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Ancient people blamed any misfortune or illness on unseen spirits and those who could compel
them. The holy men, or shaman, of the people would remedy the evils. These witch doctors later became known as cunning folk
("wise folk,") conjure folk or pellars, short for repellar, or one who returns a curse. They were mainly employed to undo
a suspected bewitchment laid by the evil eye that had caused crops or livestock to go barren with amulets that are today used
against general misfortune:
* A witches jar was made of mental and contained the hair and/or fingernail and toenail
clippings of one suspected of bewitching a family. The jar was moved into the hearth fire and it was believed that the witch
would suffer horrible burning all throughout her body until she revealed herself and removed the curse. Today people protect
their property with a variety of this mechanism by filling a glass jar with pins, needles, rusty razors, metal shavings, nails,
broken pieces of mirror and pieces of burned mirror and any other sharp objects. They urinate in the bottle, seal it, then
bury it as close to their front door as possible.
* A witches ball is a large glass, hollow sphere filled with various thread clippings and
hung in the kitchen window to where the sun will hit it each morning. It was believed this gazing ball, as it is now called,
would reflect the evil eye. Witches were also believed to have to count each thread before they could enter the home, so that
they would either eventually get bored and move on or linger until daybreak, when all evil must flee. This concept is similar
to the tradition of hanging a net over windows in the Ozark Mountains in North America so that the witch would have to count
each knot.
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Wards: Protection for the Home
Many times, things
were hidden in the walls of old houses. For instance, horse and cow skulls were walled up upon building the home to protect
the home from many purposes, including pet control, taken care of by sealing up a live cat into the walls.
On the boards
of the house were carved what is called "daisy wheels," or hex signs that are supposed to keep unnatural creatures away.
*
A ghost tree is the name given to a tree that was decorated with bottles. At night when the wind would blow over the bottles
and their were odd noises issuing from the tree, it was believed that spirits were being trapped in the bottles and would
dissipate at sunrise.
* Bell strung up and hung on the front porch was believed to frighten away spirits, much as wind
chimes are believed to do in China. On the same concept, a bracelet of seashells worn about would make similar sounds as to
keep away unwanted influences.
* A horseshoe hung above the door is very protective, as it is both iron (at one time believed to be the only heavenly
metal) and crescent-shaped.
* The Irish believed a bundle of Oak, Ash and Thorn bound together by red cloth and set
in a windowsill would ward off any negative influences.
* A ring of Rowan berries was hung in the home for protection.
* Old shoes were once hung in a hearth to deny the entry of spirits. A similar method is practiced to this day, when
people will throw an old pair of shoes over the power lines outside their house to keep the property safe from ghosts.
*
Chimney Dolls were dolls sat on a hearth to protect the home from spirits entering through the chimney.
Amulets:
Protective Jewelry
* A hag stone is a small, thin, disk-like stone with a hole through the center and
is worn as a necklace to keep witches and other malicious spirits at bay.
* On the same concept of bells to frighten
away spirits, a bracelet of seashells worn about would make similar sounds as to keep away unwanted influences.
* A
sachet filled with herbs assured to ward off the evil eye and wicked spells, such as: Dill, Fennel and Marjoram.
Spells
and Charms
* Snail beads was the name given to a length of string decorated with snail shells and is kept
over the bed to promote love, potency, virility and harmony in the home.
* If a child is believed to have been bewitched, take the clothes off of them and attach it to the chimney.
Keep a very watchful eye because at some point during a twenty-four hour period some creature, even an insect will crawl out
of the clothes. You must grab it with pinchers, making sure not to touch the creature, and toss it into the fire.
*
The Paracelsian Charm should be written above a doorway to bar entrace to theives, witchcraft and evil spirits:
"Omni
Spiritones laudent Dominum
habentu Mosa et Prophetores
Excugat Deus et dissipentur
Manu segas amori.
Fiat.
Fiat. Fiat."
Today, a charm exists to maintain a happy family. Fill a jar full of sugar, Bethroot, Pennyroyal and
Rose and add into this photographs of your family members. Seal the jar in keep it in a dark place where it won't be discovered.
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