sheydmade

[sheydmade]

Fork in the Road Tarot Spread

For anyone who isn't sure which path to take of two options before them.

From @sheydmade's 'Tarot Spread for Making Decisions, Forging New Paths, & Pursuing New Endeavors'.

[sheydmade]

The perfect summer solstice post for all the plant magic/green magic/herbal ally witches out there (and then some). 🌞 Hope your Summer Solstice is beautiful and magical!

Summer Plant Allies for Spells & Divination

Summer, typically associated with sunshine, rising temperatures, and plenty of outdoor fun and activities, is a season abundant with powerful plant allies for magical workings. With delicious fruits that can aid in love and luck work, vegetables that are rife with symbolism or the perfect tools in sympathetic magic, and an array of flowers for protecting, purifying, and more, this bountiful season is one that shouldn't be overlooked by practitioners of witchcraft, no matter what path they follow.

In this piece, you'll find a collection of some of summer's offerings for plant allies and suggestions on how they may be used.

Beetroots / Beets

These delicious root vegetables are traditionally associated with love magic but can also be used as powerful symbols during spells and rites.

For love:

A beet, seen to symbolize the heart, should be shared between one and their desired to ensure that their love will be strong and true.

Writing one's name and the name of their desired, using beet juice as ink can be a simple love charm. To take this work further, fold the paper up bearing the names and tuck it inside a small box or satchet. Fill the satchet with other allies for love work — rose hips and rose petals, lavender, four-leaf clovers, apple blossom, apple seeds, etc. You can wear the satchet, keep it on your person in your bag or pocket, or sleep with it by your bed or under your pillow, drawing your love closer to you.

Using beet juice as ink, draw a picture of your beloved. This will encourage love to grow or strengthen between you. If you do not have a particular person in mind, but an ideal, this spell can also be used to manifest crossing paths with such a person.

There is also a "superstition" where I'm from that says that if you're craving beets, it's a sign you're either falling in love with someone or that someone who loves you is thinking about you.

For symbolism:

Beetroot can be used to symbolize hearts, life, and blood. One can use it in spells and rituals that would require such symbolism, and it can be used to replace any of those ingredients. Beet juice is especially good for symbolizing blood.

Blackberries

As a fruit often used in baking for holidays and festivals, blackberries are a common berry with a lot to offer. As aids in protection magic, money spells, and valued offerings, blackberries are an essential summer ally.

For healing:

Blackberry leaves can be carried as a charm to protect against illness (particularly illness related to the throat or stomach) and to help one recover from illness quickly. (Blackberry tea works just as well and is quite delicious.)

For protection:

Growing blackberries on your property is said to bring protection.

One can hang blackberry vines on their porch or on their door/window frames to bring protection (and luck with money) to the home.

For money:

Keeping blackberry leaves in one's wallet, purse, piggy bank, or coin jar is believed to multiply the amount of money coming in.

A simple money spell using blackberry leaves calls for writing a monetary total on a leaf (or leaves) and placing the leaf in your wallet where you keep paper money. That amount will come your way. Some say this will happen gradually but can be sped up by refreshing the magic often or by using more than one leaf.

Baking a blackberry pie and gifting it to someone (or partaking in it yourself when you find yourself in these situations) who is looking for work, seeking a promotion, or just starting a new job or financial venture is believed to bless them with monetary success.

Use blackberry juice as ink to draw symbols for money spells or write money spells. This can boost the money-making magic.

Fennel (Foeniculum Vulgare)

Fennel has long been used as an aid in protection works and to boost one's courage and strength.

by Franz Köhler, 1887

For protection:

Fennel, when hung at windows and doors, can ward against evil spirits, believed to prevent them from entering the home.

Some customs call for hanging fennel on your property to keep the law at bay.

Fennel grown on one's property is said to deter evil spirits and other harmful forces and energies.

One can grind the seeds of fennel into powder, which can then be used as a protective ward at thresholds, windows, and around the borders of one's property.

Carry fennel seeds with you to protect yourself from spirits who would do you harm.

If a harmful or evil spirit presents itself to you, cast a fistful of fennel seeds in its direction. This is believed to banish the spirit from the area.

Fennel, along with St. John's wort, has been used as a protective measure associated with the Summer Solstice. On the eve of the Summer Solstice, fashion a bundle of fennel and St. John's wort. Hang the bundle over your front door. Doing so is said to ward off evil or harmful spirits who may be roaming during this time.

It is ideal to have fennel or fennel seeds at hand (preferably on one's person) when working any magic that might expose one to malevolent forces, as fennel is thought to strengthen one against the influence of evil forces.

For courage:

When in need of a boost of courage, carry fennel seeds with you in a small bag.

Wearing fennel in one's shoes is also said to instill one with courage.

Figs (Ficus Carica)

[WARNING: Contact with the milky sap of Ficus carica followed by exposure to ultraviolet light can cause phytophotodermatitis, a potentially serious skin inflammation. The essential oil of fig leaves contains the highest concentration of psoralen of any organic compound isolated from fig leaves, known to cause fig leaf-induced phytophotodermatitis. Psoralen and bergapten are found chiefly in the milky sap of the leaves and shoots of F. carica but not the fruits or in the essential oil of the fig fruits. It is recommended to work with the fruits themselves and to take care working with the leaves or shoots of fig plants. 'Although the plant is not poisonous per se, F. carica is listed in the FDA Database of Poisonous Plants.']

Perhaps best known for their inclusion in love and fertility work, figs can also be used as divinatory aids, and as allies bringing luck, protection, and happiness.

by G.D. Ehret, 1771

For fertility & love:

Fresh figs should be eaten by those struggling with or wishing to improve their virility.

A token of a phallus carved from fig wood can be carried by those wishing to conceive to improve their chances.

Figs can be presented as offerings to any goddess associated with pregnancy.

Sharing a fresh fig between lovers is said to boost their sex life.

Sharing fresh or dried figs with someone you're romantically interested in can draw them closer to you.

It's said that gifting your desired with a fig will make them realize their attraction to you.

For protection & luck:

Growing a fig tree on one's property is believed to attract luck to the home and its inhabitants.

It's also said that growing a fig tree near one's home assures protection.

Keeping a branch from a fig tree on or at your door is believed to grant the home protection.

For strength:

Eating fresh figs is thought to increase one's physical strength.

For divination:

Fig leaves can be useful tools for divination and there are a few different customs calling for their use. Remember, though, to always take care when working with fig leaves (see the above note on fig leaf-induced phytophotodermatitis). If working with fig leaves is desired, consider using gloves.

If you're seeking answers when making a decision between multiple choices, write the choices down, each on their own fig leaf. Place the leaves in a bowl or jar. Speak you question aloud or to yourself, close your eyes, and draw one leaf from the mix. The answer you draw is the path you should follow or the best option for you.

If there is a matter for which there is either an affirmative or negative answer (i.e. 'Should I (insert action here)? 'Is (insert person here) true to me?' etc.), write your question on a freshly plucked fig leaf. Observe the fig leaf often over the next few hours or the rest of the day. If the leaf withers, dries up, or curls in on itself fairly quickly, the answer is negative. If the leaf stays fresh for a long while, the answer is affirmative.

Association with enlightenment, revelation, & sacred knowledge:

Figs bear association with enlightenment through Buddhism and Judaism — in Buddhism, Siddartha Gautama attained enlightenment after meditating at length at the roots of a bodhi tree (sacred fig/Ficus religiosa native to the Indian subcontinent); within Judaism, the fig tree is thought to be one option as to what the Tree of Knowledge could have been.

Foxgloves (Digitalis)

[WARNING: POISONOUS. Foxglove/Digitalis should not be consumed or absorbed through the skin. As per poison control, all parts of the foxglove plant are extremely poisonous. Blythe Copeland writes, 'The toxin appears in the leaves, flowers, and all other parts of the foxglove plant, and isn't mitigated by steeping or cooking.' Foxglove must be handled with care and kept away from animals and children. One should wear gloves if ever handling foxglove/digitalis. Species within the digitalis genus contain varying levels of 'several deadly physiological and chemically related cardiac and steroidal glycosides.' For more information check here and here. I do not recommend working with foxglove due to the risks of doing so but have included foxglove in this piece for strictly informative and educational purposes.]

Digitalis Purpurea by Franz Köhler

Foxglove is a versatile but dangerous plant ally. It is known by many other names, such as fox bells, the great herb, and fairy weed, to mention but a few. The plant has also been called witch's bells and dead man's bells due to the dangerous effects of ingesting the plant or absorbing its toxins through the skin.

While I do not recommend working with foxglove due to the potential dangers of doing so, I will include, for informative and educational purposes, how foxglove in one's garden can meet magical ends. That being said, foxglove should not be planted anywhere children, dogs, cats, or other animals might come in contact with it, and should not be planted near any vegetable, fruit, or herb garden.

For protection:

Foxglove has been used as a protective charm or ward against spirits, demons, and malevolent forces.

Planting foxgloves on your property can deter forces that would bring you harm.

Planting foxgloves beneath your bedroom window can protect against nightmares.

Fairies:

It also has an association with fairies, and some believe that fairy folk reside near where foxglove grows.

Hollyhocks (Alcea)

[WARNING: Caution should be taken if planting hollyhocks in an area accessible to dogs. While minimal exposure to the flowers and leaves of the hollyhock plant (including minimal ingestion) is generally considered not a high risk to your dog's safety, exposure to the roots and seeds of hollyhocks can prove dangerous for dogs. The roots and seeds of hollyhocks contain higher concentrations of compounds which can be toxic to dogs. Always monitor your dog when they are in an area containing hollyhocks.]

For money:

Hollyhocks are known for their association with material and monetary matters. They can be used in any spell or work to attract, keep, or increase money or wealth.

To grow hollyhock on one's property is said to ensure that financial security and abundance will come to the household.

One can keep an arrangement of fresh hollyhock flowers in their workspace to help ensure the work is monetarily fruitful.

One can carry hollyhock petals in one's wallet as a charm to attract money.

Fairies:

Hollyhocks are also said to bear an association with fairies or the little people and are believed to attract them.

Attracting animal allies:

In gardens, they attract hummingbirds and butterflies, so if that is something your magical craft would benefit from, hollyhocks are a great option to consider for your garden.

Iris (Iris)

[WARNING: Irises are toxic to dogs, cats, and some other animals. Keep away from pets and do not grow in an area where animals can access the plants without supervision.]

Irises by Vincent Van Gogh, 1889

For purification, cleansing, and removal of harmful energy:

Irises can be used in purification and cleansing spells but also serve as purifying charms themselves.

It's said that placing fresh irises in an area will purify that space of any negativity or evil, as will growing irises on one's property.

For wisdom:

Irises are also associated with wisdom and can be used to symbolize wisdom in spells, offerings, or rites.

Keeping a vase of irises in a room where one studies is also believed to aid in retaining the information.

For protection from enemies:

There is also some association between irises and keeping away enemies. This likely comes from the Chinese practice of planting irises in one's garden as a snake deterrent, though it could also have to do with the flower's purifying and cleansing abilities.

Lavender (Lavandula)

[WARNING: Ingesting certain amounts of lavender can be toxic for cats and dogs. It's advisable to keep lavender and lavender products out of reach of your pets. Call your vet if you believe your pet may have ingested a larger quantity of lavender or you are uncertain of the quantity they ingested. Also call your vet if your pet shows signs of respiratory distress after exposure to lavender, as some dogs and cats can have lavender allergies.]

Perhaps best known in magic for its use in love spells, lavender is a rather versatile and powerful plant ally to keep around.

For purification, cleansing, and sanctification:

Lavender can be used for purification, cleansing, and sanctifying purposes.

Lavender washes, lavender waters, and lavender incense can be sprinkled (for the washes and waters) or burned (for the incense) to sanctify a space such as a temple, altar, magical workspace, etc.

Burning lavender incense in an area is believed to cleanse the space of negative energy.

One can anoint magical or religious tools with lavender washes or lavender water, or they can "wash" such tools with smoke from lavender incense (do this by moving the item through the smoke as it rises, turning the item over and seeing that it's thoroughly passed through the smoke).

For peace and harmony:

Lavender is also a well-known bringer of peace and harmony.

Hanging lavender bundles or potting lavender in a room can bring peace to that space.

Burning lavender incense or dressing the windows and doors of the room with lavender washes or lavender water can also bring peace to an area.

Lavender can bring about restful sleep and ward away nightmares. Keep lavender in one's room, by one's bed, or even in one's pillowcase to do so.

Lavender flowers and lavender oils can also be added to baths to bring about peaceful rest.

Using soaps containing lavender oils or lavender flowers can also aid in bringing peace, aid in bringing mental clarity, and aid in bringing restful sleep.

For wisdom and mental clarity:

Lavender can be a great ally for those who seek mental clarity, aid in awakening their mind's eye, and aid in obtaining wisdom or revelation.

Burning lavender incense while meditating can help induce clarity of the mind.

Using lavender oils, lavender balms, or lavender incense promotes mental clarity and focus while also reducing stress, thus proving a welcome and essential tool for meditation, trance work, and other such practices.

For love:

To bring harmony to a relationship, gift the other half of the relationship with lavender flowers.

Press a lavender flower and keep it with a picture of that person, as a charm for peace and harmony with them.

To draw someone's love your way, write their on a piece of paper. Then, take a fresh lavender flower and rub it on the paper over and around the name, pressing it into the page so the scent of the flower really gets on the paper. Fold the paper up and keep it in a small box or cloth bag (preferably of the color red or pink). Refresh with fresh lavender flowers as needed.

Dressing one's clothing in lavender scent or lavender oil can attract love.

Lavender oil and fresh or dried lavender are common additions in spells to attract love.

Pinning a lavender flower to the inside of one's clothes before going to see the person you desire can encourage any romantic feelings they may have for you.

For protection:

Lavender also has protective uses.

One can wear or carry lavender to ward off or deflect the evil eye.

Using lavender oil or lavender scents can protect against the evil eye.

Where lavender grows, it's said that harmful energy has difficulty passing by the area.

Burning dried or fresh lavender flowers in bonfires or fireplaces is believed to grant protection to the area from evil or malevolent spirits and forces.

Including lavender in bouquets or flower crowns for weddings can provide protection from evil eye, from ill wishes, and from dangerous spirits attracted to the merry occasion.

For psychic enhancement:

Lavender is also known to enhance certain psychic abilities, particularly the ability to see or communicate with the dead, with spirits of all ilk, and with various planes of existence.

Some recommend rubbing the hands with a lavender balm before doing any work that requires communicating with or seeing spirits.

Anointing the area with lavender oils or washes or burning lavender incense can have the same effect.

Peony (Paeonia)

Peonies are renowned for their association with protection work, capable of granting protection of body, spirit, and mind from a variety of forces and foes. But there are other uses for peonies, such as uses in luck spells, money spells, and spells for happiness.

For protection:

Growing peonies on one's property, particularly near the doors of one's home or near the gates leading into the yard, is said to offer added protection to the home and those within, protection from evil and malicious spirits and protection from magical workings sent to one's home to do one harm.

Wearing a peony flower (either as a fresh flower, in a flower crown, or even as a perfume) or carrying one on your person can offer the wearer/carrier spiritual protection from malevolent forces or harmful magic sent their way. It is also believed to offer physical protection of the body, as well as protection from mental assault via spiritual or magical forces, as well as mental assault from human forces.

Collecting peony seeds in a satchet or cloth bag and then hanging that bag at the window of a nursery or child's bedroom is believed to protect the child from spirits or forces that would steal it away or bring it harm.

Peony seeds can also be carried or worn to bring protection.

Stringing peony seeds on a red or white thread, then to be worn as a bracelet or necklace, is said to serve as a protective amulet.

Keeping peonies near one's bedside or planting them beneath one's bedroom window can protect from nightmares, particularly those that are sent by spirits or magic.

Peony flowers and seeds are believed to protect from demonic forces as well, serving as a ward against them.

The roots of peony can be carved and fashioned into beads, which have been said to have been used in jewelry for protection amulets and in rosaries and prayer beads, boosting spiritual protection and protection from demons.

Wearing a necklace or bracelet of beads made from the peony root is thought to grant protection from illness, injury, and insanity.

Peonies are also believed to have the power to protect one and one's property from harsh weather and storms.

It's said that peonies were used to offer protection to 'shepherds, their flocks, and harvests from injury...'

by Yun Shouping, 17th century

For luck & happiness:

Giving a bouquet of peonies as a gift is meant to be token of luck and a charm to bring luck that person's way. This is especially true for those who are seeking or starting a new job, entering a new chapter in life, graduating, and so on.

Peonies growing on one's property are believed to attract good luck and happiness to those who reside there.

For money:

For those seeking financial stability, keeping fresh peonies in a vase or pot near where you're working is said to help boost one's monetary gains.

Carrying peony petals in one's wallet or wearing them in one's shoe is believed to attract money your way.

Potatoes

[WARNING: Take care to not allow pets to consume raw potatoes, as raw potatoes contain compounds that can be toxic to dogs and cats.]

The potato is an often overlooked and surprisingly versatile magical and symbological ally, with uses in sympathetic magic and wishing works, as well as aiding in maintaining the fertility of the land and soil.

In sympathetic magic:

One can fashion a doll or head from a potato, made to resemble the object of one's sympathetic spell. Actions performed on the potato are then believed to bring about damage to the person they are fashioned after. Two common methods of using a "potato poppet" in some Southern folk traditions including piercing the potato and then leaving it to sit and whither, where it will shrivel and deteriorate, believed to drain the target of their strength and wellness as it does; and casting the potato into flames or roasting it in a fireplace or on hot coals (it should be roasted to point of blackening and shriveling).

For fertility of land:

The potato is associated with fertility of land in Incan mythology, as the goddess Axomamma (goddess of potatoes) is tasked with caring for the health and richness of soil, and with ensuring good yields of tuber plants.

Raw potatoes (and some say potato peels) can be buried beneath certain plants (such as rose bushes and some berry bushes) when planting them. This is believed to ensure the plant takes well in that area, as the potato nourishes the plant and the soil around it. (I have five rosebushes of various types in my garden and every single one was planted with potatoes. One of the rosebushes was planted by my grandmother almost 60 years ago and it's still going strong.)

For healing:

There are some folk beliefs surrounding potatoes as healing charms.

Carrying a potato in one's pocket will get rid of a toothache.

Carrying a potato in one's pocket is believed to ward off some illnesses and ailments, such as gout and rheumatism. Where I'm from, this goes a little further in that if the potato hardens, the charm has worked; if the potato rots, it's done no good. One variation of this charm (from an area in the north of my home state) calls for sticking the potato with tacks or pins and then carrying it in one's pocket.

Carrying a potato in one's pocket can prevent taking chills and catching colds.

Peeling potatoes and then tucking the peels in one's pocket is believed to ward off warts.

Keep a potato in your travelling bag to ward off motion sickness.

Raspberries (Rubus Idaeus, Rubus Strigosis)

Raspberries are well-known for their uses in healing, protection, and love works, but can also attract good luck.

For healing:

It's said that juice of the raspberry fruit, when mixed with honey, can bring down fever.

Those who suffer stomach ailments should drink water with raspberries in it.

Tea made from the raspberry leaf can be used as mouth wash, as a face wash to soothe irritated skin, and as a remedy for stomach problems, diarrhea, and other gastrointestinal issues.

To gift one with raspberry syrup is said to ensure their good health while the syrup lasts.

For protection:

Hanging raspberry brambles from one's fence posts is believed to prevent any harm from crossing the boundary they mark.

One can also hang raspberry brambles from porches, doors, and windows to bring protection to the home.

Raspberry brambles are thought to be especially potent against spirits, deterring them from entering an area.

For love:

Raspberries are believed to induce feelings of love between people when shared (raw or prepared).

To gift someone with fresh raspberries is thought to encourage them to gift you their love in return.

For luck:

Raspberry leaves can be used as luck charms to attract good luck one's way. They can be kept in a satchet or container, or even in one's purse, pockets, or wallet.

Strawberries (Fragaria vesca)

Strawberries can be put to work in glamor magic, luck spells, and wishing works.

For luck:

Carry strawberry leaves on one's person to attract good luck.

Keeping the strawberry leaves in one's purse or wallet when going to gamble or when trying to drum up some cash can turn that luck specifically toward monetary luck.

Planting strawberries on one's property is believed to draw luck their way.

In glamor magic:

After biting into a strawberry, apply the juice of the plant to the lips and cheeks for a temporary boost to one's attractiveness.

In wishing works:

When planting strawberries, one can make a wish for each bush they plant (to keep track if you've made many wishes, write down or mark which wish is tied to which plant). When strawberries come to yield, observe them. If the plant produced healthy, delicious looking strawberries or many strawberries, your wish will come true. If the bush did not have a good yield, the berries were stolen (by birds or some other animal), or the berries produced lack sweetness, your wish will not come true.

Sunflower (Helianthus Annus)

Considered by many a wishing flower, the sunflower is known for its use in wishing spells, as well as for bringing fertility and luck.

For wishing:

Always make a wish when you cut a sunflower. It's said the wish will come true or start to fulfill itself before the same time the following day.

Place a sunflower at one's bedside and make a wish on it before you fall asleep. If you dream of your wish coming true, so it will. If you don't, it will not.

For fertility:

Sunflower seeds are used in fertility works, particularly by fashioning the seeds to a string or thread as a necklace and wearing it. This is believed to bring good luck with fertility to those seeking to have children.

It's also believed that those wishing to have children should eat sunflower seeds, that doing so will aid in the endeavor.

For luck:

To have sunflowers growing in your garden or on your property is to ensure that good luck is drawn to the area.

SOURCES & FURTHER READING:

Some of these customs and beliefs were taught to me by my grandparents and folk I grew up around, but I've included works with similar spells amongst the sources below.

'Ashkenazi Herbalism: Rediscovering the Herbal Traditions of Eastern European Jews' - Cohen, Deatra; Siegel, Adam

'Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs' - Cunningham, Scott

'Herbal Magic' - Kane, Aurora

'Kentucky Superstitions' - Thomas, Daniel Lindsey; Thomas, Lucy Blayney

'Köhler's Medizinal-Pflanzen' - Köhler, Herman Adolph

'Magical Folkhealing: Herbs, Oils, and Recipes for Health, Healing, and Magic' - Conway, DJ

'the Master Book of Herbalism' - Beyerl, Paul

On Foxglove Dangers:

Mount Sinai Health System

Digoxin Toxicity

Poison Control

[sheydmade]

Reposting because so much time, effort, love, and dedication went into what's underneath the cut and I really want to share the wealth of knowledge and joy.

(May also be read as 'please nerd out over Jewish magic in Late Antiquity with me.')

Jewish Incantation Bowls:

by Keziah [sources, citations, and recommended reading can be found below the article]

Jewish witchcraft and Jewish magic (and the validity or existence thereof) are hotly debated topics within some pockets of Jewish community. With an ever-growing number of Jewish people incorporating witchcraft in their Jewish practice, there have been mixed responses from the Jewish public, and one argument commonly lobbed against practitioners of Jewish witchcraft and/or practitioners of witchcraft who happen to also be Jewish is that there simply isn't any such thing as Jewish witchcraft or Jewish magic and there never has been.

A bold claim, and one that simply isn't backed by historical and archaeological evidence. In fact, there are a great number of magical customs within Judaism - ceremonial magic, folk witchery, use of amulets, etc. - that are magical and can quite fairly be deemed witchcraft, the existences of which are proven, substantiated by archaeologists, historians, and scholars. One such magical custom is the Jewish incantation bowl.

With but a portion of incantation bowls officially registered as archaeological finds, kept in museums and universities, there are estimated to be thousands more bowls in private collections of antiquities around the world. Incantation bowls have been an invaluable source for studying the beliefs and customs of those who used them, and they provide a glimpse into the history of magic within Judaism.

'Beyond what these bowls tell us about Jewish magic, about what these communities were doing at the time, they answer bigger cultural and historical questions around inter-religious context. [...] This environment is far richer than anyone could imagine.' -Simcha Gross (The Story the Bowls Tell, Michele W. Berger)

What are incantation bowls?

Incantation bowls are a form of magic most commonly used to repel, trap, and/or bind demons, spirits, or malevolent entities, though bowls have also been discovered bearing inscriptions detailing curses, counter-curses, and even love spells.

'The incantation bowls belong, with few exceptions, to one very specialized form of magic. They spontaneously suggest the art of "bowl magic," which, in various forms, is spread over the world, and which has a straight genealogy from Joseph's drinking cup to the spinster's teacup of our own day.' -Professor James A. Montgomery (Aramaic Incantation Texts from Nippur)

They were first discovered by archaeologists in the mid-19th century. You'll also hear them called Babylonian incantation bowls, magic bowls, demon bowls, and even sometimes Moses bowls. Incantation bowls were used during Late Antiquity (3rd - 7th century CE, with the majority of the bowls hailing from the 5th-7th century) within the Near East, particularly throughout Mesopotamia.

Incantation bowl from Nippur inscribed in Jewish Babylonian Aramaic, discovered 1888-1889 and photographed circa 1913; courtesy of the Pennsylvania University Museum of Archaeology & Anthropology

While incantation bowls are not exclusively Jewish, the majority of those discovered are — featuring depictions and/or descriptions of Jewish demons or spirits (though drawings are found only on some incantation bowls, not on all), invocations of Jewish angels, use of vowel permutation representing epithets of the Jewish g-d, and Jewish language, Hebrew square-script and Jewish Babylonian Aramaic in particular, a language most commonly identified with the Babylonian Talmud, the Targum Onkelos (the Aramaic translation of the Torah), and Gaonic (post-Talmudic) literature.

'In the mid-19th century, we begin to unearth incantation bowls that name the clients who purchase the bowl, their problems, their families. These people invoke various powerful forces and deities to resolve a variety of issues, offering a literary corpus that provides a new perspective.' -Simcha Gross (The Story the Bowls Tell, Michele W. Berger)

Much of our knowledge of Jewish incantation bowls comes from the study of surviving bowls from Babylon, the majority of which were uncovered in the Jewish diasporic settlement in Nippur, where nearly every home excavated was found to have incantation bowls buried in, around, or beneath them.

'...the number of bowls found in controlled archeological excavations does suffice to formulate some general conception of their geographical and chronological distribution and of the modes in which they were put to use, and the texts and drawings found upon the bowls themselves provide abundant information about the clients who ordered them, about the bowls’ aims, and about the cultural world of the scribes who produced them.' - Professor Gideon J. Bohak (Ancient Jewish Magic: A History)

'Hebrew bowl' of ceramic and ink, featuring images of at least one demon (possibly two demons, though James A. Montgomery suggested it could depict a demon and the sorcerer) surrounded by seven lines of Hebrew Aramaic text; courtesy of the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology & Anthropology.

There are those who diminish the importance of incantation bowls not only in their archaeological significance but also in what they can reveal about Jewish custom in Late Antiquity, those who see their magical association as a mark of unsophistication. On this matter, Simcha Gross, assistant professor of Ancient Rabbinics in the Near Eastern Languages & Civilizations Department at the University of Pennsylvania, had this to say in The Story the Bowls Tell:

'We’re finally beginning to move past this idea that magic is strange, this separate domain of life. [...] We’re also beginning to better understand that previous ideas that assumed that the bowls represent the interest of a lower, popular, or non-elite class of Jews [...] simply do not hold; the bowls were a surface on which scribes from a range of social, educational, and religious background wrote incantations.' 

How were they made?

Ceramic incantation bowl uncovered in Nippur, featuring an image of a demon in chains surrounded by text in Aramaic, 400-700 CE; courtesy of the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology &Anthropology.

The Babylonian incantations bowls were earthenware - ceramic or clay. The text and imagery were added to the surfaces of the bowls in ink. Many of the bowls are believed by archaeologists to have been wheel made. The bowls would likely have been commissioned, with scribes and/or magicians working to craft these bowls for paying customers. Inscriptions often included scriptural quotes, quotes from rabbinic texts, curses, counter-curses, spells, and listed epithets of g-d and/or names of angels, with some of the bowls also featuring figures introduced from other cultures through proximity of settlement, trade, and political or cultural impact.

'Some of the Aramaic incantation bowls contain deities, formulae, and spells whose origins go back to older Babylonian magic and religion.' -Professor Gideon J. Bohak (Ancient Jewish Magic: A History)

Discovered bowls have been of varying shape and size, so there seems to be no particular rules as to the depth or width an incantation bowl should be, though most of them have been repeatedly compared by experts to 'the size of the average cereal bowl.'

Ceramic incantation bowl uncovered in Nippur, 400-700 CE; courtesy of the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology &Anthropology.

While some bowls may have been made specifically for the purpose of supernatural and magical protection, Professor Gideon J. Bohak suggests that plain bowls were also bought at market and taken to a scribe or magician, who went on to craft the magical work on the bowl they'd been given.

How did they work?

Incantation bowls can be described as a form of amulet. Amuletic magic has been used for means of protection throughout Jewish history and is discussed in the Talmud. The spells featured on most of the bowls are apotropaic — protective magic used to ward off evil, harm, or suffering. In the case of those incantation bowls intended to serve the purpose of protection, they're specifically designed to protect persons or households from evil or evil entities. They typically specify which demon or spirit they're intended to guard against, though they could also be used to protect against sorcery, illness, disease, evil eye, or general evils as well. The intended recipients of this supernatural protection are also almost always named in the spells.

Incantation bowls were commonly placed beneath homes or at the corners of homes, beneath specific rooms (such as bedrooms to ward off a nightmare-inducing demon), within courtyards, and even within cemeteries with the aim of protecting these areas from demonic or malevolent entities.

'When found in controlled excavations, the bowls are most commonly found in upside-down position (a fact which incidentally helped protect the texts and drawings, which are usually written on the bowls' inside) within the premises of a dwelling, or under the thresholds, or in a cemetery, or in a large group of bowls in one location (perhaps the atelier which produced them).' -Professor Gideon J. Bohak (Ancient Jewish Magic: A History)

It's said that by reading the text of the inscriptions, demons would become trapped. The demon or spirit would start reading from the outermost ring of text and move inward (the text was most commonly inscribed in a spiral pattern), and by the time they finished the text nearest the center of the bowl, they’d be trapped inside the vessel.

'The bowls were buried upside down under the floors of houses in strategic locations — under the door sills, in the corners of rooms— likely to protect against evil demons' -Richard Zettler, archaeologist and curator-in-charge of the Near East section at the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology & Anthropology (The Story the Bowls Tell, Michele W. Berger)

'When placed upside down under each corner of a house, demons would follow the inscribed charms that spiraled from the outer rim inward, only to be caught in the center.' -Dr. John Charles Arnold (The Footprints of Michael the Archangel)

Other means of trapping demons by use of incantation bowl have been found. For example, there have been instances of two bowls having been glued or bound together, rim-to-rim, facing inward. Sometimes the space within the two bowls would contain items (Hilprecht notes broken eggshells being discovered within some) that served to further strengthen the protective properties of the work.

To protect against sorcery, evil eye, or malicious magic sent one's way, the bowls could be used either to trap the workings inside and strip them of their strength and power or to return the magic to its sender, redirecting any magical harm back to whomever performed or wished such magical works against you.

Not all incantation bowls served as means of protection. Indeed, some have been discovered to feature healing spells, curses, counter-curses, and, though rarely, love spells.

'Most of the inscriptions are of domestic character, being made out for a married couple, their children, their house, and their property, cattle, etc. Frequently it is the wife and mother who procures the charm, with or without reference to the husband. In many of the inscriptions there is special intention against the evils that disturb the domestic sexual life.' -Professor James A. Montgomery (Aramaic Incantation Texts from Nippur)

the Inscriptions

Many of the registered bowls, unfortunately, have partially or majorly ineligible inscriptions, due to damage, aging, fading of the ink, or the quality of the inscription. Some techniques, such as multispectral imaging, have been used in recent years to enhance the texts, which has helped with some of the difficulties researchers were previously facing in deciphering some of the bowls. Dedicated professionals and scholars, such as James A. Montgomery, are to thank for earlier knowledge on the inscriptions and what we can glean from them about the Jewish people's use of incantation bowls in Late Antiquity.

Incantation bowls were inscribed in a variety of languages. Less than half of all discovered bowls bear Mandaic or Syriac scripts, with a small handful of bowls having been inscribed in a form of Pahlavi script or in a form of Arabic. The overwhelming majority of discovered bowls, though, were inscribed in Jewish Babylonian Aramaic, as showcased on far more than half of the published bowls.

The most common form of writing found on incantation bowls is Aramaic square-script.

'The bowls written in the square script [...] contain many biblical verses (usually cited in the Hebrew original, but sometimes in an Aramaic Targum) and many specifically Jewish terms, concepts, and stories; a few even cite passages from the rabbis’ Mishnah.' -Professor Gideon J. Bohak (Ancient Jewish Magic: A History)

Several of the bowls feature liturgical or scriptural references, as well as quotes from Jewish prayers. The use of scriptural quotes was (and still is) believed to evoke supernatural protection, and scholars say that the use of rabbinic texts on some bowls demonstrates that there was a belief that rabbinic texts are sacred enough to do the same. In fact, as Dr. Avigail Manekin-Bamberger points out in Naming Demons: The Aramaic Incantation Bowls and Gittin, one incantation bowl quotes Mishnah Zevahim 5:3, and in leading into that reference you'll find inscribed 'בשום' (meaning 'in the name of'). 'בשום' would typically be used when invoking divine forces such as deities or angels, and to use that term before quoting or citing a piece of text implies that the text itself has some level of supernatural power, enough to, in this case, grant one protection.

Not only were religious and rabbinic texts and references put to use in the inscriptions, but so were legal formulae and terminology. Some inscriptions are written up similar to contracts, establishing set rules as to what powers (with the intention of limiting said powers to render them useless) a demonic force, magical work, or ailment will have on a client, and doing so in a strict, legal tone.

The use of legal formulae also demonstrates the belief that the supernatural realm and its inhabitants were, at least to some extent, bound by the same laws and expectations as we are as natural, mortal beings. On this, Dr. Abigail Manekin-Bamberger says in Seder Mazikin: Law and Magic in Late Antique Jewish Society, "Just as there are expectations that humans will obey the human legal system and the systems of enforcement, so too one can subdue and restrain demons. Because the legal system is the central institution for dealing with infractions of the law on the human side, it is not surprising that this same system is used in the war against demons."

Some bowls feature extremely detailed inscriptions, naming those they're intended to protect, from whom the protection is needed, and the specific capabilities of said demon or curse that the client wishes to be prevent. One example of a wonderfully detailed incantation (used to protect a client and his wife from Lilitu, Liliths, or Lilith Demons) translation (by Professor James A. Montgomery) can be found below —

Hebrew bowl used to protect from Lilitu, courtesy of the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology & Anthropology.

This the amulet of Ephrâ bar Šabôrdûch, wherein shall be salvation for this Ephrâ b. Š. and also for this Bahmandûch bath Samâ, that there be for them salvation, namely for this Ephrâ b. Š. and for this Bahmandûch b. Š. Amen, Amen, Selah. This is an amulet against the Liliths that haunt the house of this Ephrâ b. Š. and this Bahmandûch b. Š. I adjure you, all species of Liliths in respect to your posterity, which is begotten by Demons and Liliths to the children of light who go astray: Woe, who rebel and transgress against the proscription of their Lord; woe, from the blast fast-flying; woe, destroying; woe, oppressing with your foul wounds .... , who do violence and trample and scourge and mutilate and break and confuse and hobble and dissolve (the body) like water; woe, …. ; and where you stand, and where you stand (sic) fearful and affrighted are ye, bound to my ban, — who appear to mankind, to men in the likeness of women and to women in the likeness of men, and with mankind they lie by night and by day. With the formula, TWM Š'Š GŠ GŠK have I written against thee, evil Lilith, whatsoever name be thine. We have written. And his name shall save thee, Ephrâ, forever and ever.

As mentioned before, protection from demonic forces, such as the Lilitu specified and described in the above inscription, was a common purpose of the crafting or commissioning of incantation bowls. Lilitu are mentioned again, along with demons in general and some demonic epithets, in the bowl just below, for which the translation has also been included (as found in Montgomery's seminal work Aramaic Incatation Texts from Nippur.)

Hebrew bowl from Nippur of ceramic and ink, courtesy of the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology &Anthropology; featured in Montgomery's Aramaic Incantations from Nippur (see below).

The text has been translated :

This bowl is designated for the sealing of the house and the wife and the children of Dinôi bar Ispandarmêd, that there remove from him the Tormentor and evil Dreams. The bowl I deposit and sink down, a work which has been made like that which Rab Jesus bar Peraḥia sat and wrote against them, — a ban-writ against all the Demons and Devils and Satans and Liliths and Latbe which are in the house of Dinôi b. I. Again, he wrote against them a ban-writ which is for all time, by the virtue of 'TMDG, Atâtôt Atôt, within T (?), Atôt Atôt the name, a writing within a writing. Through which (words) were subjected heaven and earth and the mountains; and through which the heights were commanded; and through which were fettered Arts, Demons and Devils and Satans and Liliths and Latbê; and through which he passed over from this world and climbed above you to the height (of heaven) and learned all counter-charms, a ruin into destruction, and [...] to bring you forth from the house of Dinôi b. I., and from all that is in his house, I have dismissed you by the ban-writ. And charmed and sealed and countersealed is it, even as ancient runes fail not, and (like) ancient men who are not. Again: charmed and sealed and countersealed is this ban-writ by the virtue of YHYHYHYHYH, THTH, THTH, A'. Amen, Amen, Selah. Sealed and protected are the house and dwelling of Dinôi b. I. from the Tormentor and evil Dreams and the Curse. And sealed and protected be his wife and son from the Tormentor and evil Dreams and Curse and Vows and .... Hallela, Amen.

The charms utilized on the above bowl are, as we learn from the translation, attributed to Rab Jesus bar Peraḥia, also referred to as Joshua ben Peraḥia on other incantation bowls, who was a magician and one of the Zugot, a scholar who received and handed down Jewish law and tradition.

'Several of the Nippur texts contain magical formulas worked in the name of Rabbi Joshua ben Perahia (Syriac, Rab Jesus bar P.), who is none other than one of the early Zugoth or Pairs who handed down the Tradition from the Great Synagogue to later ages. Whether this magical tradition concerning the venerable Joshua be authentic may be dubious; but the case is illustrative of the tendency in magic to appeal to ancient great masters of sorcery, and to use their names as though their full powers were possessed.' -Professor James A. Montgomery (Aramaic Incantation Texts from Nippur)

You'll find that a few rabbis feature, mentioned by name, on some of the other incantation bowls, either as clients who have commissioned the bowls themselves and seek their protective powers or as authors of the magical formulae put to work on the amulets. The latter of these two rabbinical groups were typically rabbis believed to have been magical workers themselves, to have harnessed some level of supernatural ability, and who were thought to be capable of the exorcising of and protection from demonic and evil forces.

And, as mentioned before (and as can only be expected), the invoking of divine names and epithets and the names of angels is also found within the incantations of the bowls, such as in the bowl translated (by Montgomery) below. Angelic names were commonly highlighted in some way, be that with an underscore, a line above the name, or the name circled, as you may notice within the inscription below.

Hebrew bowl from Nippur made of ceramic and ink; courtesy of the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology & Anthropology.

Notice that this bowl also features text on its exterior side. The text is translated as follows:

Interior of the bowl -

Closed are the mouths of all races, legions and tongues from Bahmandûch bath Samâi. And the angel Raḥmiel and the angel Ḥabbiel and the angel Ḥanniniel, these angels, pity and love and compassionate and embrace Bahmandûch b. S. Before all the sons of Adam whom he begat by Eve, we will enter in before them; from their clothing they will clothe her and from their garments they will garb her, the garment of the grace of G-d. With her they will sit, on this side and on that, driving away (demons?), as is right. In the name of Yhwhin-Yah, El-El the great, the awful, whose word is panacea, this mystery is confirmed, made fast and sure forever and ever.

Exterior of the bowl -

Hark a voice in the mysteries! Hark the voice of [...], the voice of a woman, a virgin travailing and not bearing. Quickly be enamored, be enamored and come Ephrâ bar Šabôrdûch to the marrow of his house and to the marrow of Bahmandûch b. S. his wife; as (she was) a virgin (?) travailing and bearing not, so (may she be) fresh myrtle for crowns. Amen, Amen. And made fast and sure is salvation from Heaven for Bahmandûch b. S. A preparation (?) …. leaven, press it (?) …. Amen, Amen, Selah. Salvation and peace from Heaven, forever and ever and ever.

The above inscription is an example of incantation bowls not only being used as a means of protection against demons, with this bowl seeming to feature a charm for a woman to prevent barenness and encourage love from her husband toward her.

When incantation bowls feature imagery or drawings (these are almost always found at the center of the bowls, with the spiraling text leading inward toward these images), they commonly depict specific demons, who are often chained or bound in some way, demonstrating the aim of trapping the demon or rendering them powerless. Sometimes, depictions of the client themselves or the scribe or magician are featured on the bowl.

Some bowls also feature texts of an exorcistic nature, such as Psalms frequently used to expel demons or spirits. One unique formula of spell well-attested within published incantation bowls is that of an anti-demonic magical get (or bill of divorce). The writ of divorce would specify a separation from the demons or spirits that had become attached to an individual, their family, or their place of residence. Some such incantations specifically contain the words 'divorce document' or 'writ of divorce'.

One such bowl, translated by Dr. Dan Levene, reads:

This is a divorce writ for the Lilith that curses which I have written for Imi daughter of Qaqi and any name she has.  May you be healed, may you be protected, may you be saved ... from every evil strong powerful spirit, from active sorcerers, from spells of ZNY the singer prostitute, and the Lilith, and the curse, which is killing children that are hers, children of her (female) neighbor. That if you are permitted and have power over yourself (to be with) any person that you may desire, for I have written to you a deed of divorce, a writ of dismissal from this Imi daughter of Qaqi (and) any name that she has…

Incantation bowls seeking to provide supernatural protection to livestock would feature images of the animals one wanted to protect, and bowls crafted with the goal of protecting one from dangerous animals, such as certain snakes, would bear an image of said beast.

Some inscriptions bore renditions of word-triangles (a custom in Jewish magical praxis that came from Greko-Egyptian magical influence throughout Jewish regions). When featured on incantation bowls, they are written in straight line form, however, instead of in their usual triangular form. These would typically feature words (or vowel permutations) listing or describing an ailment or evil of some kind, with one letter being removed each time the word is written, until there is but one letter left, thereby symbolically removing or warding off the ailment or evil from whomever the spell is meant to protect.

'Hebrew bowl' of ceramic and ink; courtesy of the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology & Anthropology.

The text on the bowl pictured above is described thusly in the University of Pennsylvania Museum catalogue, "This bowl was prepared to protect Abuna bar Geribta and Ibba bar Zawithai from a series of evil forces, and its writer drew his power from the garment of Hermes and the Creator of heaven and earth. He threatened the destructive forces with the curses of the Leviathan and Sodom and Gemorrah. The circular format of the text is normal for magic bowls, but the presence of an illustration is unusual, though not unique. The figures are not labelled, and their identities and purposes are not certain. J.A. Montgomery, who first published the Nippur bowls, suggested that the figure with the bound feet is a demon and that the other figure is the sorcerer."

The Importance of Incantation Bowls

'The study of Babylonian incantation bowls has occupied scholars since James Alan Montgomery’s publications of bowls from the region of Nippur in 1913. They have been of particular interest to scholars in recent years, both because the corpus contributes relatively new and unexploited sources for the study of ancient religion, and because the bowls provide access to harder-to-access and thus understudied realms of life, not least the fears and concerns of everyday people who worried about their physical safety, health, livelihoods, love interests, childbirth, and families.' -Sarit Kattan Gribetz (in her review of Seder Mazikin: Law and magic in Late Antique Jewish Society)

And the study of these bowls also serves as a boon to the study of early rabbinic literature:

'The texts written upon the bowls constitute the only Jewish epigraphic material that survives from Babylonia at the time of the editing of the Talmud (the earliest evidence of copied Talmudic texts are from the mid-eighth century), so they are of considerable importance to the study of rabbinic literature.' - Dr. Avigail Manekin-Bamberger (Naming Demons: The Aramaic Incantation Bowls and Gittin)

Indeed, the wonders and mysteries of incantation bowls are still being uncovered today by dedicated archaeologists, researchers and scholars, and experts in ancient languages of the Near East, and there are still many questions to be answered. One large-scale project is underway at the University of Pennsylvania, aiming to better study the inscriptions featured on the bowls in their collection, as well as to create an open database showcasing the published incantation bowls around the world, accessible to all who should wish to learn about the bowls and enjoy their many offerings to our understanding of Jewish magic as well as Jewish life in Late Antiquity. I, for one, am very much looking forward to the day such a monumental project is "completed."

The significance of these incantation bowls and similar relics of Jewish magic throughout history cannot be overstated. It is through studying such matters that we can better connect with and understand those who have gone before us, as well as, perhaps, renew customs and practices, many of which Jewish practitioners will likely find to be beautiful, comforting, and empowering, that were once a part of Jewish life that have sadly been forgotten by the majority of us.

If this piece, as verbose and perhaps overly detailed as it may be, can ignite for even just one reader an interest in the magical world of Jewish incantation bowls and the beautiful history told through them, then I feel I've done my bit, and all the books checked out, bought, repeatedly poured over, and painstakingly analyzed will have certainly been worth it.

SOURCES & FURTHER READING:

'A Corpus of Magical Bowls: Incantation Texts in Jewish Aramaic from Late Antiquity' - Levene, Dan; Dr.

'Amulets and Magic Bowls: Aramaic Incantations of Late Antiquity' - Naveh, Joseph; Prof. & Shaked, Shaul; Prof.

'Ancient Jewish Magic: A History' - Bohak, Gideon J.; Prof.

'Aramaic Incantation Bowls' - Gordon, Cyrus H.; Dr.

'Aramaic Incantation Bowls in Museum Collections, Vol. I: the Frau Professor Hilprecht Collection of Babylonian Antiquities' - Ford, James Nathan; Dr. & Morgenstern, Matthew; Prof.

'Aramaic Incantations from Nippur' - Montgomery, James A.; Prof.

'Corpus of Aramaic Incantation Bowls' - Isbell, Charles D.

'Divorcing Lilith: From the Babylonian Incantation Bowls to the Cairo Genizah' - Levene, Dan; Dr. & Bohak, Gideon; Prof.

'the Footprints of Michael the Archangel' - Arnold, John Charles; Dr.

'Incantation Bowls & Embodied Knowledge' - Dalton, Krista; Dr.

'Jewish Magic in Late Antiquity' - Schwarz, Michael D.; Dr.

'Mesopotamian Magic: Textual, Historical, and Interpretive Perspectives' - Abusch, Tzvi; Dr. & van der Toorn, Karel; Prof.

'Naming Demons: the Aramaic Incantation Bowls and Gittin' - Manekin, Bamberger, Avigail; Dr.

'Seder Mazikin: Law and Magic in Late Antique Jewish Society' -Manekin-Bamberger, Abigail; Dr.

'the Story the Bowls Tell' - Berger, Michele W.

'Two Magic Bowls: New Incantation Texts from Nippur' - Obermann, Julian; Dr.

[sheydmade]

This week's main post will be postponed by a few days for personal reasons. But you can expect one (or two) bonus posts in the coming week to make up for it. Hope everyone's safe and well!

[sheydmade]

I'd love to follow more witchcraft tumblogs, especially those of fellow folk witches, jewitches, witchcraft history nerds, etc; or just anyone who brings good vibes or educational content. If you have any recommendations for me, please drop them in the comments or in an ask!

[sheydmade]

Question: "Can Sator Squares be used to protect protestors?" Answer: Yes!

Here's a snippet from 'Protection Work in Folk Magic: Herbs, Spells, & Charms for Protecting Yourself & Others' — and an upcoming bonus post is going to focus on more methods of protecting protestors and protecting/boosting their goals.

Protection from Violence, Assault, & Harassment:

Sator Squares:

Pennsylvania Dutch variation of a Sator Square found in 'Long Lost Friend' by German-American Pennsylvania Dutch healer and charm worker, John George Hohman; published in 1820.

The Sator Square / Rotas-Sator Square is a palindromic word square used as a magical charm or amulet. It's been around for quite some time (with the oldest known square possibly being from as early as AD 50) and has been found to have been used historically throughout Europe, Africa, Asia Minor, and the Americas. As to its origins and intended purpose, no one knows for sure, but the Sator Square has come to have a number of magical uses, including as a tool for curing ailments, aiding in childbirth, putting out fires, and, in fitting with the theme of this piece, in protection magic.

Medieval Sator Square etched into a wall; Oppède-le-Vieux, France.

There are many variations of Sator Squares / Rotas-Sator Squares, but the most common forms consist of five rows of five words, each with five letters, arranged in a 5x5 grid. The Rotas-Sator Square (in which rotas is the word listed first, pictured below on the left) was the more common in pre-medieval use, but the Sator Square (in which sator is listed first, pictured below on the right) became far more prevalently used than the Rotas-Sator variation at some point in medieval Europe.

Rotas-Sator Square (left) and Sator Square (right).

In Southern Appalachian and some Southeastern folk practices within the United States, one can use a Sator Square for protection from violence or assault against your person.

What to do:

-Write out a Sator Square or Rotas-Sator Square and carry the charm with you. It can be kept in the pocket, especially a shirt pocket, in the shoe, or even be sewn into one's clothes.

It's also said to be used in/on charm bags for general protection from evil in Cornish folkloric based witchcraft.

[sheydmade]

Protection Work in Folk Magic: Herbs, Spells, & Charms for Protecting Yourself & Others

by Keziah

Times are hard, and hard times, unfortunately, often come along with an increased need for protection. Due to this, I felt it was only right to start sharing the protection work series I've been planning to do for quite some time now. In this first piece, I share a collection (both curations and creations) of magical workings within the realm of folk magic that can offer protection. From herbs and tools to turn to, to spells and charms to work, there's plenty of protection help to be found here.

What is Folk Magic?

First and foremost, I'll answer this question so there's no confusion as to what sort of spells will be found in this piece. Folk magic is a term that has come into more common use (thanks to social media) in recent years, but that use isn't necessarily the most accurate explanation or representation as to what folk magic is.

While you'll see many claiming that folk magic is strictly Christian, that simply isn't the case. Folk magic is bigger than any one religion, and the term applies to a broad spectrum of belief sets. In its most barebones definition, folk magic is applied to the magical systems of a common people, a magical craft that exists outside of the realm of ceremonial magic. Some folk magic exists outside of initiatory and hierarchical systems, some within such systems. Some folk magic is Christian or Christianized, some is simply not. For instance, there are forms of Jewish folk magical practices and countless other non-Christian paths of folk magic.

Folk magic is not always called witchcraft, and its practitioners don't always label themselves as witches. Each folk path has its own terminologies, but some you may have heard will be charmers, cunning men and cunning women, rootworkers, granny witches, conjurers, and much, much more.

And now onto the magic!

Herbs, Ingredients, & Tools Commonly Used in Protection Work:

Agrimony: Agrimony is excellent for protection work of various kinds.

It can be used to both protect against harmful magic sent your way and to reverse spells, break hexes, and reflect the malicious work back to its sender.

Agrimony can also be used to protect one from evil spirits.

Angelica: Also known as wild celery, angelica has long been used across a variety of historical and traditional European medicinal and healing practices, as well as being associated with protection magic and warding.

Angelica root is known to be used in protective charms and works throughout Europe and in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the US.

It can be used in spells and charms to protect from malicious and malevolent magic used against you - curses, hexes, evil eye, etc.

Angelica was used to ward off plague and, thus, is associated with protection from illness and safeguarding one's health.

Angelica can be carried (dried or fresh) for protection against evil, be it evil spirits, energies, people, or some other entity or force.

Burning angelica incense can provide protection and defense to the space it's burned in.

Basil: Due to basil's association with love, it can be used in charms to protect romantic relationships from hardship and infidelity. Basil can also be included in works or carried as a charm to protect those in transitionary periods of life - i.e. coming of age, transitioning, grieving and mourning, engaged to be married, moving into a new phase in life, being initiated or converted into a faith or creed, etc.

Garlic: Garlic is used across many cultures and countries in health, protection, banishing, and empowering work.

Dried garlic bulbs and garlic cloves have long been used as amulets against evil entities and forces, negative energy, and malicious people.

Minced and crushed garlic and/or garlic cloves are often used to infuse working oils for protection purposes.

Garlic cloves are added to jar spells and various pouch and bag charms - i.e. hex bags, charm bags, hands, sachets, etc. - to bring protection. Minced and crushed garlic can also be used in jar spells.

Braids and strands of garlic can be hung from window frames, doorframes, porch beams and rails, etc. to protect the space from evil, ill health and disease, malicious work, and negative energy.

Planting garlic on one's property is believed to keep away disease and illness, bring prosperity, and protect the land and household.

Ginger: Ginger is often used in healing work and can be used to protect against illness.

Carrying a piece of ginger root or sleeping with one under your pillow is believed to protect one from taking ill. The same is said of taking ginger (either a ginger shot, ginger tea, or ginger pastes) daily, as ginger boosts the immune system.

Carrying ginger or wearing it as an amulet is also said to offer a general protection.

Graveyard dirt: A versatile tool of the trade, graveyard dirt is used across many folk and ritual practices for a wide array of purposes. An ally that can be used to both harm and to help, graveyard dirt can both be used in hexing, cursing, and other such work, while also being used for protection, warding, binding, and the like.

Hair of a black dog: Dog hairs can be used as amulets for luck and protection. The hair of a black dog is considered especially good for protective purposes.

Holy water: In Christian religious and folk magical practices, holy water is water (usually from a sacred source, such as a holy well, holy spring, etc.) that has been blessed and sanctified by clergy (most often a priest in the Catholic, Anglican, Episcopalian, Eastern Orthodox, Asian Orthodox, and Lutheran customs).

Holy water can be used to protect against evil energies and forces via the anointing of one's body, items, or home.

Holy water has been included in many protection spells and works, and to wash and purify ritual tools, by those who practice forms of Christian witchcraft and Christian folk magic.

Iron (cast iron): Iron is believed to protect from evil of all ilk - spirits, demons, curses, evil eye, etc.

Iron nails can be hammered into doors, walls, floors to offer protection to a space. Iron nails are also worn and kept as amulets to ward off evil eye and protect one from being cursed or hexed.

Keeping a cast iron skillet hanging on the wall (and some beliefs say to keep a cast iron skillet under one's bed) is said to protect the home from evil.

Iron is also believed to keep away malicious spirits and various types of fae folk.

Rosemary: Rosemary used across many cultures and countries to sanctify and protect in so many different ways.

Rosemary is considered a powerful herb that provides protection against all forms of evil.

Rosemary incense can be burned to cleanse a space of negativity, impurity, and evil, so as to make that space sacred.

Dried rosemary can be hung up in the home to protect the space, or it can be added to spells and charms to defend against evil, illness, and negativity.

Rosemary charms can be carried or worn when working against or facing an enemy, as it's believed to protect the wearer and to strengthen their work and purpose.

Oils and waters infused with rosemary can be used to bless and purify sacred spaces and tools, and can be used as anointing oils and waters on those in need of protection, healing, strength, and purification.

Salt: Salt is often included in charms and spells as a tool for protection. It's both a purifier and a great defender and can be used to ward one's home and shield one from evil, negativity, curses, hexes, and the like.

Salt water can be sprinkled on thresholds and walkways to keep unwanted entities and energy from the space. It can also be used to cleanse sacred spaces in preparation for work.

Salt can be used in all kinds of sachets and charm bags for protection.

Salt sweeps are often used in the Southern US to cleanse, bless, and ward the home. Salt can also be added to washes for the same purpose.

For General Protection

Hagstone Charms:

Hagstones, also called adder stones, serpent's eggs, fairy stone, and witch stones, are stones which bear a naturally occurring hole, holes caused by erosion or some other natural event. Hagstones have been used as protective amulets for long while in traditional folk magic of Britain. Hagstones can be used to protect from a number of things - general protection overall, as well as protection from spirits of various ilk, protection from harm on the sea, protection of livestock and farmlands, protection from nightmares, and more.

What you'll need:

Hagstone (one or more)

Thread, cord, or twine.

What to do:

-Pass your thread, cord, or twine through the hole of the hagstone. You can knot the thread beforehand for added protection as a form of knot magic. Knots are believed to strengthen protective work, as they can confuse or distract spirits.

-You can add as many hagstones as you like. One is plenty, but I've seen charms with as many as nine stones.

-Keep your hagstone charm on your person for protection. I wear mine around my neck. It hangs from a nail in my doorframe when I'm not wearing it.

Protection from Evil Eye

the Iron Nail:

Iron nails are used for protection in an array of folk magical traditions, including (though not limited to) in Jewish folk magic, British folk magic, Appalachian and Southern folk magic in the United States, and within a number of European folk magic systems.

What you'll need:

An iron nail

(optional) A red or black thread, string, or ribbon

What to do:

-Keep an iron nail on your person to negate evil eye or malicious energies and intentions from others. The nail can be kept in a purse, wallet, pocket, car, or anywhere it can fit.

-The nail can be tied to the end of either a red or black thread, string, or ribbon for added strength. I keep mine on a cord of red twine. I keep it in my purse, but I can take it out and wear it around my neck or wrist if necessary.

Fox Tail Hairs:

Fox tails and fox tail hairs were employed in Jewish folk magic as an amulet of protection from the evil eye. Keeping a fox tail for this purpose wasn't uncommon in medieval times, but keeping a hair from a fox tail serves the same amuletic purpose.

Coral & Jet:

In many cultures, including in both my own ethnoreligious culture and my own regional culture, coral is believed to ward off and protect against evil eye. In some traditions it's specified that a hand with closed fist made from either coral or black jet can be worn or kept to protect one from any evil eye sent their way as well as any wishes of harm or suffering sent to them.

Antique hand-carved coral pendant or charm; photo courtesy of Invaluable Auction House.

In general, coral and jet beads or charms, either together or separately, can be worn to protect against the evil eye. You'll find such customs in Jewish folk magic, Southern folk magic in the United States, and throughout much of Central Europe's folk magical paths.

Protection from Hexes, Spells, Curses, & Malicious or Malevolent Magical Work

Dime Steppin':

Where I'm from, wearing a silver dime in the heel of your shoe is believed to keep any spells put on you from reaching you.

Church Dirt:

It's believed in various Southern U.S. regions that keeping a bit of dirt taken from church grounds will protect you from any witchcraft sent your way. The dirt can be kept in a baggy, pouch, envelope, vial, or any small thing you can keep on your person or in your home.

Iron:

Again, iron comes to save the day! It's long been believed that iron protects from witches, demons, and other forms of evil, and that it repels or dispels evil spells, curses, and hexes sent the keeper's way. For this reason, a bit of iron can be kept on one's person, or forged iron jewelry can be worn. Iron charms, rings, and amulets can be worn to protect from all forms of nefarious magical workings.

Angelica Baths:

For those who feel they've had a curse or hex put on them, add angelica or angelica root oil to your bath. Doing so is said to remove any curse, hex, or harmful magic laid upon you.

Mirror Method:

This spell is perfect for when you have someone you suspect is trying to spell, curse, or otherwise harm you, even in it's just through malicious gossip. This spell aims to protect you by making sure their work doesn't reach you and instead bounces back on them.

What you'll need:

A photograph or drawing of the person(s) you wish to prevent from harming you or the written name of the person(s)

A compact mirror

Red string, thread, cord, or ribbon.

What to do:

-Tape, glue, or fix the picture(s) or name(s) inside your compact mirror, making sure the name(s) or picture(s) will face the mirror when the compact is closed.

-Bind and tie the compact mirror closed with the red string, thread, twine, or ribbon.

-Keep your mirror somewhere safe where it won't be broken or disturbed. The curses or malicious work of those contained within the compact mirror should always be reflected back to them instead of reaching you.

Protection from Violence, Assault, & Harassment:

Sator Squares:

Pennsylvania Dutch variation of a Sator Square found in 'Long Lost Friend' by German-American Pennsylvania Dutch healer and charm worker, John George Hohman; published in 1820.

The Sator Square / Rotas-Sator Square is a palindromic word square used as a magical charm or amulet. It's been around for quite some time (with the oldest known square possibly being from as early as AD 50) and has been found to have been used historically throughout Europe, Africa, Asia Minor, and the Americas. As to its origins and intended purpose, no one knows for sure, but the Sator Square has come to have a number of magical uses, including as a tool for curing ailments, aiding in childbirth, putting out fires, and, in fitting with the theme of this piece, in protection magic.

Medieval Sator Square etched into a wall; Oppède-le-Vieux, France.

There are many variations of Sator Squares / Rotas-Sator Squares, but the most common forms consist of five rows of five words, each with five letters, arranged in a 5x5 grid. The Rotas-Sator Square (in which rotas is the word listed first, pictured below on the left) was the more common in pre-medieval use, but the Sator Square (in which sator is listed first, pictured below on the right) became far more prevalently used than the Rotas-Sator variation at some point in medieval Europe.

Rotas-Sator Square (left) and Sator Square (right).

In Southern Appalachian and some Southeastern folk practices within the United States, one can use a Sator Square for protection from violence or assault against your person.

What to do:

-Write out a Sator Sqaure or Rotas-Sator Square and carry the charm with you. It can be kept in the pocket, especially a shirt pocket, in the shoe, or even be sewn into one's clothes.

It's also said to be used in/on charm bags for general protection from evil in Cornish folkloric based witchcraft.

Protection from Illness & Pain

Shielding from Illness:

There is an oral version of the abracadabra charm I use to safeguard one's health and keep from falling ill.

What to do:

-When you lay down to go to sleep at night, press your teeth together. Not enough to cause you pain or discomfort, just enough to keep your mouth fixed so that your jaw doesn't move.

-With your jaw fixed in such a way, recite this charm in a hushed tone of more breath than voice -

Abracadabra, Abracadabr, Abracadab, Abracada, Abaracad, Abraca, Abrac, Abra, Abr, Ab, A.

-This should be recited three times in the same manner in order to shield one from illness.

Banishing Illness & Pain:

I've used a few variations of this work for years to rid one of illness or pain. Here are two variations -

The "Hands On" Approach:

If you or someone you know is coming down with something, is ill, or has been suffering pains, either place the palm of your hand on the area of their body where the pain or illness is rooted to or hover the hands just over the body. Recite either aloud or in your mind these words either 3 or 9 times (I typically use 3, but I've used 9 in more serious situations) -

All the ails shall leave (me/you/him/her/them/the person's name), All that pains shall go away. Good health shall surround (me/you/him/her/them/the name), Good health shall come to stay.

The Long Distance Approach:

What you'll need:

A candle (preferably white or any other color associated with healing)

Powdered or ground ginger

Salt

What to do:

-When one is unable to be touched due to distance from the worker, severity of illness or pain, desire to not be touched, or any other reason, take a candle (preferably white or any other color you associated with healing) and hold it whilst you think of them and their ailments and how you wish for them to get better.

-Select where you're going to burn your candle and, before lighting the candle, make a circle of powdered ginger and salt around the candleholder.

-Light the candle and look into the flame, keeping your intention of healing and helping close to your heart and mind.

-As you look into the flame, recite these words either 3 or 9 times -

All the ails shall leave (me/you/him/her/them/the person's name), All that pains shall go away. Good health shall surround (me/you/him/her/them/the name), Good health shall come to stay.

Alternatively, a variation of this spell calls for the recitation of these words -

Sickness burns, good health returns.

Protection from Enemies

Binding A Dangerous Enemy:

To bind someone dangerous who could do you harm.

With Sympathetic Magic

Sympathetic magic is one of the most common means of working against someone else where I'm from. It entails using an image, belonging, likeness, or symbol of who you're working against. In this case, we'll be using one of those things above to try to bind that someone from working against you or from bringing trouble, maliciousness, or suffering your way.

What you'll need:

A photo or drawing of the person; or a doll of the person (which can be made of clay, cloth, wood, grass, corn husk, etc.); and/or a scrap of clothing, hair, or item belonging to that person

Red thread, string, or ribbon

A candle (preferably black or red)

What to do:

-Light the candle, which can be carved with the target's name if you'd like.

-If you have an item or scrap of clothing or hair belonging to this person, press it against the likeness when you pick it up. If you don't have any such item, skip that step. Item or no, hold the likeness in your hands, focusing on the object and your intent. Once you're fully focused, recite these words -

I name thee (name of the target of this work). Thou art (she/he/they/name) in the flesh. I name thee (name of the target of this work). Thou art (she/he/they/name) in the flesh. I name thee (name of the target of this work). Thou art (she/he/they/name) in the flesh.

-Take the likeness (and if you have an item, scrap of clothing, or hair belonging to them, make sure you keep it against the likeness or symbol while you work, so that it's trapped beneath the bindings as well) and begin wrapping it up, tying it tight with your ribbon, thread, or string. If you're using a drawing or photograph of the person, you can roll or fold the image first before tying it up. While you wrap and tie up your symbol, recite these words -

Your hands are bound, your hands are tied. They cannot be raised against me. Your feet are bound, your feet are tied. They cannot move against me. Your lips are bound, your tongue is tied. They cannot speak against me. You're bound, you're tied, you're bound, you're tied. You cannot work against me.

-Recite this as many times as you need while finishing the tying work, or you can tie them up as much as you need whilst reciting these words 9 times. It's up to you. -Let the wrapped and tied symbol sit in the light of the candle as it burns down. -Do with the likeness, doll, or symbol what you will. Some bury it (far from your home, preferably under the light of a waning moon so as to diminish the power of that person to move or work against you), some (especially if it's a clay or paper doll) burn the likeness, and some keep the item in their home and occasionally recite the binding words and add to the wrapping and tying when they feel they need to again.

SOURCES & FURTHER READING:

Most of the spells listed above are variations found within the realms of folk magic which I've learned through my family, ancestors, and from simply being born and raised where I am. Spells similar to these can be found in the reading list below, as can any spells included that were not from my own family or regional homebrew of craft.

'Conjure/Doctors: An Exploration of a Black Discourse in America, Antebellum to 1940' by Brown, David H.

'Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs' -Cunningham, Scott

'Doctoring the Devil: Notebooks of an Appalachian Conjure Man' - Richards, Jake

'Jewish Magic and Superstition: A Study in Folk Religion' - Trachtenberg, Joshua

'the Master Book of Herbalism'- Beyerl, Paul

'On the Origin of the Rotas Sator Square' - Fishwick, Duncan

'Silent as the Trees: Devonshire Witchcraft, Folklore, & Magic' - Gary, Gemma

'Traditional Witchcraft: A Cornish Book of Ways' - Gary, Gemma

'the Voodoo Hoodoo Spellbook' -Alvarado, Denise

[sheydmade]

Summer Plant Allies for Spells & Divination

Summer, typically associated with sunshine, rising temperatures, and plenty of outdoor fun and activities, is a season abundant with powerful plant allies for magical workings. With delicious fruits that can aid in love and luck work, vegetables that are rife with symbolism or the perfect tools in sympathetic magic, and an array of flowers for protecting, purifying, and more, this bountiful season is one that shouldn't be overlooked by practitioners of witchcraft, no matter what path they follow.

In this piece, you'll find a collection of some of summer's offerings for plant allies and suggestions on how they may be used.

Beetroots / Beets

These delicious root vegetables are traditionally associated with love magic but can also be used as powerful symbols during spells and rites.

For love:

A beet, seen to symbolize the heart, should be shared between one and their desired to ensure that their love will be strong and true.

Writing one's name and the name of their desired, using beet juice as ink can be a simple love charm. To take this work further, fold the paper up bearing the names and tuck it inside a small box or satchet. Fill the satchet with other allies for love work — rose hips and rose petals, lavender, four-leaf clovers, apple blossom, apple seeds, etc. You can wear the satchet, keep it on your person in your bag or pocket, or sleep with it by your bed or under your pillow, drawing your love closer to you.

Using beet juice as ink, draw a picture of your beloved. This will encourage love to grow or strengthen between you. If you do not have a particular person in mind, but an ideal, this spell can also be used to manifest crossing paths with such a person.

There is also a "superstition" where I'm from that says that if you're craving beets, it's a sign you're either falling in love with someone or that someone who loves you is thinking about you.

For symbolism:

Beetroot can be used to symbolize hearts, life, and blood. One can use it in spells and rituals that would require such symbolism, and it can be used to replace any of those ingredients. Beet juice is especially good for symbolizing blood.

Blackberries

As a fruit often used in baking for holidays and festivals, blackberries are a common berry with a lot to offer. As aids in protection magic, money spells, and valued offerings, blackberries are an essential summer ally.

For healing:

Blackberry leaves can be carried as a charm to protect against illness (particularly illness related to the throat or stomach) and to help one recover from illness quickly. (Blackberry tea works just as well and is quite delicious.)

For protection:

Growing blackberries on your property is said to bring protection.

One can hang blackberry vines on their porch or on their door/window frames to bring protection (and luck with money) to the home.

For money:

Keeping blackberry leaves in one's wallet, purse, piggy bank, or coin jar is believed to multiply the amount of money coming in.

A simple money spell using blackberry leaves calls for writing a monetary total on a leaf (or leaves) and placing the leaf in your wallet where you keep paper money. That amount will come your way. Some say this will happen gradually but can be sped up by refreshing the magic often or by using more than one leaf.

Baking a blackberry pie and gifting it to someone (or partaking in it yourself when you find yourself in these situations) who is looking for work, seeking a promotion, or just starting a new job or financial venture is believed to bless them with monetary success.

Use blackberry juice as ink to draw symbols for money spells or write money spells. This can boost the money-making magic.

Fennel (Foeniculum Vulgare)

Fennel has long been used as an aid in protection works and to boost one's courage and strength.

by Franz Köhler, 1887

For protection:

Fennel, when hung at windows and doors, can ward against evil spirits, believed to prevent them from entering the home.

Some customs call for hanging fennel on your property to keep the law at bay.

Fennel grown on one's property is said to deter evil spirits and other harmful forces and energies.

One can grind the seeds of fennel into powder, which can then be used as a protective ward at thresholds, windows, and around the borders of one's property.

Carry fennel seeds with you to protect yourself from spirits who would do you harm.

If a harmful or evil spirit presents itself to you, cast a fistful of fennel seeds in its direction. This is believed to banish the spirit from the area.

Fennel, along with St. John's wort, has been used as a protective measure associated with the Summer Solstice. On the eve of the Summer Solstice, fashion a bundle of fennel and St. John's wort. Hang the bundle over your front door. Doing so is said to ward off evil or harmful spirits who may be roaming during this time.

It is ideal to have fennel or fennel seeds at hand (preferably on one's person) when working any magic that might expose one to malevolent forces, as fennel is thought to strengthen one against the influence of evil forces.

For courage:

When in need of a boost of courage, carry fennel seeds with you in a small bag.

Wearing fennel in one's shoes is also said to instill one with courage.

Figs (Ficus Carica)

[WARNING: Contact with the milky sap of Ficus carica followed by exposure to ultraviolet light can cause phytophotodermatitis, a potentially serious skin inflammation. The essential oil of fig leaves contains the highest concentration of psoralen of any organic compound isolated from fig leaves, known to cause fig leaf-induced phytophotodermatitis. Psoralen and bergapten are found chiefly in the milky sap of the leaves and shoots of F. carica but not the fruits or in the essential oil of the fig fruits. It is recommended to work with the fruits themselves and to take care working with the leaves or shoots of fig plants. 'Although the plant is not poisonous per se, F. carica is listed in the FDA Database of Poisonous Plants.']

Perhaps best known for their inclusion in love and fertility work, figs can also be used as divinatory aids, and as allies bringing luck, protection, and happiness.

by G.D. Ehret, 1771

For fertility & love:

Fresh figs should be eaten by those struggling with or wishing to improve their virility.

A token of a phallus carved from fig wood can be carried by those wishing to conceive to improve their chances.

Figs can be presented as offerings to any goddess associated with pregnancy.

Sharing a fresh fig between lovers is said to boost their sex life.

Sharing fresh or dried figs with someone you're romantically interested in can draw them closer to you.

It's said that gifting your desired with a fig will make them realize their attraction to you.

For protection & luck:

Growing a fig tree on one's property is believed to attract luck to the home and its inhabitants.

It's also said that growing a fig tree near one's home assures protection.

Keeping a branch from a fig tree on or at your door is believed to grant the home protection.

For strength:

Eating fresh figs is thought to increase one's physical strength.

For divination:

Fig leaves can be useful tools for divination and there are a few different customs calling for their use. Remember, though, to always take care when working with fig leaves (see the above note on fig leaf-induced phytophotodermatitis). If working with fig leaves is desired, consider using gloves.

If you're seeking answers when making a decision between multiple choices, write the choices down, each on their own fig leaf. Place the leaves in a bowl or jar. Speak you question aloud or to yourself, close your eyes, and draw one leaf from the mix. The answer you draw is the path you should follow or the best option for you.

If there is a matter for which there is either an affirmative or negative answer (i.e. 'Should I (insert action here)? 'Is (insert person here) true to me?' etc.), write your question on a freshly plucked fig leaf. Observe the fig leaf often over the next few hours or the rest of the day. If the leaf withers, dries up, or curls in on itself fairly quickly, the answer is negative. If the leaf stays fresh for a long while, the answer is affirmative.

Association with enlightenment, revelation, & sacred knowledge:

Figs bear association with enlightenment through Buddhism and Judaism — in Buddhism, Siddartha Gautama attained enlightenment after meditating at length at the roots of a bodhi tree (sacred fig/Ficus religiosa native to the Indian subcontinent); within Judaism, the fig tree is thought to be one option as to what the Tree of Knowledge could have been.

Foxgloves (Digitalis)

[WARNING: POISONOUS. Foxglove/Digitalis should not be consumed or absorbed through the skin. As per poison control, all parts of the foxglove plant are extremely poisonous. Blythe Copeland writes, 'The toxin appears in the leaves, flowers, and all other parts of the foxglove plant, and isn't mitigated by steeping or cooking.' Foxglove must be handled with care and kept away from animals and children. One should wear gloves if ever handling foxglove/digitalis. Species within the digitalis genus contain varying levels of 'several deadly physiological and chemically related cardiac and steroidal glycosides.' For more information check here and here. I do not recommend working with foxglove due to the risks of doing so but have included foxglove in this piece for strictly informative and educational purposes.]

Digitalis Purpurea by Franz Köhler

Foxglove is a versatile but dangerous plant ally. It is known by many other names, such as fox bells, the great herb, and fairy weed, to mention but a few. The plant has also been called witch's bells and dead man's bells due to the dangerous effects of ingesting the plant or absorbing its toxins through the skin.

While I do not recommend working with foxglove due to the potential dangers of doing so, I will include, for informative and educational purposes, how foxglove in one's garden can meet magical ends. That being said, foxglove should not be planted anywhere children, dogs, cats, or other animals might come in contact with it, and should not be planted near any vegetable, fruit, or herb garden.

For protection:

Foxglove has been used as a protective charm or ward against spirits, demons, and malevolent forces.

Planting foxgloves on your property can deter forces that would bring you harm.

Planting foxgloves beneath your bedroom window can protect against nightmares.

Fairies:

It also has an association with fairies, and some believe that fairy folk reside near where foxglove grows.

Hollyhocks (Alcea)

[WARNING: Caution should be taken if planting hollyhocks in an area accessible to dogs. While minimal exposure to the flowers and leaves of the hollyhock plant (including minimal ingestion) is generally considered not a high risk to your dog's safety, exposure to the roots and seeds of hollyhocks can prove dangerous for dogs. The roots and seeds of hollyhocks contain higher concentrations of compounds which can be toxic to dogs. Always monitor your dog when they are in an area containing hollyhocks.]

For money:

Hollyhocks are known for their association with material and monetary matters. They can be used in any spell or work to attract, keep, or increase money or wealth.

To grow hollyhock on one's property is said to ensure that financial security and abundance will come to the household.

One can keep an arrangement of fresh hollyhock flowers in their workspace to help ensure the work is monetarily fruitful.

One can carry hollyhock petals in one's wallet as a charm to attract money.

Fairies:

Hollyhocks are also said to bear an association with fairies or the little people and are believed to attract them.

Attracting animal allies:

In gardens, they attract hummingbirds and butterflies, so if that is something your magical craft would benefit from, hollyhocks are a great option to consider for your garden.

Iris (Iris)

[WARNING: Irises are toxic to dogs, cats, and some other animals. Keep away from pets and do not grow in an area where animals can access the plants without supervision.]

Irises by Vincent Van Gogh, 1889

For purification, cleansing, and removal of harmful energy:

Irises can be used in purification and cleansing spells but also serve as purifying charms themselves.

It's said that placing fresh irises in an area will purify that space of any negativity or evil, as will growing irises on one's property.

For wisdom:

Irises are also associated with wisdom and can be used to symbolize wisdom in spells, offerings, or rites.

Keeping a vase of irises in a room where one studies is also believed to aid in retaining the information.

For protection from enemies:

There is also some association between irises and keeping away enemies. This likely comes from the Chinese practice of planting irises in one's garden as a snake deterrent, though it could also have to do with the flower's purifying and cleansing abilities.

Lavender (Lavandula)

[WARNING: Ingesting certain amounts of lavender can be toxic for cats and dogs. It's advisable to keep lavender and lavender products out of reach of your pets. Call your vet if you believe your pet may have ingested a larger quantity of lavender or you are uncertain of the quantity they ingested. Also call your vet if your pet shows signs of respiratory distress after exposure to lavender, as some dogs and cats can have lavender allergies.]

Perhaps best known in magic for its use in love spells, lavender is a rather versatile and powerful plant ally to keep around.

For purification, cleansing, and sanctification:

Lavender can be used for purification, cleansing, and sanctifying purposes.

Lavender washes, lavender waters, and lavender incense can be sprinkled (for the washes and waters) or burned (for the incense) to sanctify a space such as a temple, altar, magical workspace, etc.

Burning lavender incense in an area is believed to cleanse the space of negative energy.

One can anoint magical or religious tools with lavender washes or lavender water, or they can "wash" such tools with smoke from lavender incense (do this by moving the item through the smoke as it rises, turning the item over and seeing that it's thoroughly passed through the smoke).

For peace and harmony:

Lavender is also a well-known bringer of peace and harmony.

Hanging lavender bundles or potting lavender in a room can bring peace to that space.

Burning lavender incense or dressing the windows and doors of the room with lavender washes or lavender water can also bring peace to an area.

Lavender can bring about restful sleep and ward away nightmares. Keep lavender in one's room, by one's bed, or even in one's pillowcase to do so.

Lavender flowers and lavender oils can also be added to baths to bring about peaceful rest.

Using soaps containing lavender oils or lavender flowers can also aid in bringing peace, aid in bringing mental clarity, and aid in bringing restful sleep.

For wisdom and mental clarity:

Lavender can be a great ally for those who seek mental clarity, aid in awakening their mind's eye, and aid in obtaining wisdom or revelation.

Burning lavender incense while meditating can help induce clarity of the mind.

Using lavender oils, lavender balms, or lavender incense promotes mental clarity and focus while also reducing stress, thus proving a welcome and essential tool for meditation, trance work, and other such practices.

For love:

To bring harmony to a relationship, gift the other half of the relationship with lavender flowers.

Press a lavender flower and keep it with a picture of that person, as a charm for peace and harmony with them.

To draw someone's love your way, write their on a piece of paper. Then, take a fresh lavender flower and rub it on the paper over and around the name, pressing it into the page so the scent of the flower really gets on the paper. Fold the paper up and keep it in a small box or cloth bag (preferably of the color red or pink). Refresh with fresh lavender flowers as needed.

Dressing one's clothing in lavender scent or lavender oil can attract love.

Lavender oil and fresh or dried lavender are common additions in spells to attract love.

Pinning a lavender flower to the inside of one's clothes before going to see the person you desire can encourage any romantic feelings they may have for you.

For protection:

Lavender also has protective uses.

One can wear or carry lavender to ward off or deflect the evil eye.

Using lavender oil or lavender scents can protect against the evil eye.

Where lavender grows, it's said that harmful energy has difficulty passing by the area.

Burning dried or fresh lavender flowers in bonfires or fireplaces is believed to grant protection to the area from evil or malevolent spirits and forces.

Including lavender in bouquets or flower crowns for weddings can provide protection from evil eye, from ill wishes, and from dangerous spirits attracted to the merry occasion.

For psychic enhancement:

Lavender is also known to enhance certain psychic abilities, particularly the ability to see or communicate with the dead, with spirits of all ilk, and with various planes of existence.

Some recommend rubbing the hands with a lavender balm before doing any work that requires communicating with or seeing spirits.

Anointing the area with lavender oils or washes or burning lavender incense can have the same effect.

Peony (Paeonia)

Peonies are renowned for their association with protection work, capable of granting protection of body, spirit, and mind from a variety of forces and foes. But there are other uses for peonies, such as uses in luck spells, money spells, and spells for happiness.

For protection:

Growing peonies on one's property, particularly near the doors of one's home or near the gates leading into the yard, is said to offer added protection to the home and those within, protection from evil and malicious spirits and protection from magical workings sent to one's home to do one harm.

Wearing a peony flower (either as a fresh flower, in a flower crown, or even as a perfume) or carrying one on your person can offer the wearer/carrier spiritual protection from malevolent forces or harmful magic sent their way. It is also believed to offer physical protection of the body, as well as protection from mental assault via spiritual or magical forces, as well as mental assault from human forces.

Collecting peony seeds in a satchet or cloth bag and then hanging that bag at the window of a nursery or child's bedroom is believed to protect the child from spirits or forces that would steal it away or bring it harm.

Peony seeds can also be carried or worn to bring protection.

Stringing peony seeds on a red or white thread, then to be worn as a bracelet or necklace, is said to serve as a protective amulet.

Keeping peonies near one's bedside or planting them beneath one's bedroom window can protect from nightmares, particularly those that are sent by spirits or magic.

Peony flowers and seeds are believed to protect from demonic forces as well, serving as a ward against them.

The roots of peony can be carved and fashioned into beads, which have been said to have been used in jewelry for protection amulets and in rosaries and prayer beads, boosting spiritual protection and protection from demons.

Wearing a necklace or bracelet of beads made from the peony root is thought to grant protection from illness, injury, and insanity.

Peonies are also believed to have the power to protect one and one's property from harsh weather and storms.

It's said that peonies were used to offer protection to 'shepherds, their flocks, and harvests from injury...'

by Yun Shouping, 17th century

For luck & happiness:

Giving a bouquet of peonies as a gift is meant to be token of luck and a charm to bring luck that person's way. This is especially true for those who are seeking or starting a new job, entering a new chapter in life, graduating, and so on.

Peonies growing on one's property are believed to attract good luck and happiness to those who reside there.

For money:

For those seeking financial stability, keeping fresh peonies in a vase or pot near where you're working is said to help boost one's monetary gains.

Carrying peony petals in one's wallet or wearing them in one's shoe is believed to attract money your way.

Potatoes

[WARNING: Take care to not allow pets to consume raw potatoes, as raw potatoes contain compounds that can be toxic to dogs and cats.]

The potato is an often overlooked and surprisingly versatile magical and symbological ally, with uses in sympathetic magic and wishing works, as well as aiding in maintaining the fertility of the land and soil.

In sympathetic magic:

One can fashion a doll or head from a potato, made to resemble the object of one's sympathetic spell. Actions performed on the potato are then believed to bring about damage to the person they are fashioned after. Two common methods of using a "potato poppet" in some Southern folk traditions including piercing the potato and then leaving it to sit and whither, where it will shrivel and deteriorate, believed to drain the target of their strength and wellness as it does; and casting the potato into flames or roasting it in a fireplace or on hot coals (it should be roasted to point of blackening and shriveling).

For fertility of land:

The potato is associated with fertility of land in Incan mythology, as the goddess Axomamma (goddess of potatoes) is tasked with caring for the health and richness of soil, and with ensuring good yields of tuber plants.

Raw potatoes (and some say potato peels) can be buried beneath certain plants (such as rose bushes and some berry bushes) when planting them. This is believed to ensure the plant takes well in that area, as the potato nourishes the plant and the soil around it. (I have five rosebushes of various types in my garden and every single one was planted with potatoes. One of the rosebushes was planted by my grandmother almost 60 years ago and it's still going strong.)

For healing:

There are some folk beliefs surrounding potatoes as healing charms.

Carrying a potato in one's pocket will get rid of a toothache.

Carrying a potato in one's pocket is believed to ward off some illnesses and ailments, such as gout and rheumatism. Where I'm from, this goes a little further in that if the potato hardens, the charm has worked; if the potato rots, it's done no good. One variation of this charm (from an area in the north of my home state) calls for sticking the potato with tacks or pins and then carrying it in one's pocket.

Carrying a potato in one's pocket can prevent taking chills and catching colds.

Peeling potatoes and then tucking the peels in one's pocket is believed to ward off warts.

Keep a potato in your travelling bag to ward off motion sickness.

Raspberries (Rubus Idaeus, Rubus Strigosis)

Raspberries are well-known for their uses in healing, protection, and love works, but can also attract good luck.

For healing:

It's said that juice of the raspberry fruit, when mixed with honey, can bring down fever.

Those who suffer stomach ailments should drink water with raspberries in it.

Tea made from the raspberry leaf can be used as mouth wash, as a face wash to soothe irritated skin, and as a remedy for stomach problems, diarrhea, and other gastrointestinal issues.

To gift one with raspberry syrup is said to ensure their good health while the syrup lasts.

For protection:

Hanging raspberry brambles from one's fence posts is believed to prevent any harm from crossing the boundary they mark.

One can also hang raspberry brambles from porches, doors, and windows to bring protection to the home.

Raspberry brambles are thought to be especially potent against spirits, deterring them from entering an area.

For love:

Raspberries are believed to induce feelings of love between people when shared (raw or prepared).

To gift someone with fresh raspberries is thought to encourage them to gift you their love in return.

For luck:

Raspberry leaves can be used as luck charms to attract good luck one's way. They can be kept in a satchet or container, or even in one's purse, pockets, or wallet.

Strawberries (Fragaria vesca)

Strawberries can be put to work in glamor magic, luck spells, and wishing works.

For luck:

Carry strawberry leaves on one's person to attract good luck.

Keeping the strawberry leaves in one's purse or wallet when going to gamble or when trying to drum up some cash can turn that luck specifically toward monetary luck.

Planting strawberries on one's property is believed to draw luck their way.

In glamor magic:

After biting into a strawberry, apply the juice of the plant to the lips and cheeks for a temporary boost to one's attractiveness.

In wishing works:

When planting strawberries, one can make a wish for each bush they plant (to keep track if you've made many wishes, write down or mark which wish is tied to which plant). When strawberries come to yield, observe them. If the plant produced healthy, delicious looking strawberries or many strawberries, your wish will come true. If the bush did not have a good yield, the berries were stolen (by birds or some other animal), or the berries produced lack sweetness, your wish will not come true.

Sunflower (Helianthus Annus)

Considered by many a wishing flower, the sunflower is known for its use in wishing spells, as well as for bringing fertility and luck.

For wishing:

Always make a wish when you cut a sunflower. It's said the wish will come true or start to fulfill itself before the same time the following day.

Place a sunflower at one's bedside and make a wish on it before you fall asleep. If you dream of your wish coming true, so it will. If you don't, it will not.

For fertility:

Sunflower seeds are used in fertility works, particularly by fashioning the seeds to a string or thread as a necklace and wearing it. This is believed to bring good luck with fertility to those seeking to have children.

It's also believed that those wishing to have children should eat sunflower seeds, that doing so will aid in the endeavor.

For luck:

To have sunflowers growing in your garden or on your property is to ensure that good luck is drawn to the area.

SOURCES & FURTHER READING:

Some of these customs and beliefs were taught to me by my grandparents and folk I grew up around, but I've included works with similar spells amongst the sources below.

'Ashkenazi Herbalism: Rediscovering the Herbal Traditions of Eastern European Jews' - Cohen, Deatra; Siegel, Adam

'Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs' - Cunningham, Scott

'Herbal Magic' - Kane, Aurora

'Kentucky Superstitions' - Thomas, Daniel Lindsey; Thomas, Lucy Blayney

'Köhler's Medizinal-Pflanzen' - Köhler, Herman Adolph

'Magical Folkhealing: Herbs, Oils, and Recipes for Health, Healing, and Magic' - Conway, DJ

'the Master Book of Herbalism' - Beyerl, Paul

On Foxglove Dangers:

Mount Sinai Health System

Digoxin Toxicity

Poison Control

[sheydmade]

I have the perfect piece for heading into summer sitting in my drafts! See you Sunday! (And for those who voted for something else, you can expect those pieces to be coming over the next few weeks as well.)

I'm undecided on which piece to post this Sunday. What would you like to see?

[sheydmade]

I'm undecided on which piece to post this Sunday. What would you like to see?

[sheydmade]

Spring at Sheydmade:

O, spring at sheydmade has been such good fun. Here's a round-up of all the pieces I've posted over the last couple of months, in case anyone wants to catch up on some of this spring reading or save these posts for next spring!

Spells & Divination Resources:

Spring Magic: Herbs, Charms, & Spells for Cleansing & Prosperity

Protection Work in Folk Magic: Herbs, Spells, & Charms for Protecting Yourself & Others

Home Protection in Folk Magic: Charms, Wards, & Work to Magically Protect One's Home

Simple Methods of Magical Protection

Rose Magic: Using Roses in Spells & Divination

Love in Folk Magic: Charms, Omens, & Divinatory Customs

Flower Power: Using Spring Flowers in Divination

Tarot Spreads for Making Decisions, Forging New Paths, & Pursuing New Endeavors

With Love: Tarot for Matters of the Heart

The Star: A Tarot Spread for Pursuing New Endeavors

Tarot Spreads for Your Enemies

The Dumb Supper Divination Rite

Spring Allies:

Small But Mighty: Violets & Their Many Magical Uses

Rose Magic: Using Roses in Spells & Divination

Witchcraft History:

The Craft of Isobel Gowdie: A Look at Scottish Folk Magic in the 1600s

The Jewitch: An Exploration of Jewish Magical Practice

Jewish Incantation Bowls (infographic)

Jewish Incantation Bowls (full article)

Mythology & Folk Lore:

The Aos Sí: Figures of Celtic Fae Lore

The Apple in Myth: Deities, Figures, & Lore

The Otherworld of Irish & Welsh Mythology

I don't think I missed anything but let me know if I did! Happy reading! -Keziah

[sheydmade]

Home Protection in Folk Magic: Charms, Wards, & Work to Magically Protect One's Home

by Keziah

As times get harder, many more are turning to magical customs to find security and protection. In my piece Protection Work in Folk Magic: Herbs, Spells, & Charms for Protecting Yourself & Others, I focused on taking magical protection with you wherever you needed it, but there was nothing at all written about the protection of one's home and property. This piece focuses on just that, including accessible and affordable (even free) means of magical protection that any practitioner (from beginner to a true veteran) can utilize.

Evil spirits, malicious magic, unwanted company, and even the presence of law and immigration enforcement — magical protection of the home is incredibly versatile and accessible. Now more than ever, we're in need of as much help as we can get, so I hope that there's something in this piece that can bring you and yours even the slightest peace of mind.

Note: This piece focuses largely on the folk magic with which I am most familiar with. I'm from the Southern US and have studied folk traditions within the South, Appalachia, Britain, and Europe. You'll see some overlap amongst these customs, as many Southern traditions were birthed from British practices. There is also a sprinkling of Jewish custom mentioned within this piece, as I happen to be a Jewish person. I write that which I'm familiar with, and, as a Southern of mixed race (Black and white) who happens to be Jewish, this is the world of folk magic I felt comfortable writing about. While this piece is meant as an exploration and resource, please be respectful of the sources of these magical works. If that particular work is not relevant to you based on your practice or if it belongs to a closed tradition (such as a Jewish custom or a practice found within certain schools of hoodoo), please respect that and see the alternative recommendations.

Against Spirits & Evil

Southern Folk Prayers:

In Southern folk customs, prayers and Bible verses are abundant in magical workings, especially when it comes to protection work. One custom calls for the recitation of prayers/verses to rid one's home of an unwanted spirit.

What you'll do:

Open all the doors and windows in your home, ensuring the spirit has plenty of options of places to leave through.

Starting at the back of the house (and from the uppermost level if you live in a multi-story home), work your way from the back of the house toward the front (do this on each level if applicable).

Whilst walking, recite a prayer or Bible verse used to ward off spirits. Where I'm from, the Our Father/the Lord's Prayer is most commonly used, and, as I recently learned after spotting it in 'Doctoring the Devil', Psalm 31:15-17 can also be used. As a Jewish practitioner of magic in the South, I've opted for Psalm 91, which has been known to be used against spirits.

Our Father/the Lord's Prayer —

Our Father, who art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on Earth, as it is in Heaven; Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those that trespass against us; And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil; For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, Forever and ever. Amen.

Psalm 31:15-17 —

My times are in thy hand: deliver me from the hand of mine enemies, and from them that persecute me. Make thy face to shine upon thy servant: save me for thy mercies' sake. Let me not be ashamed, O Lord; for I have called upon thee: let the wicked be ashamed, and let them be silent in the grave.

*Alternatively, one can simply chant or recite that last line — and let them be silent in the grave — whilst performing this work.

Psalm 91 —

1 He who dwells in the covert of the Most High will lodge in the shadow of the Almighty. 2 I shall say that Adonai is my shelter and my fortress, my g-d in whom I trust. 3 For Adonai will save you from the snare that traps from the devastating pestilence. 4 With (his/her/their) wing (he/she/they) will cover you, and under (his/their/her) wings you will take refuge; (his/her/their) truth is a comforting shield. 5 You shall not fear the terror of night nor the arrow that flies by day; 6 Pestilence that prowls in darkness nor destruction that ravages at noon. 7 A thousand will be stationed at your side, ten thousand at your right hand; but it will not approach you. 8 You will but gaze with your eyes and see the annihilation of the wicked. 9 For when you said, 'the Lord is my refuge,' you made the Most High your dwelling. 10 No harm shall befall you, nor shall plague draw near your tent. 11 For Adonai will command angels on your behalf to guard you always. 12 On your hands they will bear you, lest your foot stumble on a stone. 13 On a lion and a cobra you will tread, trampling the lion and the serpent. 14 For he yearns for Me and I shall answer him; I shall fortify him, for he knows My name. 15 He will call Me and I shall answer him; I am with him in distress; I shall rescue him and I shall honor him. 16 With length of days I shall satiate him, and I shall show him My salvation.

Crib & Nursery Protection:

As children are, in many traditions, seen as being more susceptible to the influence of spirits, many magical traditions have special protective customs aimed specifically at the young ones. One such protective custom comes from Southern Appalachia.

What you'll need:

Iron nails

What to do:

Drive an iron nail into the bottom of the foot of a crib or into a crib post. Alternatively, iron nails can be driven into the corners of the door and window frames. This is believed to protect the child(ren) from spirits of all ilk, not only ghosts.

For those who favor plants over nails, there's an alternative method of nursery protection —

What you'll need: (any combination of the following herbs)

Chamomile

Yarrow

Basil

St. John's Wart

What you'll do:

Hang a bunch of chamomile, yarrow, and lavender from the doorpost or at the window in the nursery. Plants can be dried or fresh. All three are believed to have protective powers and to also bring peace to an area.

Basil can be used in any room (hanging from windows and doors) to keep spirits away.

Salt the Doors, Sweep the Floors:

From Southern conjure to Jewish folk magic, salt being used as a means of protection across countless traditions and magical paths.

What you'll need:

Salt

Water (optional)

What you'll do:

Where to place the salt and how to use it varies from traditions to traditions.

In Jewish custom, salt is lined at the doors of the home, a protective barrier against evil. The salt can also be kept in clothes, closets, under beds, etc. as a means of a magical protection. This practice is also found in Southern folk magic in the US, in British folk magic, and in European folk magic.

In the Southern US, salt is a common ingredient in sweeps — a method of magical cleansing that can be used to bring protection, luck, financial stability, and such. Salt, used with other ingredients (these vary depending on the purpose of one's sweep), is scattered across the floors of the home (working from the back of the house toward the front, from the top of the house toward the bottom) and then swept from the home (again, in that same pattern of back to front, top to bottom). For protection work, you'll find that salt is commonly used alongside rosemary, basil, cinnamon, cloves, and high john the conqueror.

Another custom that can also be found in some forms of European folk magic and Jewish folk practice is the use of saltwater instead of just salt. The saltwater is sprinkled at the threshold of the home, or sprayed upon the doors and windows.

Haint Blue:

'A small white house with a blue door' (via Oleksii Piekhov)

In the Southern United States, one custom of home protection comes in the form of a hue of a paint. Haint blue doors, porch floors, or porch ceilings are used to ward off spirits. The blue color is believed to confuse the spirits, who mistake it for water, as it's a common belief in the South that spirits can't cross moving water. My own door is painted a lovely haint blue and I can't praise its effectiveness enough.

Bells:

In many folk traditions, it's believed that bells warn of the presence of evil and that their ringing or chiming wards off evil spirits and entities of all kinds.

What you'll need:

Bells (these can be of any size, can be small bells tied to a cord or kept in a bag, can be bells on a wind chime, can be a single bell)

Cord, string, or twine (optional)

A small bag (optional)

What to do:

Hang bells on or near your front door. They'll ring when evil is near your home, warning you of its presence. Their singing will also work to ward off evil.

The bells can be little jingle bells on a string or in a small bag. You can tie your bells to yarn and hang the strand beside the door. I keep mine on my doorknob. You can also mount just one bell beside your door. This is a very versatile method of magical protection, so change it however you like to fit your needs and style.

Garlic Charms:

Garlic is a go-to tool for protection in many magical practices, and in Cornish cunning ways garlic can be used to protect one 'against the influence of people and spirits with vampiric and envious tendencies.' -Gemma Gary, folk-magical practitioner and author, in her work 'Traditional Witchcraft: A Cornish Book of Ways'

What you'll need:

Whole garlic bulbs

Red ribbons

(optional) Bells

What to do:

Whole garlic bulbs should be tied with red ribbons and hung on, above, or beside doorframes and/or window frames.

Bells can also be added to this charm for extra oomph.

Hagstone Charms:

Hagstones, also called adder stones, serpent’s eggs, fairy stones, and witch stones, are stones which bear a naturally occurring hole caused by erosion or some other natural event. Hagstones have been used as protective amulets for long while in traditional folk magic of Britain. Hagstones can be used to protect from a number of things - general protection overall, as well as protection from spirits of various ilk, protection from harm on the sea, protection of livestock and farmlands, protection from nightmares, and more. Here, we'll look at how to use them to protect one's home.

What you’ll need:

Hagstone (one or more)

Thread, cord, or twine.

What to do:

Pass your thread, cord, or twine through the hole of the hagstone. You can knot the thread beforehand for added protection as a form of knot magic. Knots are believed to strengthen protective work, as they can confuse or distract spirits.

You can add as many hagstones as you like. One is plenty, but I’ve seen charms with as many as nine stones.

Hang your hagstone charm within your home or on your porch to protect the space from spirits and evil. One of mine hangs from a nail in my doorframe at the front of my home.

Against Law Enforcement

Dirt Dust:

This is a regional variation of a work used in the Southern US known throughout Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, and Virgina.

What you'll need:

Dirt from near a police station Use any combination of the following ingredients along with the police station dirt —

Black pepper

Black mustard seeds

Brick dust

Coal dust

Dirt from an anthill

Dirt from a church yard (can be used in any work to ward off or get rid of unwanted persons)

Dirt from a graveyard

Red pepper flakes

Salt

Seeds of caraway

Seeds of lemon

Seeds of pawpaw

What you'll do:

To help keep police away from your home, mix the dirt, black pepper, and mustard seeds together. Dust the threshold of your home with it and sprinkle it at the outer corners of your home.

Some customs call for the recitation of Bible verses (welcome to the South, y'all; there are Bible verses in basically every kind of magic down here) whilst sprinkling this mixture. If that's up your alley, here are some verses that can be used for various purposes —

-Psalm 35:1 (for protection against any law enforcement)

Plead my cause, O Lord, with them that strive with me: fight against them that fight against me.

-Psalm 35:4-6 (for protection against any law and immigration enforcement)

Let them be confounded and put to shame that seek after my soul: let them be turned back and brought to confusion that devise my hurt. Let them be as chaff before the wind: and let the angel of the Lord chase them. Let their way be dark and slippery: and let the angel of the Lord persecute them.

-Psalm 44:7 (for protection against police, immigration enforcement, and those who would bring such trouble down on your home):

But thou hast saved us from our enemies, and hast put them to shame that hated us.

Sator Squares:

As featured in my piece Protection Work in Folk Magic: Herbs, Spells, & Charms for Protecting Yourself & Others, the Sator Square/Rotas Square is a versatile protective tool that can be used to many ends, including to keep unwanted people away from your home (and, yes, we're going to use it here to keep away immigration or law officers).

The Sator Square / Rotas-Sator Square is a palindromic word square used as a magical charm or amulet. It’s been around for quite some time (with the oldest known square possibly being from as early as AD 50) and has been found to have been used historically throughout Europe, Africa, Asia Minor, and the Americas. As to its origins and intended purpose, no one knows for sure, but the Sator Square has come to have a number of magical uses, including as a tool for curing ailments, aiding in childbirth, putting out fires, and, in fitting with the theme of this piece, in protection magic.

Medieval Sator Square etched into a wall; Oppède-le-Vieux, France.

There are many variations of Sator Squares / Rotas-Sator Squares, but the most common forms consist of five rows of five words, each with five letters, arranged in a 5x5 grid. The Rotas-Sator Square (in which rotas is the word listed first, pictured below on the left) was the more common in pre-medieval use, but the Sator Square (in which sator is listed first, pictured below on the right) became far more prevalently used than the Rotas-Sator variation at some point in medieval Europe.

Rotas-Sator Square (left) and Sator Square (right).

In Appalachian and some Southern folk practices within the United States, one can use a Sator Square for protection. To do so for one's home simply write the square onto a paper or cloth or carve the square into wood/etch it into clay and mount the square somewhere within the home — above the mantle, near the front door, above a window. It's said to repel unwanted company of all sorts, as well as offer various protections.

Corncob Charm:

In Kentucky and Tennessee (and perhaps other regions of the US), it's said that one can use dried corn cobs to deter police from coming onto one's property.

What you'll need:

A dried corncob

Nail (if hanging)

Yarn/string (if hanging, preferably red or black)

What to do:

One can either hand a dried corncob (usually from a string, which is sometimes braided) on their doorpost or one can bury a dried corncob at each of the four corners of their home.

Penny Charm:

Penny charms to discourage the attention or presence of law enforcement aren't at all uncommon in the South.

What you'll need:

4 or 9 pennies (some customs specify 'Indian Head Pennies') / (different customs call for different amounts; see below for more information)

What you'll do:

Some variations of this charm call for placing the pennies in a row underneath your doormat. Some call for nailing or gluing the pennies above your front door. Some call for burying the pennies at the property of your boundary or at the front gate.

As to whether one should use 4 or 9 pennies, it depends. Where I'm from, I'd always been told that 9 were used, but in some other Southern regions, the custom is 4 pennies, and in Jake Richards' 'Doctoring the Devil' it's specified that 4 pennies are used unless the house in question is home to illegal undertakings or business, in which case, 9 pennies are preferred.

There has also been a shift as to whether it's necessary to acquire Indian Head Cents or not. Traditionally, the Indian Head Cent was used (at least in Tennessee, Kentucky, and Virginia), but I've seen this work done with regular pennies as well. Nowadays, the Indian Head Cent is harder to come by and buying them just for this work can cost quite a lot. If it's more accessible for one to use regular pennies, then know that you're not the first and won't be the last to do so.

Against Intruders

Garlic:

Yes, garlic has made a second appearance! What can I say? She's a powerful little ally.

Garlic is used for protection across countless countries and customs. This particular method of protection against intruders and unwanted company can be found in English folk traditions, various forms of folk magic in the Southern United States, Jewish folk magic, and several branches of European folk practices.

What you'll need:

Garlic strands, bulbs, or braids (dried or fresh)

What you'll do:

Hang garlic at your door. This can be outside of your home or inside and is usually done from the woodwork around the door but can also be done near the door or on a porch rail. In some English variations, the garlic is hung from the mantle or above the fireplace or near a kitchen window.

'A bunch of garlic hanging from a ceiling.' (via Orestis Christodoulou); 'A pile of dried grass.' (via Maxim Tolchinskiy)

Dust & Dirt:

In Louisiana's branch of conjure and hoodoo, it's said that one can keep intruders away from their property with simple methods and few ingredients.

What you'll need:

Goofer dust (also called gopher dust/gopher's dust/goofer's dust) *there are various ways of making goofer dust and it depends on where you source yours as to what exactly it will consist of

Alternatively, if you cannot acquire goofer dust, one can use graveyard dirt on its own or combined with any of the following ingredients —

Ash

Salt

Coal dust

Iron shavings/iron dust

Brick dust

Eggshell powder

What you'll do:

Simply spread the dust either around the boundaries of your property or (if you haven't the ingredients to spare or would like to limit how much you're putting out due to the presence of animals or wildlife you don't wish to expose to any of the ingredients) at the boundary of your gate, your doors, or your porch.

Against Witchcraft

Horseshoe Charm:

What you'll need:

A horseshoe (used)

Tinfoil (optional)

Nails

What you'll do:

Hanging a horseshoe over the front door or the main entrance to one's home is believed to both secure luck within the household and protect against malicious magic sent to the home or to any member of the household. Iron horseshoes are believed to work best, and some practices within Kentucky, Tennessee, and Virginia also call for wrapping or dressing the horseshoe in tinfoil before hanging it about the door.

SOURCES & FURTHER READING

'Backwoods Witchcraft: Conjure & Folk Magic from Appalachia' - Richards, Jake

’Conjure/Doctors: An Exploration of a Black Discourse in America, Antebellum to 1940’ by Brown, David H.

’Cunningham’s Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs’ -Cunningham, Scott

'Divination, Magic, & Healing: the Book of Jewish Folklor' - Isaacs, Ronald H.

'Doctoring the Devil: Notebooks of an Appalachian Conjure Man' - Richards, Jake

Jewish Magic and Superstition: A Study in Folk Religion’ - Trachtenberg, Joshua

'Lowcountry Voodoo A-to-Z' - Marsh, Carole

'the Master Book of Herbalism’- Beyerl, Paul

’On the Origin of the Rotas Sator Square’ - Fishwick, Duncan

'Silent as the Trees: Devonshire Witchcraft, Folklore, & Magic' - Gary, Gemma

'Southern Cunning: Folkloric Witchcraft in the American South' - Oberon, Aaron

'Sticks, Stones, Roots, & Bones: Hoodoo, Mojo, & Conjuring with Herbs' - Bird, Stephanie Rose

’the Voodoo Hoodoo Spellbook’ -Alvarado, Denise

'Traditional Witchcraft: A Cornish Book of Ways' - Gary, Gemma

[sheydmade]

There will, unfortunately, be no post this Sunday, as my area was hit with a bad storm yesterday and I haven't had power since. I'm trying to conserve what charge I have on my phone, so you won't hear from me again until the power is back on. I may, though, post some extra pieces next week to make up for it.

Hope everyone is well! -K

[sheydmade]

Into the Underworld: Psychopomps & Death Deities

by Keziah Death. The prospect of death – the word alone – has stirred fear and discomfort amongst the vast majority of people since mankind first came to understand mortality. Death isn’t simply death, but a time when something meets its end, when a light is dimmed, when a door has closed. Death, whether literal or figurative, plays a role in many magical practices and customs, including (though not limited to) divination, spirit work (in its many forms), ritual work, and spell crafting. It is no surprise then that, as death plays so significant a role in magical practice, there are countless folkloric, religious, and mythological deities, spirits, and figures that are associated with (or represent) death, figures that are often also associated with magic in some form or another. This post will explore some of the many deities, spirits, and figures of death, their roles in the crafts of many magical practitioners, and how death deities and figures are incorporated in different practices associated with spirit work.

DEITY OR PSYCHOPOMP?: You’ll see these terms a lot throughout this post, so allow me to take a moment and explain how they’ll be used and their meaning.

Deity – a god or goddess, a divine being. Psychopomp – a guider of souls to the afterlife, underworld, or thereafter.

These terms are not mutually exclusive, and you’ll find some of the figures featured in this post are both deity and psychopomp.

PSYCHOPOMPS:

Psychopomps can be very useful allies to those whose magical practice requires working with or communicating with spirits or the deceased. Since ancient times there have been rites used to invoke psychopomps to help bring a spirit, ancestor, and sometimes even an underworld god to speak with the magician. While the death deities featured in the post shall all have an introduction of their own, I shall only list some of the psychopomps (along with the place of their origin). This is merely to save time, as this is a lengthier post (though I'm plannig to dedicate more posts to the figures listed below and more in the future). Some psychopomps are as follows:

-Amokye (Akan) -Anguta (Inuit) -Anubis (Egyptian) -Azrael (Islamic, Christian) -the Grim Reaper -Gwyn ap Nudd (Welsh)-Hecate (Greek) -Hermanubis (Graeco-Egyptian) -Hermes (Greek) -Kharon (Greek, Etruscan) -Malakh haMavet (Jewish) -Michael the Archangel (Christian) -Mercury (Roman) -Saint Peter (Catholic) -Samael (Jewish) -Santa Muerte (Mexican) -the Shinigami (Japanese) -­the Valkyries (Norse) -Vanth (Etruscan) -Veles (Slavic)

DEATH DEITIES:

Would that I could include every deity associated with death. Alas, I can do no such thing in one blog post. I offer up, in the meantime, a variety of deities from cultures around the world. Among these, you’ll find those who serve as death deities, those who are guardians or keepers of the realms of the dead, and those whose stories are intrinsically linked to death.

Death deities play essential roles in the magical practices of many witches, particularly those who also identify with pagan religions. These deities can be important allies and teachers to any witch, but most especially to those who practice any form of spirit work. Becoming a devotee of a death deity can help one grow in their spirit work, as well as aid those who practice various forms of divinatory customs.

DEITIES of the ANCIENT NEAR EAST

Allani - Hurrian

The Hurrians were a Bronze Age people of the Near East, inhabiting northern Syria, southeastern Anatolia, and upper Mesopotamia. Allani is the Hurrian goddess associated with fate, and the queen of the underworld. Her name means ‘the Lady.’ It is said that her palace sits at the gate of the Dark Earth, the land of the dead. ‘Dark Earth’ is the Hurrian term for the underworld.

It’s said that Allani was an incredibly beautiful, young goddess who never married, who dressed in blue. Allani is believed to have been one of the primordial Hurrian deities, an earlier generation of the gods than the better-known ancient pantheon. Like the Vanir gods of the Norse pantheons and the Formorians of Irish lore, these primordial or primeval gods were around before the rise of the ‘new’ pantheon and its chief god, Teshub.

In one tale, Allani is invoked (along with Ishara) to protect a family from demons. Allani is often mentioned in tales with Ishara, and the pair of goddesses were sometimes worshipped in tandem, even with offerings made jointly to the goddesses. That being said, Allani was among the primary Hurrian goddesses, along with Ishara and Šauška.

She is sometimes seen as a variation of the Mesopotamian goddess Ereshkigal, but Allani was also worshipped in Mesopotamia under her Akkadian name, ‘Allatu.’

Ereshkigal - Mesopotamian

Queen of the Great Earth. Goddess of the Underworld. Ereshkigal ruled in the Underworld, the realm of the dead. There she keeps court with the seven judges of the Underworld (according to some sources, the Anunnaki). She could command the gallûs, the great demons of the Underworld, said to be the offspring of hell.

There were various names for the Mesopotamian Underworld. One Sumerian word was Kur, and Ereshkigal was known as the Goddess of Kur. According to the ancient Sumerian poem ‘Inanna’s Descent to the Underworld,’ Kur is a dark, dreary underground cavern. Life in Kur was described as “a shadowy version of life on earth.” It’s stated in the poem that the goddess Ereskigal ruled in Kur. It’s said in this poem that there are seven gates into the Underworld, and anyone who enters Kur (excluding appointed messengers) can never leave.

The Greeks syncretized Ereshkigal into their own pantheon, conflating her with their Hecate. In the heading of one spell, Hecate is called ‘Hecate Ereschkigal.’ This figure is then invoked in a spell to alleviate the caster’s fear of punishment in the afterlife.

Mot - Canaanite

A Canaanite god of the dead and lord of the Underworld. Mot (and many other Canaanite and Mesopotamian gods) was worshipped by pre-monotheistic Semitic and Jewish peoples, and was well known and attested to within Phoenician, Egyptian, and Ugaritic lore. In Canaanite lore, Mot was the powerful god of death, even death personified, and harnessed ‘all the powers that opposed life and fertility.’ Not only was Mot the lord of the Underworld, where he resides, but he is also seen as the lord of all barren places on earth.

Mot is perhaps best known for the tale in which he slays the god Ba’al (god of rain, sky, fertility, and springs). Mot is often referred to as ‘Death’ itself. In some Hebrew scripture, Mot is featured as the personification of Death, using the words ‘Maweth’ and ‘Mavet.’ Some scholars, taking into account the fact that Hebrew scriptures were re-written to support a monotheistic view and narrative post-Elijah, theorize that some stories within the Hebrew Bible are actually re-worked tales that had once featured Mot, including the Book of Job, which some scholars believe to be a reworking of a tale of struggle between the gods Mot and Ba’al. So, too, do some scholars theorize that the origins of the Passover rite can be found in an ancient ritual invoking Mot to bring about an end to the rainy season (invoking Mot, as Mot famously defeats Ba’al).

Mot is also seen as a possible precursor for Thanatos, as the Greeks syncretized many Canaanite and Mesopotamian deities into their pantheon.

ASIAN DEITIES

Yánwáng - Chinese, Buddhist

Yánwáng (also called King Yan, Yan Wang, and Yánluówáng / King Yanluo) is a Chinese god of death and Lord of Diyu – the Underworld of Chinese lore. Yánwáng sits above the Ten Kings of Hell, ruling over them from the Underworld capital of Youdu (‘the Dark Capital’ surrounded by shadow and darkness). Yánwáng also sits as judge over the fates of the departed. Like Hades, Yánwáng is one of the most feared of his pantheon, with many who won’t dare even speak his name.

Of his appearance, it is said that Yánwáng is truly fearsome to behold, with dark red skin, large eyes, and a long, black beard. He is often depicted donning a judge’s cap.

Yánwáng is served by Ox-Head and Horse-Face, two formidable guardians of the gates of Diyu. The pair ‘capture’ the souls of the newly deceased and bring them before Yánwáng for judgement. It is also said that Yánwáng knows the name of all those living, all those who have lived, and all those who shall live, all of these names kept (along with the dates of death for each person) in a book.

It is believed that Yánwáng is the product of religious syncretism, born from the Hindu lore of the god Yama. Buddhism having come from Hinduism, so, too, did Yánwáng evolve from Hindu lore. That being said, the evolution of Yánwáng has grown into a being with a character all his own, different from Yama and the Hindu tales in many ways. Yánwáng is an incredibly important Buddhist god, venerated by many, particularly in Vietnam, Japan, Korea, China, and Tibet.

Yama - Indian, Hindu, Buddhist

Yama is a Hindu god of dharma and death, and lord of the Underworld. It’s taught in the Vedas that Yama became the lord of the Underworld after his death, as his was the first death. In Hindu lore, it’s believed that the deceased enter (if the proper funeral rites are administered) a realm called Pitrloka or Pitr Loka, which is ‘the world of dead ancestors.’ The word ‘pitrs’ is said to mean ‘forefathers.’ Thus, Yama is also called Lord of the Pitrs, as his role as a god of death makes him a keeper of these ancestors.

Yama is usually depicted with pointed fangs and dark gray or black skin. He also has four arms and wears (or is surrounded by) a garland of flames. He is usually portrayed riding a water buffalo and holding a sword and mace, along with a noose or rope.

Yama resides in Yamaloka, where he sits as judge to determine the fate of wrongdoers. He is also a Lokapala, a sacred guardian, of the southern direction. In some Hindu and Buddhist lore, he is said to rule over Naraka, an underworld realm of punishment and torment for wrongdoers. Some tales, rather, specify that Yama dictates which realm of Naraka each soul is to be sent to. He may also determine that a soul doesn’t belong in Naraka at all and may send them to Svarga (a heaven-like paradise) instead.

BALTIC DEITIES

Kalma - Finnish

Kalma is the Finnish goddess of death. Indeed, death is so closely linked with Kalma that one Finnish word for a cemetery is kalmisto, and her own name Kalma means ‘the stench of corpses.’ She is said to visit graveyards and burial grounds. She is one of the daughters of the god Tuoni (the personification of darkness) and Tunetar (ruler of Tuonela, the Finnish Underworld) – her sister Loviatar is also a goddess of death. Many sources tell that Kalma resides in Tuonela with her mother.

It is said that Kalma is often (if not always) accompanied by ‘a dog-like monster who guards the gates of Tuonela.’ This dog-like creature is called Surma, which means ‘death.’

Tuonetar - Finnish

Tuonetar is the Queen of the Underworld (Tuonela) in Finnish lore. She is also the mother of Kalma, the Finnish goddess of death, and the wife of Tuoni, the Lord of the Underworld and personification of darkness. In Kalevala, it’s explained that only Tuonetar’s children are allowed to leave the Underworld and roam in the land of the living.

Tuonetar is also skilled in magical craft. In Kalevala, it's said that Tuonetar works magic on the demigod Väinämöinen, whom she uses her magic wand against to put to sleep.

CELTIC DEITIES

Arawn - Welsh

Arawn is the Welsh king of the Otherworld realm Annwn. As attested to in the First Branch of the Mabinogi, Arawn is the keeper of the cŵn annwn (‘hounds of Annwn’), the spectral hounds of Annwn.

As Wales became Christianized, Arawn became demonized, and the Otherworld of Annwn came to be interpreted as ‘hell.’ This led to a change of role for Arawn, who went from being King of Annwn to Lord of the Damned. Welsh lore surrounding the wild hunt-esque flight of the cŵn annwn was also Christianized, the later versions warning that the hounds rode through the skies to ‘capture human souls’ and to ‘chase the souls of the damned to Annwn.’ Arawn was then said to be the keeper of these damned souls.

Arawn is said to be gifted in the magical arts. His skill in battle magic is attested to in ‘Cad Goddeu,’ in which Arawn summons an army and blesses them with various magical protections and boons. Arawn is also associated with the season of autumn, with dogs (due to his keeping of the cŵn annwn), and with hunting. The cŵn annwn travel and hunt with Arawn. It’s actually through the Christianization of Welsh and British lore that Arawn comes to be associated with death, as Annwn is never said to be an underworld for the souls of the deceased. Rather, it’s previously depicted as a paradisical kingdom, and Arawn simply as its ruler. However, Arawn has now come to be seen as a Lord of the Underworld, rather than a Lord of an Otherworld. Likewise, the cŵn annwn have gone from simply being spectral hunting hounds to being hellhounds and harvesters of souls.

Donn - Irish

Donn is an Irish god of the Dead. His Otherworld realm of Tech Duinn is said to be (in Airne Fíngein) a resting or gathering place for the souls of the deceased. Aside from being associated with death, Donn is also associated with stormy weather, thunder, and lightning.

Some lore depicts Donn as an ancestral god, from whom the Gaels descended and to whom the souls of the Gaels would return upon death. Other lore described Donn as a spectral or phantom horseman upon a white steed, who could sometimes be encountered in the dark of night. It’s through his depiction as this horseman that Donn’s association with thunder and lightning come about, as they were believed to be a sign that Donn was riding through the skies on his horse.

Tech Duinn is believed by many to be Bull Rock, which sits (along with Cow Rock and Calf Rock off the western point of Dursey Island, an island found at the southwestern tip of the Beara Peninsula.

the Morrigan - Irish

Irish battle goddess, goddess of war, fate, and death, the Morrígan is one of the most known names of Irish lore, as well as one of the most mysterious and feared goddesses. In the Lebor Gabála Éremm (‘the Book of the Taking of Ireland’), the Morrígan is counted among the Tuatha dé Danann (‘the Tribe of the Goddess Danu’) – a powerful pantheon of Irish deities. Known as the Great Queen and the Phantom Queen, the Morrígan is also a guardian goddess associated with Ireland and the earth, and a goddess of prophecy with great wisdom and magical prowess. Her skills in magic and her association with death and shadow have called many practitioners of witchcraft to her feet.

The Morrígan’s link with death is said to come mostly from her association with war. It’s taught that she would decide the fates of those in battle and some tales speak of the Morrígan flying in the form of a crow over a battle, serving as an omen of who would win and who would fall. The Morrígan was also known to aid her chosen side or warrior in battle. Some tales say that those who should fall in battle may have a vision of the Morrígan washing their bloodied clothes, sealing their fates.

EGYPTIAN DEITIES

Anubis - Egyptian

Counter of Hearts, Lord of the Mummy Wrapping, Lord of the Necropolis, Master of Secrets. Before Osiris came to be chiefly associated with the role of Egyptian god of the dead, Anubis held this place. Anubis is one of the oldest gods of the Egyptian pantheon and, perhaps, one of the best known of the Egyptian gods throughout the world. He’s certainly one of the most easily recognized, with his human body bearing the head and tail of a jackal.

The jackal is an animal that has long been associated with death, as it's said that they would be seen prowling burial sites where they would scavenge from the shallower graves they could dig up. It makes sense then that Anubis would have the head and tail of a jackal, cementing his role as a god of death.

After Osiris’ rise in popularity, Anubis was changed from being the god of the dead and lord of the underworld to being the god of funerary rites (specifically of mummification and embalming) and guardian of burial sites, which led to his being seen as a psychopomp, a shepherd for the souls of the dead from the realm of the living into the afterlife. According to Egyptian lore, Anubis embalmed the body of Osiris after Osiris’ murder. The process of this embalming and mummification was later called the Opening of the Mouth, a ritual believed to preserve the deceased so that they would enter the afterlife as they were in life.

Anubis also attended the rite known as ‘the Weighing of the Heart,’ in which Anubis would perform (or, in some sources, oversee) a literal weighing (using magical scales) to decide the fate of souls, to see who was fit to enter the underworld.

Anubis became favored by Egyptian necromancers and practitioners of magic. The god would be invoked in spells and spirit work, asked to fetch a spirit, an ancestor, or even a god from the underworld and bring them to the worker.

Anubis was always incredibly popular, worshipped and revered by many. The Greeks also worshipped him, likening him to fellow psychopomp god Hermes (and putting the two together to form the Graeco-Egyptian psychopomp god Hermanubis).

Nephythys - Egyptian

Nephthys (also called Nebet-Het) is an Egyptian goddess associated with funerary rites and embalming, mourning, protection, magic, darkness and night, weaving (particularly the weaving of bandages) and the dead.

Her likeness is featured in many tombs, for Nephthys came to be seen as a protector of the dead. This is due to her attending the mummification of Osiris, which was carried out by Nephthys’ son, Anubis. Along with her sister, the goddess Isis, Nephthys was seen as a symbol of mourning, serving as a ‘wailing woman.’ The wailing women are mourners, lamenters for the dead and played an integral part in Egyptian funerary customs. As a wailing woman, Nephthys (along with her sister) came to be associated with the kite, a bird with a notably shrill call.

Osiris - Egyptian

Osiris – the Mighty One; god of death, resurrection, and the afterlife. Osiris became among the most prominent of Egyptian gods, from whom the tradition of mummification is believed to have hailed. Osiris serves also as a judge of the dead, deciding who among the dead is to be reincarnated.

Osiris was murdered at the hands of his brother, the god Set. He was revived for a time by the magic of his wife (and sister), Isis. However, he was no longer ‘alive’ and therefore couldn’t remain in the land of the living. This is how Osiris came to rule in the Underworld.

Osiris was a widely loved and worshipped god, with a number of annual ceremonies dedicated to Osiris. Many of these rites centered around rebirth and resurrection symbolism, and others focused on mourning, with a solemn atmosphere as offerings were made to Osiris.

Osiris is most commonly portrayed in a partially mummified state, with his body tightly wrapped but his head, which bears a particular crown called an atef, exposed. The flesh of his face is usually green, gray, or black, believed to be a symbol of his association with death and decay.

GREEK DEITIES

Hades - Greek

One of the most famous (and most feared) gods of the Greek pantheon, Hades rules as King of the Underworld and God of the Dead. His name became synonymous with his underworld realm, said to be a place of mist and gloom. Seen as a merciless, powerful, and terrifying god, the Greeks believed that speaking the name Hades (which is thought to mean ‘the unseen one’) would summon the god they so feared or would bring misfortune, or even death, upon them or their house. Due to this, they called him a variety of other names and epithets when speaking of him, including klymenos (‘the notorious’), Plouton (‘wealthy’), and agesilaos (‘the one who leads people away’).

Hades kept court in the Underworld, where he was the head of a minor pantheon of chthonic (meaning ‘relating to or inhabiting the underworld’) deities. His palace was called the House of Hades. Hades ruled in the Underworld with his queen, Persephone, as attested in one of the most famous tales featuring Hades – the story of Hades and Persephone.

Though Hades wasn’t depicted as often as other gods (due to his being considered so scary that artists avoided crafting his likeness), when Hades was depicted, he was often shown as a young, bearded man with dark hair. As keeper of the keys of the underworld, many depictions feature Hades holding keys to the gates of the underworld. Others feature the black steeds that pull his chariot, or Cerberus, the famous three-headed dog of the underworld in Greek lore.

Hades was not widely worshipped by ancient Greeks, though funerary rites would sometimes feature a sacrifice or offering to Hades (though those making these offerings would turn their faces away whilst doing so), in hopes of ensuring the soul of the departed would gain passage into the Underworld. Though there were few temples dedicated to Hades, there was a sacred site called the Nekromanteion (meaning ‘Oracle of the Dead’) – ‘a temple of necromancy devoted to Hades and Persephone.’ The site was believed to be on or near an entrance to the Underworld. There, folk would gather in hopes to communicate with their ancestors.

Hades is also associated with snakes and owls (particularly screech owls), who are believed by many to be his earthly vessels or symbols of the god.

Thanatos - Greek

Thanatos was the personification of death. So feared and loathed was Thanatos, that there is no evidence of there having been any cult dedicated to his worship. Thanatos represented the inevitable end which the Greeks so dreaded, the deaths they could not escape. A portion of an Orphic Hymn contains an invocation of Thanatos that I think captures the feeling of unavoidable dread many of the Greeks may have felt regarding Thanatos, and it reads –

Hear me, O Death, whose empire unconfin'd extends to mortal tribes of ev'ry kind. On thee, the portion of our time depends, whose absence lengthens life, whose presence ends.

Thanatos was described as being stone-hearted and pitiless, and ‘hateful even to deathless gods.’ Later portrayals show Thanatos as a large, frightening man with long, unkempt hair. Earlier depictions, however, feature a younger man with wings.

Thanatos resided ‘beyond the earth’ in the Underworld realm of Nyx (his mother), the personification of night. Thanatos neither served as a psychopomp to the souls of the dead (that was Hermes), nor as a lord in the Underworld (that was Hades). Rather, he was the embodiment of death itself.

IGBO DEITIES

NOTE: Odinani and veneration of the Arusi are closed practices of the Igbo people of Nigeria and diasporic Igbo peoples. I share this limited information about Ala and Ogbunabali for purely academic reasons and in the hopes that members of the Igbo diaspora who may be seeking to reconnect to the traditional beliefs and practices of the Igbo people might find inclusion here and might find a starting point with which to launch their research. I wholeheartedly discourage the practice of Odinani by non-Igbo peoples, or the ‘borrowing’ and stealing from Odinani.

Ala - Igbo

In Ọdịnanị/Ọ̀dị̀nàlà – a traditional religious and cultural practice of Nigeria’s Igbo people – Ala is the mother of all Arusi, the goddess of and symbol of earth (whose name means ground, earth, or land), goddess of mortality, judge of mortals, goddess of fertility, goddess of creativity and inspiration, and keeper of the ancestors and ruler of the underworld. She holds the highest rank amongst the Arusi (deities and spirits revered in Odinani), all of whom hail from Ala. Though there is another Igbo death deity (Ogbúnàbàlị̀), Ala’s association with death cannot be denied.

It is taught that Ala is the guardian of all deceased ancestors, whose souls are kept in the underworld where Ala holds them in her sacred womb. Ancestral veneration is an integral aspect in Odinani, making Ala’s role as the keeper of the souls of the ancestors most important. It’s said that the ancestors, under Ala’s guardianship, serve as protectors of the Igbo communities. Ancestral shrines are kept in many Igbo communities.

Ala is said to be the most worshipped Arusi, and ‘almost every’ Igbo village has an íhú Ala – a shrine dedicated to Ala. Veneration of Ala is also marked during the Iwa-ji ceremony at the beginning of the yearly New Yam Festival of the Igbo, during which yams are offered to the Arushi and the ancestors.

Ogbunabali - Igbo

Ogbunabali is a god of death and the act of dying in Odinani, though not at all in the same way in which Ala is associated with death and the dead. Ogbunabali’s name means ‘night killer,’ and it is said that Ogbunabali kill his victims in the night. Some sources say that Ogbunabali’s victims are randomly chosen, though he also takes the lives of criminals, wrongdoers, and the unjust.

NORSE DEITIES

Hel - Norse

Hel is the Norse goddess of death, ruler over the realm of Hel in Niflheim (called the “Halls of Hel” in Völuspá). According to Gylfaginning, it was the god Odin who appointed Hel to her station as the goddess of death and to her seat in the kingdom of Hel, where she ‘rules over vast mansions with many servants.’ In the text, it’s explained that Odin sent the gods to find the children of the god Loki (the children being Hel, Jörmungandr, and Fenrir) due to his concern over prophecies surrounding the children, for he’s come to understand that much trouble can come from these three siblings. So, Odin separated the three children and cast them far and wide – Hel he casts into Niflheim, granting her authority there and leaving her with the responsibility that she must “administer board and lodging to those sent to her, and that is those who die of sickness or old age.” Later sources came to depict the realm of Hel as also a place for murderers, criminals, and the unjust, though this may have been due to Christianization of Norse lore.

As for her appearance, it is said that Hel’s visage is split in two – half being ‘flesh-hued’ and half being blue (though many depictions feature half of her being as that of a corpse or a skeleton instead of being blue).

AMERICAN FIGURES

Santa Muerte - Mexican, Central American

Santa Muerte (or Nuestra Señora de la Santa Muerte – Our Lady of Holy Death) is a folk saint in Mexican folk Catholicism and Mexican lore (as well as in lore from other Central American areas). Some see Santa Muerte as a deity, some see her as a spirit, some see her as a personification of death, and some see her as something else still yet. In whatever way one may choose to categorize Santa Muerte, there is no doubting her strong connection with death and the dead.

Also associated with protection and healing, Santa Muerte is seen as a psychopomp, one who ensures a safe journey into the afterlife for the souls of the departed. She has become a guardian and protector figure for many members of the LGBTQ+ community members of Mexico, who seek her protection from violence and homophobic or transphobic hatred. She is also called (among many other names) Santisma Muerte, la Huesuda (‘the Bony Lady’), and Señora de las Sombras (‘Lady of Shadows’),

Early depictions of Santa Muerte sometimes featured a male figure instead of the more commonly seen female figure. Nowadays, Santa Muerte is easily recognizable – a skeletal woman dressed in long robes, usually holding a scythe and sometimes holding a globe or the earth, though she can also be found holding an hourglass, a set of scales, or a lamp/candle. Sometimes, she is depicted with an owl upon her shoulder or arm. Some also view the owl as Santa Muerte’s earthly messenger.

ROMAN DEITIES

TRIGGER WARNING: mentions of rape

Dea Tacita - Roman

Dea Tacita – Goddess of the Dead. Also known as Dea Muta (‘the Silent Goddess’) and Muta Tacita, and also seen as being the true identity of the naiad figure Larunda. As attested in Ovid’s ‘Fasti,’ Larunda “betrays” Jupiter by warning the nymph Juturna that Jupiter planned to rape her. To punish Larunda for revealing his evil intent, Jupiter rips out Larunda’s tongue and has Mercury cast Larunda to the gates of the Underworld. Mercury rapes Larunda as he conducts this awful business.

Aside from being associated with the dead and the land of spirits, Dea Tacita is, as Larunda, seen by many as a protector of women, who can be invoked to bring pain, suffering, destruction, and vengeance upon men who have wronged women. Fasti includes a passage that tells of a rite used to invoke Dea Tacita, calling upon her to seal up hostile mouths and unfriendly tongues.

Dis Pater - Roman

Seen as the equivalent of Hades, Dis Pater (also known by Orcus, Plato, and Rex Infernus) is the Roman God of the Infernal Regions – the Underworld. He is also associated with agriculture and mineral wealth. He came to be linked with death and the underworld due to his role as a god of mineral wealth and mineral extraction, as the gems and metals associated with him came from underground. Over time, this underground association became an Underworld association, and Dis Pater came to be the God of the Dead.

Dis Pater rules the Underworld and lords over the spirits of the dead. His wife, Proserpina (the Roman equivalent of Persephone) serves as Queen of the Underworld.

SLAVIC DEITIES

Morana - Slavic

Known as Mora (Bulgarian), Morana (Czech, Slovac), Morè (Lithunaian), Marzanna (Polish), and Marena (Russian), Morana is a prominent Slavic goddess of winter, cold and frost, of agriculture, and of death. She is also associated with dreams and magic.

In much Slavic lore, Morana is a personification of winter itself. It’s told that she slumbers or dies with the coming of spring, to be reborn again and return in the winter. Effigies of Morana are paraded to rivers and drowned in a winter rite to hasten the coming of spring. It is taught that the drowning of the effigies is symbolic of Morana’s descent and return to the Underworld, where she shall stay until winter’s return.

SOURCES & FURTHER READING: -‘A Dictionary of Ancient Near Eastern Mythology’ – Leick, Gwendolyn -‘A History of the Jewish People’ – Sasson, Ben; Hillel, Haim -‘An Encyclopedia of Fairies: Hobgoblins, Brownies, Bogies, and Other Supernatural Creatures’ – Briggs, Katharine M. -‘the Anatolian Fate-Goddesses and their Different Traditions’ – Archi, Alfonso -‘the Ancient Roman Afterlife: Di Manes, Belief, and the Cult of the Dead’ – King, Charles -‘Aspects of the Goddess Nephthys, Especially During the Graeco-Roman Period in Egypt’ – Lévai, Jessica -‘Cad Goddeau’ – a medieval Welsh poem; 14th-century manuscript the ‘Book of Taliesin’ -‘Canaanite Myths & Legends’ – Gibson, John C. -‘the Celtic Myths: A Guide to the Ancient Gods and Legends’ – Aldhouse-Green, Miranda -‘Chinese Culture: Folklores, Festivals, Deities’ – Eng, Khoo Boo -‘the Dancing Lares and the Serpent in the Garden: Religion at the Roman Street Corner’ – Flower, Harriet I. -‘Death is Women’s Work: Santa Muerte, a Folk Saint and Her Female Followers’ – Kingsbury, Kate -‘Devoted to Death: Santa Muerte, the Skeleton Saint’ – Chesnut, R. Andrew -‘the Dictionary of Classical Mythology’ – Grimal -Dis Pater | Underworld, Underworld God, Roman Mythology | Britannica -‘Druids, Gods, & Heroes from Celtic Mythology’ – Ross, Anne -‘the Encyclopedia of Ancient Egypt’ – Studwick, Helen -‘the Encyclopedia of Celtic Mythology and Folklore’ – Morgan, Patricia -‘the Encyclopedia of Death and the Human Experience’ – Bryant, Clifton D. -‘the Encyclopedia of Goddesses and Heroines’ – Morgan, Patricia -‘the Encyclopedia of Russian & Slavic Myth & Legend’ – Dixon-Kennedy, Mike -‘Fasti’ – Ovid -‘Finnish Legends for English Children’ - Eivind, R. -‘Fragments from a Catabasis Ritual in a Greek Magical Papyrus’ – Betz, Hans Dieter -‘Goddesses in Context: On Divine Powers, Roles, Relationships, and Gender in Mesopotamian Textual and Visual Sources’ -Asher-Greve, Julia M. & Westenholz, Joan G. -‘The Gods and Goddesses of Canaan’ – Spar, Ira -Hades – Mythopedia -‘Iliad’ – Homer -the Irish Pagan School -‘Kalevala’ – Elias Lönnrot -‘Lebor Gabála Érenn’ -‘the Mabinogion’ – from ‘Peniarth manuscript’ -‘Mordid Magic: Death Spirituality and Culture from Around the World’ – Prower, Tomás -Osiris – Mythopedia -‘the Prose Edda’ -'Putting God on Trial' - Sutherland, Robert -‘Rethinking the Halls of Hades’ – Wiseman, J. -Roman religion - Veneration, Objects, Rituals | Britannica -‘the Sacred Isle: Belief and Religion in pre-Christian Ireland’ – Ó hÓgáin, Dáithí -‘Santa Muerte: the Fastest Growing New Religious Movement in the Americas’ (archived lecture) – Chestnut, R. Andrew -‘the Song of the Sea and the Subversion of Canaanite Myth: A Missional Reading’ – Russell, Brian D. -‘Sumerian Mythology: A Study of Spiritual and Literary achievement in the Third Millenium B.C.’ – Kramer, Samuel Noah -‘Theogony’ - Hesiod -‘Unterwelt, Unterweltsgottheiten C. In Anatoilien’ – Wilhelm, Gernot -‘Völupsá’Indian Myth and Legend: Chapter III. Yama, the First Man, and King of the Dead

[sheydmade]

The Otherworld of Irish & Welsh Mythology

by Keziah

The Otherworld is a realm not quite separate from our own, all around us and yet not always accessible or visible to us. It has been interpreted as one expansive world and as having numerous realms and kingdoms within the one Otherworld, and is home to many beings – gods, fairies, and spirits of all sorts, along with some of the most honored and beloved dead.

It is described in ‘the Fairy-Faith in Celtic Countries’ by W.Y. Evans-Wentz:

‘But this western Otherworld, if it is what we believe it to be – a poetical picture of the great subjective world – cannot be the realm of any one race of invisible beings to the exclusion of another. In it all alike – gods, Tuatha De Danann, fairies, demons, shades, and every sort of disembodied spirits – find their appropriate abode; for though it seems to surround and interpenetrate this planet even as the X-rays interpenetrate matter, it can have no other limits than those of the Universe itself.’

This cosmological concept descends from the ancient Celtic religions, and the Otherworld (by its many names) is found throughout the lands in which the Celtic tribes resided and lives on within the traditions preserved by reconstructionist and traditional Celtic pagans and Celtic folk magic practitioners. The Otherworld, along with other Celtic pagan beliefs, can also be found within many neo-pagan and neo-druidic practices and movements.

NAMES OF THE OTHERWORLD

The Otherworld bears many names across the Gaelic and Brythonic mythologies and cosmologies.

Irish

In Irish tales, the names of the Otherworld or realms within the Otherworld include:

Tír na nÓg – ‘the Land of the Young’ or ‘the Land of Youth’

Tír Tarngire – ‘the Land of Promise or ‘the Promised Land’

Tír-Innambéo – ‘the Land of the Living’

Tír N-aill – ‘the Other Land’ or ‘the Other World’

Tír fo Thuinn – ‘the Land Beneath the Wave’ (meaning a land underwater)

Mag Mell – ‘the Plain of Delight’ or ‘the Plain of Happiness’

Mag Már – ‘the Great Plain’

Mag Réin – ‘the Plain of the Sea’ or ‘the Sea Plain’

Emain Ablach – ‘the Isle of Apple Trees’

Ildathach – ‘the Many-Colored Land’

Welsh

In Welsh narratives, the Otherworld has been called:

Annwn or Annwfn

DESCRIBING the OTHERWORLD:

In Irish Cosmology & Mythology

Beliefs as to what the Otherworld is like and where it is located range widely. It’s been described as a world beneath our own that can be entered through some portals in caves or at the base of hills and mountains. In many old Irish manuscripts, it’s described as being located somewhere in the Western Ocean. The phantom island of Hy-Brasil is believed by many to be part of the Otherworld. Irish myth tells of Hy-Brasil being cloaked in mist (perhaps féth fíada, a magical mist) or fog which renders it invisible. However, once every seven years the island becomes visible to the human eye for a whole day.

In the Irish tale ‘Immram Brain maic Febail’ (‘the Voyage of Bran mac Febal’), Bran embarks upon a quest to the Otherworld via a sea voyage. Some days into their journey, Bran and his company encounter Manannán mac Lir upon his chariot. Manannán informs them that though their surroundings appear as the sea to them, to the god it appears as a great field of flowers. In this tale, the realms of the Otherworld are depicted as individual islands somewhere in the Western Sea.

In the story ‘Echtrai Cormaic I Tir Tairngiri’ (‘the Adventures of Cormac in the Land of Promise’), Cormac enters the Otherworld and encounters great bronze palaces, houses of white silver that are thatched with the wings of birds, and a courtyard, in the center of which is a great fountain or well with five streams flowing from it. There is said to be a fairy palace beyond the fountain, and there Cormac encounters ‘the loveliest of the world’s women’.

In many tales and poems, the Otherworld is depicted as being incredibly beautiful and as having very many apple trees, hazelnut trees, and great oak trees. It’s said to have plains filled with colorful flowers and dew of honey. And of the food available in the Otherworld, there is nothing that is not irresistibly delicious. Those who dwell within the Otherworld do not age, nor do they feel pain or take ill. Some believe that it is the fruits that grow within the Otherworld that provide its inhabitants with their everlasting youth and good health. Others believe that it’s the Otherworld itself that keeps one young and well.

In modern day, the Otherworld is most known for being the realm of the fairies and their courts. It is less commonly – outside of Irish historians, practitioners of Celtic paganism and Druidry, and keepers of the age-old tradition of Celtic storytelling – understood as the realm of deities, as the realm of all the Sídhe-folk. Here, the Tuatha dé Danann are believed to reside.

The Tuath dé Danann are a tribe of gods and goddesses descended from the goddess Danu. The Tuatha dé Danann are said to have moved from our physical realm to the realm of the Otherworld after facing defeat at the Battle of Tailte. Manannán mac Lir – a famed warrior, sea god, and king over the surviving Tuatha dé Danann – conceals the Otherworld from humankind via féth fíada, a magical mist that is used by the Tuatha dé Danann to render themselves invisible to humankind. Though, it is believed that seers or those with the gift of second sight can see Otherworld portals and entrances, as well as being able to see those that dwell within the Otherworld.

Time moves differently within these realms. Many tales state that one could spend what felt like a few days in the Otherworld, only to return to this world and find that their friends and family had all died, and many years had passed whilst they were away.

In Welsh Cosmology & Mythology

In Welsh tales, the Otherworld (called Annwn) is not ruled over by Manannán mac Lir but by Arawn and, later, Gwyn ap Nudd. In many of the Welsh legends, Annwn is described as a world of eternal youth, free of illness and disease, where no one could ever go hungry for there were endless supplies of food and drink. It was a realm of incomparable beauty where the gods, fairy folk, great ancestors, elves, and spirits reside. Like in Irish myth, Annwn is believed to be either a subterranean realm, under the sea, or on an island to the west. It is also a magical realm hidden from humankind.

Some tales depict a paradise-like world that is like all the best and most beautiful things within our own world with sprawling gardens, plainlands, and orchards, while others describe a ‘hellish’ place (most likely an outcome of the Christianization of the Welsh culture and beliefs). Both interpretations, though, speak of Annwn as the land of the dead.

The Welsh epic ‘Cad Goddeu’ (‘the Battle of the Trees’) tells of a battle between Arawn’s army and the forces of Gwynedd. The army come forth from Annwn is described as being made up of unearthly creatures, such as enormous beasts bearing one hundred heads, great serpents, and giant toads with claws.

The well-known ‘Preiddeu Annwfn’ (‘the Spoils of Annwn’) is another tale mentioning the Otherworld. It is the story of a journey into the Otherworld led by King Arthur. The tale depicts various realms or kingdoms within the Otherworld, including the Fortress of the Mound, the Fortress of Hardness, the Fortress of Mead-Drunkenness, and the Glass Fortress; though some interpret these names to be alternate names for the Otherworld in its entirety and not of individual lands traversed by Arthur within the Otherworld.

The legendary island of Avalon is also seen as a later interpretation of Annwn. Avalon famously features in Arthurian legends as the paradisical Isle of Apples.

ENTERING the OTHERWORLD:

Many of the old tales speak of humans gaining access to the Otherworld. Sometimes they were invited or summoned there by some god or spirit (as Manannán mac Lir was known to do), sometimes they were stolen away or kidnapped by one of the Otherworld’s inhabitants, and some folk entered the Otherworld of their own design during those times of year when the walls between their world and the Otherworld were lowered, such as during Samhain and Beltane. There are also many tales of folk (some quite famous, such as Cuchulainn, Lanval, and Ossian) being lured or enticed away by a fairy to the Otherworld to live as the fairy’s lover. It is also believed that musicians would be stolen away to the Otherworld to entertain its inhabitants.

As mentioned already, many believe openings at the base of hills and mountains to be entrances to the Otherworld. So, too, are ancient burial mounds, bogs, and caves seen as Otherworld gateways. It is also believed that patches of mist or fog could have within them some opening to the Otherworld, as in the Irish tale ‘Echtra Cormaic I Tir Tairngiri’. In this story, King Cormac sets out from Tara with many soldiers to find his way into the Otherworld to take back his wife, daughter, and son (whom he lost in a trade-off for a magic silver bough). On his way, a thick fog befalls the party. When the fog is lifted, Cormac is alone in the plains of a foreign land, having been taken into the Otherworld.

In some tales, one could enter the Otherworld after they were gifted an apple or a branch bearing apples (such as the magic silver bough mentioned in the story above) from a sacred apple tree. The apple or branch was magical and acted as a key, allowing one to pass into the realm of the Sídhe-folk so long as the apple or branch was in their possession.

Sídhe, though now commonly used in reference to those inhabitants of the Otherworld, are the mounds, hills, or places believed to provide access to the Otherworld. Previously, the term sídhe was used specifically to mean the palaces, courts, or halls in which the spirits of the Otherworld resided.

TECH DUINN:

In Irish lore, there is a separate Otherworld where one goes after death. This realm of the dead is Tech Duinn, the domain of Donn – an ancient god of the dead and ancestor of the Gaels. Tech Duinn means ‘the House of the Dark One’ (‘Donn’ means ‘the dark one’).

There is a 9th-century poem which states that Donn’s dying wish was to have his descendants gathered to him when they died – “To me, to my house, you shall all come after your deaths.” While the Otherworld is often described as being a paradise of great beauty, that is not how Tech Duinn is usually depicted. Rather, it is most commonly portrayed as a frightful place of darkness and dread. Why, I do not know. Perhaps this is simply due to it being the home of Donn, the Dark One.

Tech Duinn is said to lie at or beyond Ireland’s western coast. It is believed that the entrance to Tech Duinn lies on, within, or beneath Bull Rock, an islet bearing a natural tunnel and resembling a portal tomb. Bull Rock lies off the western point of the Beara Peninsula.

A line from Yeats comes to mind in regard to the Otherworld in general, but specifically when speaking of Tech Duinn and Donn’s dying wish -

‘In Ireland, this world and the world we go to after death are not far apart.’

Suffice it to say, the Otherworld has inspired numerous poems and exciting and moving tales, pieces of a time long gone by preserved (hopefully) forever through art. And today it is the source of much scholarly exploration and debate. How much of the Otherworld as we understand it now has been altered by Christianization? How many of the old tales were twisted and reinterpreted to suit the narratives of the Church? We do know that a great deal of this occurred within the preservation of Celtic lore and history, and what tales we have of the Otherworld were not left untouched by this. I hope that this piece, as brief as it is, might inspire others to explore the old Celtic tales in their many interpretations, for there is much to be enjoyed there, as well as much to be learned.

SOURCES & FURTHER READING:

'Cad Goddeu'

'Celtic Culture: A Historical Encyclopedia' - Koch, John T.

'Celtic Myths and Legends' - Rolleston, T.A.

'Dictionary of Celtic Mythology' - MacKillop, James

'Encyclopedia of Celtic Mythology and Folklore' - Monoghan, Patricia

'the Fairy Faith in Celtic Countries' - Evans-Wentz, W.Y.

'Hy Brasil: the Metamorphosis of an Island' - Freitag, Barbara

'Immram Brain mac Febail'

'Irish Fairy Tales' - Stephens, James

'the Lord of Ireland' - Ó hÓgáin, Dáithí; Prof.

'the Mabinogi and Other Medieval Welsh Tales' - trans. Ford, Patrick K.

'the Mabinogian - A New Translation' -Davies, Sioned

'Myth, Legend, & Romance: An Encyclopedia of Irish Folk Tradition' - Ó hÓgáin, Dáithí

'the Mythology of Ancient Britain and Ireland' - Squire, Charles

'Otherworlds: Fantasy and History in Medieval Literature' - Byrne, Aisling

'Preiddeu Annwn'

'the Religion of the Ancient Celts' - MacCulloch, J.A.

‘the Sacred Isle: Belief and Religion in pre-Christian Ireland’ - Ó hÓgain, Dáithí; Prof.

‘Tales of the Celtic Otherworld’ -Matthews, John

[sheydmade]

Hello friends and readers! As some of you may have noticed, I was absent from this blog for about two weeks - I took a staycation to soak up the sun, realign, reconnect, focus on my studies, and spend loads of time with my dog. Regular posting shall commence this Sunday. Hope y'all have all been well! Looking forward to sharing more articles and resources with everyone soon. -Keziah

[sheydmade]

the Craft of Isobel Gowdie: A Look at Scottish Folk Magic in the 1600s

by Keziah

Those of you readers familiar with Scottish Folk Magic and Traditional Scottish Cunning Ways, or perhaps with the history of witch trials in Scotland, will likely know the name Isobel Gowdie. For those of you who don’t, allow me the honor to introduce you. Known as ‘the Queen of Scottish Witches’ and ‘the Witch of Auldearn’, Isobel Gowdie was a woman whose confessions of witchcraft have gifted us perhaps greater insight into Scottish folkloric beliefs and the folk magic practices of her time than any other account accessible to us.

Little is known about the life and background of Gowdie, aside from the facts that she was the wife of a peasant farmer (John Gilbert), she resided in Lochloy in the Scottish region of Auldearn, and that she gave detailed testimony of her practice of witchcraft in 1662 (the first trial having taken place on the 13th of April). The confession was made in four parts over the course of six weeks. In this piece, we’ll take a look at some of the spells and practices that Gowdie revealed during her trial, diving into the magical craft of Isobel Gowdie.

On Becoming a Witch

In her first confession, Isobel details how she came into the practice of witchery by forging a covenant with the Devil. She states that she first encountered the Devil whilst walking ‘between the farmsteads of Drumdewin’. She then promises to meet the Devil again that night at the kirk, meaning church, in Auldearn. On this night, Isobel made a pact with the Devil, which she describes thusly –

‘The first thing I did was deny my baptism. Then I put one of my hands upon the crown of my head and the other to the sole of my foot and renounced all between my two hands to the Devil. He was in the reader’s desk’ – meaning at the pulpit – ‘with a Black Book in his hand.’

She then tells of another woman present, Margaret Brodie, who was already in covenant with the Devil and who served as a sort of assistant in this ceremony, mentor in Gowdie’s craft thereafter, and a high-ranking member of Gowdie’s coven. Throughout her confessions, Gowdie names other members of her coven along with practitioners from other covens and their locations.

‘Margaret Brodie from Auldearn held me up to the Devil to be baptized. He placed his mark upon my shoulder and sucked my blood from the mark. He spat the blood into his hand. Sprinkling it [the blood] on my head, he said, “I baptize thee, Janet, in my own name.” Her baptism concluded with her being given the baptismal name Janet.

The belief of inheriting the role of Witch through a pact with the Devil is one that appears often in Scottish, English, and Irish folk beliefs from this era, and also appears throughout the Appalachian and Southern United States and other regions of Europe. The act of touching one’s hand to one’s head and the other to one’s foot whilst ‘freely giving all between my hands’ to the Devil is not uncommon in these baptismal rites.

Gowdie states that her powers and the powers of her fellow coven members come directly from the Devil.

‘We get all our power from the Devil. When we ask him for it, we call him ‘Our Lord’.’

On the Devil

Gowdie gives detailed descriptions of her interactions with the Devil and of his appearance. She depicts herself as a servant of the Devil and lists many magical acts she carried out in the Devil’s name. She described him as being cold to the touch and ‘a meikle, blak, roch man’ – being large and hairy with coal-black skin – who ‘had boots and sometimes shoes on his feet – but his feet were always forked and cloven.’

She also explains that the Devil would sometimes appear to her and the others who served him as an animal, and she states that the Devil would come to her house sometimes in the form of a crow or deer ‘or in any other shape, now and then.’ Gowdie goes on to state that the Devil was present at the Sabbats held by Gowdie and her company. She recounts one Candlemas –

‘The Devil sat at the head of the table, and all the coven about.’

In her testimony, particularly during her third confession, Gowdie speaks of having sexual relations with the Devil, as does a fellow coven member, Janet Breadhead, in her own confessions. Isobel gives further detail into the Devil’s anatomy and the instances when she partook in intercourse with the Devil, as well as describing orgies with her coven –

‘He would lie with us in preference of all the multitude; neither had we nor he any kind of shame, but especially he has no shame with him at all.’

On Spirit Companions

Isobel reveals during her second confession, ‘There are thirteen people in my coven, and each one of us has a spirit to wait upon us, when we please to call on him.’ As an aside, many believe that the standard of having 13 members to a coven comes from Isobel Gowdie’s confessions.

During this confession, she describes some of the spirits (though some of the descriptions were omitted from written record) –

Swein: always dressed in grass-green

Rorie: always clothed in yellow

the Roaring Lion: always dressed in sea-green

Mac Hector: a young-looking devil, dressed always in grass-green

Robert the Rule: always dressed in faded dun. He seems to be in command of the rest of the spirits.

Thief of Hell Wait Upon Herself: of whom she gives no description

the Red Reiver: He’s my personal spirit. He waits upon me and is always dressed in black.

Robert the Jacks: always clothed in dun and seems old. He’s a glaikit, goukit (simple-looking, stupid/dumb) spirit!

Laing: of whom she gives no description

Thomas, a Faerie: of whom the description is not included in the written testimony

On Sympathetic Magic

Isobel Gowdie describes an act of sympathetic magic – that is, when one uses an image or item to represent someone and then performs actions (be they symbolic or literal) toward this item or image, actions which will then affect the intended person – that she performed with members of her coven.

She tells that they made a clay effigy or clay doll, with which they intended to ‘kill the Laird (Lord) o’ Park’s male children’. She states,

‘All the Laird’s male children will suffer by it if it isn’t found and broken, as well as those who’ve been born and died already.’

‘John Taylor brought the clay home in his plaid and his wife broke it up into small bits, like meal. She sifted it through a sieve and poured water into it, in the Devil’s name, and kneaded it until it was like rye dough.’

The dough was then shaped and made to resemble the Laird’s sons.

‘It wanted none of a child’s features, and its hands were folded down by its sides. Its texture was like crab or a scraped and scalded piglet.’

In her third confession, Isobel reveals the words that were recited whilst the clay doll was made –

‘The words which we spoke, when we made the doll, for destroying the Laird o’ Park’s male children were thus: ‘In the Devil’s name, we pour this water in among this meal, For lang dying and ill health; We put it into the fire, That it may be burnt both stik and stowre* It shall be burnt, with our will, As any stubble upon a kill.’

*Stik: a stick-like implement or object / (in this context) to be burnt to the point of being destroyed; I’m not sure how stowre should be interpreted from Pitcairn’s work and have had difficulty finding a meaning for this.

‘The Devil taught us the words; and when we learned them, we all fell down upon our knees with our hair about our eyes and our hands lifted up, looking steadfast upon the Devil and still saying the words thrice over, ‘til it [the doll] was made. And then, in the Devil’s name, we put it in the midst of the fire. After it had shriveled a little before the fire, and when it was red-hot like a coal, we took it out in the Devil’s name. ‘Til it be broken, it will be the death of all the male children the the Laird o’ Park will ever get.

‘Cast it over a kirk (church), it will not break until it be broken with an axe, or from such a thing, be a man’s hands. If it is not broken, it will last a hundred years.’

Isobel goes on to describe what actions they performed upon the clay figure, such as putting it in hot embers, holding its face near the fire until it shriveled, and roasting it or parts of it ‘every other day’.

She concludes by informing those at her trial that the doll was still being practiced upon and roasted when she was taken in, and that they can find the doll hanging upon a peg in John Taylor’s house, with ‘a clay cradle around it’.

Her account is corroborated by the testimony of Janet Breadhead. After describing the doll, she shares,

‘It was put near the flames until it was dry and wrinkled. Then we placed it on the hot coals until it was hard. Then we took it from the fire and wrapped it in a cloth and hid it away on a shelf or sometimes under a chest. Every day, we would wet it then roast it and bake it, and every other day we would turn it at the fire, until the bairn was dead. Then we hid it [the doll] away and didn’t touch it until the next bairn was born.’

She states that they would do the same with the doll within six months of the child’s birth, continuing their practice of roasting the doll ‘until the new bairn died too.’

In a later confession, Isobel reveals their purpose in doing this was to make the Laird o’ Parks heirless.

On Taking the Form of an Animal

Isobel Gowdie mentions taking on the shape of various animals, an act she performed along with members of her coven. Though she mentions multiple types of animals she can take the shape of, the animal she is most famously remembered for presenting herself as is the hare, the form which the Devil had her take when he sent her on an errand, as relayed in her third confession. To this day, artworks in honor of Gowdie still feature the hare.

She describes an instance when she took on the form of a jackdaw to gain access to the dye-house of a neighbor in Auldearn, while two other women with her had taken the shapes of a hare and a cat.

During her second confession, Isobel describes how she would take on the shape of a hare –

‘When we go into hare-shape, we say: "I shall go into a hare, With sorrow and sych (sigh) and meikel (great, much) care; And I shall go in the Devil’s name, Aye while I come hame (home) again." And instantly we start into a hare.’

To change back, she would say:

‘Hare, hare, God send thee care. I am in a hare’s likeness now, But I shall be a woman even now. Hare, hare, God send thee care.’

To turn into a cat, she recited this three times:

‘I shall turn into a cat, With sorrow and sych and a black shot; And I shall go in the Devil’s name, Aye while I come hame again.’

To turn back from a cat:

‘Cat, cat, God send thee black shot. I am in a cat’s likeness now, But I shall be in a woman’s likeness even now. Cat, cat, God send thee black shot.’

To turn into a crow, ‘we say three times:

I shall turn into a crow, With sorrow and sych and a black throw; And I shall go in the Devil’s name, Aye while I come hame again.’

And to turn back from a crow:

‘Crow, crow, God send thee black throw. I am in a crow’s likeness now, But I shall be in a woman’s likeness even now. Crow, crow, God send thee black throw.’

Isobel also explains that when she or her fellow witches are in their animal forms, they can cause whomever they like to join them in that form by saying, ‘I conjure thee, Go with me!’ whilst with them or in their house. ‘And they instantly turn into what we are, either cats, hare, crows…, and go with us wherever we want.’

On Raising the Wind

Isobel explains how she and her coven members would raise and control the wind by wetting a cloth rag in water. They then took a laundry stick and ‘knocked the rag upon the stane (stone), saying three times:

I knock this rag upon the stane, To raise the wind in the Devil’s name – It shall not lie until I please again!’

When they wanted to calm or lay the wind again, they would dry the rag and say three times:

We lay the wind in the Devil’s name It shall not rise ‘til we like to raise it again!’

On Fevers

To rid one of a fever, Gowdie revealed that she would say three times:

‘I forbid the quaking fevers, the sea-fevers, the land-fevers, and all the fevers that ever God ordained; out of the head, out of the heart, out of the back, out of the sides, out of the kidneys, out of the thighs, from the points of the fingers to the nibs of the toes – out shall all fevers go. In Saint Peter’s name, Saint Paul’s name, and all the saints of Heaven. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost!’

On Magical Travel

Accounts of magical travel across great distances or into the realms of the sidhe-folk are not uncommon amongst folk and traditional practices throughout the United Kingdom and Ireland. Gowdie gives a few such accounts. In the first, she describes how her coven met and yoked a puddock-plough (a plough drawn by frogs).

‘The Devil held the plough and John Young from Mebelstown, our Officer, drew it. Puddocks drew the plough, like oxen. The traces were made of dog grass. Its coulter was made from a half-gelded ram’s horn and a bit of horn was used as its blade. We went around two or three times with all of us in the coven going all the while up and down with the plough, praying to the Devil for the fruit of that land, and that thistles and briars might grow there.’

In another account of magical travel, Gowdie details how her coven would place a blade of grass, straw, or a cairn stalk on the ground between their feet and stand over it, saying, “Horse and Hattock, in the Devil’s Name!” or “Horse and hattock, horse and go; horse and pellatis, ho! Ho!” This would transform the grass or straw into a horse that they could then ride. The horses would also be able to fly –

‘...and we would fly away wherever we would, like straw flying about on the highway.’

She also proclaims that if they were to pass anyone and be seen during such a flight, that unless the person was quick in blessing themselves, the coven would ‘shoot them dead if we want. Anyone shot by us, their soul goes to Heaven but their body stays with us – they will fly to us like horses as small as straws.’

These accounts are but a portion of what Isobel Gowdie spoke on in her confessions. While I would love to dig into everything she revealed, that’s simply far too much for a blog post. I highly recommend, though, that you do look into the records of her confessions if this piece interested you. You’ll find explanations as to how she and the women of her coven used charmed broom sticks in their beds to keep their husbands from noticing their absence in the night; the making of Elf-shots or Elf-arrows, and how Isobel and others were instructed in how to use said tools against others; explanations as to how one can take the strength from someone’s ale and put it in the drink of another, and how one can steal the yield from another’s farm; along with the ‘salacious’ accounts of Isobel’s intimate encounters with the Devil, and so very much more.

Sources & Further Information:

‘Ancient Criminal Trials in Scotland, Vol. 3, Pt. 2’ - Pitcairn, Robert, Esq.

'The Black Book of Isobel Gowdie and Other Scottish Spells and Charms' - Mills, Ash William

'Narratives of Sorcery and Magic - Volume 2' -Wright, Thomas

‘The Visions of Isobel Gowdie: Magic, Witchcraft and Dark Shamanism in Seventeenth-Century Scotland’ - Wilby, Emma

‘1Scot1Not’ podcast episode ‘Isobel Gowdie: the NAUGHTIEST Girl of the Entire 17th Century’