activates your magickal intentions, though we acknowledge this can be one of the trickiest aspects to master. Research conducted by Bronislaw Malinowski, a Polish-born British anthropologist, suggested the primary function of magick is to reduce the sense of powerlessness humanity experiences in the face of circumstances beyond human control. In other words, belief in the efficacy of magick provides a much needed sense of agency for magickal practitioners. It is this agency we tap into in order to manifest changes.
When you genuinely believe in your own abilities, the power of your magick, you are creating the perfect psychological conditions needed to make change not just possible, but probable. It is difficult though because you must first get rid of the funny doubts and internal dialogue that can take power away from you, but once this has been done and all those blocks are cleared, your belief is what primes your subconscious to notice the opportunities around you that bring change forward for you.
How the subconscious mind influences outcomes
Your subconscious mind serves as the engine room of magickal practise, and understanding how it operates can make the difference between consistent results and those frustrating hit-or-miss outcomes. Your subconscious mind processes intentions differently than your conscious mind, often primed to deliver exactly what you want. For instance, focusing on all the things you don’t have right now can signal your subconscious to create more of that feeling, so that you perpetuate a scarcity mindset resulting in no changes at all.
This is why we believe in supporting spiritually minded people to align their subconscious with their magickal goals, engaging all sensory channels during spell work. By doing the deep work first before practising your visualisations and rituals, you can successfully align your unconscious thoughts with your conscious behaviours. The key is learning to speak your subconscious mind’s language, which is far more about understanding yourself than the magick you practise.
NLP Foundations That Support Spell Work
Neuro-Linguistic Programming, or NLP, offers frameworks that complement magickal practise. These are practical tools that can enhance how you cast spells that work consistently by making connections between neurological processes, language patterns, and behavioural outcomes.
What strikes us as particularly relevant are the parallels with magickal practise, and NLP was one of the first disciplines we considered when developing humanistic magick as an approach to wellbeing. Both magick and NLP recognise that internal representations, our thoughts and emotions can be deliberately structured to influence external reality through our behaviour.
The concept of well-formed outcomes
As mentioned earlier, at NLP’s heart lies the principle of “well-formed outcomes”. These are the precise, sensory-specific goals that replace vague wishes. This concept applies directly to spell work, and we believe it’s one of the most practical things you can borrow from NLP.
When crafting spells, your outcomes should be:
- Stated positively (what you want, not what you don’t want)
- Within your control
- Verifiable through sensory evidence
- Be aligned with your values
These criteria might seem obvious, but you’d be surprised how often people skip this foundational step. For example we have particularly noticed when people don’t take the time to do the inner work to understand their values versus the values others have placed upon them.
Anchoring and reframing in spell casting
Anchoring refers to creating automatic connections between specific triggers and emotional states and this technique mirrors how magickal practitioners use correspondences such as linking colours, herbs, or symbols to particular outcomes.
For example, touching a crystal while in a confident state can create an anchor. Subsequently, touching that crystal when you need a boost of confidence activates those same confident feelings. You can use this across all aspects of your life, from public speaking to exams to your own private magickal workings. Anywhere you might need that rich source of confidence. It’s simple psychology, but that doesn’t make it less effective.
Reframing involves shifting perspectives to transform meaning. It is applicable to spell casting, because this technique helps overcome limiting beliefs. We talked earlier about the importance of doing the deeper work to remove blocks, and improving magickal effectiveness starts on the inside. Instead of viewing unsuccessful spells as failures, you might consider what might be blocking their success as a “feedback mechanism”. In other words, reframing things in this way “Your ritual didn’t fail, your subconscious just wasn’t ready”. This brings us on to….
Identifying Limiting Beliefs
To be honest, this might be the most challenging part of the process. Underneath unsuccessful spells often lie limiting beliefs. These are the ingrained thoughts acting as magickal roadblocks. You’ll need to examine areas where you consistently struggle with manifestation, which can be uncomfortable but necessary work.
Tracking beliefs back to their roots through self-reflection allows you to challenge and replace them with empowering alternatives. Sometimes the beliefs we carry about our own self worth, and what we are deserving of out of life, are the biggest obstacles to overcome.
Visualisation and Affirmations
Effective spell work requires engaging all your senses, and this is where many practitioners fall short. Create a detailed “mental movie” of your desired outcome. What do you see, hear, and especially feel as if it’s happening now. We support our clients through specialised hypnotherapy in order to forge new neural pathways, priming the mind and body for the experience to manifest.
We’ve also found that affirmations work best when treated as verbal spells. “Words are power” and speaking positively to yourself becomes genuinely transformative. Your affirmations become magickal tools when they are present-tense statements that align your energy with your intentions, rather than wishful thinking about the future.
Bridging Psychology and Spirituality in Practise
We thrive in the space where psychology meets spirituality, where science and magick converge and we believe that spiritually minded people deserve a path to real change that honours both their inner experience and practical life.
Research conducted in 2015 indicates that psychological interventions integrating clients’ spiritual beliefs are often as effective, if not more so, than those that don’t. This shouldn’t surprise anyone who’s worked with both approaches, and we specialise in bridging these two often separate worlds through humanistic magick. For example, psychological techniques offer structured approaches to clarify intentions and overcome those important limiting beliefs, whilst spiritual frameworks provide meaning, purpose, and connection to something greater than yourself. The magick happens when you stop viewing them as opposing forces.
Putting NLP and Spell Casting Together
Throughout this exploration of NLP and spell casting, you’ve uncovered powerful connections between psychological principles and magickal practise. The question now becomes: what will you actually do next?
Combining psychological understanding with magickal intent creates a potent formula for manifestation. The journey of mastering spell work that consistently delivers results involves ongoing practise and self-awareness. You’ll likely discover which approaches resonate most strongly with your personal magickal style as you experiment with these techniques.
We’d recommend keeping a magickal journal to track your results. Even brief notes about your mental state, the techniques used, and outcomes achieved can reveal patterns over time. This documentation becomes invaluable as you refine your approach to casting spells that work (and trust us, it really does help to see the patterns emerge on paper).
Remember that effective, lasting change created through the use of magick isn’t about perfection but about progress. Each magickal ritual, whether seemingly successful or not, provides feedback for improvement. The NLP principles we’ve discussed can gradually retrain your mind to support rather than sabotage your magickal intentions, but this takes consistent application.
The true magick of combining psychology and spell work lies in its ability to transform your internal landscape so that this is mirrored in your external circumstances. Your confidence will grow through consistent practise, and you’ll find that the question shifts from how to cast spells that work to deciding which spells best serve your evolving self development journey. That’s when you know you’re really making progress.
References
Credit where credit is due, we aim to cite our sources because we value truthful content. 3 sources were referenced during research to write this content, but you are encouraged to follow our links as well.
- https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/therapy-types/neuro-linguistic-programming-therapy
- Malinowski, B. (1954). Magic, Science and Religion: And Other Essays. United States: Doubleday.
- Pearce MJ, Koenig HG, Robins CJ, Nelson B, Shaw SF, Cohen HJ, King MB. Religiously integrated cognitive behavioral therapy: a new method of treatment for major depression in patients with chronic medical illness. Psychotherapy (Chic). 2015 Mar;52(1):56-66. doi: 10.1037/a0036448. Epub 2014 Nov 3. PMID: 25365155; PMCID: PMC4457450.
Thank you for subscribing. By subscribing you now have premiere access to exclusive content. Do you know someone who would like to enjoy all our free content? Please share this with them and invite them to subscribe too!
