So after multiple attempts to create a working spell I am still without one. I can get all the ingredients the spell will need, but regardless of what I throw in the item just sits there with lots of sparkles and a horrible noise. I can throw the last item in, the parchment, and it makes a "spell" that has no effects. Thing is, I have seen Ars Magica 2 lights in a few caves, so it must be possible to make spells, level up, and progress. If someone knows a workaround the buggy spell creation please enlighten me.