Note: This is by no means solely my own creation and many people have done 3×3 spell formats before me. What I am going to talk about here is why I use this spell format and some specifics on how I use this spell format.
So you want to cast a spell but you’re not sure what or how to do it – this spell format works extremely well for me as a basis for the design of the spell. It can be used for spell bags and spell jars of all kinds as well as any other type of container magic, or simply as an adjunct to a candle spell.
The Numerology
The idea behind this is based on numerology and the meaning of the numbers 3 and 9.
The number 3 is associated both with Jupiter in astrology and the Empress card in the tarot – as you think about these associations, you may begin to understand why the number 3 is considered so powerful magically. In essence – it is the number of manifestations – or, at least, quick manifestations. This can be seen in the magic of human creation – it takes two people to make a third. Three is the number of birth of all kinds, not just gestational.
Likewise, the number 9 is the last of the core numbers in numerology – it represents the completion of a cycle. It is also the result of multiplying our power number of 3 by itself. So by combining the quick power of manifestations from the number 3 thrice over, we reach the total manifestation power of the number 9.
How To Put It Together to Make A Spell
This is where the fun and creativity (number 3 also rules creativity!) of this process come in. Once you have chosen your idea for the spell, you now need to separate that main concept into three parts. This can be done in a lot of ways: it could be past/present/future in a spell that really needs to move forward, three aspects of your final manifestation that you want to come to pass, or really anything that comes to mind.
For a general money spell, it might be money drawing (1), protection for your finances (2), and luck in money (3).
For a spell to protect you from the effects of Mercury’s upcoming retrograde, you could base it on the three planets of yours that are going to be most impacted by the retrograde. Alternatively, you could do Keep My Thoughts Collected (1), I Can Write With Ease (2), and My Internet Signal is Strong (3) for a project that needs to be worked on during the retrograde.
The options here are endless just keep in mind that your three objectives should be interrelated in some way. And they should all feed the main objective of your spell.
Now that you have chosen three micro-objectives that support your main objective, you want to come up with three correspondences that feed your micro-objective. These can be as varied as you can imagine: sigils, herbs, rocks, feathers, individual petitions – the sky is really the limit here. You just want each set of three to be unique to one another.
To use the money spell example above: perhaps you might use a loadstone, catnip, and alfalfa for money drawing; bank dirt, a canceled check, and nettles for money protection; and basil, cinnamon, and tiger’s eyes for luck in money.
In this way, we could see that we are casting three spells within one or three micro enchantments to support our larger goal. Depending on the complexity of the spell and the energies required, each micro enchantment can be cast on a separate occasion (say on the day of the week that supports each) but in close succession or cast all at once time.
The Details
This may seem like a lot, especially if you are a beginning caster. Remember here that although you are using 9 different ingredients for this spell, they do not need to be expensive nor do you need to use a lot of each item. When I craft a spell bag or spell jar in this type of fashion, I am often using a pinch of any particular herb.
There are a lot of ways to individualize this spell format.
If you use candle magic, I would suggest utilizing a main larger candle for the spell as a whole with three additional supporting candles (chimes work well here) to support the individual elements of this work. You can also choose to burn the candle in increments of three – for three hours at a time or for three or nine days. You can use color correspondences to support each individual goal or the whole.
Rather than being correspondences, you can create individualized goals for yourself – three physical actions that you need to take in the real world to enhance the magic of your working.
Looked at from a different perspective, each set of parts of the whole could be entirely different from one another. The first could be cleansing to rid yourself of the negativity associated with this work, the second could be creating a talisman of some sort to enhance that work, and the third could be the empowerment of this talisman.
The goal here isn’t to create a rigid format with which you are forced to follow but to give you ideas about how to incorporate the power of 3×3 and its manifestation potential into your spellwork. The details, as always, are up to you.
This is part of an ongoing series about Numerology:
Part One: Combining Numerology and Astrology
Part Two: Combining Numerology and Astrology