#banishing spell

[samwisethewitch]

Two Banishing Powders from a Southern Folk Witch

In Southern folk magic, the formula used for a banishing spell varies a little bit based on whether you want to banish an actual person (basically getting them to leave you alone) or a spirit/energy/abstract concept.

Banishing formulas for getting rid of living people tend to focus on causing irritation and discomfort to get someone to leave, which may be less effective if they don't have a physical body. Banishing formulas for spirits/energy are more about deep cleansing and making the space inhospitable for undesirable spirits. The herbs and minerals a practitioner might reach for are different in these two situations.

Below are two all-purpose banishing formulas from my practice: one for living people, and one for spirits.

GTFO Powder

For getting rid of unwanted (living) people.

You will need:

The spiciest red pepper flakes/powder you can find (If you like spicy food, use something so hot you can't eat it in large amounts. I like spice and I use Szechuan pepper flakes, but cayenne will work, especially if you know the person you want to banish doesn't like any spice at all in their food. Discomfort is the goal here.)

Black pepper (Used here to cause mild inconvenience/discomfort/bad luck)

Salt (Good, old fashioned banishing)

(Optional) dried, crumbled wasps nest*

(Optional) dirt from the side of a busy road or highway**

*This is actually much easier to find than you'd think, but be careful not to get stung! This is a traditional ingredient in Southern folk magic because wasps are known for how viciously they protect their homes. Fair warning: this is a mean ingredient (since its purpose is to cause pain/discomfort), so I'll leave it up to you whether to include it or not. If you're dealing with a stalking or abuse situation, wasps nest can give you the extra oomph you need to help keep the abuser from returning.

**Only include this if you're trying to make someone physically leave your space or relocate to a different geographical area. And PLEASE be careful collecting this dirt! My advice is to try to collect it during a less busy time of day and to stay several feet away from the actual road.

How to Use It:

When you mix up this powder, speak over it and state your intention. You can enchant this powder for all-purpose banishing, or you could mix up a batch to banish a specific person. Either way, it is important that you tell the powder what it is meant to do. I like to speak directly to the spirits in the powder and ask them for their help.

Traditionally, you would use this powder by sprinkling some in your target's shoes, but that isn't always possible. You can use it in poppet spells by adding it to the feet of the poppet for the same effect. You can also use it to dress candles, add it to jar spells, or incorporate it into other types of banishing spells. Warning: do not burn this powder, as it can cause irritation or injuries to the lungs.

If you need to get rid of a specific person, you'll want to customize the powder to only work on them. The easiest way to do this is with a taglock (an item that has a physical connection to the target). Some of their hair would be ideal, but you can also use a photo of them or even a piece of paper with their name and address written on it, like you were addressing a letter. You'll want to burn the taglock to ash, then mix this ash into the powder. Make sure you burn it outside, because the smoke will be unpleasant.

You can use this powder to keep someone away from your home or another building by sprinkling a line of it across all entrances to the building. If you do this, make sure you've customized the powder for that person with the method above -- otherwise you may accidentally banish ALL visitors.

Ghost-Be-Gone Powder

For getting rid of unwanted spirits or psychic energy. Can also be used to banish non-physical things, like an illness or a bad habit.

You will need:

Asafoetida*

Salt (Again, used here for good, old fashioned banishing)

Garlic (You know how garlic is supposed to repel vampires? That's basically what it's doing here.)

Rosemary (Used for cleansing and banishing)

(Optional) dirt from a church, temple, or other place of worship**

*Honestly, I've used asafoetida by itself for banishing and gotten really good results. This is definitely the Big Daddy of cleansing herbs in Southern folk magic. You can usually find this in international grocery stores or get it online for fairly cheap, and it's one of the few herbs I think are worth going out of your way to get. Warning: a lot of people complain about the smell of asafoetida, but it honestly just smells like a stronger, more pungent garlic to me so your mileage may vary.

**While dirt from a church is traditional, use something tied to a religion YOU believe in. If you aren't Christian, don't use church dirt. For myself, I might use dirt from the Wiccan temple near my home or from another pagan holy site. The point here is to call on your personal spiritual allies for help. If you are an atheist or agnostic, just leave the dirt out entirely.

How to Use It:

When you mix up this powder, speak over it and state your intention. You can enchant this powder for all-purpose banishing, or you could mix up a batch to banish a specific spirit. Either way, it is important that you tell the powder what it is meant to do. I like to speak directly to the spirits in the powder and ask them for their help.

To use this powder to remove a spirit from your home, use it to clean your floors. You can sprinkle it on the floor, let it sit for a few minutes, and then sweep or vacuum it up.

I don't recommend burning this powder as incense, but you can use it in spells. You can place a ring of it around the base of a black candle or add some to a jar spell, for example. You can also use this to cast a circle around your spellwork if you want to protect it from interference in the spiritual realm.

A Note on Cultural Appropriation

Every time I post some of the more folksy parts of my practice online, I get asked whether it's okay for others to use these spells. Specifically, people want to know if these spells come from a closed tradition or if they have to live in the South to use them.

The folk magic tradition I practice is not tied to any closed cultural practice. I will never post anything from a closed practice online. So yes, you can use these powders no matter who you are or where you are from. You don't have to live in the South or be from the South to practice Southern folk magic, but you will get more out of your practice if you have a connection to the region.

On a related note: some of y'all may have noticed that these powders are similar to formulas used in Hoodoo. The GTFO Powder specifically is very similar to Hotfoot Powder, which is used for a similar purpose in Hoodoo. Hoodoo is a semi-closed African-American tradition that is typically passed down in families or communities. When I post about my practice, I do occasionally get comments accusing me of appropriating from Hoodoo.

Here's the thing: my practice does have some overlap with Hoodoo, because I am in the same geographical region and part of the same regional culture that Hoodoo comes from. Over hundreds of years, ideas get exchanged across racial and cultural lines. Just like some elements of Hoodoo come from European traditions, some elements of white folk magic in the South come from African roots. It's not appropriation -- it's a natural result of living in multicultural communities.

All of this is just to say, what I do is not Hoodoo, but I think of my tradition and Hoodoo as cousins. There's some shared DNA, but also a lot of differences. How I do things might look similar to how a Hoodoo practitioner does them, but the theory or exact ritual process may be different.

[esoteric-chaos]

What is Banishing? The How-Tos and Methods

Banishing is a direct form of expelling energy or spirit from your space. Used to get rid of a specific energy, spirit, or person. Can even be used to banish a bad habit if you really wanted to. It is a strong form of defensive magic versus cleansing which is more of a brush out the door. Banishing is you picking whatever up by the scruff like a wet cat and throwing it out the window.

You can incorporate cleansing and banishing methods together. Make it spicy, get the job done in one go.

Here are some banishing methods that are within my grimoire.

Spiritual

Smoke - Burning Dragons Blood, Frankincense, Hyssop, Rue, Cedar, Juniper, Blackberry Leaves and Pine are great herbs to burn for banishing and purification. You can also make a herbal spray as well.

Candles - Banish from your space using corresponding banishing candle colours like Black.

Herbs - Can be made into satchels, jars, sprays, spellwork and other items for banishing.

Sigils - Create a banishing sigil for your space, self or working.

Powders - Powders like GTFO powder are great examples for banishing's

Witches bells - Witches bells hang on your doorknob or on your door (inside the home) for protection and banishing. When someone comes into the home it rings, banishing negative energy.

Spells - Return to sender, uncrossings and freezer spells are good examples of banishings. Write the target's name on a black candle with intention, dress with corresponding oils, and write a petition to place under the candle to effectively banish them from your space/life.

Energy - Visualize a powerful bubble of protective light of any colour. Visualize it pushing out of your chest and visualize it burning up the energy and pushing it out of your space. Can be energy-taxing so please drink some water and eat a snack.

Black salt - Salt (I use sea) mixed with charcoal, eggshell powder and protective & purifying herbs. Used in warding, banishing and protection. Please be careful around pets with salt as they can get sick if eaten.

Physical

Baths/showers - Submerging yourself in water with banishing herbs and oils. You can also shower with banishing herbal soaps and hang a mesh satchel with purifying herbs over your shower head.

Physical - Literally taking pots and pans, screaming to get out of your house. Both annoying to the neighbors and effective for spirits.

Vocal - Prayer to deity/ancestors/guides/etc for assistance. Prayer from a holy book. Incantations are normally followed by another action like ringing bells.

Feel free to place your banishing methods below!

Looking for all of my posts in one place? Check out the Masterpost

[delightingintragedy]

Ocean Banishment Knot Spell

"What ever it was that required banishment, be it an illness or some other undesirable situation, a knot charm could be employed by tying knots, as many as there are troubles, or aspects to the trouble, into rope, cord or string, and touch these each to the thing to be banished, or a symbol thereof. The knot charm is then taken to the shore where it is buried at the mark of low water. The operator will then walk away and must not look back or catch sight of the spot for at least twentyfour hours."

Wisht Waters by Gemma Gary, pgs. 99-100

[magickkate]

🚽✨ Beginner Witch Tip: Flushing Away Negativity! ✨🚽

Hello, witchlings! Looking for a simple yet powerful way to banish negativity from your life? How about trying a beginner-friendly banishing spell that involves a toilet flush? Here's how:

🌟 What You'll Need:

A piece of paper

A pen

Your intention and focus

Access to a toilet

💧 Let's Dive Into the Magic:

Grab your piece of paper and pen. Write down the name of the person, situation, or energy you want to banish from your life. Be clear and specific about what you're flushing away.

Take a moment to connect with your intention. Visualize the negativity being drawn out of your life and onto the paper.

Head to the bathroom and hold the paper over the toilet bowl. Take a deep breath and focus your energy on the paper.

When you're ready, say aloud or silently, "By the power of water, I release and banish [name or situation]. May it be gone from my life, never to return." Remember, you can create this into whatever fits your needs. Just be careful who or what you attempt to banish (i.e., try not to banish your mom after one falling out or your teacher because you got a bad grade).

With determination, drop the paper into the toilet bowl and flush it away. As you watch it disappear, feel a sense of relief and release wash over you.

Take a moment to thank the universe for assisting you in this banishing process. Trust that the negativity is now gone for good.

Wash your hands as a symbolic gesture of cleansing and purification, both physically and spiritually.

Remember, this spell is all about reclaiming your power and creating a positive, harmonious space for yourself. Use it wisely and with good intentions. Happy banishing, witches! 🌊🔮

Sources: Carlson J. Protection Spells for New Witches. Rockridge Press; 2023. The Witch Of Wonderlust. Banishing 101. YouTube, Dec 9, 2021. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xskx5Clz9vY&ab_channel=TheWitchOfWonderlust

[popculture-hag-shit]

I Don't Love You Binding/Banishing Spell

Had a relationship that turned sour? Worried about ill intent causing issues in your life? Boy howdy do I have the spell for you!

What all you're gonna need:

🫙a small jar or container, making sure it's transparent (plastic is discouraged as it could warp due to hot wax)

🏷️ a tag lock of your intended recipient

🖋️a marker (sharpie works pretty well on glass and metal)

🌵thorns/pins/needles/whatever small sharp things are on hand

🧂salt

🌶️ dried hot pepper of some sort

🎵 the song "I don't love you" by mcr

🪞 a mirror

🕯️a candle (I use a beeswax candle bc that's what I've got on hand, feel free to use whatever you like)

Practice fire safety, make sure you have access to water and aren't wearing any loose clothing that could catch fire. Make sure your space is clear of anything that could catch fire. Also make sure this is a space you're okay with potentially getting candle wax on.

Set yourself up in front of a mirror, you'll be using it to reflect their bad intentions away from you and into the binding spell.

Start playing the song, I put it on loop because this spell can take longer than the duration of the song and you'll be using the song as a focus for this spell.

Light your candle.

Take your hot pepper of choice and add a layer to the bottom of your jar.

Take your taglock and gently press the thorns/needles/etc into the taglock being sure not to pierce it all the way through: the goal here is to show you have a sharp offensive but not to cause harm unless necessary.

Set your taglock inside the container, nestling it part way in the hot pepper. This is to make them feel the heat-- you're not harming them, but the implication is you're prepared to.

Fill the jar with enough salt that there's only a small amount of room between the salt and the top of the container. The goal is to use salt to cleanse any ill will they may send your way, so make sure the taglock is covered completely.

Take your candle and carefully tip it so the melted wax fills the container the rest of the way. This is to create a solid barrier, trapping any malicious intent from escaping.

You may want to wait til the wax has cooled before securing the lid on your container as it will be hot.

Once the lid has been secured, draw the nazar (protection from the evil eye) on the lid, sides and bottom of your jar.

Optional step to elevate this to a banishing spell; throw the container out.

If for some reason you think you might want to undo the binding spell in the future, keep the container. You will need to remove its contents in order to undo the binding spell.

[andromedasdomain]

Magical Timing:

Saturday ─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───

Magical Intentions: Knowledge Values/Morals Time Banishing Self Transformation Psychic Defense Meditation Locating lost items Self-defense Liberation ─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─── Crystals: Onyx Obsidian Smokey Quartz Jet Pumice ─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─── Herbs: Myrrh Moss Thyme Basil Hemlock Nettle Peppermint Pomegranate Hyacinth Mallow Juniper

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───

[lets-boogie]

Best Banishing/Cleansing Ritual

Yell at everything you don’t want in your space to get the fuck out lol

Fill yourself with as much rage as you can, then, release it as you yell at everything to leave. You don’t even need to literally yell. A simple yet stern statement or two will suffice. What’s important is that you feel that anger and release it into your space, and direct that energy at things you do not want in your space. Really mean what you say though. And don’t challenge anything either. “You all need to get out of here”, “Anyone who isn’t here to help me is not welcome here, leave”, and “I’m not dealing with anyone who isn’t here to help me, so get out” are all some examples of what you could say! Just don’t challenge anything or threaten anything. You don’t need these things to convince any entity that you don’t have the power to make them leave if they choose not to. In fact, when you do threaten an entity that you don’t want around, they often will see it as a bluff on your end. They won’t take you seriously if you do this.

If you really want to, get a broom or a wand and wave that shit around your space as a secondary way of showing that you mean it. If you do use a broom or wand, make sure to get the entirety of your space while you yell at things to leave. Personally, I only get my broom out if I feel like something didn’t take me seriously and don’t leave when I first told them to. When they realize that I’m not playing games, then they get out lol

This sets boundaries for your space for things you don’t want to be there. It also shows that your patience and abilities aren’t to be tested with entities that you don’t want around. You should see them as pests at this point, nothing more. They aren’t worth your fear, energy, or your time in the form of a long and drawn out cleansing or banishing ritual. They should know that you only view them as an annoyance, only worth a minuet of your time at the very most. When you see these types of beings as something more than that, then they will feed off of you and grow more powerful over you. They will become bored, some may even become fearful, if you treat them in this way. They will leave and find something else to do with their time

Not a great idea to try this on powerful entities though, from my practice. This can either anger them or make them laugh. For more powerful beings, it’s best to do a more detailed ritual, as they ARE worth your time and energy. Still important to never fear anything, but understand and respect how powerful they are.

[wolfhowlwitch]

today’s spellwork goal is “banish my husband’s annoying boss from the store for the rest of the day”.

[a-single-white-crow]

For my own curiosity.

[liliths-playful-pet]

I'm going to make the NASTIEST sour jar you can imagine 👿🍋

[delusionalvvitch]

ROTTEN-APPLE BANISHING SPELL

Tools Needed:

- Sharp Knife

- Red Apple

- Black Tissue Paper

If there's something -- or someone -- in your life you want to get rid of, a good old-fashioned banishing spell can be remarkably useful. Use an apple to eliminate the problem people or issues from your life.

Use the knife to inscribe into the skin of the apple the name of the person -- or the type of issue -- you need to get rid of. After you've done so, cut the apple in half, making sure you slice through the name. Wrap the two halves in the tissue paper, dig a hole, and bury them somewhere far from your home. As the apple decays in the earth, your problems will gradually go away.

[darkobssessions]

HEKATE PROTECTION RITUAL

Call upon Hekate when you are beset upon by hostile forces, surrounded by thick psychic attacks and drowning in personal negativity. The Goddess of Witches is near at hand for those that are suffering from mental disturbances and conditions and all kinds of abuse and oppression. In asking her to attend to your space, you are asking for clearing and healing in body/mind/soul of all that wishes to torture and oppress.

THE RITUAL

Use candles and symbols associated with her in colour, shape, or essence (black, red, white, yellow, horses, snakes, torches, cauldrons, dogs etc.). Cast a circle and meditate upon an image or figurine dedicated to her/you associate with her. Carve words and/or symbols (pentagram etc.) on the candle for additional charging. Anoint the candle with a potent oil picturing protection dripping from the bottle.

Begin to pray and surround yourself with a flaming aura as you light the candle. Call on your guardians and the four corners. Invoke the goddess into your space. Cry out for protection, for purification, for banishing and a barrier between you and all that wishes to harm you. Feel her fill you and the space, like a presence from behind enveloping you with large wings. 

Name out loud the forces harming you and all that is hurting you. Reclaim all that is yours. Visualize a vortex ripping through the room with you at the calm centre, creating a barrier to anything that would disturb your peace. Chant a hymn dedicated to Hekate (you can use a well known one, one of your own created in the past, or on the spot speak from the heart). Watch the candle as it burns down. Meditate. Release all that is burdening you, speak words that are true, cry, sob, shake and rock.

Sit in vigil until the candle snuffs out. After the ritual, sit for a while and receive the dark mother’s medicine. Afterwards, crawl into bed, feel the protection and the newly found courage and determination to get through obstacles. Record your dreams the next morning because she will send a powerful messenger and symbols to light your path and clear the way. You may even have been left a message in the candle wax!

Best performed:

Between midnight and 3 am

In a pitch black room (begin in darkness and to darkness you return as the candle is snuffed out)

When you are in the thick of it: hitting roadbloacks/being abused/feeling oppressed and surrounded by hostile forces.

May you find the peace you seek.

[coquette-lunalovemystique]

Black Moon Water Recipe

Now available for purchase on ko-fi!

[delightingintragedy]

A Magical Dis-Invitation: Banishing Spell

Based on A Magical Dis-Invitation and Banishing Powder in Judika Illes's The Encyclopedia of 5,000 Spells

Banishing Oil

Starting with the banishing oil, on page 128 there are recipes for some banishing powders. The ingredients for the one I used are:

Chopped bay laurel leaves

Black Pepper

Cayenne Pepper

Powdered hydrangea blossoms (substitute: rose thorns)

Sea salt

Grapeseed oil (my own addition)

I completed this oil on a Tuesday, i didn't record the hour, and didn't measure the amounts of the ingredients I used, just winging it. I do think I went a little overboard with salt though (very clumpy/not dissolving). When turning this powder into an oil, I used grapeseed over olive oil because I associate olive oil with prosperity and good health, which were not things I wished for her.

It was mid-October when I cast this spells so the hydrangeas were not in bloom, and I'd never experimented with them in spells work. I wasn't sure how they worked for banishing, but i knew rose thorns would be a nice painful bite. I used well over 100 thorns, you don't have to use that many, I was just pissed and had them on hand.

I believe I also prayed to Hekate to empower my oil to do its job. I shook it daily for a week, then placed it in a dark place to steep.

A Magical Dis-Invitation

Found on page 134. The spell reads as such:

Write the name of your target on a small square of paper, one square per unwanted person.

Anoint each corner of each square with Banishing Oil.

Bury this charm on the path to your entrance door, so that everyone who enters it is forced unknowingly to step over it.

It's simplistic but effective. The oil was able to steep for about a month. Things seemed to cool off and get worse all over again and i was finally fed up. I did this spell on a Thursday in the hour of Mercury. I would have preferably chosen a day and hour ruled by Mars or Saturn, but sometimes taking action immediately is more effective than waiting.

What I did differently: I wrote the persons full name and birthday on the paper, and instead of anointing each corner, I surrounded her name completely. I then turned the strip of paper and folded it away from me. Then I went onto my porch in front of my front door and slipped it through the slats so it'd rest underneath where everyone walks. The path to my home is concrete, so that's as buried its going to get.

After doing this spell the person I wanted gone immediately stopped showing up sobbing and hysterical on my doorstep damn near daily. In fact, I haven't seen her since.

[magickkate]

⚡️🌑 Banishing Spell: Release and Remove Negative Influence 🌑⚡️

Perform this banishing spell with caution and a clear intention to release and remove the negative influence of the person you need out of your life. Remember to focus on your own well-being and safety throughout the process.

Ingredients:

Black candle

Piece of paper

Pen

Salt

Protective herbs (such as sage or rosemary)

Cauldron or fire-safe dish

Instructions:

Begin by creating a sacred space for your ritual. Light the protective herbs and allow the smoke to cleanse and purify the area.

Sit in quiet meditation and center yourself. Focus on your intention to release and remove the negative influence of the person from your life.

Take the piece of paper and write the name of the person you wish to banish. Be specific and clear about your intention.

Light the black candle and place it in front of you. Hold the piece of paper in your hands and visualize the person's energy being absorbed into it.

Repeat the following incantation aloud or in your mind: "By the power of fire and will, I banish [Name] from my life, I will. Negative influence, be gone from me, As I will it, so mote it be." (this can be changed to whatever fits your practice! feel free to switch up the wording to your desire and let the magic happen!)

When you feel ready, ignite the piece of paper with the flame of the black candle and place it in the cauldron or fire-safe dish.

As the paper burns, visualize the person's energy dissipating and leaving your life for good. Feel a sense of release and liberation wash over you.

Sprinkle salt over the ashes to further neutralize and banish any lingering negativity.

Allow the candle to burn down completely as a symbol of the banishing process coming to fruition.

Thank the elements, spirits, or deities that you called upon for their assistance and support.

Dispose of the ashes and remnants of the spell in a respectful manner, such as burying them in the earth or scattering them to the wind.

Remember to perform this spell with the utmost respect and integrity, and always prioritize your own well-being and safety. Trust in the power of your intention and the support of the universe to manifest the desired outcome. Blessed be! 🌟🔥

[brookepricer]

Daily Spell: September 27th

Rotten Apple Banishing Spell

You’ll Need:

A sharp knife

A red apple

Black tissue paper

If there's something or someone in your life you want to get rid of, and old good fashioned banishing spell can be remarkably useful. Apples are in season during the fall, and while they are extremely handy for divination kind attraction magic, apples also eventually rot and decay. Use an apple to eliminate problem people or issues from your life.

Use the knife to inscribe into the skin of the apple the name of the person - or the type of issue - you need to get rid of. After you've done so, cut the apple in half, making sure slice through the name. Wrap the two halves in the tissue paper, do the whole, and bury them somewhere far from your home. Ask the apple decays in the earth, your problems will gradually go away.

-

“Daily Spellbook for the Good Witch: Quick, Simple, and Practical Magic for Every Day of the Year,” by Patti Wigington