Protective Tools

People are superstitious about medicine, science, animals and other people. People have been superstitious for millennia and continue to maintain that notion despite all the wisdom in the world and they are especially superstitious of us Witches.

I’m not superstitious,
I’m a Witch.
Witches aren’t superstitious.
We are what people are superstitious of.

Terry Pratchett

Superstition results from ignorance, it is the fear of the unknown and lack of understanding towards the Supernatural, Nature, the Gods and Magick. It is because of the fear and superstition of others that we have to be extra careful for our own safety as well as the safety of our fellow Muggles, not to mention the inherent dangers of our Craft. Mages, Wizards and Witches have known the secrets of charms, amulets and talismans and the uses of sigils and seals since antiquity to ward and protect and safeguard magickal work.

Charms
Almost anything can be used as a lucky charm and the item is simply used to attract good luck.
Amulets
Amulets have been worn for protection for thousands of years. They are believed to have the power to ward off negative energy, evil spirits and even illness. Anything can function as an amulet; items commonly so used include gems, statues, coins, drawings, plant parts, animal parts, and written words. Depending on the tradition they can be inherently magickal or they can be “blessed” and therefore imbued with power to protect. Amulets are found in many cultures past and present and can be temporal or spiritual.
Talismans
Talismans are used to attract something specific to the owner. A talisman must be consecrated and charged with magickal power by the person preparing it, in order to fill them with the specific power and energy of their intended use. Talismans are often inscribed with symbols or sigils that add a personal connection to the wearer and the purpose.
The Pentacle is a talisman used in Magick rituals, often to consecrate and charge other tools. A talisman is more a protector of a person, place or thing; you can use a talisman to protect your Book of Shadows when inscribed with a seal or sigil, witch in turn will make it unusable for anyone but you.

Magic Squares

Magick squares (kameas) have a long history, dating back to at least 190 BCE in China. At various times they have acquired magickal or mythical significance, and have appeared as symbols in works of art. Squares of numbers or words.
The Sator Square is the earliest dateable palindrome, found in the ruins of Pompeii, at Herculaneum, a city buried in the ash of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD. It consists of a sentence written in Latin: “Sator Arepo Tenet Opera Rotas.” Its translation has been the subject of speculation for a long time. It has been found and used in many places since.
The most common use for these kameas is spirit work; they serve as seals or sigils for the entity’s name which holds them to our plane and/or in the place they are summoned. It is said that spirits would become confused by the repetition of the letters in palindromes and therefore the square was immune to their tampering.
Magic squares assigned to the seven planets involve engraving the appropriate square on a plate made with the metal assigned to the corresponding planet, for example Saturn has to be inscribed on a lead plate, to attract its influence. Other squares where used to arrive at a specific goal or spell when revealed, as well as performing a variety of rituals. Documentation of witch can be found in several manuscripts all around Europe starting at least since the 15th century.
They are found on Grimoires in either version and differing patterns and are generally intended for use as talismans.

Keys
Keys represent wisdom, enlightenment and protection. Keys are used to safeguard both the physical and metaphysical.
To this purpose a key can be of various type, an actual key, a physical object like a medallion or similar or a sigil or seal written on the object or material to lock. For example a magickal seal can lock a demon into a stone or other dimension, a medallion can be a key to open a hidden door and a written symbol can render a spell visible…
A quick way to attract positive energy while simultaneously deflecting evil is to keep a metal key on you at all times.
Magick keys open doors of opportunity. Old metal keys are the best, they have unlocked many doors before finding their way to you. They will both guide you and protect you.
Three keys worn on a chain will bring health, wealth and love.
An upside down door key placed near the bed will dispel nightmares and promote peaceful sleep.
Keys are sacred to Hecate Goddess of Witchcraft and Crossroads.

May Flower Moon

“Now flowers are abundant everywhere and corn will sprout and heifer’s bare…”

May Flower Moon, Corn Planting Moon, Willow Moon, Bright Moon and Milk Moon are all names for the full moon in may, depending on the traditions and cultures the names come from. Cows, Goats and Sheep enjoy all the sprouting weeds, grasses, and herbs in the pastures and produce lots of rich milk, full of vitamins. This is the first of the promised bounty of the year and just in time for the May festival, Beltane/Mayday, which is celebrated at the beginning of the month or at the exact 15th degree of the sun in Taurus. This year the astrological point of Beltane falls on the full moon under an eclipse in Scorpio, so it is an important marker.

May energy is fiery, passionate and full of creativity, as spring gets warmer and the land is becoming fertile again, the bees and birds are exploring the new growth. Love is in the air and expresses in many forms, friendship, passionate love and self love.

Focus on your career goals, look for growth within and without, do job spells, abundance spells and love spells using that fiery passion energy that May brings and make your dreams a reality.

Correspondences are: red, orange, yellow, Cinnamon, Mint, Amber, Apache Tear, Garnet. Element FIRE

The Bell

Every time a bell rings, it indicates a change in the fabric of the universe. Wind chimes twinkling outside a Witch’s home tells them of shifting air fronts and a possible storm. A doorbell rings, announcing a guest. Bells also ring to mark the changing of the hour. But bells don’t only point out physical changes.  Their sound also marks an energetic change as well.  There’s something about the simple ringing of a bell that changes the energy of a space. 

Bells, chimes and gongs have something mystical and magickal about them and in the sound they make. If you have ever heard ancient church bells ringing or the striking of a single note on a gong, you know what I mean. Bells have been discovered as early as neolithic China in the 3 millennium BC and have found their place in many cultures and practices. Therefore it is not surprising that the bell has also been a witch tool since time immemorial. 

The uses of bells, chimes and gongs:

Cleansing space: Ring a bell to cleanse the energy of a room. This is thought to attract good energy and repel negative energy.
Invocation: It is a tool of invocation to spirits, to invite good ones to help and guide your work and to banish bad ones to keep you safe. Bells are sacred to a handful of deities.  In Ancient Egypt (circa the third millennium BCE), it was an important part of Isis and Hathor’s worship and had connections to birth.
Sealing Magick: After spell work or magic, there’s something that feels so final about ringing a bell. It shifts the energy from “working” or “almost there” to “done.” 
Protection: Bells can guard doors in your home. You can enchant bells to be protectors or to bring cheer to your home every time they ring.
Healing: Your personal energy can be attuned with the pitch of a bell.  The sound and vibration can reset errant energy and can help you get back to your home frequency. Tibetan singing bowls are especially good for that purpose. In Ancient Greece, 100 CE, the ringing of sistra (cymbals) was even thought to dispel disease. Tonal healing is also though to clear away energetic blockages.
Holidays: Bells were also connected with the holiday Saturnalia, the winter solstice, and Yule in many cultures. The ringing of bells was thought to bring back the sun.

Liminal Work: Many people use a bell to induce meditation, or liminal work. The sound can center and bring the mind into focus. This is one reason why monks use bells. There are a few other liminal examples of bells. 
The Fool is the only tarot card with bells on his hat. He gazes up at the sky, blissful, while one of his feet hovers in the air, caught in the moment he is stepping off a cliff. With a foot in each world, he is a representation of the liminal. He represents the leap into the unknown: the end of one journey and the beginning of another. He’s also considered the beginning and the end of the major arcana. This echoes the liminal nature and change associated with the bell. 
Similar to the fool, the court jester is another archetype associated with bells, usually on a their hats. The jester is known to speak truth in jokes and riddles. Their message is ‘what you see is not what it seems.’ Jesters follow a different set of rules than everyone else. It’s almost as if they are not of this world.

Guard our home bell on the door, let evil spirits come no more.
Evil spells shall not be cast, and good fortune thus ever last.

The Censer

A censer is a vessel designed for the burning of incense. Censers come in a variety of shapes and sizes from small, hand-held devices that double as hand-warmers (popular in Tibet and the North of China) to huge pieces used in temples.
Censers have been traced back through the earliest history of man and into every culture around the globe, they have been used for secular and religious purposes.
These devices are useful for any purpose for which incense is typically burned – religious ceremonies, medicinally (for aromatherapy or to ward off “bad airs”) or as a ritual tool where they will typically represent the element of air. Given the purifying and sanctifying aspects of incense use, a case might be made for using censers in ward magic -the creation of magical barriers and protection.

A tool of the element air and the cardinal direction East, a censer is an important tool for the Witch. Coupled with the incense that can be representing a variety of meanings and uses as there are herbs, flowers and spices to burn or mix for such use. This tool is used often in combination with any Divinatory arts, especially for evoking visions and trances, as was the trade of ancient Oracles, or scrying and communicating with spirits, guides, ancestors and more.

It is good housekeeping to have more than one censer for differing uses and rituals, as well as either indoor or outdoor operation, to make sure the vessels are safe and capable to withstand the burning temperatures of the varying materials to burn.

Incense

Incense is composed of aromatic plant material, often combined with essential oils, that releases fragrant smoke when burned. The term is used for either the material or the aroma. Incense is used for aesthetic reasons, aromatherapy, meditation, ceremony and Magick.
The word incense comes from Latin “incendere” meaning to burn. Combustible bouquets were used by the ancient Egyptians, who employed incense in both pragmatic and mystical capacities. Resin balls were found in many prehistoric Egyptian tombs in El Mahasna, giving evidence for the prominence of incense and related compounds in Egyptian antiquity. The Babylonians used incense while offering prayers to divining oracles. Incense spread from there to Greece and Rome. Burners have been found in the Indus Civilization using oils, aromatic roots and other flora. The earliest documented use of incense comes from the ancient Chinese, who employed incense composed of herbs and plant products (such as cassia, cinnamon, styrax, and sandalwood) as a component of numerous formalized ceremonial rites. Trading in incense materials comprised a major part of commerce along the Silk Road and other trade routes, one notably called the Incense Route.
Incense can generally be separated into two main types:
Indirect-burning incense (or “non-combustible incense”) is not capable of burning on its own, and requires a separate heat source. Direct-burning incense (or “combustible incense”) is lit directly by a flame and then fanned or blown out, leaving a glowing ember that smolders and releases a smoky fragrance.
In Magick incense is used as an offering to deities, during formal Wiccan rituals, as a scrying tool and to purify/ cleanse; a space, a person or ritual tools and other magickal items. It is also often burned during Spellwork, as the scented smoke can facilitate an ideal state of mind —both focused and relaxed— for working successful Magick. Furthermore, most herbs, spices, barks, and roots have specific magickal qualities, which can be matched with the purpose of the Spellwork.

The Cauldron

Nothing is more infamous then a Witches cauldron! Not even her wand can evoke such fantasies as does the cauldron. This tool was and still is the most notorious and rightly so. A pot or vessel used in the making of brews and potions and for the making of small fires for certain magickal rites. A tool of the element of Water or Spirit, the womb of the Goddess, symbol of birth, death and rebirth. The very symbolism it is associated with and the meaning it holds condemned this tool to be the most feared and hated by those who begrudge us our power and the most beloved and sacred for any Witch.

Cauldrons come in various sizes and materials, depending on their use and there is no rule as to only having one. The standard materials for them are cast iron, pewter, brass and copper. Each has a different heat resistance and dispersal rate, which is important to know when brewing potions or lighting fires within. Obviously they all have to be able to be set or hung over an open fire! They usually have an iron handle or incorporated tripod-legs for that purpose. There are also ornamental cauldrons, not intended for fires or potions, but maybe candles and incense or flowers and other decorative items, in which case the material need not be too important. However, here we talk about the quintessential cauldron.
Modern inventions include the self-stirring and collapsible varieties of cauldron, and pots of precious metal are also available for the specialist, or the show-off…
In a modern kitchen today, where meals are cooked on a stove-top, owning a cast iron cooking pot or crock-pot is useful for any Kitchen-Witch and keeping magickal dinners apart from your brews and potions is just good housekeeping.

Cauldron Care

When you first get a cauldron, you’ll want to cleanse it immediately after you receive it. Cast iron tends to hold tight to magickal energy, as well as the energy of everyone who came into contact with the metal while shipping, at the shop or even when it was being made.
Dip your cauldron in the cool water of a running stream and let the power of the current wash away any weird energy that has settled into your cauldron. Thoroughly dry it off with a towel. Mix sea salt and olive oil or almond oil in your cauldron and wipe the inside and outside down with the mixture. Rub in the outside oil to the best of your ability and place your cauldron (uncovered) in the oven at 450 degrees Fahrenheit for ninety minutes. Then pour the salt residue (now black salt, you can add ash and herbs to it) into a jar.
Clean your cauldron after every use, potion residue is the most dangerous ingredient for disaster waiting to happen. Always keep it dry and oiled to prevent rusting. Good cauldron care is a Witches best ally for exceptional potioneering. This of course is true of care for all types of cauldrons, pots and utensils.
When you first get a cauldron, you’ll want to cleanse it immediately after you receive it. Cast iron tends to hold tight to magickal energy, as well as the energy of everyone who came into contact with the metal while shipping, at the shop or even when it was being made.
Dip your cauldron in the cool water of a running stream and let the power of the current wash away any weird energy that has settled into your cauldron. Thoroughly dry it off with a towel. Mix sea salt and olive oil or almond oil in your cauldron and wipe the inside and outside down with the mixture. Rub in the outside oil to the best of your ability and place your cauldron (uncovered) in the oven at 450 degrees Fahrenheit for ninety minutes. Then pour the salt residue (now black salt, you can add ash and herbs to it) into a jar.
Clean your cauldron after every use, potion residue is the most dangerous ingredient for disaster waiting to happen. Always keep it dry and oiled to prevent rusting. Good cauldron care is a Witches best ally for exceptional potioneering. This of course is true of care for all types of cauldrons, pots and utensils.

Burning fires or candles inside a cauldron

If you burn anything inside your cauldron, fill it half way with sand or ash before you start, so it is easier to clean after the spell. Also lining it with aluminum foil first when placing a candle in it will get any spilled wax out so much quicker. There is something inherently witchy in cauldrons and using them, it is a way to connect to the Witches of the past and saying “we are still here”. It is a way of calling on their power and honoring them for their courage.

Which Cauldron?

In general, cauldrons must stand up to great wear and usage. As they are a Witches number one tool to make potions. Naturally the size and type of metal, dispersion rate and melting point or resistance is vital for excellent brewing conditions. Apparently, there was an issue with sub-standard imported cauldrons having defective, thin bottoms, that had to be banned. This also presents quite a danger of melting or worse, exploding. Students at Wizarding schools start out with a pewter size 2 cauldron, which holds about 1.25 gal and has a slow brewing speed to get them started. But as you progress in your potion making endeavors and skill, you may need to upgrade your cauldron to suit your needs…

The Magick Mirror

Mirror, mirror on the wall,
I’ll always rise after I fall,
And whether I run, walk or crawl,
I’ll set my goals and achieve them all.

Mirrors have a long history of use in Magick, and we all know stories of these magick mirrors, from Fairy-tales and folktales, books and movies. They are used for scrying, to see whats hidden, to send messages and magick spells, to travel and call spirits, talking mirrors and black mirrors. We all have looked into a mirror and gazed at the reflection and thought “Who are you?”.

Mirrors are believed to amplify the power of everything they reflect. This is why it is vital that whatever they capture is positive and beneficial. So if you hang a mirror in your home, see that it has a beautiful view and more beauty will come. Mirrors amplify the energy they reflect, good or bad, they do not judge, they see what they see. Even Socrates understood the power of mirrors, according to him “a tool by which to know thyself,” invited man to not mistake himself for God, to avoid pride by knowing his limits to improve himself. His was thus not a passive mirror of imitation but an active mirror of transformation.
If a mirror breaks scoop up the pieces and use them, bigger ones to reflect negative energy, small pieces or mirror dust for spells.

History of mirrors
The first mirrors used by humans were most likely pools of dark, still water, or water collected in a primitive vessel of some sort. The earliest manufactured mirrors were pieces of polished stone such as obsidian, a naturally occurring volcanic glass, examples have been found in Anatolia from 6000 BC, mirrors of polished copper were crafted in Mesopotamia from 4000 BC and in ancient Egypt from around 3000 BC. Polished stone mirrors from Central and South America date from around 2000 BC onwards. In China, bronze mirrors were manufactured from around 2000 BC. As glass became more desirable and multi-use there where techniques to line the glass with lead or other metals for coating, examples are found from 77 AD. As glassmaking improved so did the mirror process, the invention of the silvered-glass mirror is credited to German chemist Justus von Liebig in 1835.

Mirrors and Magick

Scrying: The most popular use in Magick for mirrors is scrying, to divine the future or see the past from its depths.
Protection: Mirrors are also guardians of spaces they overlook and protectors, they are known to reflect and repeal negative entities, for they can not see themselves in the mirror they are in front of and therefore do not approach mirrors. Hang a mirror opposite your entrance door to keep uninvited guests out or on your door to stop their approach.
You can protect your mirror from becoming a pathway for unwanted entities by drawing a sigil or seal on the back of it.
Amplifiers: Sunlight or Moonlight can be called into a mirror and used for spells or to consecrate tools. You can draw physically on the mirror to call what you want to manifest, for example a money sign in green will attract more wealth…
Communication: A Mirror can be enchanted to work as a messaging device, two-way mirrors, where you can speak directly to someone else or messenger mirror, where a phrase written on one mirror will show up at a mirror connected to the network, these will have to be linked first. You can also call the “other side” with the appropriate ritual or spell to commune with ancestors or other spirits and spirit guides.
Travel: The mirror can be bewitched to serve as a quick getaway much like a hidden door, or in conjunction with others to move from place to place, just like a vanishing cabinet.

Famous Magick Mirrors

The Mirror of the Evil Queen from SnowWhite: probably the first Magick mirror we all remember. This mirror speaks the truth that the queen will not listen to, she is also blinded to her own self-image. A mirror that has thought us that the truth is the truth even when we don’t like what it tells us.

The Mirror of the Beast from Beauty and the Beast: the first two way mirror we all know from Beauty and the Beast. At first it could show Beauty her family, so she would not miss them so much, when she left to be with her family it showed her the Beast and now she missed him more than her family had.

The Mirror of the Snow-Queen from Hans Christian Andersen’s fairytales: this is the first mirror that distorts the truth and everything good in the world. Apiece of it is stuck in Kay’s eyes and he forgets his childhood innocence and when Gerda finally finds him, he is cold and hateful and only her tears are able to dislodge the pieces of mirror out of his eye and heart. He was trying to solve a puzzle and as he returns to be himself the word ‘Eternity” is clear as day on his puzzle. This teaches us that we should never loose our childlike wonder of the world, for logic and reason do not cover all her wonders.

The Mirror of Galadriel from the Lord of the Ring: this is a scrying mirror to see visions of the past, present and things that have not yet come to pass… As Frodo is entranced by what he sees in the mirror, suddenly he is rattled by an eye looking for him. A lesson as to be careful when looking in a magick mirror, perhaps we forget to ask who might be looking back at us?

The Mirror of Erised from Harry Potter: is a very old device. Nobody knows who created it, or how it came to be at Hogwarts School. While it is much more revealing than a normal mirror, it is interesting rather than useful. Only after Professor Dumbledore makes key modifications to the mirror (which has been languishing in the Room of Requirement for a century or so) does it become a superb hiding place, and the final test for the impure of heart. The mirror’s inscription “Erised Stra Ehru Oyt Ube Cafru Oyt On Wohsi” must be read backwards to show its true purpose. It is a warning to the observer, to be careful what you wish for…

Mirrors are windows to the worlds outside, inside and beyond, so always protect yourself before gazing into its depths. Draw your circle and don’t leave it unattended.