Spell
A set of words, often with actions or objects, used to bring about a hoped-for effect; in older English a spell was simply a story.
Also: charm, formula, magical working
Old English spell meant speech or tale, and the sense of a magical formula grew from it. A spell can be a short phrase, a sung verse, a written sentence, or a longer rite with gestures and materials. Historians of religion find them in Egyptian papyri, Mesopotamian tablets, Greek magical papyri, medieval charm books and modern folk practice, often combined with prayer. Scholars of language point out that spells follow patterns, such as repetition, rhyme and naming. Practitioners hold different views on how they work, from divine help to focused intention to symbolic psychology, and this site records those views without judging them.