Witches Bottle

The Witches Bottle

[text_block style=”style_1.png” align=”left” font_color=”%2300f98b”]Contrary to what you may think, the Witches Bottle is a relatively modern form of spell craft. The first mention of a Witch Bottle appears in the 17^th century. Saducismus Triumphatus, or Evidence Concerning Witches And Apparitions, by Joseph Glanvill, describes a Witch Bottle from Suffolk, England in 1681.

It recounts a tale where an old man visited a house and asked after the couple who lived there. The husband was well, but his wife was ill, and not getting better. The old man advised the husband to take his wife’s urine, and put it in a bottle with pins, needles and nails. Then cork the bottle shut, and place it next to the fire.

As the bottle warmed near the fire, it began to “move and joggle”. The man grabbed his fire shovel, and placed it on the cork, holding it, and the bottle down. The husband felt something on either side of him, which pushed the shovel off the bottle. Suddenly, the contents of the bottle exploded out as the cork came off.

When the old man returned to ask after the wife, the husband told him what had happened, and that his wife was no better, and possibly worse. The old man suggested that he remake the bottle just as before, but this time, bury it. The husband followed the instructions, and his wife soon was her old self.

Sometime later (it’s not specified when) a woman from a nearby town came to their door, and accused the couple of killing her husband. They thought she was crazy, but she insisted that her husband, on his deathbed, had told her that he had bewitched the wife, and made her sick, and the “Counter-practice” prescribed by the old man had not only cured the wife, but the backlash had killed the man who had hexed her.

This tells us several things. It tells us that the name Witch Bottle doesn’t come from the idea that Witches made them, but that their purpose was to work against harmful spells cast by Witches. It confirms that such magick was commonly used, and while the Church probably didn’t like it, didn’t bother those who used it. It also suggests, if the story can be believed, that such magick can be extremely powerful.

Since the Early Modern Period at least, it has been common practice to hide all manner of charms inside the structure of buildings. Witch Bottles specifically protect against evil spirits, magickal attack, and counter spells cast by Witches. A Witch Bottle is a counter magickal device, that draws in and traps harmful intentions directed at the maker of the bottle.

Making a Witch Bottle

Witch Bottles are easy to make, but can be messy, and if made traditionally, you don’t want to break the bottle, or let the contents spill. Today, we normally use a mason jar as the bottle. These can be found around many homes, or bought in various sizes. The advantage of a mason jar, is that it provides an air tight seal.

Witch Bottles are made by an individual for their personal protection.

Take your mason jar, and fill it (in no particular order) with straight pins, needles, old razor blades, nails, mirror shards, thorns, anything sharp, and the rustier, the better. These things cut and rend the harmful energy.

Now for the messy part. Fill the bottle with your own urine, or menstrual blood, if your female. This does two things, it is personal to you, so it attracts the harmful energy that is sent toward you. It also traps that energy so that it can’t get out.

You can also add hair, or fingernail or toenail clippings as well. The more of yourself you put into the bottle, the better it works. Some Witch Bottles use Rosemary to send the energy away, but traditionally, you want to attract and trap it.

Now screw the lid on tight. You don’t want this mess getting out. Seal the lid onto the jar with wax. You can burn a red or black candle, and let the wax drip between the lid and the jar, as well as the top of the lid, where the two parts of the lid come together. Black absorbs energy, red is a color of fire and passion. It is also a color of good luck in Chinese culture. I have created a page of Correspondences so that you can easily identify what will or won’t work well for a particular spell.

Once the wax has cooled, you have a Witch Bottle. Now you want to place it somewhere that it will never be disturbed. If you are building a house, you can place it inside the wall, under the fireplace, or anywhere else inside the structure. Otherwise, bury it at the furthest corner of your property, in a deep hole that will never be dug up.

Just before you place the jar, shake it to activate it. If all is sealed tight (and you’ll know if it isn’t) the protection charm is active, and will remain so until or unless the bottle is broken.

Witch Bottle For Attracting Good

The Witch Bottle is a versatile spell. Not only can it attract and trap harmful energy, made differently, it can attract and store positive energy.

Because this Witch Bottle is for attracting good energy, we will put things into it that correspond to positive energy. Take your mason jar, and put red thread or ribbon, for luck, and passion. A little bit of your own hair, will bind it to you.

Add Basil for fertility and love, White Sage for purification, Fennel for stamina and strength, Rosemary for long life and Happiness, Oregano for happiness, harmony, peace and protection, and Clove for health. You’d like to use the actual plant or leaves, not just the seeds. Now fill the jar with honey and put the lid on tight.

Seal the jar with wax of any one of these colors:

Blue for Calm

Green for health

Red for luck

White for purity

Unlike the last Witch Bottle, this one should be prominently displayed. Put it in a window, or on a high visibility shelf, or even on a table as a centerpiece. Let people see it, and ask about it. Explaining what it is, and what it does puts more positive energy into it.[/text_block]