THE WITCH'S CORNER

1. Magickal Practices 

FOOT TRACK MAGIC

Foot track magic involves working sorcery using the dirt from someones footprint placed in a bottle, or else placing a sprinkling powder such as goofer dust or graveyard dirt inside someones shoes or in a place they're likely to walk through, in order to administer a curse.

UNCROSSING

An uncrossing is a method of removing crossed conditions, which could mean anything from an actual curse someone has put on you, to a run of bad luck, to a destructive behaviour pattern. An uncrossing operation is like a souped-up banishing ritual or psychic detox that purges your system of crossed conditions.

 

CROSSROADS MAGIC

Crossroads magic is a remnant of worship of the West African trickster deity known variously as Legba, Ellegua or Eshu. The Lord of the crossroads, opener of doorways and master of paths. Although in hoodoo his worship is often a stage removed from its African religious context. He is sometimes syncretised with the persona of the pagan Teutonic devil, or simply referred to as "the black man at the crossroads" as in the Robert Johnson myths. Deals are made at the crossroads, power is gained, and magic is worked. In my practice it is not the above mentioned entity that I invoke but rather, Hecate, the goddess who is considered the Queen of the Crossroads.

 

GRIS-GRIS BAGS

A gris-gris bag, also known as a mojo bag, lucky hand, toby or wanga bag, is an amulet in the form of a small cloth bag filled with various herbs, minerals or zoological items. It functions like a prayer in a bag, that you carry on your person concealed out of sight. A mojo bag might be constructed to bring luck in gambling, to attract love or sex, to draw in money or for any number of purposes. It might contain objects such as lodestones, a raccoons penis bone, hair from a black cat, a silver dime, dirt from the crossroads, alligator teeth, or whatever items might be appropriate to the working at hand.

 

FLOOR WASHES AND BATHS

The use of baths and floor washes in hoodoo generally involves straining a mixture of herbs into water like a tea, which is then added to a persons bath water for a variety of purposes, such as the removal of bad luck. Often these herbal mixtures might be added to water and used to wash the floor of a house or place of work to bring blessings or improve business. 

 

 

 3. Tale of a Tree

An incantation that may be utilized to uncover hidden knowledge:

One must first obtain a twig from the boughs of a mature oak. The twig must be stripped of leaves and bark so that only the bare twig remains. The twig must then be allowed to soak in rainwater for two full days, thereafter removed and allowed to dry for three days. Only after this has been done may the spell be worked.

A solitary candle should be lighted on the eve of a full moon. In the flame of the candle should the small end of the twig be blackened to charcoal and carefully should this thing be accomplished so as not to overly damage the twig.

Once the twig has been sufficiently blackened on its smallest end, a piece of paper should be torn on all sides so as to form a square a hand--s breadth wide and long. On the square of paper, using the blackened end of the twig should be written what subject of knowledge it be that you seek. This being done, the paper should be neatly rolled and sealed with wax of the candle.

The following invocation should be repeated aloud:

Mighty oak of ages past
Watcher of the world and all that passes
Impart unto me thy knowledge
That which has been brought to thee on the four winds
And transferred to your heart from the depths of the earth
Let no secret thing remained hidden, but rather
As the light brings thee life
Let thy life bring unto me knowledge
So this I ask
So may it be.

The candle should now be extinguished. The twig and the paper should both be buried in the earth and rainwater should be poured in a circle round the spot of their burial.

For more spells from Spelwerx, click here. 

 

 

 

 

2.  Hoodoo potions

FOUR THIEVES VINEGAR

Magical Use:

It is a crucial component in many banishing and commanding spells. It can also be used to banish illness. It is reputed to drive away danger and rescue its user from disaster.

Ingredients:

red wine or apple cider vinegar

garlic cloves

Traditionally, choose one of the following herbs for each thief: black pepper, coriander, lavender, mint, rosemary, rue, sage, thyme, wormwood (*note—wormwood is poisonous)

Mix the ingredients, Allow this to sit for “four” days, shaking “once” daily before use. 

UNCROSSING OIL

Ingredients:

essential oil of hyssop

essential oil of angelica

essential oil of frankincense

a pinch of sea salt

a pinch of black pepper

a pinch of cayenne pepper

a sprig of rue

a sliver of fresh garlic

a section of broken chain, e.g., from a key-chain or necklace

Add the ingredients to a bottle filled with blended castor oil and jojoba oil. The crucial ingredients are the hyssop and the chain. Add the other ingredients as desired. Essential oil of angelica has photosensitizing properties: if worn on the body, avoid exposure to the sun.

BLACK CAT OIL

5.  Uncrossing Spell 

To remove spiritual stumbling blocks.


Purpose:

People speak of having a cross to bear. This candle will get rid of the negative burdens that other people have bestowed on you. Uncrossing is for defending against psychic attack or Black Magick, and for eliminating the spiritual debris of other people's jealousy, anger, or negative thoughts. It is to unburden the user of all the spiritual garbage hanging around and making a mess of life.

A psychic attack is when someone is engaging in a battle with you through the power of thoughts directed by will. Its intent is to cause you harm. This could be intentional or unintentional, and the person doesn't have to be a magick practitioner to do it...

Black Magick is performed through a psychic attack combined with spell work. Someone purposefully arranges a hateful spell against you with the intent to really cause you harm. What do you do if you find out someone has cast a black spell against you? Do you panic? Absolutely not! Take a nice cleansing bath using salt and proceed to any one of the protection spells in this book...


Candle Color: white, blue, gray

Cleansing: water, Florida water, salt

Deity: Elegua, Mercury, Ganesha, Legba

Oil: Uncrossing, Spiritual Cleansing, lavender, coconut, basil, sandalwood

Incense: Uncrossing, Banishing lavender, frankincense & Myrrh, sage

Feeding: iron filings, honey, basil

The Seal:

"UNCROSSING SPELL"

6.  Binding

I have received several requests for bindings.  Apparently there is a great need for these types of spells. Instead of writing each request out separately, by hand, I'm placing my binding spells here...and these spells can be found in my own book of shadows.  I've used these spells myself and was amazed (& just a bit shocked) at how well they work.  I suggest that you don't cast these spells in the heat of the moment, or in anger-- think on it.

The Mirror: 

Purchase a small hand mirror, one large enough for a small picture to fit within its center. Take a photo of the target and cut it out; lay it in the center of the mirror...vent now at the target, let all the negative energy that you feel for this person roil and boil to the surface, spit in his/her face if that is your inclination.

When you have spent yourself expressing your anger...sprinkle over this picture goofer dust, graveyard dirt, banishing powder. You could also add cayenne pepper, or any other herb/ingredient that you have successfully used in the past or that is linked to hexes/curses.

Now, encircle this picture with it's mound of maliferous ingredients with a circle of salt-- sealing the target within.

Find a safe place to keep this charm, perhaps beneath a dresser; and cover it with a bowl if you have pets in the house so that they won't stumble upon it. Every once in a while, perhaps in conjunction with a waning moon phase, pull the mirror carefully out of its hiding place and resprinkle it with a bit of the powders; check the seal of salt and add to it if need be to keep the circle strong...each time you bring it out-- throw your emotions at this individual.

The Poppet: 

In addition-- you can create a crude poppet, pin a photo of the face of the target on the face of the doll. Carefully, slowly, deliberately-- stick straight pins through the mouth in a neat little row...rant, rave, spit, pound, stomp, rage. Throw your hatred and anger at this figure, then cover it in a black cloth and place it away in a secret spot.

The Witch's Bottle: 

You can also create a witch's bottle...fill an empty bottle with pins, razor blades, shards of glass, needles, rusty nails-- and a photo of the target. Add your urine to it. Close the bottle and seal it with black wax. Put it in a safe place and every once in a while, again with the waning of the moon, bring it out and shake it up--- visulize the sharp objects in the bottle cutting the face of the individual trapped inside.

The following are magickal correspondences for creating a money spell:

Day:  Thursday

Planet:  Jupiter

Hour:  1st/8th hour after sunrise, 3rd/10th hour after sunset

Moon Phase:  waxing

Color:  Green!

Herbs:  basil, cloves, mint, nugmeg (prosperity), dill (for financial matters regarding children)

Oil:  Prosperity Oil

Incense:  patchouli

Stone:  adventurine

Number:  3

Letters:  C,L,U

Symbology:  triple ring, triformis

Note:  You can write the amount of money needed inside each diamond of the transformis, place the triple ring over the top.  Keep this charm until receiving the specified amount, then burn the charm and scatter it to the wind.  The key word here is 'needed'-- this charm is not about obtaining a million dollars, it's about procuring an amount of money that you desperately need, whether to meet a debt, pay a bill, etc.

Also-- it's a good idea to use "Drawing Powder" in your money spells.  (See spell #8 on this page.)

12.  Samhain Spells 

SAMHAIN—CRONE SPELL

Purpose:  To aid all-around psychic development.
Background:  Samhain is the season of The Crone—the "old woman" aspect of the goddess, the divine midwife who brings us into life and helps us cross over into death.  A guardian of sacred thresholds, she also spins, weaves, and cuts our life threads.  Because of this, she is sometimes depicted as a spider or represented by a web.  Sometimes known as the "hag", or Cailleach, the crone is strongly connected with psychic abilities and the ability to walk between the worlds—the capacity to traverse the borderland between everyday reality and other realities such as faerie or the land of the dead.
Shamans are said to walk between the worlds when they engage in magical acts, follow their intuition, or enter a lucid dreamtime in order to bring back important information or expand their spiritual understanding.
Being psychic is less about foretelling the future than it is about learning to inhabit this "between space" in order to grow.  Hecate, one of the many names of the crone, as the guardian of thresholds and spinner and weaver of the great magical web, is the ideal goddess to appeal to if you wish to improve your psychic abilities.  You will need to visualize the crone for this spell. You Will Need:Two teaspoons of dried mugwort
One teaspoon of powdered elder leaves
Six drops of cypress essential oil
Mortar and pestle
One charcoal disk in a fireproof dish
One black candle, 6-8" in lengthMatches or lighter
Casting the Spell:As part of your Samhain celebrations, and in a properly prepared circle, work as follows...1. Blend the mugwort, elder leave, and cypress oil in the mortar and pestle.
2. Light the charcoal, then the black candle, saying:"Hecate, goddess of the crossroads,Direct me.Weaver, guide my thread intothe spaces between."3. Sprinkle the incense onto the charcoal, and inhale the scent.
4. Close your eyes.  Visualize yourself walking from the east to a crossroads at sunset and stopping to face north.  From this direction, a dark figure approaches.  This is the crone.  When she stops, she will beckon you to follow her.  She will lead you to a gateway; do not pass through this time, but note what it looks like and any symbols that are written on it.  This is the gateway through which you must pass before you can walk between the worlds—and you will need to look out for it, or its symbols, in lucid dreams during this winter.5. Keep careful note of your dreams between now and Imbolc.

SAMHAIN—GATEWAY SPELLPurpose:   To speak with our beloved dead.Background:   Samhain is the time of year when the veil between the realms of the living and the dead are thinnest.  This is when we remember and honor our ancestors as well as the recently dead, and in many circles we build a gateway to the west—the quarter of death—through which the dead might come and visit just for that one night.Giving ourselves this special time to acknowledge our sorrow at being separated through death from friends or family is a healthy approach.  Western society generally discourages too much contact with death, and just as the bodies of our loved ones are tended to away from home by professional funeral directors, so our feelings are filed away so as not to cause embarrassment in public.At Samhain, we can let ourselves feel sad at departures and acknowledge the importance to us of those who have died.  The Samhain circle is a safe space in which to grieve—and remember on our own terms—those we have lost.
You Will Need:  Two blue candles, at least 12" in length One white candle, at least 12" in lengthOne charcoal disk in a fireproof dishMatches or a lightTwo teaspoons of dried Solomon's sealApproximately 25 seaside pebbles Casting the Spell:As part of your Samhain celebrations, and in a properly prepared circle, work as follows...1. Place the blue candles at the western quarter of the circle and place the white one to your left.2. Light the charcoal, then the blue candles, and face the "gateway", saying: "Ancestors of blood, ancestors of spiritYou are honored here."I call my beloved dead to this gateway.Only those who wish me well may enter."3. Sprinkle incense onto the charcoal.4. Name friends or relatives who have died in the last year... "I remember (name) who...""I want to say this to you..."5. For each person, place a pebble near the white candle.  Next, remember those who have passed away before this year, and then groups of people you wish to commemorate.6. When you have finished, and the pebbles are heaped around the white candle, light it, saying:"All are mourned, remembered, and honored."7. Say farewell, and close the gateway before the circle is closed.  Return the pebbles to the sea or waterway.  
SAMHAIN—THARF CAKE SPELL Purpose:   To gain insight into your fortune for the next solar cycle. Background:   There are many recipes for tharf cake, all associated with this time of year and all including the basic ingredient of oats.   Tharf cake eaten at Samhain reputedly has the special quality of foretelling the fortune of those eating it.  This may be related to a much older custom in which flat cake with a little darker dough mixed in would forecast the death in the next year of the one unlucky enough to receive a slice with the fateful "shadow" on it.   The purpose of this tharf cake is much less morbid; it predicts, instead, where your fortune will lie in the next twelve months.The methodology employed here is very similar to that of reading reading leaves, in that it involves interpreting patterns from the dregs or leavings of a drunk or eaten substance.   Here, crumbs from a tharf cake are tossed into a small bowl that is overturned and removed, and the formation of crumbs is read according to the guidance below. Tharf cake ("tharf" comes from a word meaning "unleavened" in Old English) has been eaten at this time of year since before Anglo-Saxon and Viking times. You Will Need:One black candle, 6-8" in lengthMatches or a lighterButter, oats, and whole wheat flour, 4 oz. of eachSugar, 2oz.One teaspoon allspiceChopped apple, 2oz.One tea plate per personOne small bowlCasting the Spell:1. Mix all the ingredients, adding the apple last; roll the dough and cut it into round cakes, and bake at 350 degrees until firm.2. As part of your Samhain celebrations, and in a properly prepared circle, work with friends as follows...3. Light the black candle, saying:"Hail to the cake,Hail to the baker,Hail to the coming year."4. Distribute one cake each.  Eat half and crumble the other half onto another plate.5. Taking turns, tip the crumbs of each person into the bowl, then pour them back onto their plate and read the crumb patterns as follows:Mainly to the edge:  you will work for your bread Mainly to the center:   necessities will come easily To the left:  fortune leaving To the right:  fortune comingTo the top:  you will triumph over adversityTo the bottom:  guard your healthSpirals and curves or circles:  what is owed will be repaidStraight lines, angles:  a steady incomeHorseshoes:  a journey will bring luckAnimal shapes:  guard your home    6.  When all is done...place the crumbs outside for the birds. These spells are courtesy of "The Spells Bible" by Ann-Marie Gallagher.

13. Peace & Protection Spell

PEACE & PROTECTION