What To Do After Your Spell or Ritual Has Been Completed

You finished the ritual. The candle is out, the incense has faded, and the room is quiet again. But something lingers, not just the scent or the wax on the plate, but a feeling. Your heart might be racing. You might feel spaced out, unsteady, or deeply emotional. What now?

This is the part many people forget about. You raised energy, called on spirits, and set your intention into motion, but the ritual isn’t truly over until you return yourself to balance and clear the space. What you do after the spell is just as important as what you did during it.

Why Spells Need a Proper Ending

Every ritual opens a door. That door can be spiritual, emotional, or energetic. If you leave it open—by skipping grounding, forgetting to give thanks, or leaving your tools lying around—it can affect the outcome of your spell. Worse, it can leave you feeling drained, confused, or even blocked.

After spellwork, many people feel “off.” You may feel like crying, eating, or curling up in bed. This is your body’s way of telling you that your spirit is still floating. That’s why you need to ground your energy and seal the work. It’s not dramatic or complicated—it’s just the healthy way to close spiritual practice.

Grounding and Coming Back to Yourself

Grounding helps you settle after a ritual. It brings your energy down from the spiritual world and returns it to your body. This is especially important after emotional spells like breakups, protection, or shadow work.

There are many ways to ground. You can eat a small snack, even just bread or fruit, and drink cool water. You can hold a red jasper stone in your hand, or sit on the floor with your bare feet touching the ground. Some people like to walk outside, touch a tree, or place their hands in soil.

You can also anoint yourself with pine or sandalwood oil. Place a drop behind your ears or on your wrists and say: “I return to myself. I am safe and steady.” Visualizing your energy flowing back down into the earth is also helpful. You’ll feel calmer and clearer afterward.

Cleaning Up Your Spell Materials

Once your spell is complete, it’s time to deal with what’s left over. Candle stubs, ashes, burned petitions, herbs, jars — all of these items still hold energy. Throwing them straight into the trash can interrupt or weaken the magic.

How you dispose of them depends on the intention behind your spell:

• If your ritual was meant to bring something in, like love, luck, or money, bury the items in your yard, keep them in a charm bag, or place them in a hidden area of your home.
• If your ritual was meant to send something away, like a bad habit, curse, or person, dispose of the items far from your home. Use a crossroads, a riverbank, or a trash bin outside your house.
• If the spell involved freezing or stopping something, keep the item in the back of your freezer in a sealed jar or bag.

For candles, wax, and other spell remnants, follow the guidance in our article on how to dispose of a spell candle after a ritual to make sure you’re clearing that energy with care.

Be respectful, but don’t overthink it. Wrap your materials in paper, add a coin or a pinch of salt if you feel called to, and trust your instinct. Just make sure your disposal doesn’t harm the environment. Natural materials like herbs, paper, and wax are safe to return to the earth, but glass, plastic, or metal should be removed first.

What To Do With Offerings

Offerings to spirits, ancestors, or deities are gifts. You may offer food, water, wine, coins, or flowers to show your respect. But once the energy of the offering has been accepted, the item itself needs to be cleared away.

Never let food rot on your altar. That doesn’t honor the spirits — it invites pests and heavy energy into your space. When you’re ready to dispose of offerings:

• Bury them under a tree or in your garden, especially if they are organic.
• Burn them if they are paper notes, herbs, or other dry materials.
• Pour liquids at the base of a tree or directly into the soil.
• Wrap and throw away spoiled food if it’s no longer safe to bury. Do so with a prayer of thanks.

Always say something simple like, “Thank you for receiving this. I return it with love.” This shows respect and closes the offering properly.

Handling Negative or Heavy Energy Items

Some spells involve pushing energy away, like banishings, breakups, or protection from harm. These spells often use items that should not be kept. Black candles, poppets, cursed objects, or jars filled with angry intentions need to be cleared quickly and completely.

These are safe to throw away. Wrap them in black paper or a dark cloth and toss them far from your home. You can also burn them or flush biodegradable items down the toilet if safe to do so. Always wash your hands after and use protective oil or cologne on your wrists, back of neck, and doorways.

It’s also a good idea to sweep your space, shake out your rugs, or wipe down your altar with a floor wash. This clears any leftover energy so you don’t carry it with you.

Three Rituals to Properly Close Your Spellwork

After your main ritual is complete, it’s essential to give your energy a gentle transition. These simple follow-up rituals help you return to balance, clear leftover materials, and show respect for the work you’ve done. Each one supports a different kind of closure — whether you’re grounding yourself, releasing spell remains, or returning offerings. You don’t need to do all three every time. Choose the one that fits your situation, and complete it with calm, care, and quiet confidence.

Grounding and Centering Ritual

Use this when you feel emotionally drained or lightheaded after a ritual. It helps your spirit come back into balance and reconnect with your body. Gather the following:

• A piece of red jasper or black tourmaline
• A glass of water
• A small piece of bread or fruit
• Pine oil
• A white tea light candle

Sit in a quiet space and light the candle. Hold the stone in one hand and take three deep breaths. Eat your bread or fruit slowly, sip the water, and imagine your energy moving downward into the earth. Rub a drop of oil behind each ear and say: “I am grounded. I am calm. I am home.” Carry the stone with you for the rest of the day.

Spell Material Disposal Ritual

This ritual helps you remove leftover spell items in a way that respects their energy and clears your space. Prepare the items for the ritual: 

• A brown paper bag or a cloth pouch
• Spell remains (wax, herbs, burned paper, ashes)
• A coin or pinch of sugar
• A place to bury, burn, or throw them away

Place all spell remains in the bag. Add a coin or sugar to sweeten the release. Say aloud: “This work is done. I let it go with peace.” Dispose based on the spell’s purpose — bury for blessings, throw away for release, or burn for transformation. Afterward, clean your hands and sweep the space where you performed the ritual.

Offering Return Ritual

Use this when you need to clear old offerings from your altar. It helps you express gratitude and return the gift with respect. Here are the items for the ritual: 
The leftover offering (food, drink, flowers, coins)

• A white candle
• A tree, garden, or outdoor space
• A short prayer or message of thanks

Light the candle and speak your thanks: “To those who walked with me, I honor you. I return this offering with love.” Bring the item to a natural place and bury it, or gently place it under a tree. Never leave trash behind. Let the candle burn out or snuff it with your fingers once you return.

Your Final Step of Power

How you close a ritual shows the universe that you are serious, respectful, and ready. When you ground yourself, dispose of your tools with care, and give thanks, you tell the spirits: “I’ve done my part. I trust you to do the rest.” This simple act of follow-through is where many people lose power, but not you.

You don’t need to be perfect. You just need to be present. When you honor the closing of your ritual with the same care you gave to the start, your energy stays strong and your path stays open. Let that be the final spell — one of trust, release, and quiet strength.