Category: Book of Spells

Poppet History – Global Poppet Magic

Poppet History – Global Poppet Magic

 

Ramses and the Poppets:

When most people think of a poppet, they automatically think of the Voodoo doll, thanks to this item’s negative portrayal in movies and on television. However, the use of dolls in sympathetic magic goes back several millennia. Back in the days of ancient Egypt, the enemies of Ramses III (who were numerous, and included some of his harem women and at least one high-ranking official) used wax images of the Pharaoh, to bring about his death.

 

Greek Kolossi:

It wasn’t uncommon for the Greeks to use sympathetic magic in workings related to love or war. Christopher Faraone, Professor of Classical Languages and Literatures at the University of Chicago, is one of the foremost authorities on Greek magic today, and says that Greek poppets called Kolossoi were sometimes used to restrain a ghost or even a dangerous deity, or to bind two lovers together. In Idyll 2, The Witch (Pharmakeutria), written about 200 b.c.e., the tragedian Theocritus refers to melting and burning wax dolls. He relates the tale of Simaetha, rejected by Delphis, attempts to get her lover back with magic.

The Princess Who Played with Dolls:

Wax dolls certainly weren’t limited to the ancient classical world. The one-time Princess of Wales, Caroline of Brunswick, was married to the man who later became King George IV, and evidently couldn’t stand him. She spent many hours forming wax dolls of her husband and jabbing them with pins. Although there’s no concrete evidence as to what this may have done to George, when Caroline ran off to Italy with her young lover, George didn’t object.

The royal couple remained married but lived separately until Caroline’s death in 1821, according to Witchcraft and Evidence in Early Modern England by Malcolm Gaskill.

West African Fetish Magic:

West African slaves brought with them a doll called a fetish when they were forced to leave their homes and come to the American colonies. In this case, the doll is not so much representative of an individual, but is in fact possessed by spirits connected to the doll’s owner. A fetish contains significant power and is typically worn or carried by its owner as a talisman. During America’s Colonial period, slave owners were allowed to kill any slave found with a fetish in his possession.

American Hoodoo and Folk Magic:

In American Hoodoo and folk magic, the use of poppets as a magical tool became popular following the Civil War. There is some dispute as to whether the dolls are used at all in Haiti, which is the home of Vodoun religion, and a few sources disagree on whether the use of poppets is truly a Vodoun practice or not. However, the Voodoo Museum of New Orleans does stock a variety of dolls in their gift shop.

Regardless of how you make your poppet — out of cloth, a chunk of meat, or a glob of wax, remember that poppets have a long tradition behind them, and that tradition is influences by the magical practices of a wide range of cultures. Treat your poppets well, and they will do the same for you.

 

Source:

  Paganism/Wicca Expert
Article located on & owned by About.com

Sympathetic Magic

Sympathetic Magic

Definition:

In many traditions of magic, both older and modern, the concept of sympathetic magic plays a crucial role. The idea behind sympathetic magic is, at its core, that a person can be effected magically by actions performed towards something that represents them.

A perfect example of this is the use of the poppet or doll in magical workings. The poppet has been around for a long time – there is documentation that the ancient Greeks and Egyptians used them – long before pop culture discovered “Voodoo dolls.” A doll is used to represent a person, and the magical acts performed on the doll are then reflected on the person himself.

Sir George James Frazer, who wrote The Golden Bough, summarized the concept of sympathetic magic as “like produces like.”

Frazer broke down the idea further into two distinct parts – the Law of Similarity and the Law of Contact/Contagion. He said, “From the first of these principles, namely the Law of Similarity, the magician infers that he can produce any effect he desires merely by imitating it: from the second he infers that whatever he does to a material object will affect equally the person with whom the object was once in contact, whether it formed part of his body or not.”

To carry the idea of sympathetic magic a step further, in many modern magical traditions we use correspondences, or connections between non-magical items and magical concepts.

It’s why sage is associated with wisdom, or rose quartz with love, or the color red with passion.

There are some theories that prehistoric cave art may represent the earliest documented examples of sympathetic magic. If, for instance, a tribe’s shaman wanted to ensure a successful hunt, he might paint images of the hunting group killing an animal that could later be consumed by the whole tribe.

 

Source:

Paganism/Wicca Expert
Article located on & owned by About.com

The Witches Magick for the 20th Day of the Blood Moon – Through the Future Brightly

witch

The Witches Magick for the 20th Day of the Blood Moon

Through the Future Brightly

 

You will need a white candle, three fall leaves from trees, and a picture of somthing that you would like to bring into your life. Light the candle and dedicate it to the Goddess:

To the Goddess of Divine Light

May Your image always be bright

Tonight and every night

So be it! Blessed be!

Place the three leaves the left side of the candle and the picture of your future on the right side. Look deep into the picture and see yourself as part of it. Merge into the image and become One with it. Pray to the Goddesss:

Goddess of the Divine Light

Show me my future tonight.

So be it! Blessed be!

As you drift to sleep, repeat to yourself:

I dream of my future tonight, and

Remember my dreams when I awaken.

In the morning, write everything you remember from your dreams in your journal. Return the leaves to the Earth.

 

 

Wiccan Spell A Night, 365 Spells, Charms, and Potions for the Whole Year

Sirona Knight

 

WOTC Extra (b) – The Actual Ritual Bath

Pentagram

The Actual Ritual Bath

 

If you are intending to take a ritual bath you should, as you mix in your salts, bless the water and charge it with your intent – be that a particular ritual, a relaxing evening or a successful meeting. In this ritual you will use candles. These can be in the colours of the Elements or the colours most appropriate to your purpose, for example – pink (peace and tranquillity), blue (wisdom), green (self-awareness) and red (passion). For spiritual matters, use purple.

YOU WILL NEED

Bath Salts

Votive candles according to your need

Large white candle

Essential oil to remove negativity, e.g. Rosemary

Large glass of mineral water or juice

 

METHOD

Anoint the large white candle with the essential oil and ask for positivity, health and happiness as you do so. Do the same with the votive candles according to your need. You may, if you wish, inscribe a symbol to represent your purpose on each candle.

Run your bath and mix in the bath salts.

Light the candles, the white one first followed by the votives and place the latter safely around the bath. The white candle should be placed wherever you feel is safest. You have now created a sacred space.

Lie back and enjoy your bath and at some point drink your water or juice visualizing your whole system being cleansed inside as well as out. Before you get out of the bath, thank the water deities for this opportunity to prepare thoroughly for the new energies available to you. If you are to perform a ritual, then keep your mind focussed on that intent.

On this occasion, for safety’s sake, when you have finished your bath, snuff out the candles.

 

Natural Magic: Spells, Enchantments & Self-Development

Pamela Bell

WOTC Extra (a) – A Method of Ritual Bathing

Pentagram
A Method of Ritual Bathing

 

Many practitioners prefer to take a ritual bath before performing any magical workings. You will probably develop your own routine, but below we show the basic sequences that can work very well.

Bath Salts

Commercial bath salts will do absolutely nothing on an esoteric level – they have too many chemical additives and artificial perfumes, so it is a nice touch to make your own using essential oils, blends such as those shown below and/or herbs. The fact that you have mixed them yourself means that they are infused with your own vibration and therefore will work on a very subtle level.

Matching your bath salt perfume to your incense perfume will do wonders for your psyche.

On a slightly more practical level, bath salts with an esoteric theme are an effective and gentle way of introducing someone to the delights of ritual.

YOU WILL NEED

3 parts Epsom salts

2 parts baking soda

1 part rock salt (or borax)

Bowl for mixing Essential Oils in your chosen perfumes

Handful of herbs (optional)

Natural food colouring

 

METHOD

Mix the first three ingredients thoroughly in the mixing bowl. Use your hands as this will enable you to imbue the salts with your own energy. This is your basic mixture and can be perfumed or coloured in any way that you please.

Note: It is wise when using essential oils to mix them first if you are using a blend to allow the synergy between the oils to develop.

Add your colouring first and mix to your satisfaction, then follow with your oil or blend a drop at a time. Next add the herbs to the mixture and combine thoroughly. Be generous with the oils since the salts will absorb a surprising amount. Your nose, however, as with all oils and perfumes is the best judge – there is no right or wrong amount.

If you wish to call upon one of the water gods, now is a good time to do so since you should take your time in blending the ingredients.

When you wish to use your salts, add approximately 2 tablespoons to a full bathtub and mix well.

 

Natural Magic: Spells, Enchantments & Self-Development

Pamela Bell

Let’s Talk Witch – Preparation for Rituals

Pentagram

Preparation for Rituals

 

Inevitably there are certain things to remember before the ritual proper begins. While you are preparing for the ritual, when putting on your robes or ritual gowns you might spend time in reflection, silent meditation or prayer. Prior to the beginning of any ritual, and while enrobing, concentrate on the matter in hand, if the ritual has a special intent. Alternatively, simply focus on the Supreme Being, Cosmic Responsibility and/or a successful outcome and ask that the event to follow helps you in your learning.

There is no limit to what can be worn in a ritual. Some groups will suggest white robes with black cords or vice versa for everyone, thus ensuring that everyone starts off on an equal footing. Others may designate certain colours for leaders of the group and other colours for trainees, while yet others will simply suggest that you are comfortable in what you wear. Many people will spend a great deal of time, energy and effort on fashioning suitable robes, and we suggest that you use sigils and symbols appropriate to your own beliefs.

The idea is that when working magically you leave behind the ordinary mundane world, so you will probably prefer to turn off mobile phones, put away keys and name tags and remove money from pockets and so on. It will be a matter of group preference as to whether you wear jewellery or not. In some circles, magical jewellery such as the pentagram, the ankh or rings with magical symbols or significance may be allowed while in others they are not. Many groups will not allow the use of watches, since time is considered irrelevant. It is often better not to use perfume or cologne unless it is based on essential oils which are suitable for the work in hand, or complement any incense being used.

 

Natural Magic: Spells, Enchantments & Self-Development

Pamela Bell

 

Your Rune for Monday, October 19th is Mannaz

bw-mannaz

Your Rune For Today
Mannaz

Now is the time for you to explore your inner self and those of others. Your intelligence and creativity are very well honed at the moment. Cooperation from and with others should be very easy to attain

.Additional information about today’s rune, Mannaz….

mannaz : man, humankind

Phonetic equivalent: m

DIVINATORY MEANINGS:
significator, self, family, community, relationships, social concerns

 

MAGICAL USES:
to represent a specific person or group of people; to establish social relationships

 

ASSOCIATED MYTHS & DEITIES:
Ask and Embla, Midgard

 

ANALYSIS:
In its broadest sense, mannaz represents all of humanity, and therefore the entire realm of Midgard. In more practical terms, though, it is those with whom we have personal connections, from our immediate circle of family and friends to the wider community around us, reminding us of our nature as social animals. It also represents our connection with the Gods and with nature, through the two Norse myths of the creation of humans; the first where they sprang from Ymir’s body, and the second in which they were created from two logs by a river. It takes the raw energy of ehwaz and controls it through our social conscience, reminding us of those we affect with our deeds both magical and mundane. 

The rune itself resembles gebo with its joining of masculine and feminine elements, but is much more complete. It is the entire web of human relationships, with the self at the centre, which mirrors the web of fate explored through rai̡o. But while that web was more or less fixed, this one is mutable and alive. Past and present, male and female, self and other Рall opposites are joined here and made whole. Mannaz is our home, and speaks for all those whose lives we touch when we use the gifts we have been given through the runes

A Spell to Banish Unwanted Attention

A Spell to Banish Unwanted Attention

 

At some time or other most of us attract the attention of someone we would rather not know. If they seem slow to take the hint, this spell should speed things up. Cast it three days or nights in a row when the moon is waning.If you can’t get your hands on fresh vervain leaves,use the dried ones that should be available at a local herbalist. You’ll need about a handful of either.The spell is best cast outside, but if this is not possible, it can be done indoors.As it involves fire, it must be done with great care.

You will need:

Vervain leaves

A well-stoked fire

Consecrate the wood or coal before lighting the fire. When it has taken, throw the vervain onto the flames, calling out the name of the person you want out of your life as loudly and with as much passion as you can muster. Follow the name with these words, which should also be said with passion:

I want you not ever.

I need you not ever.

Leave my life now,

And come back never.

And let it be done, that it harm no one.

Spend a minute or two trying to see the other person’s face in the smoke of the fire and watch it waft away from you – never to return.

Banishing Spell to Stop Harm

BANISHING SPELL TO STOP HARM

This will protect without causing the person bound any harm. It is not a dark spell but a very potent protective one.

You may use a different oil if you wish to use as a banishing oil. Rosemary may be substituted for Rue.

Materials:

1 black taper or image candle (gender depends on who you are trying to bind)

nail

black cloth a large piece of black cloth

red ribbon

cotton

needle and thread

Banishing oil

loose tobacco

a small mirror that can stand by itself

If you can obtain hair or nail clippings from the person or a picture, you can use it in this spell.

Fold the felt in half and cut out a rough shape of the person you want to bind. Make the figure large enough so that you will be able to stuff it after you have sewn it together. Sew the pieces of the poppet together, leaving a hole through which you can stuff the poppet. Fill it with cotton and tobacco, and if you have the hair or nail clippings of the person, add those to it.

Once it is filled, sew the opening closed. If you have a picture of the person, staple or sew it to the front of the poppet. Next, care the name of the person onto the black candle with the nail and add these runes: Thuraz, Isa, Eihwas, a dark filled in circle to represent the dark moon, bars like you will see in a jail, and a widdershins (anticlockwise) spiral. Anoint the candle and the poppet with the oil.

Cast a circle, invoke the elements, God or Goddess you are working with. Light the altar candles. Light the black candle and adjust the mirror so that flame is reflected in the glass.
Hold the poppet out in front of you and say:

“Creature of cloth thou art,
Creature of flesh and blood you be.
I name you (name of the person you are binding).
No more shall you do me harm.
No more shall you repeat false tales.
No more shall you interfere in my life, nor in the lives of my loved ones.
By the power of the Gods and by my will, So mote it be!”

Draw an invoking pentagram over the poppet. Now take the ribbon and begin to wrap the poppet like a mummy, leaving no space unwrapped. Say:

“I bind your feet from bringing harm to me.
I bind your hands from reaching out to harm me.
I bind your mouth from spreading false tales to harm me.
I bind your mind from sending energy to harm me.
If you do so continue, let all negative energy be cast and reflected directly at you!”

Tie off the ribbon and hold the poppet in front of the mirror while you visualize all negative
energy this person has sent to you being reflected back at them. Wrap the poppet in the black cloth and tie with another length of ribbon. Say:

“Great Mother, I have bound this person
from harming me and my loved ones.
By the powers of three times three
By Earth and Fire, Air and Sea
I fix this spell, then set it free
Twill give no harm to return to me
As I will, So mote it be!”

Let the candle burn out while the poppet sits at its base, then take the poppet and the remains of the candle far from your home and bury it deep in the ground or toss it in the ocean and walk away without looking back.

 

A Spell to Counter Another’s Magic

A Spell to Counter Another’s Magic

 

If, for some reason you believe that another person is using their powers adversely to affect you in some way, remove their negative influences with this simple spell.

You will need:

Two teaspoons of almond oil (or any suitable carrier oil)

Rosemary essential oil

A mixing bottle

A sheet of white paper

A black ink pen

A white altar candle

A purple taper candle

A fireproof bowl

Add three drops of the rosemary essential oil to the carrier oil and charge it by rolling the mixing bottle between the palms of your hands,focusing your thoughts on the purpose of your spell weaving. Now light the white candle and, focusing on its flame, see whoever you think is being negative towards you becoming smaller and smaller.

Anoint the purple candle with the charged oil,drawing the oil away from you as you are banishing something that has been directed towards you. Before lighting the candle, write on the paper ‘All blocks are gone’ and fold it three times. Now light the candle and use its flame to set fire to the paper. Focusing on the flames, say the following three times, at the last adding, ‘And let it be done, that it harm no one’:

As this paper burns away, Elements please hear me pray. Turn back the ill will sent to me, And send it on its way.

As the flames dim, see the ill will dissolving with them, then bring the session to an end in the usual way.

 

Banishing Oil

BANISHING OIL


1/2 oz olive oil

7 drops pepper oil (add cayenne pepper to olive oil if you wish)

10 drops peppermint oil – or peppermint essence from icing part of a grocers plus olive oil.

12 drops of rue or rosemary oil. You can add rue or rosemary to olive oil and put in a warm
place for 3 days and strain or buy the essential oil.

Some crushed black peppercorns

15 drops of pine oil or some pine needles stepped in olive oil for 3 days in warm place and strained or pine essential oil.

One obsidian or black onyx stone or a small black pebble.

 

Blend together in an eggcup and put In a clean brown or dark medicine bottle.
Some of these oils are volatile. Do not anoint yourself with Banishing oil. You could burn yourself.
Wash your hands after using. Charge the stone or stones used after adding it and focus on the person and your intent pouring in energy and emotion. As you dress the candles you make them your magical tools. Charge again as you massage away from you massaging in banishing oil from middle to the ends of the candle.

Banishing Spells and Folklore

Banishing Spells and Folklore

Disclaimer: The spells contained here are collected from years of personal experience, folk magic traditions, and various occult sources as noted. They are posted with the intention of being helpful to those who are looking for spell resources, and may need to be adjusted to fit your individual need. Please bear in mind that if your particular belief system prohibits you from casting certain types of spells, you should probably not do so — however, it’s important to recognize that not all magical traditions follow the same set of guidelines when it comes to spellwork.

If you’re here on this page, chances are good you’ve already read about the basics of banishing – and that article focuses primarily on getting unwanted metaphysical entities out of your life. However, sometimes, we have actual people in our lives that cause problems, and this is where a banishing spell comes in handy. There are a number of different methods you can try – just make sure that the one you use doesn’t violate any of your own personal moral or ethical guidelines.

To Make Someone Leave You Alone

This one comes in handy when you’ve got someone in your life that you can’t avoid – a co-worker or classmate – but you’re tired of being harassed by them.

They’ll still be around, but they’ll stop bothering you.

Write the individual’s name on a piece of paper. Burn the paper around the edges using a black candle (black is associated with banishing magic), and as you do so, let them know that you are burning away whatever feelings (animosity, lust, jealousy, whatever) they may have towards you. Burn as much of the paper as you can, until all that’s left is their name.

Take the last bit of paper to the place where you normally see them – work or school or wherever – and dig a hole and bury it.

To Keep Someone from Harassing You

Use the Chill Out spell, to get the person to chill out and move on.

Balloon Banishing

Write the person’s name on a small piece of paper, and insert it into a balloon. Fill the balloon with helium, and then take it far away and release it into the sky.

The Get Out of My Life Poppet

This is a good one to use when you not only want to be left alone, you want the person completely out of your life.

Light two black candles (black for banishment!), one on each side of your workspace.

Create a poppet out of whatever material you prefer to use (cloth, clay, wax, etc). As you assemble the poppet, make sure you tell the poppet how much you dislike it, and how your life would be a heck of a lot better if it would get out. Make sure you use a magical link so the poppet knows who it represents.

If you’re in a hurry to get the person out of your life, you can “light a fire under their butt” with the candles (important safety tip here, make sure you only SINGE the bottom of the poppet rather than actually lighting it on fire). Take it to the edge of your town, and bury it outside the city limits… if you make it out of clay you can smash it instead of burying it. Allow the candles to burn down until they are gone.

Four Thieves Banishing Spell

In some Hoodoo and folk magic tradition, an item known as Four Thieves vinegar is used. You’ll need to brew up a batch before you get started.

Use this spell to keep someone bothersome away from you.

Write your target’s name on a piece of paper – some traditions recommend you use brown paper, or parchment. Soak the paper in Four Thieves Vinegar. Fold the piece of paper up as small as you can, and bury in the dirt somewhere. One school of thought is that you should bury it in a pot, preferably under a plant like a cactus, so no one will ever disturb it.

 

Source:

 

, Paganism/Wicca Expert
Article found on and owned by About.com

 

Banishing Spells

Banishing Spells

In many traditions of Paganism and Wicca, banishing is done to get rid of negative energy, unwanted energy, or even people who causing problems in our lives. While some traditions frown upon banishing as manipulative magic on the theory that it impacts the free will of another, if your tradition has no prohibitions against such things, then there’s no reason you can’t do a banishing to get rid of negativity.

There are a number of different methods to accomplishing a successful banishing. Which one you choose will vary, depending on how comfortable you are with the different techniques, and what you’re trying to achieve.

Giving Orders

If you’re trying to get rid of an unwanted spirit, one of the most effective methods is to simply give it its marching orders. Be firm and blunt, and say something along the lines of, “This is not the place for you, and it’s time for you to leave.” You may wish to offer a blessing or well-wishes if it makes you feel better about things, and say, “It is time for you to move on, and we wish you the best in your new place.” Frequently, this will do the trick and your problems will be solved.

Elemental Banishing

A popular method of banishing is the use of the various elements, in particular the use of fire or water. Fire can be used as a method of purification and cleansing by way of destruction. Water is used in a number of religions for a variety of purposes, including banishing. You can make your own consecrated water for use in rituals.

Salt is also a great tool for banishing. In some magical traditions, it represents earth, and has been used for centuries to get rid of negative energy.

In some folk magic traditions, black salt – a blend of sea salt and another item such as charcoal – is used as a protective barrier.

Use fire to burn a symbol of whatever it is you wish to be rid of, or earth to bury it.

Ritual and Spellwork

In some circumstances, banishing may be far more complex than simply sprinkling some salt and telling someone (or something) to go away. If you have a person, for instance, who is harassing you, a banishing ritual may be called for. A banishing ritual should include a combination of the following:

  • The name of the person you wish to banish from your life
  • A specific and active description of what you intend to happen. For instance, “Make Susan a better person” is rather vague and passive – instead, try “Susan will stop harassing me at work.”
  • A magical link, or taglock, connected to the person you wish to banish

A great deal of magic relies on symbolism. You can use this to your advantage in a banishing, by doing things such as freezing someone’s behavior, binding them from continuing the behavior, or reflecting the negative behavior back at them. Some simple methods include:

  • A “chill out” spell, in which the person’s name is placed in a container of water and frozen.
  • A basic binding which metaphysically ties the hands of the individual. Try the tongue-binding spell if you’re dealing with someone who is spreading nasty rumors about you.
  • Use a box with mirrors inside it to reflect negativity back to the individual who is harassing you.

Finally, more complex banishings can be performed if needed. You can create a banishing spell using the basic Spell Creation Template, and perform it as necessary. Feel free to make your banishing ritual or spell as over-the-top and extreme as you wish – getting rid of someone who is causing you pain or heartache is a pretty significant thing, so unleash as much magical mojo as you feel you need.

 

Source:

, Paganism/Wicca Expert
Article found on and owned by About.com