Songwriting Magic: Lyrics as Incantations
BY NICOLE LAU
Songwriting is one of the most powerful forms of magic—combining the spell-casting power of words with the vibrational magic of music. When you write a song with intention, you're creating an incantation that works on multiple levels: the meaning of the lyrics, the emotion of the melody, the rhythm that entrains the body, and the vibration that resonates through space. Songs are spells that people sing along to, spreading your magic far and wide.
Why Songwriting is Powerful Magic
Songs have shaped human consciousness since the beginning of time. They've started revolutions, healed hearts, changed minds, and moved masses. Songs are magic because they:
- Combine word and sound magic: Lyrics + melody = amplified power
- Create emotional resonance: Music bypasses logic and speaks to the heart
- Are memorable: You remember songs long after you forget prose
- Are repeatable: Each time you sing, you cast the spell again
- Are shareable: Others sing your spell, spreading the magic
- Entrain the body: Rhythm affects heartbeat, breath, and brainwaves
- Create trance states: Repetitive music induces altered consciousness
- Carry vibration: Sound is physical vibration that affects matter
When you write a song with magical intention, you're creating a spell that can be sung, shared, and spread—potentially affecting thousands or millions of people.
The Magical Components of a Song
Lyrics: The Spell
The words of your song are the conscious intention—what you're manifesting, what you're saying, what you want to create.
Magical considerations:
- Use present tense ("I am" not "I will be")
- Be specific about your intention
- Use vivid imagery and metaphor
- Include affirmations and power statements
- Rhyme for memorability and power
- Repeat key phrases for emphasis
Melody: The Emotion
The tune carries the emotional content—how the spell feels, what energy it carries.
Magical considerations:
- Major keys: Happy, bright, uplifting, solar energy
- Minor keys: Deep, emotional, introspective, lunar energy
- Rising melodies: Ascension, growth, expansion
- Falling melodies: Grounding, release, descent
- Repetitive melodies: Trance-inducing, hypnotic, meditative
- Complex melodies: Engaging, interesting, mentally stimulating
Rhythm: The Heartbeat
The beat entrains the body and creates the foundation for the spell.
Magical considerations:
- Slow rhythms: Calming, meditative, grounding
- Fast rhythms: Energizing, exciting, activating
- Steady rhythms: Reliable, grounding, stable
- Syncopated rhythms: Unexpected, playful, breaking patterns
- Drumming rhythms: Shamanic, primal, trance-inducing
Harmony: The Layers
Additional notes and chords that support the melody add depth and complexity.
Magical considerations:
- Consonant harmony: Pleasant, resolved, peaceful
- Dissonant harmony: Tension, transformation, challenge
- Layered vocals: Multiple voices, community, amplification
- Instrumental harmony: Different energies supporting the spell
Structure: The Journey
How the song unfolds—verse, chorus, bridge—creates the narrative arc of your spell.
Common structures:
- Verse-Chorus-Verse-Chorus-Bridge-Chorus: Traditional, builds to climax
- AABA: Classic structure, B section provides contrast
- Through-composed: Continuously evolving, no repetition
- Circular: Returns to beginning, represents cycles
Song Structures as Magical Frameworks
Verse: Setting the Scene
Verses tell the story, set the context, describe the situation.
Magical use: Describe where you are now, what you're calling in, or the journey you're on. Each verse can show progression or different aspects of your intention.
Chorus: The Main Spell
The chorus is the heart of the song—the main message, the hook, the part everyone remembers and sings.
Magical use: This is your main incantation. Make it powerful, memorable, and repeatable. This is the spell that gets cast every time someone sings along.
Bridge: The Transformation
The bridge provides contrast, a shift in perspective, or a moment of transformation.
Magical use: The turning point, the breakthrough, the shift in consciousness. This is where the magic happens, where transformation occurs.
Pre-Chorus: Building Energy
A section that builds anticipation before the chorus.
Magical use: Gathering energy, building power, preparing for the main spell. Like the anticipation before a ritual climax.
Outro: Sealing the Spell
How the song ends—fading out, strong ending, or returning to the beginning.
Magical use: Sealing the spell, releasing the energy, or creating a loop for continuous magic.
Writing Magical Lyrics
Affirmation Songs
Songs built around positive affirmations that reprogram the subconscious.
Example chorus structure:
I am powerful, I am free
I am everything I'm meant to be
I am worthy, I am whole
Magic flows through my soul
Manifestation Songs
Songs that describe your desired reality as if it's already real.
Technique: Write in present tense. Describe your manifested life in vivid detail. Feel the emotion of already having what you desire.
Healing Songs
Songs that promote healing, release pain, or bring comfort.
Technique: Use gentle melodies, soothing rhythms, and lyrics that acknowledge pain while affirming healing and wholeness.
Protection Songs
Songs that create energetic shields and boundaries.
Technique: Strong, steady rhythms. Powerful, declarative lyrics. Imagery of shields, circles, and boundaries.
Love Songs as Spells
Songs that attract love, celebrate love, or heal the heart.
Technique: Open-hearted melodies. Vulnerable, authentic lyrics. Imagery of opening, receiving, and giving love.
Transformation Songs
Songs about change, growth, and becoming.
Technique: Dynamic structure that shows progression. Metaphors of metamorphosis—caterpillar to butterfly, seed to flower, darkness to light.
Musical Keys & Their Magical Properties
C Major
Energy: Pure, simple, innocent, new beginnings
Use for: Fresh starts, simplicity, clarity, innocence
D Major
Energy: Triumphant, joyful, celebratory
Use for: Victory, celebration, joy, success
E Major
Energy: Bright, passionate, intense
Use for: Passion, intensity, brightness, solar energy
F Major
Energy: Peaceful, pastoral, natural
Use for: Nature magic, peace, gentleness, earth connection
G Major
Energy: Warm, friendly, optimistic
Use for: Friendship, warmth, optimism, social magic
A Minor
Energy: Melancholic, introspective, emotional
Use for: Shadow work, introspection, emotional healing, lunar energy
D Minor
Energy: Serious, solemn, deep
Use for: Deep work, seriousness, gravity, underworld journeys
E Minor
Energy: Contemplative, spiritual, mystical
Use for: Spiritual work, contemplation, mystery, meditation
Rhythm & Tempo as Magic
Slow Tempo (60-80 BPM)
Effect: Calming, meditative, grounding
Use for: Meditation songs, healing, grounding, sleep magic
Moderate Tempo (80-120 BPM)
Effect: Natural, walking pace, balanced
Use for: Most magical purposes, balanced energy, everyday magic
Fast Tempo (120-160+ BPM)
Effect: Energizing, exciting, activating
Use for: Energy raising, celebration, dance magic, activation
Heartbeat Rhythm (60-80 BPM)
Effect: Primal, grounding, life-affirming
Use for: Grounding, connecting to life force, primal magic
Shamanic Drumming (4-7 beats per second)
Effect: Trance-inducing, theta brainwave entrainment
Use for: Journeying, trance work, shamanic practice, altered states
Songwriting Rituals & Practices
Sacred Songwriting Space
- Cleanse your creative space
- Set up an altar with inspiring objects
- Light candles or incense
- Have your instrument and recording device ready
- Create a comfortable, inspiring environment
Opening Ritual for Songwriting
- Ground and center yourself
- State your intention for the song
- Call in your muse, guides, or creative spirits
- Play or sing to warm up and open the channel
- Begin creating with an open heart
Channeling Songs
Some songs come through you rather than from you—channeled from spirit, muse, or higher self.
Practice: Enter a meditative state. Set the intention to receive a song. Let your hands move on the instrument or your voice sing without conscious control. Record everything. The song will emerge.
Collaborative Songwriting Magic
Writing songs with others combines your energies and creates powerful group magic.
Practice: Set a shared intention. Each person contributes their gifts. The resulting song carries the combined power of all participants.
Recording as Spell Preservation
Recording Your Songs
Recording captures your song in permanent form, allowing it to be shared and repeated.
Magical considerations:
- Record with intention and presence
- Bless your recording equipment
- Create sacred space in your recording area
- Sing/play as if performing a ritual
- The recording becomes a magical object
Mixing as Magical Refinement
The mixing process allows you to balance elements, add effects, and refine your spell.
Magical approach: Each adjustment is a magical decision. Volume = emphasis. Reverb = spaciousness. Compression = power. Mix with intention.
Releasing Your Song
Sharing your song releases it into the world where it can affect others.
Magical approach: Release with intention. Bless the song before sharing. Set the intention that it reaches those who need it. Each listen spreads your spell.
Songs for Magical Purposes
Ritual Opening Songs
Songs to open sacred space, call quarters, or begin ritual.
Characteristics: Invocational, welcoming, setting sacred space
Chants for Energy Raising
Simple, repetitive songs that build energy in ritual.
Characteristics: Repetitive, building, easy to learn and sing together
Meditation Songs
Songs for meditation, trance, or journeying.
Characteristics: Slow, repetitive, hypnotic, minimal lyrics
Celebration Songs
Songs for sabbats, full moons, or magical celebrations.
Characteristics: Joyful, uplifting, celebratory, often in major keys
Lullabies & Blessing Songs
Gentle songs for children, blessing, or peaceful magic.
Characteristics: Gentle, soothing, simple, loving
Devotional Songs
Songs honoring deities, spirits, or the divine.
Characteristics: Reverent, beautiful, honoring, often traditional in feel
Using Songs in Magical Practice
Daily Singing Practice
Sing your magical songs daily to reinforce intentions and build energy.
Ritual Soundtracks
Create playlists of magical songs for different rituals or purposes.
Group Singing
Singing together in circles or groups amplifies the magic exponentially.
Song as Offering
Sing to your deities, ancestors, or spirits as devotional offering.
Singing Spells
Instead of speaking incantations, sing them. The melody adds power.
Famous Magical Songwriters & Traditions
Bardic Tradition
Celtic bards were poets, musicians, and magical practitioners whose songs held power.
Troubadours
Medieval traveling musicians who spread songs of love, chivalry, and mystery.
Spiritual/Gospel Tradition
Songs of faith, transcendence, and spiritual power that move the soul.
Protest Songs
Songs that changed society, started movements, and shifted consciousness.
Mantras & Sacred Chants
Ancient songs from various traditions designed specifically for spiritual transformation.
Troubleshooting Songwriting Magic
"I can't write music"
Start simple. Use basic chord progressions. Speak your lyrics rhythmically over a beat. Collaborate with musicians. The magic is in the intention, not technical perfection.
"I can't sing"
Everyone can sing. Your voice is unique and powerful. Sing for yourself and the spirits—they don't judge. Practice builds confidence and skill.
"I have writer's block"
Start with a simple phrase or affirmation. Hum a melody without words. Use prompts. Write badly on purpose. The muse returns when you show up consistently.
"My songs feel too personal to share"
Not all songs need to be shared. Some are private spells. Honor what wants to stay sacred. Share only what feels right.
Journaling Prompts for Songwriting Magic
- What intention do I want to turn into a song?
- What songs have moved me deeply and why?
- How does singing change my energy and mood?
- What would I sing if I knew my voice was powerful magic?
- What message does the world need to hear in song?
- How can I use songwriting to process emotions?
- What would my personal power anthem sound like?
Conclusion
Songwriting is powerful magic—combining the spell-casting power of words with the vibrational magic of music. When you write songs with intention, you're creating incantations that work on multiple levels, affect emotions, entrain the body, and spread through the world as others sing along. Your songs are spells that can heal, transform, inspire, and manifest.
Pick up your instrument or open your voice. Let the melody flow. Write your spells in song. Sing them into being. Share them with the world. Your magical songs are waiting to be born.
