The Witch Bottle

 . . . So I'm on this new path of being a Green Witch.  What does that mean?  Well, a green witch is someone who works with earth magick.  I'm extremely connected to the plant world, and find peace and magic in nature.  A new thing I started doing now that it's harvest season where I live, is to use herbs and plants in my practice.  I also learned about Witch Bottles last night, and my gut was just like, "OMG YAAAAASSSSSSSSSSSS BB WITCH!!"  

Apparently, witch bottles were used to keep witchcraft and curses away, back in the 17th century, I think originating in the UK.  Knowing what we know now, of course, the witches were the ones making the witch bottles.  But because women who did anything that went misunderstood by the masses were called witches, we can see why the lore surrounding it would be a little derogatory.  Think of it as a good witch/bad witch scenario, with the good witches creating these bottles to keep away negativity, and such.

 

Fast forward to me last night.  I was in desperate need to find something that I could put together with things from around the house that would KEEP PEOPLE OUT OF MY YARD AND OFF MY PROPERTY.  WHY IS THAT SO DIFFICULT.  I don't really want to use black salt to create a border because I am a gardener, and I do want my land to be habitable, and if I bought crushed black tourmaline, it would take a week to get here.  Enter: Witch Bottle!  Thanks, again, to my lovely new witchy mermaid friend, Jenny, for this tip!

 

How To Make One:

• Get a little bottle.  I used an empty baby wine bottle from a Vinebox order.  Glass or pottery.
  
•  Sea salt
• Red ribbon
• Rusty nails/screws
• Vinegar

*You'll want to make sure that the things you're putting in your bottle are right for the intention you're trying to set.  Mine was for protection, and keeping people away.  If you want to do something more positive, you'll want to switch up your ingredients.  

Make your intention clear.  I prefer to write mine down, and then burn them in a fire-safe receptacle.  If you're not into fire, just tell it to the universe, and hold each object and thank it for the work it's about to do for you.

If your bottle is for protection and boundaries, you can follow this process:

Add the rusty nails/screws first.  These really say, "STAY AWAY!" 

Next, add the salt.  Salt is a purifier, and I like to think that it really aids in the intent's clarity.

The ribbon is next.  If you're of Italian decent, I'm sure you've seen the gold charms of the crossed fingers, and the horn, with black and red ribbon to keep the malocchio away.  This is also for protection from negativity.

I also added basil and rosemary from my garden.  They bring peace, protection, prosperity, aid in cleansing and banishing, and help to ward off anyone or anything you don't want.

Now here's the fun part for me.  I took the ashes from my burned intention, and put them right into the bottle to add that little extra bit of oomph!

Vinegar is last.  Top up the bottle.  You can also use red wine, or -- GASP -- your own urine, but vinegar seemed just fine to me.  This is called marking it as your own.  Hence, urine.  On top of the vinegar, I spat to mark it as mine.  

Seal the bottle, and make sure it'll stay shut for good.  I poured some candle wax over it, also, just for good measure.

Now you have to choose where it'll go undisturbed forever.  I chose to bury mine at the far end of my property.  You can choose to sit it in the garage in a random corner, or on the kitchen windowsill, or bury it near the front door.  There are varying explanations of this on the internet, and you can look them all up.  If somewhere calls to you, though, just put it there.  I chose to bury mine so far out because the issue isn't within my home, it's out in my yard, which, even after 7 or 8 years of living here, people still think is common area.  As you place it, say some stuff to echo your intent.  End with, "So be it."  And don't forget to express gratitude for the forces coming to help you.

Once you choose where to leave or bury your bottle, you might want to do a little cleansing/releasing ritual to get your energy back.  I was pretty exhausted after the creation and burial of this lovely magickal thing, so I did what I do after I read for others: washed my hands with ice cold water and antibacterial soap.  I didn't feel the need to smudge, since it was all my energy.

Now, here's the really cool/creepy/fun/witchy/ultra-magickal part: about two hours after I buried it, I heard one of my cats hissing at the front door.  I figured it was Polly O'Possum coming to clean up the birdseed, as usual, but no!  It was -- GASP -- A BLACK CAT!!  I made magick, and was graced with the presence and protection of a black cat mere hours after burying my witch bottle!  I know black cats typically carry the stigma of being bad omens, but really, they're lucky and full of protective power.  This was the best gift I never even asked for.  It was confirmation.

 

You guys.  Magick is so real.  You just have to be confident with your own power to create it.  And ALWAYS use it for good.

  

💚❤💖