You can, but the drink will have a lot of "extras" in it with the pulp from the cider. Whole spices also have more flavor in them than ground spices. If you want a smooth drink with a strong flavor, use whole spices. If you want to use ground spices because that's all you have, use 1 teaspoon of cinnamon for every stick and 2 1/4 teaspoon of ground cloves for every tablespoon of whole.