I usually light my candles, I’ve learned that having a red and white on your alter is good for protection. I also will light my incense and usually sage or palo santo to clear the area. I visualize and meditate while focusing on my intent and then proceed with the spell. Afterwards I thank the universe and stuff the candles. I feel like this is good for me, but I’m wondering if there is more that i can/ should do and what everyone’s unique technique is…
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Lighting your candles is a great way to start a ritual, @Steff, and if that is working for you then I don’t think there’s any need for you to change it! 
While you shouldn’t feel pressured to change your routine to match what others do, if you are looking to add more things to your practice, I would be happy to offer a few suggestions you might try.
Another popular first step is to draw a magickal circle- not all witches choose to use magickal circles, but if you do choose to do it then I recommend you be sure to properly take down the circle when your spellwork is done.
Grounding is a practice where you draw your energy into yourself and become completely focused and present in the moment. You can do this easily by doing a focused breathing exercise or by following a meditation to help you gather your energy pre-spellwork.
Again, everyone has their own “pre-ritual rituals” and techniques for beginning spellwork, and that is totally fine! If you are ever looking to add more to your practice, don’t be scared to try new methods and experiment to find what works best for you 
Good luck and blessed casting! 
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I’ve turned into one of the ones that cast a circle first. Mainly because I love my wand and I want to use it more. LOL!
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@Steff Hi! As Bry said, you do not have to copy anyone else. At the same time, it helps to have a model to start with. I am currently reading Spellcrafting by Aris Murphy-Hiscock, and so far it has been full of ideas that I believe will strengthen my spells and my practice. Do what works for you, but if you want a step by step process, with correspondences, to model your spells after, this may be a useful resource.
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I usually start with a simple meditation to ground and center myself. This is when I remove any excess energy and really start to focus on what I’m doing. If I’m calling on a deity for my spell, I make sure to take extra time during this step so I have my intentions clear and my petition clear as well. I don’t cast circles but if I feel like I need extra protection or I’m raising energy, I will create a sort of bubble, if that makes sense. I guess it would be like casting a circle but not in a traditional sense.
Then I go about doing my spell. If I have to let candles burn all the way then I do that. And then when everything is done, I clean up! Sometimes I will do divination before to see if I should even be doing the spell in the first place. I might do some divination after to see how the spell will go or if there’s anything extra I should be aware of.
Not a lot of ceremony and ritual over here 
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Thank you so much! I feel better hearing from everyone and have confidence that I’m not doing anything wrong lol! I’m still trying to get used to this wonderful website and forum along with bookmarking! 
Ive downloaded multiple pages to print but organization isn’t my strongest area lol!
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This is wonderful! I feel better now and know I’m doing what feels right to me! Im excited to spend time in this forum and site today 
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You’re very welcome, @Steff- I’m happy if I could help! 
And I’m thrilled to hear you’re enjoying the site 
Make yourself at home and keep on having fun as you continue to develop your practice! 
Blessed be!
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I also start this way but for me it is when i first sit at my altar. I light three candles for my deities, light a forth depending what the coloured candle is of the day, light incense and i cleanse my altar items or new candles as i see fit. I only do spells when i feel powerful enough or magickal enough if it makes sense, and when i do i cast a circle by calling the quarters and i will do so with my wand or athame… I also will either cleanse with moon water or with sage. I end by closing the circle and thanking the quarters and my deities if i had called upon them (such as last night when i was in need of help so i called upon all my deities to help me and left an offering as well)
i go with what the @BryWisteria said and it should be how you would like to cast a spell… As for me as i have a lot of negativity inn my household that i can sense as one member is against or dislikes my witch practice, i feel the need to regularly sage or do a salt spell to protect myself from them and their negativity. Also as i believe there is other things that we humans cannot see such as spirits and just as we humans have bad and good i believe they too have good and bad so i like to have that extra protection knowing nothing bad is going to break in my sacred space and cause me harm…
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I usually start by lighting a candle that corresponds with the day (i.e., pink for Friday, Black for Saturday, Yellow for Sunday, etc.) and turning on my essential oil diffuser, followed by a 5-10 minute tea meditation to remove any unwanted energies.
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I do the same! Meditate first, then cast the spell 
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