The best replacement for spells is curses.

The best alternatives to spells are rated as following:
★★★★★  curses
★★★  charms
★★★  chants
★★  witchcraft
★★  prayers
★★  rituals
★★  potions
★  forbidden lance
★  lance

Your alternative for spells is not listed? Suggest!
Speaking about spells, one probably shouldn't forget about using candles.

Other search terms related to spells and their ratings are:
★★★★★ using candles
You have in mind a companion for spells and it is not yet here? Propose!



Google Trends

Scale is based on the average worldwide traffic of spells in all years. Click on graph for more.
spells
curses
charms