I think the most important element of a spell is the witch's desire. that's what raises the magic. every thing else just helps her get there.

Well, of course timing and all that can be important, but it all comes down to intent. All the tools do is help you focus. Although, at some point you have to send that intent out into the universe. So yeah, I think there can be a little overkill in the tools/working a spell for weeks on end thing.

I have one money spell that I work openly in my living room, and I ask my family for help in furthering it. I use a green candle that will burn for at least 7 days, a bowl of moon water, and a handful of silver coins. I ask everybody to write on a small scrap of paper what their needs are, and we put them under the bowl. then we play a money song of our choice, very loudly, and we light the candle and drop in the silver coins. It has to burn for at least 2 hours with somebody in attendance, and we each have to feed the spell with silver coins and desire every day for 7 days. usually the water dries up by the end, and the last day we burn the papers. Each of the elements of the spell means something to one of us, and it works very well, but only for a few months at a time. If we forget to renew it, it's because we're prospering, and that's okay.

Well for me,
tools are the catalyst.

not essential but we are beings that use our senses to relate to things in the world...our sense of touch, smell, sight, sound, taste.
so tools can help us connect to what we are doing because when we add a bunch of catalysts we awaken those senses and our subconscious but I have done magic and even ritual simply by using myself without the aid of any tools, even in a darkened room with my eyes closed.

Though I do enjoy using tools even if it's just a candle and incense because I like the creativity it can bring me and it does help open up my senses and focus.

I find that the spell starts when I start to think about what I am going to be doing, it already begins as I create it, whether it's something I plan or is more spontaneous...the energy is moving as I gather my tools, set my space up. place them on my altar or where ever I am going to work, so it doesn't just begin when I conduct the spell but as soon as I start the process of creating it.

so tools can help with this as well simply because in the process before we cast we are focusing on it and already that embues it with energy.

So they are not essential...one can spellcast without them but they are a nice element to the creativity of the practioner.

I agree with those that mention desire and intent and also I'll add our focus towards our workings are key elements.

our emotions as well. and for me the personal spirit connection so when I do ritual or spellcasting I do look towards these things with a spiritual connection as well.

so for me the most important elements come from within rather then without.

I would also add that those starting to use spellcraft may find it helpful to add material objects because it is more differecult to hold on to the visualizations that go along with casting unless you have a highly defined sense of visualization and can hold that in your mind's eye for an extended period of time.

heck even for me after practicing for years it doesn't come easy at times.

So I appreciate the materials I may use at any given time and if working within a group they can be very helpful since we all connect to different senses more strongly then others so incorporating as many of the senses in a group can be very important if doing group magick and tools can help in that.

I'd also add that tools can be anything.

I think often especially those starting out or who are stuck in the thought that they need tools before they begin their practices in ritual or spellwork have the wrong impressions about them and a lot of that is due to the enormous amount of beginner books out there saying you need this or that. prompting people to sort of go by the cart before the horse so to speak.

but tools can be anything from the home, things you already have, they can be a cup from the kitchen, they can be food, music, a butter knife, a rock you find on the ground, a feather......

and as to timing and all ...well the more catalysts you add the more you narrow the field for that energy to become totally scattered and not have any direction to go to so it can't hurt to add componants such as time, day, planetary hours and so on...but you don't have to add them all unless you feel you need too. then again, it's almost impossible to add them all.:-)

I don't add every componant.
I basically work with moon phase, moon or sun energy, maybe depending on what I do the day of the week, once in awhile I may choose the time of day as in dawn, noon, twilight, midnight, since I am not an expert on astrology I don't often add that componant unless it has something more to do with my signs.

I don't use planetary hours.,
seasonal energies I may take into consideration depending on what I am doing as I like to work with the wheel's energy and once in a blue I have considered the current weather, as in working with for example the energy of a rain storm or snow storm.

and of course there are the elements and elemental spirits.

so those are my thoughts:-)
enjoyed the question. thanks for posting that.

emotion is the fuel, will shapes the energy and moves the spell outward. faith connects it with divine energies and gives it life.
All the rest of it are aids, not essentials, however im not saying these are not important, just saying it CAN be done without them if necessary, tools, ingredients,etc are all important. but they are like the pages of a book, the story can still be expresed, but the written words, the paper of the book, the shape of the book, the cover,the bright colors, these get the story out to the world, even better than the oral version, but the story can STILL be told. and the oral version retains a strong link to its origins more so than a written book, its a trade off.just like spell work, one done without tools or ingredients may lose in power but is stronger in essence.

I think it's intention and belief.

desire and necessity of the spell. . . it very little to do with the circumstances of place, time and thing. . . it is all about desire and necessity.