Ok, my 2 brothers have been practicing magick for 15+ years. One, Chris, told me one day after I was practicing a spell that I was doing something wrong. He said, "After every spell you need to say, 'So mote it be' even if it's not written." I have noticed, nearly every spell I have seen on this site does NOT have "So mote it be" at the end. Mundanes attempting a spell or beginners will not know this, especially if they don't have anyone to teach them. I noticed this and I wanted to bring it to everyones attention. Thank you.
Hi! Yes, it's common to end spells with "so mote it be" but it's not necessary and not everyone does it. And its DEFINETLY not wrong if you don't... It's like a way of ending things, like "amen" in christian prayers. You can definetly not say it and personally, there are few times in which I've said it and my spells always come out right...
There isn't only one way or one true way to practice witchcraft, everyone adapts it to what they want/need, so they can do as they please with their practice, they can end spells with "so mote it be" or with "be done", or nothing. But it's not wrong to not say it.
ok, well tell your brothers they've been practicing magick wrong for 15+ years as there are no rules written in stone about magick, especially ending spells with 'so mote it be'. there's nothing wrong with ending every spell with 'so mote it be' [as you would say 'thy will be done' or 'amen' or something similar] but your spell won't delete if you do not end it a certain way.
here's the thing about magick, is a neutral energy found in nature, that's really about it in terms of universal truths about magick. some end their spells with 'blessed be' or 'as in harm none so mote it be' or simply 'so mote it be'. some cast a circle, some do not, some cleanse the area and them-self, some just the area, and some not at all. some cast by moon phase, day, time, even month, and others simply when it's convenient. i would study magick for yourself and figure out what works for you. [trust me, i could go on all day about differences in paths]
when i began i would cleanse, cast a circle, follow very closely to the moon phase and follow the spell to the letter. now [over 10 years later] i will need a spell [say money] hopefully it's the right moon, but if it's really important i need to cash asap, i'll ignore the moon. i then take a green candle [or white if i have no green, but i love green so i've got every shade you could imagine. however, some people wouldn't even use green for money] hold the candle in my hands, charging with energy, then place it on my altar, light it [no circle cast either btw] and maybe mutter a chant to myself about why i need the money. boom. spell done.
seriously, if you wish to end spells with 'so mote it be' go for it. just add it to the end of whatever chant you use, or when you've completed the spell say it, but it's not like the universe will go 'wait! they didn't say the phrase, cancel that request!'
I usually say "So I say so it shall be"
it's really a personal choice, and can also be something in the traditional path you have chosen. (such as Hedge Witch, Wiccan, or Pagan ect.)
When I finish some spellwork that I am doing I will generally say -
" I have worked my Will and 'tis plain to see. And as I Will, so mote it be ."
I view this as sort of tying my spell up into a neat magical package bound to my Will when I send it out into the Universe.
Is this necessary? No, it is not. It's just a personal preference linked largely to the Tradition in which I originally trained.
Of course it became extremely popular in some magical circles because the Witches in the TV series, Charmed, always used "so mote it be" at the end of their workings. But the saying is not found in all magical practices, nor should it be considered required for successful spellwork.
So mote it be is something that is commonly said at the end of spells. It's meaning is basically; this is what I want to happen. Or a quick internet search tells you "..."so may it be", "so it is required" or "so must it be", and may be said at the end of a prayer in a similar way to "amen"."
In short, I suppose the Jist is to use what feels appropriate for what you are doing, and feel free to adapt however you need.
For example there have been times when I have used magic to lay protection on an area, and wanted to tie it to a specific object, so I do my working with the object (let's say, a crystal in this case) as the central focus, and end it with something along the lines of "let the seat of this crystal be the seat of this spell." as I place it where I want the protective force to be.
