Practicing Intention Setting in Witchcraft
We’ve heard the term thrown around, we know it’s important, but what is intention? How do we use it, and when? I’m here to simplify it for you.
What is Intention?
Intention is the process of clearly and specifically communicating what you want to the universe (or your preferred deities, spirits, etc.). This is the backbone of spells and rituals because if you have the wrong intention, or an unclear one, it’s likely you won’t get the results you want.
In witchcraft, intention is normally referred to when practicing a spell. A spell focuses your intentions into a specific action or ritual. This focuses all your personal power and energy into one thing and clearly communicates to the universe what you want or need.
Imagine trying to do magic without an intention. How could you complete a money spell without a want or need for money? Why would you draw a sigil with no meaning attached? Intention is the core and the power behind most of witchcraft.
Before You Set Your Intention
Before you try to bring your intention into the world, you need to be sure you know exactly what you want. If you don’t precisely tell the universe what you want, you’ll only get imprecise, uncertain results. It’s best to get as specific as you can, use time constraints, and use “I” and “me” language. Take this example:
Imagine I want enough money to stay debt-free and live in a nice house.
The first intention I think of is “I want to pay off all my bills and buy a mansion.”
There are a few problems with this one.
Stay away from statements like “I want”, “I need”, and “I hope” because when you tell the universe you want something, all you’ll get back is wanting. Always state your intention like you already have what you’re searching for.
There’s also no period of time being specified here. When you tell the universe you want something but don’t tell it for how long, it could give it to you for a millisecond or ten years. If you can, you should include a specified time constraint to your intentions to make sure that they work as long as you need them to and dissipate when no longer needed.
The last thing that’s a little problematic is what’s being asked for. If you want to live in a mansion, by all means do it. But you should also keep your intentions within reasonable limits. Some will tell you otherwise, but especially when you’re a beginner, it’s a good idea to stick with simple and reasonably attainable intentions.
The revised intention could look something like this.
“I make enough money to stay debt-free and afford a comfortable home, year after year.”
This intention includes no “wants” or “hopes”, it lays out exactly what I need, and the time constraint makes sure that I have a reliable income that will continue to fund my needs for many years to come.
Even though getting your intention correct is very important, it’s also totally normal to get it wrong a few times! I can think of many times when I set an intention, thought I got what I wanted, realized I was way off, and I had to revise my intention again and again until I received what I needed.
The cool thing about the process of setting an intention is that it naturally opens the door to self-reflection and meditation. In order to cultivate meaningful, accurate, and truly beneficial intentions, you have to reflect on yourself and your motives, and meditate to connect with your higher self. When you feel you’re ready to set a new intention, make sure that you take a moment to sit with yourself and genuinely understand what you want.
How to Set an Intention
Now that you understand the purpose of intention, and how to formulate an accurate one, it’s time to put it into practice. For some, praying to their deities is the last step in their intention setting. For others, setting their intentions take a day of rituals and spells to manifest. Putting your intention into the universe is a personal and unique experience for every individual. These are just a few common and witchy ways to do so.
Write It Down
This is probably the simplest way to put an intention into the world. Writing your intentions down allows you to focus your energy into your pen or pencil, and feel it flow from your hand to the paper. This act of transfer is both satisfying and practically fool proof, so it’s an excellent choice for beginners.
Journal about what you want from life. Write from the perspective of you living your dream life. Include little drawings or pictures from magazines that remind you of what you want. It’s also a good idea to keep track of which intentions you see manifesting and how they show up in your life so you can improve your intentions to fit your needs.
If journaling isn’t doing it for you, try writing your intentions down on little scraps of paper and perform a ritual that corresponds to your intention. For example, if you want something to leave your life, write your intention down and burn the paper. Dispose of the ashes outside so that the earth can carry away that energy. If you want something to come to you, write your intention on something you can keep with you at all times. The possibilities are endless.
Practice Visualization
While it’s a little more abstract than physically writing an intention down, visualizing your intent is definitely a skill every witch should have.
Picture your intention in your mind’s eye. See yourself once your intention has manifested in your life and you are harvesting the benefits of it. For example, if my intention was “I have a healthy dog that will be with me for many years”, I would picture my dog five years in the future, still running and playing with me like he does now.
Not only is this a solid way to set your intent, it’s also a good way to sense if an intention is accurate. If you can picture the results of your intention vividly and it seems to flow, it’s more likely to be a beneficial, accurate intention. If you just can’t picture it for some reason, or you can’t see the outcome clearly, you may need to rethink the details of your intention and reflect on what you really want.
Use a Spell or Ritual
Spells and rituals are often intertwined with intention because the two work together naturally in the world of witchcraft. As I explained earlier, intention makes up a lot of the energy and power in spells because it tells the universe the result we’re looking for when we practice magic. Using a spell or ritual to set an intention is a fundamental practice for any witch and will often amplify or strengthen your intention as well.
Spells and rituals provide an easy and straightforward way for us to say, “Hey universe, this is what I want!”
So, if writing it down or visualizing your intent just doesn’t feel like enough, it may be time to put it in a spell. You can do this by finding one online or in books, or simply by using your intuition to make your own personal spell/ritual.
Say your intention is, “I am financially stable.”
There are thousands of money spells on the internet, and while a lot of them have questionable origins, there are many credible witches out there who will share spells that work for them. Finding spells that work will take some patience and a lot of trial and error, but once you find one that gives you the results you want, you can go back to it time and time again.
If a generic spell isn’t up your alley, try creating your own ritual. Draw a sigil that represents financial stability to you. Dress a candle with herbs and oils that correspond with wealth, and repeat your intention while you burn it. Use metaphors and symbols that are meaningful to you to create a personalized ritual. Get creative and don’t be afraid to use different tools and ingredients, as long as you do your research beforehand and never use something that feels wrong or unsafe.
Importance of Intention
Intention is the foundation of most witchcraft practices. Witchcraft is about harnessing your power and using it alongside the power of the universe to manifest a life that fulfils your higher purpose – intention simply tells those energies where you want to go next.
Practicing intention forces you to ground yourself, do some self-reflection, and meditate on what you really want from life. These are vital skills that every witch should possess and constantly improve. Setting intentions keeps us balanced and focused on our higher purpose, and that allows us to connect with our higher selves, find what truly drives us, and manifest the world we want to live in.