A spell is something you do with intent and awareness to create change. It consists of a set of symbolic actions preformed in the physical world to initiate change on a higher level. A spell seeks to redress the balance of a situation by introducing new energy or redistributing the energy already present. A spell on its own is not a religious act. Spellcasting is a method of using energy to bring about some sort of change. Many religions use spells or a form of energy transfer or energy management as part of worship. However, spells aren't unique to any one religion. They are often described as a form of prayer, but there are subtle differences between prayer and spellcraft. First of all, prayer to a higher power implies that you honor that higher power, and that an established relationship exists between you, which enables you to call on that higher power for aid. It also implies that the higher power possesses the wherewithal to fix the situation. On the other hand, spells use the abundance of energy around us in the world to catalyze change. It's a more active process than prayer.

In a spell, you are the agent of change; you call upon your own resources to gather and direct energy instead of employing a separate agent, such as a higher power, to accomplish the task. Don't misunderstand the phrase "more active process" -- heartfelt prayer raises a lot of energy on the part of the practitioner. In fact, partnering a spell with some from of prayer is a very popular practice in several cultures. What it comes down to, though, is that prayer is a religious act, whereas spellcraft is secular.  When you cast a spell, you acknowledge that your actions are the ones responsible for creating change.

This book focuses solely on the art of spellcrafting. What you learn here can have spiritual applications, but on the whole, spellcrafting is a practical art. Be aware that other books sometimes use the words spell and ritual interchangeably. These are two very different things. A spell is the use of natural energies to bring about internal or external change. A ritual is a set of spiritual actions, often performed with the intent to honor or celebrate, but sometimes also to initiate spiritual change. To make matters even more confusing, a spell can be a part of a ritual or take place within a ritual setting. The two should never be confused, however. At its most basic, the word "ritual" suggests something performed with awareness and set apart from the everyday action for symbolic reasons. A spell does possess ritual elements, but "ritual" more correctly indicates and act of honoring or worship.