sorcierarchy:

This is a really great question that I think merits a longer and more in depth answer, so I’m working on that but I wanted to leave you with something in the meantime. 

Having worked a lot in both academic and corporate environments I’ve adopted the so-called “SMART” goals system and that’s the framework I used when I first started doing magic. S = specific, M = measurable, A = attainable, R = relevant, T = timely. I’ll go more into detail on each of these in the in-depth post I’m working up, but those should be your general guidelines for a spell. 

There are a few ways you could go with this, but my go-to when I’m trying a new method of casting is a money spell. It’s specific, measurable, attainable (as long as you’re not asking for a million dollars or something… I usually avoid a specific amount), relevant (as in, the spell is meant to bring you money). 

Timely is where most people get stuck. What is an appropriate amount of time to wait for results? Should you wait a day, a month, a year? If the spell allows for it, I include a set time frame of one week within the spell. Two works works too, but that would be the maximum limit I recommend. You don’t want to be waiting around for one month every time you do a spell hoping it works. One week is usually ample time for things to manifest, and it allows you to try something new the following week if it doesn’t work. 

As you would with a scientific experiment, do only one test at a time. If you do a ritual spell, then a spell jar, then hearth magic, you won’t have any way of knowing which one worked if something does manifest. 

The other great thing about money spells is they’re not subjective. It’s really hard to remain objective sometimes, especially when you’re a new witch. Sometimes we want things to work so bad that we just kind of… tell ourselves they did, even though that’s not necessarily the case. With a money spell there’s no question as to whether or not it worked, you either have money you didn’t have before or you don’t. End of. 

Hope this helps!