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So if a spell was originally written in some language other than English, lets use latin for this example, would you say the spell in latin, or would you translate it into English and then say it? Been wondering this for a while and have gotten more interested in this stuff recently, so I would love any helpful answers!

I personally do not think the language is important, but the intent. People often get caught up in pronunciation, too, which I think is less important than intent, again. The magic is not in the words themselves, IMO.

chowderpope wrote:I personally do not think the language is important, but the intent. People often get caught up in pronunciation, too, which I think is less important than intent, again. The magic is not in the words themselves, IMO.

The actual language is just a tool to get into the proper mindset. As chowderpope mentioned here the magic isn't in the words. However, I think it's more in the understanding and meaning behind the spell and the words used more than the intent.

However, if it is an invocation or something dealing with a specific entity... I'd more use the original language of the spell then, as you work with it and get more comfortable with eachother, you can translate and use different languages which would suit you better.

favecentmo wrote:So if a spell was originally written in some language other than English, lets use latin for this example, would you say the spell in latin, or would you translate it into English and then say it? Been wondering this for a while and have gotten more interested in this stuff recently, so I would love any helpful answers!

Some of these spells/incantations/evocations don't even have words in them, but letters put together to form sounds.
I worked a s a musician for a long time, and to me this makes a lot of sense, specific words are have specific frequency, resonance and sound to them.
If I come across a spell that has that kind of structure, I would not translate it. I would learn whatever the language is, so that I know what the heck I'm saying and than work in that language.

Other spells, like shorter rhyming spells in witchcraft are usually about intent and can be translated. There is also an idea that these words have to be alive. So the moment you write them down or give them away the words don't work anymore. So any good witch will take an old spell and work new words into it or change stuff around so that it becomes an original spell.