Much of a spell is psychological-getting the caster in the right frame of mind. The bell is part of ending the ritual and sealing the spell-Still the bell, close the book, and quench the candle.
It always depends on the spell itself, but in my opinion it's good to have a clear mind. For me to clear my mind, well, I just need a quiet, dark room to be able to concentrate.
Good luck and remember to stay away from black magic.
stay away from magic it is evil not just black but what people white as well it is evil and it damns your soul don't do it people who cast magic are fools who believe that if they worship magic they're lives will seem less dull but it will seem a lot more dull when they're burning in hell. Its not that I hate people that do magic I myself used to do it, but it slowly destroys you and eventually it turns you into a monster (figuratively).
My altar is a little bit busier than hers, due to my religious affiliations to the craft... I suppose I can break it down like this, for what it would be in my circumstance.
The Left side of the altar is dedicated to the Goddess (so all things representing her), starting at the top left corner of the altar, I would have a symbol of the Goddess or a white candle to represent her. Below that would be a bowl of water to symbolize the element of water. Below that, a cup (for fertility) which generally holds the ritual spirits (alcohol/juice) for dedication. A crystal ball is sometimes in front of that, which is sometimes used to communicate with the divine. The bell would be in bottom left corner, as a powerful form of pure energy (sound) to signify the beginning or end of a spell--as well as to call forth positive energy and banish negative energy.
The Middle of the altar is in honor of the Goddess AND God, to call to them in union. The Censer (or incense burner is sometimes placed at the top of the middle portion) is used to alter the atmosphere, as a psychological aid to attune to the ritual at hand. A red candle is usually next in line, below the censer, to represent the element of fire. A Pentacle to protect is below this and finally a cauldron and/or spell materials are front and center of the altar, as they are what is to be worked with.
The Right side of the altar as I'm sure you've deducted is dedicated to the God alone, so at the top right, would be a symbol of the God or a gold candle to represent him. A bowl of salt would below this, as a representation of earth. The censer can also be placed in front of this, but honestly, it can be placed anywhere on the altar, as long as it's not in the way... Aside from those, the last three traditional God symbols would be the Athame (ritual non-cutting black-handled knife), the wand, and Bolline (white-handled magical knife that is ACTUALLY used to cut) are all in the bottom right corner...
It honestly varies for EVERY witch, we don't all use the same format, for example, I wouldn't always have all of these things on my altar, except if it's a Sabbat/Esbat--as it can over-complicate things. The simple altar can be constructed with the basic elemental representations and the symbols of the deities... It's a matter of preference--mine is one of many opinions.
An accomplished witch really doesn't need anything but his or her self to cast a spell. Candles and Thames and all the rest are merely props which help a caster to focus his or her will. The same is true with rhyming phrases or hand gestures. They are not truly necessary, but can help the spell caster to more perfectly envision the spell, more perfectly shape energy with their will.
Specific spells call for different ingredients. The table, bookshelf or whatever you use to place the items for a spell or ritual is called the altar.
Spells can be manipulated, ingredient wise. All that stuff is tools for the witch to help focus and concentrate magical energy.
The altar is very personal and varies greatly from one magical practitioner to the next. It depends on what type of magi ck you practice, and whether or not you are religious.
Most altars used in the Western world have at least the 7 items listed below. Again, not everyone uses all of these, but most do.
1. The God symbol, usually placed on the right side of the altar. This is to represent the masculine energy of the Universe, and can be different things. Commonly, a candle is placed whose color relates to the god energy. Common colors are gold(for the sun), white(the yang energy) or green(The Green Dragon of alchemy and also for the Green Man, the masculine side of Mother Nature). Some magical traditions may use a different color, especially for a specific god. Statues of a generic god(Such as a sun god statue, or a statue of the Horned God(Green Man) of Wicca) or of a specific god (such as Zeus) are also used. In a pinch, the Magician or Emperor card of the Tarot works just as well. Even a picture of a god you printed off the computer works.
2. The Goddess symbol, placed on the left side. Again, represents the feminine energy of the Universe. Common candle colors are silver(For the moon), black(the yin energy) or red(The Red Dragon of alchemy). If you use a certain goddess, you can look up what colors are sometimes used for her. Again, statues can be used. For Tarot cards, the High Priestess or Empress is used.
3. Earth symbol. Something to stand for the element of Earth. A crystal, rock, small container of salt or dirt is usually used. The placement of the item depends on your tradition. The lady in the video used the "standard" placements, but I believe each witch should meditate to decide which energy comes from which direction, based on their location on the planet.
4. Air symbol. Commonly used are incense or a feather.
5. Fire symbol, such as a candle or a small statue representing fire(like her dragon in the video)
6. Water symbol. Normally, a sea shell or a container of water is used. Lots of people like to use a chalice.
7. The energy-directing tool. Most people use either an Athene(ritual knife) or a wand to direct energy, such as for circle-casting. Some people believe you need and should use both, but I do not.
Depends on the spell. As for why she has all of those things, the dragon might be considered her spirit animal. Candles are normal in spell casting. As is the bell (though I don't use it). I certainly wouldn't use my coffee table for such things. I think all this woman is doing is giving you a basic idea of HOW she sets up. There isn't just one particular way to do it.
Any item found on ones personal altar all have personal meaning to the individual. Bells help to either signify the end of a particular part of a ritual or to invoke deities; Dragons are thought to be protectors and defenders...many people merely have affinities for Dragons; Candles help one to focus and create the right atmosphere and mood for practice.
All items are aids, they're not necessities. One can cast a spell and not have one single, solitary thing in front of them...just themselves. Spell casting is not about the use of things, as the "Things" have no inherent power of their own. They're just used to help you focus.
How do you 'set up' a spell in Witchcraft?
