Spellcraft 101 - Witch Bottle

Its time to break out the fun stuff guys! Magick User's University is all about interesting crafts that can be useful during your travel through the world of Magick. Of course, not every spell is filled with beauty and sparkles. Some of those spells can be downright nitty and gritty. Today, we're going to focus on a project of making a Witch Bottle today in Spellcraft 101.

+ So what is a Witch Bottle?

A Witch Bottle is what is sounds like: a spell in a bottle. By putting relative contents in a bottle, you would either bury it on your property or keep it somewhere in your vicinity. You would “shake to activate”; once you shook the bottle it unleashed, or re-energized the spell.

While the spell itself doesn't have a particular “shelf life”, you as the creator knows when its time to destroy the bottle and make a new one to serve its purpose.

Sound interesting? Read on to get the dirt on this nitty-gritty type of spell casting!

+ Evil Beware Witch Bottle +

This particular Witch Bottle serves the ultimate purpose: the protection of hearth and home. That encompasses many things, such as possessions, family members, pets, as well as guests.

The materials can vary greatly from bottle to bottle, but below is what I used. In the steps below I will also let you know what was originally used in place of some things. Its up to the witch to decide what goes in their own personal bottle.

+ Materials +

A glass bottle (any size but a small one is best)

Paper and pen

Dirt (from your house)

Rain or Holy Water (optional)

Sage

Dimes

Pennies

Cooking Oil

The Evil Beware Witch Bottle serve a lot of purposes. Its a real feeling of traditional witchcraft, so even though the end result is not pretty at all, there is a certain sense of accomplishment upon its completion. Also, knowing that its being used for a good purpose always adds a certain sense of urgency and determination to it. You may find yourself putting a lot of effort in it; I felt drained upon finishing it. I decided to make one as Lore and I have moved into a new place together, and I wanted to make sure that wonderful things happened while we were living here, and that we were safe. It also protects our guests, as well as our possessions and property. The list above is merely what's in this particular bottle; but substitutes and traditional materials will be touched upon.

Under the list of materials can go a more in depth description of the project, such as what it does, why I myself am making it, and then, why other people might want to make it for themselves. Give a reason why I am using THOSE articular materials if its not obvious, but more info on hat can go in each step.

+ One: Get into the right mindset, of course. Think about what the purpose for this bottle is for, and start working. First, you'll need your bottle, of course.

This is a jam jar. Works perfectly well.

Once you have that, its time to bust out a small piece of paper and a pen. On this, you'll write your spell. I made a personalized one for Lore and I, trying to utilize our patron gods and goddesses. 

For those who feel they're not so adept or creative when it comes to creating spells, I've conjured up this one for you to use instead:

God and Goddess

Within my hand I hold the key

To your saving grace, and righteous face

Protect, and love, and defend this place.

Deflect all those whom bring us harm

And welcome luck with open arms.

Bless the spirits, the Gods, and the Goddesses Three

So Mote it Be.

Write the spell down on the paper, fold it, and then stick it in the bottle.

+ Two: Now, to get down and dirty. Take the bottle and a trip outside. Find some dirt on your property; the fact that its on your property (such as your yard), is important! This is the soil your bottle is meant to protect. If you have the time, you can also collect dirt from a place you feel safe at, such as your parents' house, or a church (provided its not considered defacing property). Put in a little bit—how much is really up to you but remember that a lot more has to go in here than just dirt and a folded up spell.

+ Three: Whether you've got holy water or rain water, either way, it will help. It started raining as I made the witch bottle, so Lore thought it would be a good idea to collect some rain water from outside. Great idea! Add in the rain water or the holy water to your bottle. No idea where to get holy water? Some metaphysical shops actually sell it, but if you have the time (like, a month's worth!) you can make it yourself by getting a bottle, putting tap water (or even a water bottle of spring water), and setting it at the windowsil (or outside preferably) when the full moon is out for the whole night.

+ Four: Add the sage! Sage is used for purification and to ward away evil. White sage is the best, though some people (such as myself) do not like the smell. This bundle is burnt because Lore uses it for purification spells and to banish negativity.

+ Five: After the sage, we added our dimes and pennies. So what's the deal with the coins? Dimes are said to be gifts to spirits who have aided us. Back in ancient Greece, mercury was the metal of choice for the god of the Underworld, Hades. When a person died, coins of mercury would be placed over their eyes, so that when the soul reached the Underworld, they had the fare to pay for their boat ride over the River Styx. Dimes used to be made of mercury many, many years back, so using dimes now is merely symbolic. Placing them in the witch bottle can both in turn thank any good spirits for their trouble, as well as ward off the negative ones by offering a tribute to leave in peace. Bribe them shamelessly!

"If you don't pay no tolls, then we don't get no rolls!"

The penny on the other hand is universal for good luck (heads up of course!), so placing it in the witch bottle invites good luck and fortune to find its way into your home.

Starting to look rather witchy, isn't it?

+ Six: The final ingredient in this witch bottle is... cooking oil. Does that seem off to you? Everything else has seemed to make sense, but what could cooking oil have anything to do with banishing negativity? This is where you really learn about the witch bottle and its place in magick history.

The cooking oil is meant to replace noxious fluids and ingredients... the stuff most people draw the line at when it comes to magick and witchcraft in general. We here at University Witch promote free thinking when it comes to the materials and things used for all spells, so we don't shy away from letting readers know the formal ingredients. We also provide alternatives, for the faint at heart. In the end, its up to the witch.

In a witch bottle, the ingredients to really “seal the deal” here, were the following: urine (yes, your own, and perhaps even from the others in the house), bent and rusty nails (to inflict damage to those whom would dare to enter), broken shards of glass (the same reason), menstrual blood, semen, toe and fingernail clippings, and hair (from either the witch and/or a pet if they have black fur). These are the ingredients that the cooking oil replaces; the logic behind it is that oil is an ingredient needed but not necessarily desirable.

Using either the traditional ingredients or the cooking oil, fill the bottle all the way to the top. You can also use a combination of the ingredients (such as, if you're comfortable with the broken glass, nails, and hair, but not the urine and blood). Its really up to you.

Ghastly~

+ Seven: Screw the lid tightly (you can even add in glue to keep it secure if you want), making sure its closed all the way! And there you have it. A witch bottle. Is it pretty? Probably not, but that's not the point. This is nitty, gritty, and powerful spell casting. Now that its done, you can either bury it outside (on your own property), deep in the ground. The closer to your front door, the better. For those that live in the city or an apartment complex, the best thing to do is put it in the very back of a cabinet, in the corner, and forget about it—but don't neglect it. Make sure to shake it from time-to-time to renew the strength of the spell.

And there you have it! A rather traditional and somewhat devious course at Magick User's University, Spellcraft 101. Hope you join us in class again soon!

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