Witch Bottles History and Spells
Original Uses of Witch Bottles
The most active period of Witch-bottle usage and the Witch-hunts don't coincide by accident. The fear of Witches produced ways of protecting oneself against them during times when slightest misfortune was easily interpreted as being caused by a curse put on one or another member of the family. From the point of view of a present day Witch, the original purpose for building a Witch-bottle wasn't that pleasant: they were intended to keep Witches and Witches' curses away. The contents of a Witch-bottle was designed to not only divert an attacking Witch, but also to cause her to suffer the agonies brought on by all the nasty things inside the bottle. To put it simply: to turn the curse back to the curser. The urine in the bottle symbolizes the target of the curse. The curser and the target of the curse were believed to have a strong connection and the curse was believed to target not only its intended victim, but also the bodily fluids of the target. When the bottle was placed in a way that made it easier for the curse to meet with the urine (in the Witch-bottle) before the actual target, the curse hit the bottle and not its intended victim. This is why the bottles were usually hidden where they were. The importance of pubic hair and hair was similar to that of the urine. Witch-bottles are very much a part of age-old traditions of sympathetic magic with its intentions of causing pain for the Witch with the contents of the Witch-bottle. According to folk beliefs, the use of Witch-bottles sometimes brought the Witch herself, writhing in agony, knocking on the door - begging for somebody to break the Witch-bottle and promising to reverse the curse. The Witch-bottle was believed to be active as long as the bottle remained hidden and unbroken. People did go though a lot of trouble in hiding their Witch-bottles. Those buried underneath fireplaces have been found only after the rest of the building has been torn down or otherwise disappeared. Modern-Witch-Bottles
Very generally speaking, the modern day Witch-bottles are very similar to historical Witch-bottles in their basic structure, even though their intended purpose has changed. The most common purpose for constructing a Witch-bottle today is capturing negative energies targeted at the constructor of the bottle, her family or her home. Even though some bottles are "mirroring" in nature, they aren't normally built to cause agony to the sender of negative energy/caster of curses. Some Witch-bottles are intended to change negative energy into positive one and then release it into the surrounding area. This kind of bottles could be classified as "guard and protect"-bottles. The basic structure of Witch-bottles can be used for purposes other than protective: for financial gain, for helping with artistic creativity, to call forth positive energy (instead of "just filtering out negative energy"), for improving health, etc. One could say that the basic principle is the following: practically speaking, a Witch-bottle is a container of some sort, usually a jar or a bottle, which is filled with objects and often also liquids which fill a given magickal purpose. The person making the Witch-bottle, or in other words, the one casting the bottled spell, can charge the objects magickally beforehand and build the bottle to work on this charging until the need of renewing the spell arises. Witch-bottles can also be built to recharge themselves by the energy they 'capture' for as long as the bottle stays unbroken, whether it be years or centuries. Instead of magickally charging the items, one can build a bottle whose the powers are based on its contents, but cumulatively so, resulting with powers stronger than the sum of its parts. Also this version can be designed to be seasonal or "one time lasts a life time". What Do Modern Witch-Bottles Contain?
Nosy kids can dig the bottle up and hurt themselves on the contents. Not to mention that in the right (or wrong, to be more precise) neighborhood could cause lots of trouble for the Pagan attempting to hide a bottle in the yard. However, the situation is not that impossible! The bottle doesn't need to be situated near the home in order for it to work. If you are constructing a bottle intended to be a personal safety guard, it can be buried in a forest or sunk in a swamp. With a Witch-bottle designed to guard a given home and those living in it, you can use a large flowerpot by the front door or on the windowsill to bury the bottle in to. In this case, the bottle should be small enough to fit in the flowerpot - with the plant! Another idea I've heard is putting the Witch-bottle into a closet next to the front door, where it could easily do its job as a guardian and protector of the home and its inhabitants. However, this solution might cause some trouble if the same thing that happened to one Pagan happens to you: the Witch-bottle she kept in her closet worked very well - until it one day literally blew up. The bottle was of the very traditional type, so cleaning up after this wasn't that pleasant, as you can well imagine! While refining the idea further, we ended up putting the bottle in a covered bucket filled with soil and then putting the bottle inside the bucket in the closet. For a Pagan still "in the closet" or living in something like student housing with a room mate these ideas may not be that usable. There's still no need to panic, as Witch-bottles can be made in miniature size, too. One witch working with test tubes in her professional life worked out recycling methods for test tubes as miniature Witch-bottles small enough to fit in the flowerpots on her windowsill. If you want to use test tubes, make sure you can close them tightly. There are also miniature bottles and jars available at various gift shops which can be used as well. It should be noted that not all Witch-bottles are designed to!
be hidden away. Some are intended to be left out in the open, for example on the windowsill, on your altar or on your (work) desk. Some Instructions
The next part contains some instructions for making Witch-bottles. I won't be including any particular instructions for rituals. First, because the exact rituals used depend on the religion of the person crafting the Witch-bottle and rituals aren't even always necessary. One doesn't even have Pagan religious inclinations for constructing a Witch-bottle. One of the persons who has made a Witch-bottle with my instructions is completely unaffiliated religiously, doesn't consider himself a Pagan, and is more or less an Atheist. He is, nevertheless, very happy with the results. Second, planning the ritual (if one decides to have one) can be considered an important part of constructing a Witch-bottle. As important as planning and gathering the objects used. Third, if you are using a pre-made ritual, you can easily end up repeating somebody else's words and copying somebody else's motions, without proper emotions. Finally, modifying things to suit you better is in this context not only allowed, it's recommended! Basic Bottle for a Modern Witch
This is the tried and tested basic Witch-bottle, suitable also for modern day Pagans. The bottle is intended to be one that protects its maker, often also the maker's home and family, from negative energies. Depending on how the bottle is made and on the maker's Will, the bottle can be one that gathers the negative energies in itself (capturing), one that sends the energies back to where they came from (mirroring) or one that changes negative energy into positive (transforming). I would say, however, that this traditional Witch-bottle isn't the best suited one for the last option. Materials
Glass, earthenware or stone bottle or jar, with a tightly closing cap. Size depending on how big you can easily hide. Size doesn't matter that much, so be reasonable.
Protective gloves for handling items you'll be putting in the bottle. A Witch-bottle won't help you much if you manage to get a blood poisoning while constructing one.
Wax or candles to seal the bottle. Black is a good choice.
Another jar for "potty" if you don't have one. Aiming isn't that easy, especially if you're trying to hit something like a Witch-bottle. So, you'll need something to pee into - and of course you'll need your urine.
Witch Bottles
by Faerie K. for Vox Paganorum
translated from the Finnish by Faerie K.
Witch-bottles are probably quite familiar to many Pagans, at least as a concept. Witch-bottle isn't a poor little Witch in a bottle, or hold something Witches drink in their gatherings. They are more akin to a "bottled spell". The tradition originates from British folklore, traveling with British immigrants to the Americas, if not further. Many modern Pagans have included Witch-bottles in their collection of spells, widening and diversifying this old tradition - and making it more comparable with their personal ethics. A Bit on the History of Witch-bottles
The history of Witch-bottles goes back hundreds of years. The origins of this tradition has been dated to the 1500's. They were used most actively for a couple of hundred years. This is the same time when the Witch-hunts were going on. After this period, the tradition slowly waned. The last historical Witch-bottle was found in a cabin built in mid 19th century, in Pershore, Worcestershire (UK). The actual bottle of a traditional Witch-bottle during the 16th and 17th century was a German stone bottle called "bartmann" or "bellermine" bottle. Similar bottles of stone material were manufactured in Holland and Belgium. The technique wasn't mastered in England before the 1660's and bartmann bottle manufacturing was rare in Britain. The bottle got its name from a cardinal called Bellarmino only after the Witch-bottle tradition had already begun. These bottles had a round belly and they were decorated with a facial image of a grim looking bearded man and a medallion of stylized floral or natural imagery. Even though these bottles were being manufactured actively in Germany long before the time of Bellarmino - who was against the Reformation - these bottles were given their familiar name as a satirical comment on the Cardinal. His bearded figure resembled the typical bearded man depicted on these bottles.[1] Later on, the bearded image was taken to represent the Devil, which suited well for Witch-bottles, after all -- witches were considered as people allied with the Devil. Glass bottles were also used, but according to my sources they were never as popular as Witch-bottles as were the bartmann ones. Old Witch-bottles contained things like bent iron nails, human hair (head hair and pubic hair) and urine. Urine as an important ingredient of a Witch-bottle has been long known in folk traditions, but actual findings with the bottle still containing urine have been rare. However, all of the Witch-bottles found in England which were tested for urine, did prove positive. Other traditional items contained in Witch-bott!
les include small bones, thorns, needles, pieces of wood and in some cases heart-shaped pieces of cloth. The bottles were most often found buried under the fireplace. Other sites include under the floor, buried in the ground there, and plastered inside walls. The fireplace is, from a magical point of view, a security risk as it has a straight connection with the open skies above. It was believed that the curse of a Witch or even a Witch herself in a shape-shifted form could get into a house through the fireplace. Another security risk was the doorway, as doors are opened and closed several times throughout the day. In addition to the fireplace, the bottles were often hidden near the doorway.
All kinds of "nasties": Nails, rusty and bent (you can bend them yourself, too). Pieces of barbed wire, thorns, burrs, pieces of glass and/or mirror, needles etc.
Some things to choose from: Menstrual blood (if you are female) or semen (of you are male). You can drain menstrual blood from your menstrual pads or tampons, in order to get semen. Well, you do know how to get it. Word of advice, though - if you are using sex magick as a part of your Witch-bottle building ritual, do try to remember that you were supposed to collect some of the semen to use in the bottle. It's not that easy to collect it out of your partner, you know. Other blood - get a sterile needle from the pharmacist and remember to buy some band-aids as well. You can also add your pubic or other hair to represent yourself. An egg can also be included.
Bandages should be readily available, in the case something happens. A lot of the stuff you're putting into the bottle is sharp. Preliminary preparations Gather all the necessary items, your bodily fluids being the very last ones as you don't want to store them even for a day. You can collect other items intended for a Witch-bottle over a long period of time, storing them until you have all the necessary items and enough of them. Items found on the ground suit the purpose well. Cut metal items into smaller pieces if necessary so that they fit into the bottle you've chosen. If you're using a very small bottle, remember that will need only a very very small number of each item or alternatively small items (broken needles, tiny nails etc). Choose a date to suit your magickal workings best and plan your ritual, if these things are important for you. Waning moon is often considered a suitable time for building a Witch-bottle. The ritual can consist of just the visualization of the bottle's intended use. You can use the following to help with your visualization: Your bodily fluids are intended to symbolize yourself, they are part of your essence and are traditionally used in magick. Instead of having the negative energies hitting you, they hit your "representative" in the Witch-bottle, the part of your essence. For a capturing bottle: The "nasties" inside the bottle are intended to capture the negative energies - the metal captures them, the glass confuses and cuts them, the thorns puncture them and iron (and egg) dissolve them. You can visualize the negative energies drowning in the urine. If you are building a mirroring bottle, visualize the glass and mirror mirroring the negative energy back to its sender or to grounding it to earth. For a transforming bottle you can use colored glass and visualize the negative energy transforming into positive one before continuing on its journey forward to benefit you, your home or the universe. Choose the place to hide your Witch-bottle before you make it. Be sure you ha!
ve all the necessary equipment like a shovel. By the time the bottle is finished, it's too late to start pondering "but where will I put this thing?" If you are going to bury the bottle in the ground, choose the place so that people or animals will not dig it up.
The Actual Making of the Bottle Have all the necessary equipment and items at hand in a place you consider best suitable for the task, at a time most suitable for you. Cast a circle, if you feel one necessary. You can build the bottle and have your ritual at the site of where you will hide it or do everything else in one place and then take the ready bottle elsewhere to be buried. Fill the bottle with items you've chosen until they form a disgusting mixture. Shake the bottle to mix the items, if necessary. If you are including an egg, don't break it and add it as the last of the solid items. Remember to leave enough room for it as well. After this, add urine, menstrual blood or semen, or prick your finger with the sterile lancet and add as the very last thing a few drops of your blood. You won't need large amounts, blood and semen are considered potent, so few drops will do. Close the cap or lid and seal the bottle. You can carve symbols of your choice (for example runes, a sigil), being careful not to break the seal. If this happens, remove the wax and start the sealing process again. If you are going to go to another place to hide the bottle, clean up after yourself especially if there is any chance that somebody else will get to the place where you were building your bottle before you come back from hiding it! If you did cast a circle before starting, take it down. Remember to ground yourself (if you are creating the bottle at the place where you're hiding it, you can do this afterwards). Travel to the hiding place and hide your Witch-bottle in a suitable manner. Banishing words suit the situation well and if you don't know how or don't want to use traditional banishing spells or something similar, you can even swear like a drunken sailor! You can bury the bottle upside down, putting more nasties in the hole you buried around the bottle before covering it all up. If you are hiding the bottle somewhere inside your home, hide it the right way up. Wiccan Version
The Wiccan versions of the Witch-bottle which follow are more suitable for the Wiccan view of the world, magick and ethics. They are often intended to capture the negative energies or prevent it from ever arriving and - what's important - prevent it to harm the home and its inhabitants. Many of these Wiccan versions are very much like the basic bottle described above, so it isn't necessary to repeat everything over. However, you can use wine, (apple) vinegar or blessed (salted) water instead or in addition to urine. The nails used may be new, etc. Many Wiccan Witch-bottles use herbs, with the herbs being chosen according to their magickal qualities. There are sometimes very specific instructions given for the gathering of each herb and other items, including correct phases of the Moon. The herbs and other objects may be put in the bottle the previous day, letting the bottle stand by the witch's bed over the night. In the morning, you can add (morning) urine to the bottle, after which the bottle is closed and sealed utilizing Wiccan rituals.
Some instructions state that the bottle will be placed in a cupboard or closet, so you don't necessarily have to carefully hide it. The following instructions are a basic version of a Wiccan version of the Witch-bottle, using herbs. You can do everything using a longer/more complex or a shorter/simpler route, depending on your own inclinations. You can for example start collecting the necessary items on a given phase of the moon (for example on the day before New Moon) and perform the ritual on the next Dark Moon. Or, you can collect the items when you have time for it and build the bottle at any phase of the moon (with protective spells, you don't always have to wait for the right phase of the moon - you do it when you have to). You can utter a suitable spell with every item added to the bottle, summoning the spirit of the item/accessory and meditate for a while - or you can speak your chosen words after the bottle is filled. You can make the bottle as part of a ritual, or you can construct a ritual especially for this occasion. One reason why I'm being so vague with the instructions is that I'm not Wiccan myself. Materials
Bottle or jar, with a tightly closing cap or lid
Sea salt
Crystal or stone, for example turquoise, obsidian or black onyx.
Herbs, for example acasia, aloe, lilies, lime, lotus, agrimony, corn, cayenne and black pepper, dried onion, salvia, frankincense, basil, mint, myrrh, garlic, rosemary, mistletoe, pine needles.
A few nails or needles
Wine, (apple) vinegar or urine
Thread
Black candle for sealing
The usual tools used in the ritual section
WITCH BOTTLES - WHY WITCH BOTTLES?
Well, because they work, for one thing. I became interested in protective spells both out of personal need and because I found I had a knack for them (or at least, that's what all the people who have asked me for assistance have said). A short time later I encountered a group of spells called "Witch Bottles", all of which had certain properties in common:
* All are spells of a protective nature. Sometimes they trap negative energy, sometimes they repel it, sometimes they convert to another form, but all are of a protective or "ward and guard" nature.
* All involve filling a container, most often a bottle, with magically charged ingredients.
* They fall into one of two subdivisions of bottle spell:
+ Those that are "loaded" once, and derive their power primarily from the power of their contents. + Those that are "cumulative", and derive their power not so much from the inherent power of the ingredients but from an accumulation of a lot of not-so-powerful small elements to make a whole larger than its parts. These often involve repeated chants, and rely also on the cumulative power of these as well.
As to which might be "better" - for beginners the cumulative witch bottles should be easier to produce in an effective manner, not requiring the intense, focused concentration of those that need a large initial "charging". For an adept, however, it may be more a matter of what is felt to be appropriate.
Although you can use huge, quart or larger size mason jars you can also be equally successful in using smaller bottles and jars. Clear glass seems to be the preferred material, although there is nothing to say that colored glass or plastic wouldn't work.
Due to copyright considerations, I can't reproduce some spells for your convenience - you are going to have to do some research. Perhaps by a future edition I will be able to actually give you the text of some of these.
COLONIAL WITCH BOTTLE
This is a "classic" witch bottle, the oldest example of which in America dates back to the 1700's (hence, "colonial"), and in England they've been made since at least the early 1600's. I've never seen this one presented quite the same way twice, but I've seen it several times. Improvisation around the basic theme seems perfectly acceptable, especially since this is a "personalized" spell. Given that there are no expensive, rare, or difficult to acquire items required, I'd say this is about as folksy as folk magic can get. It also possesses some risk in the making of it, so use some sense, please. You want to hurt your ENEMIES, not YOURSELF.
This is a "reflective" spell to turn a specific act of evil magic directed against you back toward the originator. It is specific to one person, the one whose bodily fluids are incorporated into the spell. It is also quite powerful. Some of the ingredients are pretty icky (the "gross" factor is a vital component of both the spell and its power) so this may not be one to pass around to beginners or the squeamish, and some people might have problems with using actual blood, especially the suggested menstrual blood.
It can also be used as a general warding spell if placed inside the walls of a house or buried on private property. If it is to ward a household I suppose blood from all living under the same roof can be incorporated if you're feeling especially thorough or threatened, but one person alone should provide more than enough power to handle even worse-than-average Nasties. In any case, this one is sure to set Fundy teeth on edge and make them run screaming and gibbering into the night (heh, heh, heh).
MATERIALS:
Small jar or bottle; Debris: broken glass, broken mirror (optional), rusty nails, old razor blades, barbed wire bits,other similar objects; hawthorn thorns (if available); urine (I told you this can get gross); blood; disposable lancet if needed for blood letting (check drugstores or medical supply stores where diabetic equipment is sold) - if you don't use disposable -sterilize! black candle; protective gloves
VISUALIZATION:
You don't need to know the source of your misfortune in order for this to work, you need only focus on the actual problem, spell, curse, or other reason for this spell. Of course, if you can name names that is all to the better.
The negative influences are attracted to the urine and blood, which carry your essence, but are caught in the wire and metal, baffled and cut by the glass, impaled by the thorns, dissipated by the iron. and drowned by your urine (pleasant, ay?). The blood lends more power to the spell.
Thorns and mirror are optional, but considerably increase the spell's power. Thorns have long been recognized as useful in defense, and the mirror shards reflect any residual baneful energies away from you.
********************************************
Binding Bottle Spell
Used to neutralize the power of those who intend to do you physical
harm, or hurt your reputation, or in any way pose a threat to your
security. You Will need:
4 tbsps Frankincense or Myrrh
4 tbsps Black powdered Iron
4 tbsps Sea Salt
4 tbsps Orris-root Powder (or oak moss)
1 white candle
1 glass bottle with a cork or lid
Mortar and pestle
Parchment Paper
Black Ink or black pen
Black thread
Mix the sea salt, orris-root powder, and the iron in a bowl. Then cut
a piece of parchment to fit inside your bottle and write on it with
black ink:
I neutralize the power of (name of adversary) to do me any harm.
I ask that this be correct and for the good of all.
So mote it be!
Roll up the parchment, tie it with a black thread to bind it, and
place it in the bottle. Fill the bottle with the dry ingredients.
Then take the white candle and while turning the bottle
counterclockwise, drip the wax over the cork to seal it. Last,
secretly bury the bottle in a place where it will not be disturbed
and no animals or people will dig it up. This spell is like a genie
in a bottle. It should never be unleashed or the power of the spell
is lost.
Author Unknown
***
Spell Bottle for Business Success
Color of the day: Yellow
Incense of the day: Cedar
Take a small pair of lodestones and place them in a tall and thin green bottle. Add three drops of cinnamon oil, a pinch of ground nutmeg powder, and one whole clove. Shake the mixture nine times. Add two drops green food coloring to one-half cup of water, and pour this into a bottle. Add a pinch of blessed salt for protection and a shredded dollar bill. Cap the bottle and let it rest an hour. Before opening, shake it well. Allow the aroma to waft about the room. Sprinkle the oil where you wish to draw success, protection, and money. Bless the oil by saying: “Ye are as pure as Mother Earth and will draw success unto me. Wherever this potion flows, success I will know.”
By: Tammy Sullivan
***
Bottle of love-
In order to attract love towards you and preserve it
What you'll need:
-1 pink glass bottle or pot
-flowers and petals of fresh or dried flowers
-grasses (mint, rosemary, thyme, bark of orange) dried or fresh
-honey (approximately 1/4 of cup)
-white alcohol (approximately 1 cup of Vodka, Gin or Rum)
-water, sufficient to finish filling the bottle
-pink wax
Ritual:
Fill your bottle with the flowers and grasses, and while adding them, concentrate on love, its pleasures and all the people you like. Pay careful attention to keeping your thoughts on the pleasures and the joy of love because these are, to some extent the thoughts you will be placing in the bottle.
Mix the alcohol and honey before pouring the whole on the grasses and flowers.
Next, fill the bottle with water and seal it with pink wax carefully.
Take the bottle in your hands and speak aloud the following:
I filled my bottle with thoughts of love and affection. They are there now for always and they will attract towards me love and feelings soft so that I am always loved.
When you sense ill feelings from others, go to your bottle and agitate it gently. This will re-activate the enchantment.
***
Garden Blessing Bottle
This neat bottle is to prepare you for the garden season ahead. As well
as blessing your seeds for an abundant harvest. You'll need:
One seed from each plant that you to grow
A small bottle/jar with a cork or lid (a green bottle is preferable)
A brown candle
Place the seeds on your altar. Set the bottle/jar next to the seeds.
Light the brown candle.
Cast a circle according to your tradition, or just visualize a glowing
white sphere surrounding you and your altar. Face the altar and say
these words or similar:
I call on the Element of the Earth
I ask for your Blessings upon these seeds
May you provide a fertile anchor for these
seeds to sprout
And their roots to grow
May you hold these seeds in your loving
embrace.
I call on the Element of the Air.
I ask for your Blessings upon these seeds
May your winds not blow too strong
May gentle breezes caress my garden.
I call on the Element of Fire
I ask for your Blessings upon these seeds
May the warmth of the Sun cause abundant
growth
May the Sun gently kiss my garden.
I call on the Element of Water
I ask for your Blessings upon these seeds
May you not rain too much, nor too little
So that these seeds may fulfill their quest
In the scheme of Nature.
I call on the Element of Spirit
The fifth Element that binds all together
I ask for you Blessings upon these seeds
Guard them as they grow
Fill them with the spirit of the Universe
Fill them with Love, Beauty, Health and
Healing.
SO MOTE IT BE
Now as you fill your bottle with the seeds. Visualize yourself tending
your garden. Visualize your garden the way you want it to look. See
yourself working to make it look this way. (No matter how much you bless
your seeds, if you don't take care of your garden. You won't get the
best results). Visualize the harvest. Imagine how wonderful it will be
to taste fresh veggies and herbs. Imagine the sweet fragrance of fresh
flowers.
Visualize your harvest nourishing you and your family.
If you plan on preserving your harvest, see yourself doing just that.
See your family enjoying the "fruits of your labor."
When you have put all the seeds in the bottle. Put the lid on, and seal
it with wax from the brown candle. Release the circle, and keep the
bottle on your altar overnight.
Keep the bottle where you can see it daily, to remind you of the joys
your garden will bring you.
Early next Spring, break the seal on the bottle. Go to a wild place and
scatter the seeds to the winds. As you do this, thank the Elements for
their blessings. And make a new one for your next garden.
Happy Gardening!!!!!
***
Hebral Witches Cleansing Bottle
To make an herbal cleansing bottle, pour a layer of sand in a large
clear bottle. Add layers of dried herbs, one at a time: first
rosemary; then lemon peel, sage, cedar, black peppercorns, lavender,
dill, bayleaf, and rowan. When the bottle is full, focus cleansing
protective energy into the herbs and sand, and see a golden light
radiating from the bottle. Visualize the herbs driving away negative
influences. Cork and seal the bottle with white wax. Using a
permanent marker, draw the algiz rune on one side of the bottle, and
on the other side draw a pentagram. Set the bottle near your front or
back door, and every six months, uncap, pour herbs out into the woods
or your compost heap, and thoroughly wash and dry the bottle before
filling it with a new round of herbs.
The most active period of Witch-bottle usage and the Witch-hunts don't coincide by accident. The fear of Witches produced ways of protecting oneself against them during times when slightest misfortune was easily interpreted as being caused by a curse put on one or another member of the family. From the point of view of a present day Witch, the original purpose for building a Witch-bottle wasn't that pleasant: they were intended to keep Witches and Witches' curses away. The contents of a Witch-bottle was designed to not only divert an attacking Witch, but also to cause her to suffer the agonies brought on by all the nasty things inside the bottle. To put it simply: to turn the curse back to the curser. The urine in the bottle symbolizes the target of the curse. The curser and the target of the curse were believed to have a strong connection and the curse was believed to target not only its intended victim, but also the bodily fluids of the target. When the bottle was placed in a way that made it easier for the curse to meet with the urine (in the Witch-bottle) before the actual target, the curse hit the bottle and not its intended victim. This is why the bottles were usually hidden where they were. The importance of pubic hair and hair was similar to that of the urine. Witch-bottles are very much a part of age-old traditions of sympathetic magic with its intentions of causing pain for the Witch with the contents of the Witch-bottle. According to folk beliefs, the use of Witch-bottles sometimes brought the Witch herself, writhing in agony, knocking on the door - begging for somebody to break the Witch-bottle and promising to reverse the curse. The Witch-bottle was believed to be active as long as the bottle remained hidden and unbroken. People did go though a lot of trouble in hiding their Witch-bottles. Those buried underneath fireplaces have been found only after the rest of the building has been torn down or otherwise disappeared. Modern-Witch-Bottles
Very generally speaking, the modern day Witch-bottles are very similar to historical Witch-bottles in their basic structure, even though their intended purpose has changed. The most common purpose for constructing a Witch-bottle today is capturing negative energies targeted at the constructor of the bottle, her family or her home. Even though some bottles are "mirroring" in nature, they aren't normally built to cause agony to the sender of negative energy/caster of curses. Some Witch-bottles are intended to change negative energy into positive one and then release it into the surrounding area. This kind of bottles could be classified as "guard and protect"-bottles. The basic structure of Witch-bottles can be used for purposes other than protective: for financial gain, for helping with artistic creativity, to call forth positive energy (instead of "just filtering out negative energy"), for improving health, etc. One could say that the basic principle is the following: practically speaking, a Witch-bottle is a container of some sort, usually a jar or a bottle, which is filled with objects and often also liquids which fill a given magickal purpose. The person making the Witch-bottle, or in other words, the one casting the bottled spell, can charge the objects magickally beforehand and build the bottle to work on this charging until the need of renewing the spell arises. Witch-bottles can also be built to recharge themselves by the energy they 'capture' for as long as the bottle stays unbroken, whether it be years or centuries. Instead of magickally charging the items, one can build a bottle whose the powers are based on its contents, but cumulatively so, resulting with powers stronger than the sum of its parts. Also this version can be designed to be seasonal or "one time lasts a life time". What Do Modern Witch-Bottles Contain?
Nosy kids can dig the bottle up and hurt themselves on the contents. Not to mention that in the right (or wrong, to be more precise) neighborhood could cause lots of trouble for the Pagan attempting to hide a bottle in the yard. However, the situation is not that impossible! The bottle doesn't need to be situated near the home in order for it to work. If you are constructing a bottle intended to be a personal safety guard, it can be buried in a forest or sunk in a swamp. With a Witch-bottle designed to guard a given home and those living in it, you can use a large flowerpot by the front door or on the windowsill to bury the bottle in to. In this case, the bottle should be small enough to fit in the flowerpot - with the plant! Another idea I've heard is putting the Witch-bottle into a closet next to the front door, where it could easily do its job as a guardian and protector of the home and its inhabitants. However, this solution might cause some trouble if the same thing that happened to one Pagan happens to you: the Witch-bottle she kept in her closet worked very well - until it one day literally blew up. The bottle was of the very traditional type, so cleaning up after this wasn't that pleasant, as you can well imagine! While refining the idea further, we ended up putting the bottle in a covered bucket filled with soil and then putting the bottle inside the bucket in the closet. For a Pagan still "in the closet" or living in something like student housing with a room mate these ideas may not be that usable. There's still no need to panic, as Witch-bottles can be made in miniature size, too. One witch working with test tubes in her professional life worked out recycling methods for test tubes as miniature Witch-bottles small enough to fit in the flowerpots on her windowsill. If you want to use test tubes, make sure you can close them tightly. There are also miniature bottles and jars available at various gift shops which can be used as well. It should be noted that not all Witch-bottles are designed to!
be hidden away. Some are intended to be left out in the open, for example on the windowsill, on your altar or on your (work) desk. Some Instructions
The next part contains some instructions for making Witch-bottles. I won't be including any particular instructions for rituals. First, because the exact rituals used depend on the religion of the person crafting the Witch-bottle and rituals aren't even always necessary. One doesn't even have Pagan religious inclinations for constructing a Witch-bottle. One of the persons who has made a Witch-bottle with my instructions is completely unaffiliated religiously, doesn't consider himself a Pagan, and is more or less an Atheist. He is, nevertheless, very happy with the results. Second, planning the ritual (if one decides to have one) can be considered an important part of constructing a Witch-bottle. As important as planning and gathering the objects used. Third, if you are using a pre-made ritual, you can easily end up repeating somebody else's words and copying somebody else's motions, without proper emotions. Finally, modifying things to suit you better is in this context not only allowed, it's recommended! Basic Bottle for a Modern Witch
This is the tried and tested basic Witch-bottle, suitable also for modern day Pagans. The bottle is intended to be one that protects its maker, often also the maker's home and family, from negative energies. Depending on how the bottle is made and on the maker's Will, the bottle can be one that gathers the negative energies in itself (capturing), one that sends the energies back to where they came from (mirroring) or one that changes negative energy into positive (transforming). I would say, however, that this traditional Witch-bottle isn't the best suited one for the last option. Materials
Glass, earthenware or stone bottle or jar, with a tightly closing cap. Size depending on how big you can easily hide. Size doesn't matter that much, so be reasonable.
Protective gloves for handling items you'll be putting in the bottle. A Witch-bottle won't help you much if you manage to get a blood poisoning while constructing one.
Wax or candles to seal the bottle. Black is a good choice.
Another jar for "potty" if you don't have one. Aiming isn't that easy, especially if you're trying to hit something like a Witch-bottle. So, you'll need something to pee into - and of course you'll need your urine.
Witch Bottles
by Faerie K. for Vox Paganorum
translated from the Finnish by Faerie K.
Witch-bottles are probably quite familiar to many Pagans, at least as a concept. Witch-bottle isn't a poor little Witch in a bottle, or hold something Witches drink in their gatherings. They are more akin to a "bottled spell". The tradition originates from British folklore, traveling with British immigrants to the Americas, if not further. Many modern Pagans have included Witch-bottles in their collection of spells, widening and diversifying this old tradition - and making it more comparable with their personal ethics. A Bit on the History of Witch-bottles
The history of Witch-bottles goes back hundreds of years. The origins of this tradition has been dated to the 1500's. They were used most actively for a couple of hundred years. This is the same time when the Witch-hunts were going on. After this period, the tradition slowly waned. The last historical Witch-bottle was found in a cabin built in mid 19th century, in Pershore, Worcestershire (UK). The actual bottle of a traditional Witch-bottle during the 16th and 17th century was a German stone bottle called "bartmann" or "bellermine" bottle. Similar bottles of stone material were manufactured in Holland and Belgium. The technique wasn't mastered in England before the 1660's and bartmann bottle manufacturing was rare in Britain. The bottle got its name from a cardinal called Bellarmino only after the Witch-bottle tradition had already begun. These bottles had a round belly and they were decorated with a facial image of a grim looking bearded man and a medallion of stylized floral or natural imagery. Even though these bottles were being manufactured actively in Germany long before the time of Bellarmino - who was against the Reformation - these bottles were given their familiar name as a satirical comment on the Cardinal. His bearded figure resembled the typical bearded man depicted on these bottles.[1] Later on, the bearded image was taken to represent the Devil, which suited well for Witch-bottles, after all -- witches were considered as people allied with the Devil. Glass bottles were also used, but according to my sources they were never as popular as Witch-bottles as were the bartmann ones. Old Witch-bottles contained things like bent iron nails, human hair (head hair and pubic hair) and urine. Urine as an important ingredient of a Witch-bottle has been long known in folk traditions, but actual findings with the bottle still containing urine have been rare. However, all of the Witch-bottles found in England which were tested for urine, did prove positive. Other traditional items contained in Witch-bott!
les include small bones, thorns, needles, pieces of wood and in some cases heart-shaped pieces of cloth. The bottles were most often found buried under the fireplace. Other sites include under the floor, buried in the ground there, and plastered inside walls. The fireplace is, from a magical point of view, a security risk as it has a straight connection with the open skies above. It was believed that the curse of a Witch or even a Witch herself in a shape-shifted form could get into a house through the fireplace. Another security risk was the doorway, as doors are opened and closed several times throughout the day. In addition to the fireplace, the bottles were often hidden near the doorway.
All kinds of "nasties": Nails, rusty and bent (you can bend them yourself, too). Pieces of barbed wire, thorns, burrs, pieces of glass and/or mirror, needles etc.
Some things to choose from: Menstrual blood (if you are female) or semen (of you are male). You can drain menstrual blood from your menstrual pads or tampons, in order to get semen. Well, you do know how to get it. Word of advice, though - if you are using sex magick as a part of your Witch-bottle building ritual, do try to remember that you were supposed to collect some of the semen to use in the bottle. It's not that easy to collect it out of your partner, you know. Other blood - get a sterile needle from the pharmacist and remember to buy some band-aids as well. You can also add your pubic or other hair to represent yourself. An egg can also be included.
Bandages should be readily available, in the case something happens. A lot of the stuff you're putting into the bottle is sharp. Preliminary preparations Gather all the necessary items, your bodily fluids being the very last ones as you don't want to store them even for a day. You can collect other items intended for a Witch-bottle over a long period of time, storing them until you have all the necessary items and enough of them. Items found on the ground suit the purpose well. Cut metal items into smaller pieces if necessary so that they fit into the bottle you've chosen. If you're using a very small bottle, remember that will need only a very very small number of each item or alternatively small items (broken needles, tiny nails etc). Choose a date to suit your magickal workings best and plan your ritual, if these things are important for you. Waning moon is often considered a suitable time for building a Witch-bottle. The ritual can consist of just the visualization of the bottle's intended use. You can use the following to help with your visualization: Your bodily fluids are intended to symbolize yourself, they are part of your essence and are traditionally used in magick. Instead of having the negative energies hitting you, they hit your "representative" in the Witch-bottle, the part of your essence. For a capturing bottle: The "nasties" inside the bottle are intended to capture the negative energies - the metal captures them, the glass confuses and cuts them, the thorns puncture them and iron (and egg) dissolve them. You can visualize the negative energies drowning in the urine. If you are building a mirroring bottle, visualize the glass and mirror mirroring the negative energy back to its sender or to grounding it to earth. For a transforming bottle you can use colored glass and visualize the negative energy transforming into positive one before continuing on its journey forward to benefit you, your home or the universe. Choose the place to hide your Witch-bottle before you make it. Be sure you ha!
ve all the necessary equipment like a shovel. By the time the bottle is finished, it's too late to start pondering "but where will I put this thing?" If you are going to bury the bottle in the ground, choose the place so that people or animals will not dig it up.
The Actual Making of the Bottle Have all the necessary equipment and items at hand in a place you consider best suitable for the task, at a time most suitable for you. Cast a circle, if you feel one necessary. You can build the bottle and have your ritual at the site of where you will hide it or do everything else in one place and then take the ready bottle elsewhere to be buried. Fill the bottle with items you've chosen until they form a disgusting mixture. Shake the bottle to mix the items, if necessary. If you are including an egg, don't break it and add it as the last of the solid items. Remember to leave enough room for it as well. After this, add urine, menstrual blood or semen, or prick your finger with the sterile lancet and add as the very last thing a few drops of your blood. You won't need large amounts, blood and semen are considered potent, so few drops will do. Close the cap or lid and seal the bottle. You can carve symbols of your choice (for example runes, a sigil), being careful not to break the seal. If this happens, remove the wax and start the sealing process again. If you are going to go to another place to hide the bottle, clean up after yourself especially if there is any chance that somebody else will get to the place where you were building your bottle before you come back from hiding it! If you did cast a circle before starting, take it down. Remember to ground yourself (if you are creating the bottle at the place where you're hiding it, you can do this afterwards). Travel to the hiding place and hide your Witch-bottle in a suitable manner. Banishing words suit the situation well and if you don't know how or don't want to use traditional banishing spells or something similar, you can even swear like a drunken sailor! You can bury the bottle upside down, putting more nasties in the hole you buried around the bottle before covering it all up. If you are hiding the bottle somewhere inside your home, hide it the right way up. Wiccan Version
The Wiccan versions of the Witch-bottle which follow are more suitable for the Wiccan view of the world, magick and ethics. They are often intended to capture the negative energies or prevent it from ever arriving and - what's important - prevent it to harm the home and its inhabitants. Many of these Wiccan versions are very much like the basic bottle described above, so it isn't necessary to repeat everything over. However, you can use wine, (apple) vinegar or blessed (salted) water instead or in addition to urine. The nails used may be new, etc. Many Wiccan Witch-bottles use herbs, with the herbs being chosen according to their magickal qualities. There are sometimes very specific instructions given for the gathering of each herb and other items, including correct phases of the Moon. The herbs and other objects may be put in the bottle the previous day, letting the bottle stand by the witch's bed over the night. In the morning, you can add (morning) urine to the bottle, after which the bottle is closed and sealed utilizing Wiccan rituals.
Some instructions state that the bottle will be placed in a cupboard or closet, so you don't necessarily have to carefully hide it. The following instructions are a basic version of a Wiccan version of the Witch-bottle, using herbs. You can do everything using a longer/more complex or a shorter/simpler route, depending on your own inclinations. You can for example start collecting the necessary items on a given phase of the moon (for example on the day before New Moon) and perform the ritual on the next Dark Moon. Or, you can collect the items when you have time for it and build the bottle at any phase of the moon (with protective spells, you don't always have to wait for the right phase of the moon - you do it when you have to). You can utter a suitable spell with every item added to the bottle, summoning the spirit of the item/accessory and meditate for a while - or you can speak your chosen words after the bottle is filled. You can make the bottle as part of a ritual, or you can construct a ritual especially for this occasion. One reason why I'm being so vague with the instructions is that I'm not Wiccan myself. Materials
Bottle or jar, with a tightly closing cap or lid
Sea salt
Crystal or stone, for example turquoise, obsidian or black onyx.
Herbs, for example acasia, aloe, lilies, lime, lotus, agrimony, corn, cayenne and black pepper, dried onion, salvia, frankincense, basil, mint, myrrh, garlic, rosemary, mistletoe, pine needles.
A few nails or needles
Wine, (apple) vinegar or urine
Thread
Black candle for sealing
The usual tools used in the ritual section
WITCH BOTTLES - WHY WITCH BOTTLES?
Well, because they work, for one thing. I became interested in protective spells both out of personal need and because I found I had a knack for them (or at least, that's what all the people who have asked me for assistance have said). A short time later I encountered a group of spells called "Witch Bottles", all of which had certain properties in common:
* All are spells of a protective nature. Sometimes they trap negative energy, sometimes they repel it, sometimes they convert to another form, but all are of a protective or "ward and guard" nature.
* All involve filling a container, most often a bottle, with magically charged ingredients.
* They fall into one of two subdivisions of bottle spell:
+ Those that are "loaded" once, and derive their power primarily from the power of their contents. + Those that are "cumulative", and derive their power not so much from the inherent power of the ingredients but from an accumulation of a lot of not-so-powerful small elements to make a whole larger than its parts. These often involve repeated chants, and rely also on the cumulative power of these as well.
As to which might be "better" - for beginners the cumulative witch bottles should be easier to produce in an effective manner, not requiring the intense, focused concentration of those that need a large initial "charging". For an adept, however, it may be more a matter of what is felt to be appropriate.
Although you can use huge, quart or larger size mason jars you can also be equally successful in using smaller bottles and jars. Clear glass seems to be the preferred material, although there is nothing to say that colored glass or plastic wouldn't work.
Due to copyright considerations, I can't reproduce some spells for your convenience - you are going to have to do some research. Perhaps by a future edition I will be able to actually give you the text of some of these.
COLONIAL WITCH BOTTLE
This is a "classic" witch bottle, the oldest example of which in America dates back to the 1700's (hence, "colonial"), and in England they've been made since at least the early 1600's. I've never seen this one presented quite the same way twice, but I've seen it several times. Improvisation around the basic theme seems perfectly acceptable, especially since this is a "personalized" spell. Given that there are no expensive, rare, or difficult to acquire items required, I'd say this is about as folksy as folk magic can get. It also possesses some risk in the making of it, so use some sense, please. You want to hurt your ENEMIES, not YOURSELF.
This is a "reflective" spell to turn a specific act of evil magic directed against you back toward the originator. It is specific to one person, the one whose bodily fluids are incorporated into the spell. It is also quite powerful. Some of the ingredients are pretty icky (the "gross" factor is a vital component of both the spell and its power) so this may not be one to pass around to beginners or the squeamish, and some people might have problems with using actual blood, especially the suggested menstrual blood.
It can also be used as a general warding spell if placed inside the walls of a house or buried on private property. If it is to ward a household I suppose blood from all living under the same roof can be incorporated if you're feeling especially thorough or threatened, but one person alone should provide more than enough power to handle even worse-than-average Nasties. In any case, this one is sure to set Fundy teeth on edge and make them run screaming and gibbering into the night (heh, heh, heh).
MATERIALS:
Small jar or bottle; Debris: broken glass, broken mirror (optional), rusty nails, old razor blades, barbed wire bits,other similar objects; hawthorn thorns (if available); urine (I told you this can get gross); blood; disposable lancet if needed for blood letting (check drugstores or medical supply stores where diabetic equipment is sold) - if you don't use disposable -sterilize! black candle; protective gloves
VISUALIZATION:
You don't need to know the source of your misfortune in order for this to work, you need only focus on the actual problem, spell, curse, or other reason for this spell. Of course, if you can name names that is all to the better.
The negative influences are attracted to the urine and blood, which carry your essence, but are caught in the wire and metal, baffled and cut by the glass, impaled by the thorns, dissipated by the iron. and drowned by your urine (pleasant, ay?). The blood lends more power to the spell.
Thorns and mirror are optional, but considerably increase the spell's power. Thorns have long been recognized as useful in defense, and the mirror shards reflect any residual baneful energies away from you.
********************************************
Binding Bottle Spell
Used to neutralize the power of those who intend to do you physical
harm, or hurt your reputation, or in any way pose a threat to your
security. You Will need:
4 tbsps Frankincense or Myrrh
4 tbsps Black powdered Iron
4 tbsps Sea Salt
4 tbsps Orris-root Powder (or oak moss)
1 white candle
1 glass bottle with a cork or lid
Mortar and pestle
Parchment Paper
Black Ink or black pen
Black thread
Mix the sea salt, orris-root powder, and the iron in a bowl. Then cut
a piece of parchment to fit inside your bottle and write on it with
black ink:
I neutralize the power of (name of adversary) to do me any harm.
I ask that this be correct and for the good of all.
So mote it be!
Roll up the parchment, tie it with a black thread to bind it, and
place it in the bottle. Fill the bottle with the dry ingredients.
Then take the white candle and while turning the bottle
counterclockwise, drip the wax over the cork to seal it. Last,
secretly bury the bottle in a place where it will not be disturbed
and no animals or people will dig it up. This spell is like a genie
in a bottle. It should never be unleashed or the power of the spell
is lost.
Author Unknown
***
Spell Bottle for Business Success
Color of the day: Yellow
Incense of the day: Cedar
Take a small pair of lodestones and place them in a tall and thin green bottle. Add three drops of cinnamon oil, a pinch of ground nutmeg powder, and one whole clove. Shake the mixture nine times. Add two drops green food coloring to one-half cup of water, and pour this into a bottle. Add a pinch of blessed salt for protection and a shredded dollar bill. Cap the bottle and let it rest an hour. Before opening, shake it well. Allow the aroma to waft about the room. Sprinkle the oil where you wish to draw success, protection, and money. Bless the oil by saying: “Ye are as pure as Mother Earth and will draw success unto me. Wherever this potion flows, success I will know.”
By: Tammy Sullivan
***
Bottle of love-
In order to attract love towards you and preserve it
What you'll need:
-1 pink glass bottle or pot
-flowers and petals of fresh or dried flowers
-grasses (mint, rosemary, thyme, bark of orange) dried or fresh
-honey (approximately 1/4 of cup)
-white alcohol (approximately 1 cup of Vodka, Gin or Rum)
-water, sufficient to finish filling the bottle
-pink wax
Ritual:
Fill your bottle with the flowers and grasses, and while adding them, concentrate on love, its pleasures and all the people you like. Pay careful attention to keeping your thoughts on the pleasures and the joy of love because these are, to some extent the thoughts you will be placing in the bottle.
Mix the alcohol and honey before pouring the whole on the grasses and flowers.
Next, fill the bottle with water and seal it with pink wax carefully.
Take the bottle in your hands and speak aloud the following:
I filled my bottle with thoughts of love and affection. They are there now for always and they will attract towards me love and feelings soft so that I am always loved.
When you sense ill feelings from others, go to your bottle and agitate it gently. This will re-activate the enchantment.
***
Garden Blessing Bottle
This neat bottle is to prepare you for the garden season ahead. As well
as blessing your seeds for an abundant harvest. You'll need:
One seed from each plant that you to grow
A small bottle/jar with a cork or lid (a green bottle is preferable)
A brown candle
Place the seeds on your altar. Set the bottle/jar next to the seeds.
Light the brown candle.
Cast a circle according to your tradition, or just visualize a glowing
white sphere surrounding you and your altar. Face the altar and say
these words or similar:
I call on the Element of the Earth
I ask for your Blessings upon these seeds
May you provide a fertile anchor for these
seeds to sprout
And their roots to grow
May you hold these seeds in your loving
embrace.
I call on the Element of the Air.
I ask for your Blessings upon these seeds
May your winds not blow too strong
May gentle breezes caress my garden.
I call on the Element of Fire
I ask for your Blessings upon these seeds
May the warmth of the Sun cause abundant
growth
May the Sun gently kiss my garden.
I call on the Element of Water
I ask for your Blessings upon these seeds
May you not rain too much, nor too little
So that these seeds may fulfill their quest
In the scheme of Nature.
I call on the Element of Spirit
The fifth Element that binds all together
I ask for you Blessings upon these seeds
Guard them as they grow
Fill them with the spirit of the Universe
Fill them with Love, Beauty, Health and
Healing.
SO MOTE IT BE
Now as you fill your bottle with the seeds. Visualize yourself tending
your garden. Visualize your garden the way you want it to look. See
yourself working to make it look this way. (No matter how much you bless
your seeds, if you don't take care of your garden. You won't get the
best results). Visualize the harvest. Imagine how wonderful it will be
to taste fresh veggies and herbs. Imagine the sweet fragrance of fresh
flowers.
Visualize your harvest nourishing you and your family.
If you plan on preserving your harvest, see yourself doing just that.
See your family enjoying the "fruits of your labor."
When you have put all the seeds in the bottle. Put the lid on, and seal
it with wax from the brown candle. Release the circle, and keep the
bottle on your altar overnight.
Keep the bottle where you can see it daily, to remind you of the joys
your garden will bring you.
Early next Spring, break the seal on the bottle. Go to a wild place and
scatter the seeds to the winds. As you do this, thank the Elements for
their blessings. And make a new one for your next garden.
Happy Gardening!!!!!
***
Hebral Witches Cleansing Bottle
To make an herbal cleansing bottle, pour a layer of sand in a large
clear bottle. Add layers of dried herbs, one at a time: first
rosemary; then lemon peel, sage, cedar, black peppercorns, lavender,
dill, bayleaf, and rowan. When the bottle is full, focus cleansing
protective energy into the herbs and sand, and see a golden light
radiating from the bottle. Visualize the herbs driving away negative
influences. Cork and seal the bottle with white wax. Using a
permanent marker, draw the algiz rune on one side of the bottle, and
on the other side draw a pentagram. Set the bottle near your front or
back door, and every six months, uncap, pour herbs out into the woods
or your compost heap, and thoroughly wash and dry the bottle before
filling it with a new round of herbs.
***
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