The Element Encyclopedia of 1000 Spells: A Concise Reference Book for the Magical Arts

Where the importance lies in not using your dominant hand, this is specified in spell-directions. Left-handed people will be directed to use their right hands. Where no such direction is given, if the only stipulation is to use your left hand, then this applies to everyone across the board.

Materia Magica

Spells utilize various items and materials. Many items occur naturally on Earth (rocks, metals, flowers); others do not, but are creations of people, crafted from one or more of those original materials (magic wands, candles, magic mirrors, etc.).

There is a vast quantity of materials to choose from. It’s unlikely that you will need them all. Some will appeal to you, will resonate for you: those are your best tools. If you don’t like them, if they fail to hold your interest, it’s not likely that they’ll work for you, at least not consistently.

Once upon a time, all magic was made by hand from scratch, from soup to nuts. If a spell required paper, you would make that paper, perhaps even gathering the material. You’d make the ink, too. Old-fashioned, you say? Yes, but this soup-to-nuts method has very important benefits, notably, control over your materials and your spell. When you do it yourself, you know that things were done correctly, all powers were properly propitiated, all ingredients genuine. That said, magic is intended to make your life easier, not more difficult. If you are challenged for time, purchase as much ready-made as possible. The botanicals you grow with love and care will always have more power for you, but if you don’t have a garden or green fingers, buy them from someone who does. If you’re not “crafty,” you can still cast spells. Plenty of other people are and they’ll be happy to sell you their wares, oils, candles, wands, and herbs. However, hold these craftspeople to the same high standard that you’d hold anyone else. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and specify your needs.