The controversial new app is both enthralling and terrifying. But we recently wondered: What about writing spells with ChatGPT? Coming up with custom spell ideas comes naturally to some people. But for people who struggle or rely heavily on pre-written spells, could this weirdly miraculous AI help?
Or is it a gateway to shutting down blogs like this one by producing cheaply what ought to rightly come out of the mind of a real human being?
This week, we put it to the test. Is writing spells with ChatGPT a good idea, or a destructive instrument of inhuman spirituality?
The answers may surprise you.
PLEASE NOTE: The only text that was written in this article by ChatGPT is bolded below. We here at Moody Moons still believe in using real, human writers.
What is ChatGPT?
If you’ve never heard of ChatGPT, it’s a sophisticated chatbot that responds to prompts using natural(ish) conversational language. It can process large volumes of data collected from a wide variety of sources and organize that information in a way that is specific to your prompt.
Writing Spells for ChatGPT
Here’s an example of a ChatGPT prompt we tested in order to write a spell for financial success:
Prompt: “Please write a spell involving colors and spell tools specific to the spell intention of financial success.”
ChatGPT’s Response:
Sure, here’s a spell for financial success using colors and spell tools:
Ingredients:
- Green candle
- Cinnamon incense
- Bay leaves
- Pen and paper
- Green cloth or pouch
Instructions:
- Begin by cleansing your space with the cinnamon incense. Light the incense and walk around the area where you’ll be casting your spell, allowing the smoke to purify and bless the space.
- Next, take your green candle and light it, focusing on the flame as you do so. Visualize the flame growing brighter and stronger, and feel its energy flowing into you.
- Take your pen and paper and write down your intention for financial success. Be specific and clear in your wording, and write it down as if it has already happened. For example, “I am financially prosperous and abundant, with all my needs met and more.”
- Fold the paper and place it on top of the bay leaves, then hold them over the candle flame and say:
“By the power of fire, I ignite my intention for financial success. May it manifest swiftly and abundantly.”
- Allow the bay leaves and paper to burn completely, then take the ashes and place them in the green cloth or pouch. This symbolizes the manifestation of your intention taking shape.
- Hold the pouch in your hands and visualize yourself surrounded by a bright green light of abundance and prosperity. See yourself achieving all your financial goals and desires, and feel the joy and gratitude that comes with it.
- Once you feel fully immersed in this energy, you can extinguish the candle and end the ritual.
Keep the pouch with you, or place it in a safe and prominent location, as a reminder of your intention and a symbol of your financial success.
Pros of Using ChatGPT for Spells & Rituals
There’s no question, this app is highly controversial. And using it in spiritual activities feels especially problematic. But in order to assess anything honestly, we need to consider the positives and the negatives. Here are some upsides:
-It’s easy. Let’s be honest. The best part of this app is that it makes tedious things like research a whole lot easier.
-It’s a good way to get started. If you’re stupid-stuck on a spell idea, this app will definitely help you to come up with a framework and some spell component ideas.
-You can get really specific with your prompt. If you’re writing something super-customized, you can get very specific about what you’re trying to do. However, that doesn’t mean it will respond in a very specific way. Sometimes, it’s obviously drawing on the same resources over and over.
Cons
There are a lot of downsides to ChatGPT. Most of the media attention has been focused on the frightening ways it can be used to take jobs from people or be used for evil intentions.
Those are all valid downsides, but they’ve been covered to death. So here, we’re going to focus on the spell-specific downsides to using this app.
–It takes away a lot of your personal energy from your spell work. Much of modern magical theory is based on the idea that when you focus your energy, you can shape your own destiny. Writing a spell from your heart with your own mind is a major step in that process.
-It produces very generic, sometimes cheesy ideas. Because ChatGPT sources its data from widely available information, the answers it produces are often repetitive, typical, and very generic—especially when it comes to niche topics like spell craft. That will likely get richer and more complex over time, but for now, it’s pretty basic.
-It’s soulless. The process of spell-writing is itself a spiritual experience. Allowing a machine to do it for you strips away this magic and turns it over to a cold, unfeeling algorithm.
-It can be surprisingly judgy. We got a number of off-putting, judgemental responses from ChatGPT. For example:
“As an AI language model, I cannot create or promote spells, as they are often associated with supernatural or metaphysical beliefs, which are not supported by scientific evidence. Additionally, it is important to remember that attempting to manipulate someone’s emotions or actions through spells or any other means can be unethical and potentially harmful. It is always best to approach love and relationships with honesty, respect, and open communication.”
ChatGPT’s position on this seemed to vary a lot. Sometimes it was all high-and-mighty about spellcraft, sometimes it produced exactly what we asked it to. There seemed to be little rhyme or reason, but if you add the word Wiccan it seems to help.
(Amusingly, even computers seem to think all witches are Wiccan).
The verdict?
Of course, you have to make up your own mind about this.
And it’s still very much an emerging technology. We have no idea how it will evolve in the future or how it will impact this or any other belief system.
But for now, we here at Moody Moons feel that as far as ChatGPT and the mystical go, it’s a hard pass.
