62 Spells To Defeat Your Enemies

I found these old old spells to protect oneself from enemies in a cool old book printed back in 1903. This section reads more like a short primer on black magick, and I'd advise against creating a lot of bad karma for yourself by trying these out on actual people. I do, however, think that it might be interesting to try using them on noncorporeal enemies such as: procrastination, poverty, racism, addictions, etc.

However you choose to use them, be wise and be warned. "If you wish evil to someone, the evil will come to you." That being said, here they are:

1. If you tie knots in the willow, you can slay a distant enemy.
   


2. If you would bring your enemy to death, pour poison in his footprints.


3. If you feel fear when you know you are safe, it will prove that when you are in danger you won't think of fear.


4. An image made of wax, named after an enemy or a person whom you wish ill, stuck full of pins and set before the fire, will cause the person named to pine away as the wax melts.


5. Indians charm a piece of worsted and tie it across the path of an enemy or across the door, so that when he passes it, it will surely bring death upon himself.


6. The Devonshire peasant hangs in his chimney corner a pig's head stuck with thorns, believing that so doing his enemy will be pierced in like manner.


7. A charm to be addressed to the spirit of the three winds: "Spirit of the three winds, hear me when I call. Go and make So-and-So go crazy !"


8. Old Highlanders will still make the "deazil" around those whom they wish well. To go around a person in an opposite direction to the sun, is an evil incantation and brings ill fortune.


9. Old women frequently cut a turf a foot long which their enemy has recently trodden upon, and hang it up in the chimney, to cause their enemy to wither away.
   


10. The Tamils (a race of Southern India and Ceylon) believe that they can kill an enemy at a distance by a ceremony with the skull of a child.
    


11. If you make a cut on the wall of the house of an enemy, the members of his household will quarrel. (India.)
    


12. Take six new pins and seven needles, stick point to point in a piece of new cloth, and place it under the doorstep of your enemy; when he or she walks over it, they will lose the use of their legs.
    


13. The following is a Finnish superstition: The image of an absent person is placed in a vessel of water and a shot aimed at it, thereby wounding or slaying a hated person at many miles' distance.
    


14. If you can get a few strands of your enemy's hair, bore a hole in a tree, put them in, and plug up the hole; you can thus give him a headache which cannot be relieved until his hair is taken out of the tree.
    


15. To make trouble for an enemy, take some hair from the back of a snarling, yelping cur, some from a black cat, put them into a bottle with a tablespoonful of gunpowder, fill the bottle with water from a running brook, and sprinkle it in the form of three crosses on his doorstep, one at each end, and one in the middle.
    


16. The negroes think that in order to make an evil charm effectual, they must sacrifice something. In accordance with this idea, cake, candy, or small coins are scattered by those who place the charm. The articles thrown away must be placed where wanted, and they must be abandoned without a backward glance.
    


17. It is a true charm from the old country, that if you are tired of anyone, you can get rid of that person by taking a bushel of dry peas saying a wish for every one you take out, as from day to day you take out some, and as they go, he will waste and go to his grave.
    


18. To cause the death of an enemy, mould a heart of wax and stick pins in it till it breaks. Another charm is to hold the waxen heart before a slow fire. As it melts, the life of the enemy will depart.
    


19. To harm an enemy, take salt and pepper and put them into his clothing or his house, and say: "I put this pepper on yon, And this salt thereto. That peace and happiness You may never know." He will soon be miserable.
    


20. A sheaf of corn is sometimes buried with a certain dedication to Satan, in the belief that as the corn rots in the ground, so will the person wither away who is under your curse when you bury the corn.
    


21. Another form of malediction is to bury a lighted candle by night in a churchyard, with certain weird ceremonies.
    


22. The following recipe for avenging oneself on one's enemies is given by Kunn, in Westphalia: "When the new moon falls on a Tuesday, go out before daybreak to a stake selected beforehand, turn to the east and say: 'Stick, I grasp thee in the name of the Trinity!' Take thy knife and say: 'Stick, I cut thee in the name of the Trinity, that thou mayest obey me and chastise anyone whose name I mention.' Then peel the stick in two places to enable thee to carve these words: 'Abia, obia, sabis,' lay a smock frock on thy threshold and strike it hard with the stick, at the same time naming the person who is to be beaten. Though he be many miles away, he will suffer as much as if he were on the spot." All this distinctly depends upon the moon being new on a Tuesday.
    


23. To make one die for sleep, dissolve lard and put it in their drink.
    


24. You can cast a malefic spell on your enemy by repeating the Lord's Prayer backwards, all the time wishing some evil upon him.
    


25. In Southern Italy, the hearts of onions are scorched over a fire in the name of the victim, to burn up their hearts.
    


26. There is a superstition among the natives of Natal, that if the plant called Isanywane is placed on a man's hearth, it will cause him to become generally disliked.
    


27. Pythagoras says: "That if a flame be put into the skull of a murderer, and the name of your enemy written therein, it will strike the person whose name is so written with fear and trembling, and he will speedily seek your forgiveness and become a steadfast friend."
    


28. "If you wish to harm anybody, read the 107th, 108th and 109th Psalm at 8, 11 and 3 o'clock, and you will then have much power over them." (Elworthy, "The Evil Eye.")
    


29. The Greeks believed that to measure exactly the height and circumference of the body of an enemy, would cause him to languish and fall away, or die very soon.
    


30. If a man hates another and will repeat the 109th Psalm every morning and evening for a year, his enemy will be dead; but if he misses a single time, he will die himself.
    


31. In Bombay, if one man puts salt into another man's hand, it makes them sworn enemies for life.
    


32. Bury a dead man's hair under the threshold of an enemy, and he will soon be troubled with ague.
    


33. To repeat certain formulas among the Hindus, is supposed to bring injury upon an enemy.
    


34. In West Cork, people spit on the ground in front of anyone whom they wish to have bad luck.
    


35. Never let your enemy get hold of your picture. If he should keep it turned upside down, or should throw it in the water, you would sicken and die or meet with an accident .
    


36. If you shoot the picture of an enemy with a silver bullet, you will cause the death of your enemy.
    


37. In Germany, old women cut out a turf a foot long on which an enemy had trod, and hung it up in the chimney, in the belief that the enemy would shrivel up just as the turf did, and in the end die a lingering death.
    


38. When a man of one of the Indian tribes cannot get what he wants, or if he thinks he has been unjustly treated, he will cut or wound himself, or perhaps take the life of some member of his family, in order that the blood of the victim may rest upon the head of the oppressor.
    


39. If you wish to bring ill luck to a neighbor, take nine pins, nine nails, and nine needles, boil them in a quart of water, put it in a bottle, and hide it under or in their fireplace, and the family will always have sickness. (Negro superstition.)
    


40. The negroes "conjure" by obtaining an article belonging to another, boiling it, no matter what it may be, in lye with a rabbit's foot, and a bunch of hair cut from the left ear of a female opossum. They say terrible headaches and the like can be inflicted in this way.
    


41. The American Indians believe that anyone who possesses a lock of their hair or other thing related to their person, will have power over them for evil.
    


42. When the bread is taken from the oven, a few red hot coals or cinders are thrown into the oven by the Magyars, in the belief that it is as good as throwing them down one's enemy's throat. Thus, if one's enemy would partake of that bread, he would come to grief.
    


43. Throw a pebble upon which your enemy's name is inscribed, together with a pin, into the well of St. Elian, in Wales, as an offering to the well, and a curse will come upon the one who bears the name, and in all probability he will pine away and die.
    


44. To cause an enemy ill luck, make a heap of stones, cursing him as many times as there are stones, and as every Christian must add at least a pebble as he passes by, his woes and his misfortunes will constantly increase. (Greece.)
    


45. Not many years ago, there was a system of cursing in common vogue in Fermanagh with tenants who had been given notice to quit. This was: they collected, from all over their farms, stones. These they brought home, and having put a lighted coal in the fireplace, they heaped the stones on it as if they had been sods of turf. They then knelt down on the hearthstone, and prayed that as long as the stones remained unburnt every conceivable curse might light on their landlord, his children, and their children to all generations. To prevent the stones by any possibility being burnt, as soon as they had finished cursing, they took the stones and scattered them far and wide over the whole country. Many of the former families of the county are said now to have disappeared on account of being thus cursed.
    


46. The great antiquity of sympathetic magic, by which a person is destroyed if an image of him is made and then ruined again, is shown by the discovery at Thebes of a small clay figure of a man tied to a papyrus scroll, evidently to compass the death of the person described therein. This figure and papyrus are now in the Ashmolean Museum.
    


47. A South Sea Islander persisted in saying he was very ill because his enemies, the Happahs, had stolen a lock of his hair and buried it in a leaf of a plantain to kill him. He had offered the Happahs the greater part of his property if they would bring back his hair and the leaf, for otherwise he was sure to die.
    


48. It is a widespread belief that one can injure another person by stepping upon his or her shadow. Any injury done to the shadow would have the same effect upon its owner. To cause an enemy's death, it is merely necessary to take his shadow away from him entirely.
    


49. Anciently, a small bunch of feathers placed in a person's path was -thought, in Jamaica, to give them a curse. Any piece of coffin furniture hung over the door was also capable of cursing the inmates of the house.
    


50. Put ashes from yellow stamped paper, together with ashes from the temple, on your enemy, and he will be sure to be very sick soon. (China.)
    


51. The head of a dog and the head of a buffalo, stamped on paper, the paper burned and the ashes collected and mixed with sacred ashes, is also used to make an enemy die, if it can be got into the tea he drinks.
    


52. Lisiansky, in his "Voyage Round the World," gives us an account of a religious sect in the Sandwich Islands who arrogate to themselves the power to pray people to death. Whoever incurs their displeasure receives notice that the "homicidelitany" is about to begin. Such are the effects of superstition and imagination that the notice alone is frequently sufficient with these weak people to make them waste away with fear, or else go mad and commit suicide.
    


53. The Finnish superstition of producing an absent person in the form of an image in a vessel of water and then shooting it, and thereby wounding or slaying the absent enemy, is believed to be efficacious at a hundred miles distance.
    


54. It was at the instigation of Eleanor, Duchess of Gloucester (for which she was imprisoned), that a figure made of wax was used to represent King Henry VI., the intention being for his person to be destroyed as the figure was consumed.
    


55. In British Guiana, it is to this day firmly believed by the negroes an
    d others, that injuries inflicted even upon the ordure of persons will be felt by the individual by whom they were left. In Somerset, England, it is also believed that it is very injurious to an infant to burn its excrement. It is thought to produce constipation and colic.
    


56. In Australia, the sorcerer has different means of attacking an enemy. He can creep near him when he is asleep and bewitch him to death by merely pointing a leg bone of a kangaroo at him; or he can steal away his kidney-fat, where, as the natives believe, a man's power dwells; or he can call in the aid of a malignant demon to strike the poor wretch with his club behind the neck, or he can get a lock of hair and roast it with fat over the fire until its former owner pines away and dies.
    


57. In Calcutta, a servant having quarreled with his master, hung himself in the night in front of the street door, that he might become a devil and haunt the premises. The house was immediately forsaken by its occupants, and, although a large and beautiful edifice, was suffered to go to ruins.
    


58. The western tribes of Victoria, Australia, believe that if an enemy can get hold of so much as a bone from the meat one has eaten, that he can bring illness upon you. Should anything belonging to an unfriendly tribe be found, it is given to the chief, who preserves it as a means of injuring the enemy. It is loaned to any one of the tribe who wishes to vent his spite against any of the unfriendly tribe. When used as a charm, it is rubbed over with emu-fat mixed with clay, and tied to the point of a spear. This is stuck upright in the ground before the camp fire. The company sit watching it, but at such a distance that their shadows cannot fall on it. They keep chanting imprecations on the enemy till the spear thrower turns around and falls in his direction. Any of these people believe that by getting a bone or other refuse of an enemy, he has the power of life and death over him, be it man, woman, or child. He can kill his enemy by sticking the bone firmly by the fire. No matter how distant, the person will waste away. This same belief is found among the American Indians.
    


59. It is a common belief among the American Indians that certain medicine men possess the power of taking life by shooting needles, straws, spiders' webs, bullets and other objects, however distant the person may be at whom they are directed. Thus, in "Cloud Shield's Winter Count for 1824-1825," CatOwner was killed with a spider-web thrown at him by a Dakota. It reached the heart of the victim from the hand of the man who threw it, and caused him to bleed to death from the nose. (Mallery, "Picture Writing of the American Indians.")
    


60. In the North of Scotland, a peculiar piece of witchcraft is still practiced, where a cowardly, yet deadly, hatred is cherished against a person. A "body of clay," called in GaeKc "Carp Creaah," is made as nearly as possible to resemble the one sought to be injured. This is placed, in great secrecy, in the stream of some shadowy burn. The belief is that as the body of clay wastes away from the action of the water, the victim sought to be cursed will as surely waste away to death.
    


61. One of the charms formerly most dreaded by the natives of Madagascar, was called berika. It is said to be most deadly in its effects, bringing about the death of the victim by bursting his heart, and causing him to vomit immense quantities of blood. Even the possessor of this charm stood in terror of it, and none but the most reckless of charm-dealers and sorcerers would have anything to do with it. It was popularly supposed to have an inherent liking for blood, and that it would at times demand from its owner to be allowed to go forth to destroy some living tiling; at one time it would demand a bullock, at another a sheep or pig, at another a fowl, and occasionally its ferocity would only be satisfied with a human victim. The owner was obliged to comply with its demands and perform the appropriate incantations so as to set it at liberty to proceed on its fatal errand, lest it should turn on him and strike him dead. In fact, the charm was of so uncertain a temper, so to speak, that its owner was never sure of his own life, as it might at any moment turn upon him and destroy him, out of sheer ferocity.
    


62. Another powerful charm is called manara-mody. It is supposed to follow the person to be injured, and on his arrival home, to bring upon him a serious illness or cause his immediate death. For instance, a person goes down from the interior to the coast for the purpose of trade. In some business transaction, he unfortunately excites the anger of a man with whom he is dealing, and who determines to seek revenge. For this purpose, he buys from a charm-dealer the charm called manara-mody. The trader, having finished his business on the coast, starts homeward, all unconscious that his enemy has sent the fatal charm after him to dog his steps through forest and swamp, over hill and valley. At length he reaches his home, thankful to be once more with his family. But alas! the rejoicing is soon turned to mourning, for the remorseless charm does its work, and smites the victim with sore disease, or slays him outright at once.

Found in:
Encyclopaedia of Superstitions, Folklore, and the Occult Sciences

Need A Reason to Stay in Bed?

Here's a listing of the "Fatal Days" of the year -
if today is one of those days, maybe you should just stay in bed!

January.
Of this first month the opening day
And seventh, like a sword will slay.

February.
The fourth day bringeth down to death,
The third will stop a strong man's breath.

March.
The first the greedy glutton slays,
The fourth cuts short the drunkard's days.

April.
The tenth and the eleventh too,
Are ready death's fell 'work to do.

May.
The third to slay poor man hath power.
The seventh destroyeth in an hour.

June.
The tenth a pallid visage shows,
No faith nor truth the fifteenth knows.

July.
The thirteenth is a fatal day,
The tenth alike will mortals slay.

August.
The first kills strong ones at a blow.
The second lays a cohort low.

September.
The third day of the month September
And tenth bring evil to each member.

October.
The third and tenth with poisoned breath
To men are foes as foul as death.

November.
The fifth bears stings of deadly pain,
The third is in destruction's train.

December.
The seventh is a fatal day for human life,
The tenth is with a serpent's venom rife.

Found in:
Encyclopaedia of Superstitions, Folklore, and the Occult Sciences

Having A Bad Day?

Grab your calendar and mark the days!
Here we have a list of the 56 Unfortunate days of the year:

January:
7 days: 3, 4, 6, 13, 14, 20, 21.

February:
7 days: 3, 7, 9, 12, 16, 17, 23.

March:
8 days: 1, 2, 5, 8, 12, 16, 28, 29.

April:
2 days: 24, 25.

May:
5 days: 17, 20, 27, 29, 30.

June:
8 days: 1, 5, 6, 9, 12, 16, 18, 24.

July:
4 days: 3, 10, 17, 18.

August:
2 days: 15, 20.

September:
2 days: 9, 16.

October:
6 days: 4, 9, 11, 17, 27, 31.

November:
4 days: 3, 9, 10, 21.

December:
2 days: 14, 21.

Found in:
Encyclopaedia of Superstitions, Folklore, and the Occult Sciences

Is Today Your Lucky Day?

Grab your calendar and mark the days!
What we have here is a list of the 53 Fortunate days of the year:

January:
6 days: 1, 2, 15, 26, 27 and 28.

February:
4 days: 11, 21, 25, 26.

March:
2 days: 10, 24.

April:
5 days: 6, 15, 16, 20, 28.

May:
3 days: 3, 18, 31.

June:
5 days: 10, 11, 15, 22, 25.

July:
3 days: 9, 15, 28.

August:
6 days: 6, 7, 10, 11, 19, 25.

September:
5 days: 4, 8, 17, 18, 23.

October:
5 days: 3, 7, 16, 21, 22.

November:
3 days: 5, 14, 20.

December:
6 days: 15, 19, 20, 22, 23, 25.

Found in:
Encyclopaedia of Superstitions, Folklore, and the Occult Sciences

Ancient Greek Binding Spells

(Another in a series of posts about Ancient Greek Poppets called Kolossos or Kolossoi.)

In addition to an identification of the Kolossos with its Subject, there is often some formula of binding (Katadesmos, kah-TAH-dess-maws), which may be inscribed on the Kolossos, spoken above it, or both; it may take several forms of greater of less elaborateness. Inscriptions may be written backwards, to increase the Subject’s confusion. The spoken spell is usually accompanied by ritual actions, such as the mutilation, piercing or binding of the figure; further, the Defigens (Binder) may touch the ground while invoking chthonic deities, or raise his or her hands to celestial deities.

In the simplest case, the Defigens (Binder) simply declares,

I hereby bind NN!

Alternately, the binding may be expressed as a wish:

May NN be defeated!
Let NN be restrained!

The spell may take the form of a prayer to some deities to restrain the subject; often the Subject is handed over or committed to the deity (as though being put under arrest) — a wise thing to do, since then responsibility for the binding resides with the Gods. Although any God or Goddess might be petitioned, it is particularly appropriate to appeal to Hermes Katokhos (Restrainer) in the consecration. Other deities called on for binding are Hermes Khthonios, Gê, Hecate (Khthonia) and Persephone. For example:

O Hermes Katokhos, restrain NN!

I commit NN to the Gods,
to Gê, Hecate and Persephone!

I bind NN, born of NN,
in Your presence, Hermes Katokhos.
May s/he be restrained
in hand and foot and body!

Finally, by the magical principal of Similia Similibus (Similars for Similars), the incantation may call for the Subject to be bound analogically by the binding of the effigy. For example, a simple binding is:

I hereby bind NN in leaden bonds!

Analogies may be invoked with the material of the Kolossos or its disposition:

As this lead is cold and powerless,
also cold and powerless is NN,
cold in knowledge, thinking, memory!

His soul, his mind, his tongue, his plans:
let all these things be twisted round!
For a Kolossos buried in a graveyard:
As the dead are powerless and still,
just so powerless and still will NN be,
his feet and hands and body!

Here is a typical formula for binding the partners of an oath:

Just as this image melts and flows away,
Let he who breaks this promise likewise melt,
And perish all his seed and property!

This is a typical formula for boundary protection:

As long as savage Ares lies within the ground,
So long in this our land will foemen not be found!

The power of the spell is increased by the use of repetition and meter; also, multiple deities may be invoked and more of Their epithets or offices listed.

Disposition:

Sometimes the Kolossos is ritually destroyed, but for binding the more common disposition involves confinement and burial. First the Kolossos is usually confined tightly in a lead box with a tight cover, or wrapped in a sheet of lead, or placed in a copper of bronze cauldron or box. (Lead, of course, is the supreme symbol of fixation.) Often the container is inscribed, on the inside or the outside, with names, spells, bands, and/or bound figures. These may also be written and drawn on papyrus, which is then used to wrap the Kolossos. In some cases the Kolossos in its container is placed in a clay pot, to further constrain it.

Finally, you must dispose of the Kolossos and its container(s). They may be thrown into deep water, such as a well or the ocean, or more commonly buried, for example, in a graveyard, a sanctuary or uncultivated land; both earth and water are paths to the chthonic deities. Such disposition also makes it less likely that the Subject will find the Kolossos and thereby loose the binding.

Unbinding (Eklusis):

It will be worthwhile to say a few words about removing bindings (eklusis, EK-loo-sis, release). In general only the Defigens or the Gods he or she invoked are capable of dissolving the bonds. The best option for the Subject is to pray and sacrifice to the Gods, either to Those who have bound him or her, or, if They are not known, to all deities. The binding is also released if either the Defigens or Subject can find the Kolossos and systematically unbind it (i.e., remove bands and nails, turn the head and limbs around the right way).

Constructing A Kolossoi

(This is the second of a series of three posts about the Ancient Greek Poppets called Kolossoi.)

I will turn now to the construction of Kolossoi. They may be made of metal (e.g. bronze, wood, silver or lead; the latter being the most common metal), wood, clay, wax or similar malleable materials. The image is not normally realistic, since it does not depend on similarity of appearance to become connected with its Subject; that is accomplished by other means (described below). Typically the figure is nude, and often there is exaggeration of the genitals, feet or other parts; this accords with the general principle of using shocking or obscene images to ward off the evil eye and other dangers (e.g., the sign of the fig and phallic amulets).

Generally some parts of the figure are twisted backward, to indicate the incapacitation of the Subject. Often the head is twisted backward, or at least extremely far to the left, to cause confusion. It is also common for the feet to be backward, and sometimes the arms or the entire torso. (So Hephaistos is sometimes shown with His feet backward.) In some cases the Kolossos is made with these parts backward, but usually they are made normally and then twisted around.

The figure is often pierced with nails or needles (13 is a popular number), typically made of iron or bronze, though animal fangs and other materials may be used. Each nail or needle transfixes some part of the body representing a faculty, which it thereby paralyzes, but without destroying it. For example, nails through the eyes, ears and mouth paralyze cognitive faculties, while one through the heart might restrain will, and nails through the limbs cause paralysis or loss of strength.

The Kolossos may be further mutilated to restrain the enemy; for example the head may be hacked off and buried separately from the body (to prevent them being rejoined), or the effigy may be burned, melted, crushed, trampled under foot, etc. (These aggressive measures are not normally used for laying ghosts; instead the Kolossos is given funeral rites. A ghost is normally called by name for three days or thrice in one day to summon it home for burial.)

In addition to being transfixed, the figure is normally bound. For example, the arms may be bound (usually behind the back), the legs may be bound, and sometimes the arms are bound to the legs. There may be a collar around the neck, or a binding around the mouth (which could hold a nail or peg in it). Sometimes the Kolossos is bound to another object, such as an erotic amulet.

A number of materials may be used for binding, including lead bands, bronze wires, nails and iron chains (for large Kolossoi). The figure may even bind itself, for example with the right hand over its mouth (perhaps holding in a nail) and the left over its anus.

The Kolossos is identified with its Subject by either incantation or inscription, most often by both. The Subject (deity, ghost, person) is mentioned by name if its name is known, often including a patronymic or mentioning the Subject's mother, e.g., “NN whom NN bore” (“NN” stands for a name). The Subject’s name is usually inscribed on the left side of the Kolossos, most often on the hip, leg or arm; the name may also be written in red ink. The name is often accompanied with a binding formula (See next article).

© 1996, Apollonius Sophistes

Ancient Greek Poppets

This essay addresses the use and construction of ancient Greek poppets (ritual effigies, “voodoo dolls”); it is based primarily on “Binding and Burying the Forces of Evil,” by Christopher Faraone. In ancient Greek such a ritual image was usually called a Kolossos (kaw-lawss-SAUCE), a word of uncertain origin, which can refer to an effigy of any kind. The Greek use of these effigies dates from at least the fourth century BCE and is similar to their use throughout the Mediterranean, although of course there are regional differences. One distinguishing characteristic of the Greek use of Kolossoi (kaw-lawss-SOY) is that it is primarily defensive; it is generally aimed at containing a hostile force, rather than destroying it.

The general purpose of Kolossoi is to bind some Subject, but the binding can be applied to various kinds of beings for various purposes. First, bindings may be applied to deities, which cannot be destroyed, but may be restrained (although even this “restraint” must be understood as a ritual action provided by the God as a specific means by which Their energy is bound in a particular way). Sometimes Kolossoi are used to restrain a dangerous deity, who may cause harm or is believed to be favoring your enemies. Thus Ares, as God of slaughter and death on battlefield, may be bound to bring safety in battle, or to decrease the probability of war.

Protective deities also may be bound to restrain Them from leaving. Thus the Athenians had their “wingless Victory” — wingless to keep Her from leaving the city. This may also be the sense in Pandora’s paradoxical trapping of Hope in the jar after she has released all the evils in the world; we will see that Kolossoi are often bound in jars or pots. Ares is sometimes bound in this way as a protector, and, in the absence of an inscription, it may be difficult to tell whether He is being bound as a hostile or a friendly force. Perhaps He may be bound in both aspects at the same time: constrained to stay here to protect us and prevented from going to the enemy's side. We also have Kolossoi depicting Hephaistos, for He is a God of both binding and unbinding (recall the story of how He trapped Ares and Aphrodite in bed).

Second, Kolossoi can also be used to restrain ghosts and other Hikesioi Apaktoi (hostile visitants). Again, they cannot be killed (since they are already dead), but they can be bound. For ghosts especially, the binding ceremony may follow funerary customs, and so help to ensure that the ghost is properly laid and departs for the Land of the Dead.

Third, Kolossoi are used to restrain mortal enemies. Such might either be a Goês (Sorcerer), who has sent an Eidôlon or Phasma (Phantom) against someone, or it might be a mundane enemy (e.g. in a lawsuit). In cases where the antagonist is unknown, a pair of Kolossoi, one male and one female, are used. Where there are a number of enemies (e.g. a family or an army), three Kolossoi are typically used, on the principal of pars pro toto (a part for the whole). Finally, Kolossoi might be used to bind the partners of an oath.

In passing, we may mention Erotic Kolossoi, which are generally intended to bind someone in love, to constrain them to be faithful, or to restrain a rival. They are large topic, and will not be discussed further in this essay, although most of the same principles apply to their construction and use (see Winkler 1991).

One important defensive use of Kolossoi is the protection of boundaries, for which purpose they may be buried in a wall or at a fence-line or other boundary. Kolossoi are used for both public and private defense. I have already indicated how they might be used to protect a temple or other building; the public might also use them to ward off an invading enemy. Private use would typically be to protect an individuals and their families.

In some cases, where permanent protection is required, the Kolossos is regularly rebound. An example of this is the yearly binding of Ares for the protection of the city of Syedra; He is unbound once a year during a period of general license analogous to the Saturnalia. (This may be symbolized in the story in Book 5 of the Iliad, where Ares is bound in a cauldron for thirteen lunar months.) Other deities regularly bound for the protection of the state include Artemis, Dionysos, Hera, and Athena.

In other cases the Kolossos is constructed and consecrated for a particular crisis. It is bound and buried once (as described later) but, especially if it was successful, may receive a regular (e.g. monthly or yearly) sacrifice thereafter.

© 1996, Apollonius Sophistes

Poppets - The Basics

I've been busily uploading a bunch of posts about poppets, dollies, voodoo dolls, and more. This post serves as a sort of index on the basics of poppet making so that the information will be easy to find for those of you who come along at a later date.

• What is a Poppet?
• Poppets In History
• The Scoop on Magickal Dolls
• Poppet Making Materials
• Making Poppets
• Basic Poppet Construction
• Making A Cornhusk Doll
• Bringing A Poppet To Life
• Constructs and Thought Forms
• How To Make A Voodoo Doll

For spells and magicks that include the use of poppets, voodoo dolls and etc, visit these links: Poppets, Voodoo Dolls, Kolossoi

Doll Distance Healing Spell

Because once upon a time Chinese women wouldn't undress before a doctor (even today a visit to a traditional Chinese physician rarely involves undressing), beautiful, anatomically correct naked dolls were carved from ivory. These dolls served as a communications device between doctor and patient; pain, illness, affliction, and methods of healing could be demonstrated on the doll with minimum embarrassment. These dolls are still sometimes found in antique shops; reproductions are also available.

Use this type of doll or find a less realistic one to perform magical distance healing. Poppets can also be created and used for this purpose.

Here's how:

1. Hold the doll in your hands to charge it with your intentions and healing energy.
2. Murmur healing incantations, affirmations, and blessings over the doll.
3. Massage the doll with blended castor and olive oils, scented with essential oil of lavender.
4. Place the doll within a ring of burning healing candles.
5. Repeat as needed until the healing is complete.
   

Make A Voodoo Doll Out Of Anything!

This is the first in a series of videos by Planet Voodoo on how to make a Voodoo doll out of absolutely anything. In this episode, Voodoo Mama takes you on a hunt for junk in some barns and show you how to make a guardian Ju Ju using all salvaged items. It's Voodoo Gone Green, y'all.

How To Make A Voodoo Doll

Here's a trippy little movie conjured up by Planet Voodoo showing how to make your very own New Orleans-style Voodoo Hoodoo doll.

Dream Oracle Doll

This method, which resembles something from a fairy tale, traditionally uses a mandrake root, though ginseng, or any root that suggests a human form may be substituted.

1. Embellish and dress the root so it looks like a person. (German folk tradition suggests using millet for eyes.)
2. Wrap the root doll in silk when not in use and keep in a safe place.
3. Unwrap the doll and talk to it before bedtime. Tell it your concerns and questions.
4. Perch it on your pillow or tuck it beneath while you go to sleep and dream.

Bad Habit Releasing Spell

To eliminate an unwanted habit or trait, make a poppet out of cloth, straw, or a carved candle. Whatever you use should be something that will burn completely up when set on fire. Make symbols or words on it to indicate what you want to release forever, allowing anger to build within you that you have practiced this unwanted behavior.

Call upon Pluto or Hecate to assist your resolve to fully carry out change in your life. Breathe life into the poppet, by blowing into it and visualizing the bad habit or unwanted trait being transferred into the poppet.

Then, using a safe container such as an iron cauldron or metal bowl, anoint the puppet with a few drops of oil of myrrh, pennyroyal, rosemary, or rue, and then carefully set it on fire, visualizing the release of your unwanted habit or trait forever. Burn the puppet to ashes, and then take the ashes to a place where you have no need to be at any time soon. Bury it, turn firmly, and walk away. Don’t look back!

source: The Gay Mage

Make A Money Dollie

Cut out the shape you desire from green flannel: the doll could be a person, an elephant, a leprechaun, mermaid, or whatever you envision.

Stuff it with dillweed and Irish moss, then sew it up and embellish it as desired.

Talk to the doll; tell it your troubles and request advice before you go to sleep. Pay attention to your dreams.

Source: Encyclopedia of 5,000 Spells

Emergency Poppet on the Fly

Perhaps something has come up in a hurry, and you feel it needs immediate magical attention. Use a piece of aluminum foil to whip together a quickie poppet -- shape it into the figure of a person. Fill with any magical components that might be handy -- bits of wood, dirt, grass, even a name scribbled on a piece of paper -- and personalize the poppet.

Source: The Gay Mage

Bringing A Poppet To Life

Once you have made the poppet or dollie, you will want to 'christen' it and give it life. Here are two suggestions as to how that might be done:

• Making the sign of a cross over the poppet,
  using your dominant hand,
  say the following:

(Poppet's name) you are,
And (Poppet's name) to me

• Point into the head and heart of the poppet
  and say with conviction:

You will always and ever be.

• Hold the poppet between your hands,
  the poppet should be resting on your non-dominant hand,
  and say the following:

You will think what I tell you to think,
Walk where I tell you to walk,
Talk when I tell you to talk,
Do what I tell you to,
Go where I send you,
And speak when you're spoken to.
As I have said
So shall it be.

Source: Labonadea

Basic Poppet Construction

Once you’ve decided to make a poppet, it can be as simple or as elaborate as you want it to be. It can be made of any material you like – and not just cloth, either. A poppet can be made from clay, wax, wood – let your imagination run wild. Try to remember that the more work you put into it, and the more complex it is, the stronger your link will be to your goal. A poppet is a device for sympathetic magick. In other words, all of its components will be symbols of what it is you hope to achieve.

Poppet construction can either be done as part of the spellwork itself, or it can be done ahead of time, leaving the poppet to be used later on. The choice is yours.

Remember, the poppet is representing a person. Accordingly, before you begin construction, you need to determine what sort of spell you are doing. Do you have someone you want to keep out of your life? Want to stop someone who spreads gossip? Or is there a friend who wants to get a job and needs some magickal assistance? Do you just want a protection poppet to keep around your house or in your car? The possibilities are endless, but it’s a good idea to determine your goal before you get started. It will save you from countless “do-overs” later on.

The directions here are for a simple poppet construction using fabric. We’ll go through it step by step, but feel free to modify or “tweak” anything you need.

Selecting Your Fabric:

Obviously, there are no hard and fast rules when it comes to material. However, you can choose your fabric based on your purpose. For example, someone doing a money poppet might select a piece of green or gold cloth, or a festive cotton print covered in dollar signs. If you’re looking for love, try something in pink, or perhaps in a heart design.

Fabric is inexpensive – most craft shops such as Joann or Michael’s – even Walmart has a craft section -- sell cotton prints at less than $3 a yard. You can make a LOT of poppets with a yard of fabric. Be sure to check for the post-holiday sales, and you can get a ton of great fabric to save for later.

Another alternative to purchasing fabric is to use something that links the poppet to your target. Ask your friend who is job-searching to give you an old t-shirt, or when you’re trying to draw love into your life, cut up that pair of silky pajamas that you slept in last night. Poppets don’t care what you make them out of, and they won’t be insulted if you use previously worn material.

When all else fails, and you just can’t seem to find the right fabric, a plain piece of muslin or felt is perfect for the job.

Here are a few additional suggestions for poppet fabric, based on their purposes.

• Prosperity: Green, gold, silver Dollar signs, dollar bills, earth symbols
• Love: Pink, red Hearts, Cupids, roses or other flowers
• Banishing: Black Swords, wands, dragons
• Creativity: Orange, Yellow Suns, fire symbols
• Protection: Red, white Keys or locks, fences, mistletoe
• Spirituality: White, blue, silver Moons, clouds, air or water symbols
• Animals: Brown Cats, dogs, anything pet-related

When it comes to texture of the fabric, anything goes. Cotton is easy enough to work with, but if you’re an inexperienced sewer, you may want to stick with something stiffer at first, such as felt, which is available in darn near every color imaginable. Felt will hold its shape nicely as you sew, and its natural properties help keep the fabric from slipping during assembly.

Now that you’ve figured out what fabric to use, let’s move on!

Poppet Shape:

Because the poppet is representing a person, we want it to look like -- you guessed it -- a person. Two arms, two legs, a head, that sort of thing. You can either create your own outline, or you can use the ultimate poppet template – a gingerbread man!

Several of the major craft stores sell large gingerbread man cookie cutters, especially around the holidays. You can pick one up for about $5, and use that as your template. Alternately, you can design your own, but basically the gingerbread man shape is perfect for poppets.

If you’re doing a spell for an animal – such as healing a sick pet – make the poppet shape accordingly.

Remember, your poppet doesn’t have to be huge, but it will need to be big enough that you can stuff it with all of the ingredients later. This is where planning ahead comes in handy!

Your poppet is going to start out looking something like this, although it may not be smiling when you get done with it. In fact, you can print this out, enlarge it on a copier, and use it for a pattern if you like.

Cutting and Sewing:

So now you have your fabric, and you have a pattern. The next activity is going to be cutting out the poppet. This isn’t hard, but you will need a good pair of scissors, and some straight pins might be useful as well.

You will need two pieces of your fabric. Place the pieces right side together on a flat surface. This means that if your material has a print or design, the patterned sides should be facing each other. This is important!

Place your template or pattern on top of your fabric and secure it into place with your straight pins. Once your template is in position, you can cut out around it. Be sure to either leave some room around the edges, or design your pattern a bit larger so that you will have room to sew it shut. A ¼” to ½” margin is a good size.

Remove your template, and presto! You now have your poppet shapes!

Now, on to the sewing. If you’ve never used a needle and thread before, don’t be alarmed. It’s not as scary as it sounds, but it WILL require you to concentrate a little, and to be patient. If you’re pressed for time, you could theoretically use a sewing machine, but poppets like it when you take a bit of time and effort with them and sew them together by hand.

It’s probably a good idea at this point to pin the two pieces of material together, although if you’re using something such as felt, it may stick together on its own. Use your own best judgment.

Place the right sides of the material together, and then stitch around the edges. Don’t go all the way around. Leave yourself an opening (wide enough to get a couple of fingers into) at the head. Then turn your poppet right side out. Presto! You have one partially complete poppet.

Stuffing Your Poppet (or What the Heck Do I Put In There?):

Stuff your poppet with fiberfill, which is available at any craft store (or even Walmart). If you don’t have fiberfill, you could use cotton balls or even old pantyhose. Make sure you work the fiberfill all the way into the extremities. Once you have stuffed the arms and legs, you can work on the center of the body. This is where you will place your spell components. If you are adding herbs, stones, a taglock, whatever, this is the place to do it.

You may be wondering what in the world a taglock is. Well, quite simply, it’s the part of the poppet that links it to the person it represents. This can be hair or nail clippings, the person’s signature or name on a piece of paper, body fluids (yes, body fluids!) or even a photograph.

Once you have stuffed the components inside, finish filling the body and head. Sew the head shut. Now that your poppet’s body is complete, it’s time to personalize it a bit more. This part is lots of fun!

Let’s Play “Name That Poppet”!

You’ve already placed the taglock and other goodies inside your poppet, but the more personalized you can make it, the better. Draw or paint a face on your poppet. Add yarn to represent hair if you like. If you have an item of the person’s clothing, wrap your poppet in it, or copy any identifying marks like tattoos or scars onto the poppet’s body.

Most importantly, repeatedly TELL the poppet who it is they represent. You can say something along the lines of “I have made you, and you are John Smith”, or whoever you are doing the spell for.

You can also add magickal or astrological symbols to the poppet, with paint, sewing or even markers. The possibilities are endless.

Source: Lynn and Patti

Making Poppets

Poppets can be be fashioned from all kinds of materials, such as: carved roots, grasses, grain stalks, corn husks, fruit, wood, paper, mud, wax, clay, metal or lead, all formed into a human shape. These can then be dressed in simply made clothes and stuffed with a variety herbs, stones and other magical items needed to effect the purpose of the spell or work. Ideally personal items associated with the person the poppet is intended for, should be included in its preparation i.e. it could be dressed in material taken from clothing once worn by the person, a sample of handwriting or a photograph, personal items such as a lock of hair or nail clippings, and even bodily fluids such as blood, semen or saliva. The important thing is to create a link between the poppet and the intended recipient of the spell or work.

Poppets can be as simple or as elaborate as you like, but as they are generally made to represent another person, care should be taken to learn all you can about them, before you determine the need and purpose of your intent. Do you need to curse, heal, harm or bind??? While the possibilities are endless, just like in any spell work, you’ll need to set a goal and the means of achieving it. Some believed that the more work you put into preparing your spell, or the more complex it is, the stronger and more potent your focus and intent will be.

Like any ritual tool, once made, the poppet needs to be consecrated, named and dedicated to the work in hand, then infused with personal energy to bring into force your intentions. Sometimes this is be done by breathing life into the poppets mouth through a straw. In this way the poppet takes on a magical life of its own, which activates the spell or working.

Depending on the type of spell being worked, be it to curse, heal, harm or bind, various actions are performed on the poppet to cause a similar effect on the recipient. It can be pierced with pins, nails or other sharp objects to cause pain, cooled with water or heated with fire to cure a fever, or bound with cords to restrict movement. Once the spell or work is done, or success has been achieved, the poppet needs to be dismantled and ingredients used disposed of in an appropriate way, making sure that any link between it and what it represented is completely destroyed.

Source: Poppet Magick

Poppet Making Materials

Using poppets is one of the oldest forms of magick. The type of magick used when dealing with poppets/dollies is called sympathetic magick. The basic idea is 'this represents that, what I do to this will affect that." Other names for poppets include: VooDoo Dolls, Baby Dolls, Wangas, Dollies, Dollys, Kolossoi, Fetishes, Effigies

Once used to lure animals and aid in the hunt, today this form of magick is most often employed for protection, prosperity, and healing purposes. What follows is a list of the various materials that can be used to construct a poppet:

CLOTH/FABRIC
Natural materials are best, even more power will come from cotton that you have dyed yourself. Think of the purpose of your dollie to help you decide on a material: red silk for sex, soft blue cotton for healing, cheap black polyester for binding. Some fabric is easier to sew than others too, felt and fleece is very forgiving. You may want to think about thread colour too to add just a touch of some other magickal energy. One really great idea is to make the poppet from clothing belonging to the target!

ROOTS/WOOD
The mandrake root is often depicted growing in the shape of a human form. Many other roots share similar human-like qualities. Gardeners will often dig up a carrot that has an uncanny resemblance to a human form. Similarly a human form can be whittled from a piece of wood ... apple is said to work well but I would suggest considering the properties of the wood to the purpose at hand.

CLAY/MUD
Clay is a wonderful material to work with and if you are not planning on keeping your poppet around for ages it is a great material to dispose of. You could easily plant it in the earth, or place it in water and it would easily disintegrate. Alternatively, when dried it would be simple to smash or otherwise destroy the item.

WAX
A very common material to make poppets from. A popular spell calls for 7 new white candles to be 'softened' and shaped into a human form. Consider adding oils or even colouring the wax to suit your purpose.

PAPER
In a pinch you could use a piece of paper and give it the distinguishing features of the target. If you are fond of burning spells this would be a nice alternative.

FOOD
The thought occurred to me that you could literally make a poppet out of almost anything - even food! A fertility poppet of whole grain bread, a sex poppet out of a banana split ... your could even consume your enemies!

COMMON ADDITIONS
(to stuff inside, mix with clay or wax, inscribe or mark)

• Taglock - something that will link the dollie to the target and connect them to one another
• Items from the ‘target’ i.e. hair, nails, body fluid, clothing
• A photograph of the target may be used
• If no personal item is available then the name of the individual should be written on a slip of paper and inserted into the head of the poppet
• Copal is often used as the heart
• Stones and gems to aid in healing or other purpose
• Spanish Moss as stuffing (especially for ‘doing a job’ on another)
• Marking with distinguishing features
• Symbols/runes/words (write backwards for confusion/binding)
• Calamus for domination
• Rosemary for healing

Source: Labonadea

The Scoop On Magickal Dolls

When most people think of a poppet, they automatically think of the Voodoo doll. While the Voodoo religion is certainly the most well-known culture to use the poppet, the use of sympathetic magick goes back thousands of years. In fact, in 1100 BCE, the many enemies of Pharaoh Ramses III of Egypt (which included the women of his harem and a treasury official) used wax images of him to bring about his death..

The ancient Greeks often used sympathetic magick in love or defensive spells. Christopher Faraone, Professor of Classical Languages and Literatures at the University of Chicago, is one of the foremost authorities on Greek magick today. Faraone states that Greek poppets, called Kolossoi, were sometimes used to restrain a ghost or even a dangerous deity. They could also be used to bind two lovers together.

The Greek tragedian Theocritus refers to melting and burning wax dolls in Idyll 2, The Witch (Pharmakeutria), which was written around 270 b.c. He describes the ways in which Simaetha, who has been dumped by her lover, Delphis, attempts to lure him back to her with magic. At the same time, she tries to make him forget any woman who might be a potential rival. Simaetha was quite a busy girl.

The idea of wax dolls has carried on throughout the centuries. When Caroline of Brunswick, Princess of Wales, was married to a perfectly awful gentleman who would become King George IV, she apparently spent many hours forming wax dolls of her husband and jabbing them with pins. There is no evidence as to the effect this may have had on George, but when Caroline decided to scamper off to a villa in Italy and shack up with her Italian lover, George didn’t protest. The royal couple remained married but lived separately until Caroline’s death in 1821.

In West African magick, a doll called a fetish is used. The doll is actually possessed by spirits, and represents the spirit to the doll’s owner. The fetish contains magickal power, and is carried by its owner either on the body or as an amulet. Slave owners in North America were permitted to hand out a death sentence to anyone found in possession of a fetish. Small wonder, considering that the owners didn’t understand anything about African culture – and subsequently feared it.

In Voodoo itself, or Vodun, the use of poppet magick became popular in New Orleans after the end of the Civil War, although sources disagree as to whether poppets are used at all in Haiti, the home of the Vodun religion.

The Voodoo Museum of New Orleans even stocks a variety of dolls in their gift shop. This appears to be a bone of contention among practitioners, some of whom are trying to get away from the “serpent rite and pins-in-the-doll” rituals.

Source: Lynn and Patti
Poppet by knickertwists.com

Poppets in History

The use of poppets and dolls in magic date back to ancient times and occurrences of their use have be found in India, Babylonia (Chaldaea), Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece and Rome. In ancient Greece for instance, poppets called “Kolossoi” were typically used to bind deities for defensive purposes to protect one’s village, home and family. Artifacts dating to 4BC found in Greece confirm the use of these 'dollies.'

"Kolossoi", were most often used to bind evil spirits rather than people (though binding people was certainly not unheard of.) Rough human forms were shaped from clay, lead or wood and then the figures would be bound, hands and feet often tied behind the back, heads turned sharply to the left or even completely around. Pins, nails and other objects would be inserted, the number 13 being a favourite to insert. These poppets would then be encased in a lead vessel and buried to bind the intended person/spirit.

Today binding spells are commonly used and targeted at specific individuals to stop or prevent then from harming others. The ancient Greeks however used binding to secure deity protection for public as well as private defence. For example, the spirit of Ares, the God of War would be bound in a poppet, which was then placed in the village square to ward off invading enemies, thus preventing war. Similarly other protective deities could be bound and the poppet buried near the home to protect buildings and family.

During the witch hysteria of the 17th century, at the infamous trial of the Lancashire Witches in 1612, Old Mother Demdike confessed and described the quickest way to murder someone by witchcraft as: “…to make a Picture of clay, like unto the shape of the person whom they mean to kill, and dry it thoroughly: and when they would have them to be ill in any one place more than another; then take a Thorn or a Pin, and prick it in that part of the body to consume away, then take that part of the Picture, and burn it. And when they would have the whole body to consume away, then take the remnant of said Picture and burn it: and so thereupon by that means, the body shall die.”

In more recent histories, when African slaves were forced to leave their homes and sold into labour on American plantations, many brought with them small religious artefacts similar to a poppet doll called a “fetish”. A fetish is commonly a statue or object containing magical power, used to protect the owner from evil spirits or to control the owner’s destiny. In tribal Africa, these beliefs are incorporated into expressive figures that acquire their power through ritualistic carving and consecration. In addition, special herbs, sacrificial offerings and magical words are used to increase its power or appease its spirit.

Some fetishes are hollowed out to hold herbs and other magical substances, while others are adorned with special charms and talismans to ward off evil and protect the owners. However, fearing the power such beliefs had on the lives of their slaves, any slave found in possession of a fetish was likely to be killed by his owner, or at the very least have the skin removed from his back by whipping.

Finally, the late Sir James George Frazer (1854-1941) describes the use of sympathetic or imitative magic in his now classic book: The Golden Bough: a Study in Magic and Religion (first published in 1890):

“Perhaps the most familiar application of the principle that like produces like is the attempt which has been made by many peoples in many ages to injure or destroy an enemy by injuring or destroying an image of him, in the belief that, just as the image suffers, so does the man, and that when it perishes he must die. A few instances out of many may be given to prove at once the wide diffusion of the practice over the world and its remarkable persistence through the ages.

For thousands of years ago it was known to the sorcerers of ancient India, Babylon, and Egypt, as well as of Greece and Rome, and at this day it is still resorted to by cunning and malignant savages in Australia, Africa, and Scotland. Thus the North American Indians, we are told, believe that by drawing the figure of a person in sand, ashes, or clay, or by considering any object as his body, and then pricking it with a sharp stick or doing it any other injury, they inflict a corresponding injury on the person represented.

For example, when an Ojebway Indian desires to work evil on any one, he makes a little wooden image of his enemy and runs a needle into its head or heart, or he shoots an arrow into it, believing that wherever the needle pierces or the arrow strikes the image, his foe will the same instant be seized with a sharp pain in the corresponding part of his body; but if he intends to kill the person outright, he burns or buries the puppet, uttering certain magic words as he does so.

The Peruvian Indians molded images of fat mixed with grain to imitate the persons whom they disliked or feared, and then burned the effigy on the road where the intended victim was to pass. This they called “burning his soul.””

Written by George Knowles

What is a Poppet?

A poppet is a life-like figure or doll made to represent a person or animal and is used in ritual, magic and spell-craft to effect change through the application of sympathetic or imitative magic.

Sympathetic magic works on the principles of “similarity” and “associated contact” (i.e. like attracts and effects like). It is based on the belief that someone or something can be magically affected by doing something to an object in one place, that represents a person or thing in another place.

To achieve this a poppet is made as a representation of a person or thing and contains items associated with or belonging to that same person or object. Once made and magically charged, any action performed upon the poppet, is thought to cause or effect a similar reaction on the person or object it represents.

The use of poppets in witchcraft and magic is an age-old practice, but their potential uses have long been closely guarded secrets, and as such there are an abundance of myths, folklore and superstition surrounding their use. For example, in more recent times poppets have been negatively aligned with the Voodoo Dolls of Haiti, which through popular fantasy fiction portrayed in films and on T.V, are commonly associated with malicious intent - revenge, hate or evil.

Today poppets are more likely to be used for protection, prosperity, luck, love, health and happiness. However, as and when a need has been identified, they can also be used for banishing and binding to prevent harm.

Written by George Knowles

Constructs and Thoughtforms

A Construct is a fabricated spiritual servitor. They are sometimes called egregores or elementaries in other systems of classification. They can be made in any form for virtually any purpose. You can make them as smart or stupid, fast or slow, as you need. You are GOD to a construct that you have created.

Things to remember:

ALWAYS give your construct a time limit to exist in that form. After that time limit is up, the energies should be returned to where they came from (program it in- simply intending to have this happen should do it). If you don't provide a time limit, a construct can have a tendency to develop a mind of its own and get out of control, especially if left on its own and forgotten. Never forget to provide a time limit. 6 months-1 year is fine for most. Up to 5 years is acceptable for long-term applications.

Constructs tend to act according to the form you give them; if it is made to look like a tiger, it will tend to act a bit like one. You can be creative. If you're making something to protect someone, be sure to give it something to defend itself with; claws, teeth, guns etc. Borrow ideas from science-fiction if you wish. Your imagination is the limit. Your skills will follow with sufficient practice.

How to make a Construct:

First, plan out all the information for it; everything you want it to be able to do, how it will look etc. Write all this information down on a piece of paper (or in your personal journal) if you wish so you may keep track of it. Then, while you're creating the construct, you can read off all of the features and specifications like a recipe if necessary.

Prepare yourself for the creation process by shifting mental gears with meditation or just general relaxing. You need to be completely focused and ready when you commence any operation.

Then, draw in energy, one type at a time (if you work that way), and concentrate/direct it in accordance with your Will. Just imagine strongly that you're sucking in energy (in whatever phase you need) and breathing it out into an area in front of you where you mold it into the shape you want it; use your hands if you need to at first. Visualize strongly the thing that you're creating, right in front of you. You almost paint the energy where you want it. Push or exhale the energy out of your hands or mind if you must.

You might build a construct in sections starting first with one phase of energy (applying it according to its properties), then continuing on with energy in another phase, and then another, until you have completed the task of building one construct. There are many ways to view the process.

Once you have finished making your construct look the way you want with all the features on it you need, then it is time to program it. Imagine that a construct is sort of like a living astral robot that you have created. Now, you must program it so that it can carry out your tasks. All you need to do at this point is to imagine that you are consciously injecting information into it and programming it. If it assists you to do so, you may pretend you are 'breathing' information into the construct; just formulate the program/mental command in your head, and then exhale it into the construct (almost expelling it like in an orgasm from your mind or body- doesn't need to be as intense though).

A simple set of mental commands should be sufficient. Things like, "Your job is to protect so-and-so," and, "you are intelligent and know what I wish you to know about the job you are to perform," are usually fine at first. Your first attempts at constructs will likely be simple. As your skills improve, the set of mental commands used to program one with will probably become more complicated. Pay meticulous attention to detail and you'll do fine. As always, your Will or Intention WHILE you are building and programming the construct is what determines how good of a job you do.

Don't forget the time limit! Just put that in as part of your construct's programming. Note: some find it useful to assign names to their creations so that they can be called back to report on progress, or just simply return home. This could also be a useful practice to increase the amount of control you have over a construct. Most people don't give out the names of their constructs without a good reason. It may be a good idea to program yours not to respond to the commands of anyone except you, unless you're making it to assist someone.

Once you've finished creating and programming your construct, dismiss it to perform its task and have confidence that all will go as you've planned.

Don't think of failure while doing anything; such thoughts detract from your effort and scatter the force of your intent. Developing the mindset that failure is not an option and doubts are not possible whenever you commence an operation may be beneficial in keeping your focus; sort of like shifting gears in your mind beforehand everytime. I used to build a construct first then program it for the task I wanted it to perform, but you may find it easier to program it while you build it. When I create them now, they seem to spring into life without much effort, being created and programmed simultaneously. With practice, everything is always easier. The more work you put into it, the better it will be. Over time, you'll develop your own style.

Depending on your personal skills, you may or may not perceive your creation visually. It might be that you only feel its presence. This is normal.

Additional Notes:

For most people, it isn't always a good idea to try to add to a construct or change it after you make it. It can tend to screw them up if you're not careful. Generally, if you know what you're doing you can get away with it. I've never consciously added to anything. They always seem to be under my conscious control whenever I want them to be. This may not be true for all people, especially at first.

If you prefer to work with energy in the elemental phases then it is good practice to use at least 2 elements for better stability when making a construct. Remember that each element (energy in that phase) has a different function, or tends to respond differently while in that phase. Use them accordingly for best results with those methods. Otherwise, just draw in spiritual/pranic/or psychic energy (whatever you want to call it) and use it in accordance with your will.

Should you decide that a construct of yours is no longer useful prior to its termination period, you may simply return the energies used to create it to their point of origin. You are God to a construct that you have created. This is your right as a creator. I tend to disagree with some magickians who believe that once you create something it's permanent and hard to destroy. I've personally had no problems disassembling anything I've ever made, although the mental program for making it is still in my consciousness, and certainly still exists in essence within the Unmanifest...but then the essence for all things is in the Unmanifest to begin with.

If you borrow personal energy from another spirit or person (with their consent), or if you make something in conjunction with someone else, that person or spirit usually has access to the thing you made, and can destroy it if they don't like what you did with it.

As was previously mentioned, you are God to a construct that you've created. Because of this, you will also be held responsible for your creations. If something you make causes trouble, who/whatever the construct angered will eventually come looking for its creator. Might be a good idea to keep that in mind...

Thought-forms:

It should be mentioned that there are things similar to constructs known as Thought-forms. Thought-forms can be made to perform the same tasks as constructs, though there is a major difference in their creation:

A thought-form is created from your personal energy, and is thus an extension of your consciousness. It is part of you.

Constructs are made from imported energy, and although they have a link to you, they are not part of you. If you made a thought-form (for example, in the form of a lion) to attack someone/something, and your thought-form was destroyed, YOU WOULD FEEL IT. It would be highly unpleasant. However, if a construct of yours was destroyed, you would feel nothing though you would probably be aware.

It is not a good idea to create too many thought-forms at once. By doing so you risk spreading your consciousness too thinly (because you're dividing up parts of yourself), and there is always the chance that one of them could have more consciousness than the main part of you should you get too carried away (and then you're screwed).

To get rid of a thought-form that you've created, simply re-absorb it back into yourself. Just Will it so, or intend it and use the imagination as a tool to do it.

I have read and heard accounts of a person's negative energies or emotions toward someone/something coalescing into a harmful thought-form and attacking the individual and/or other people. If this should happen, the procedure is the same; re-absorption by the individual who created it. Though because of the nature of this particular kind of creation, one must be aware that upon re-absorption the individual will experience exactly the same negative emotions he/she was having when the thought-form came into being. The emotions and inner-conflicts that caused the creation of the thought-form must consequently be resolved and worked through to avoid a recurrence. This entire procedure can be dangerous and unpleasant, but is necessary if your thought-forms get out of control. Only the most advanced adept should ever try to absorb another person's negative thought-form; even then, he/she will have to undergo a period of purification and balancing afterward.

Something to think about: In some cases, those diagnosed as insane are often plagued by their own uncontrollable thought-forms in the form of hallucinations. A skilled magickian may be able to perceive and destroy them for the individual, but unless the source of the illness is found, the person would unconsciously create more.

Author: Unknown

Thought Forms

“We have often heard it said that thoughts are things, and there are many among us who are persuaded of the truth of this statement. Yet very few of us have any clear idea as to what kind of thing a thought is, and the object of this little book is to help us to conceive this.“

…Naturally every sound makes its impression upon astral and mental matter—not only those ordered successions of sounds which we call music. Some day, perhaps, the forms built by those other less euphonious sounds may be pictured for us, though they are beyond the scope of this treatise;

“…It is well for us ever to bear in mind that there is a hidden side to life—that each act and word and thought has its consequence in the unseen world which is always so near to us, and that usually these unseen results are of infinitely greater importance than those which are visible to all upon the physical plane.”

From Thought Forms by Annie Wood Besant and Charles Webster Leadbeater

The Full Corn Moon

In late August, we celebrate the beginning of the Corn Moon. This moon phase is also known as the Barley Moon, and carries on the associations of grain and rebirth that we saw back at Lammastide. August was originally known as Sextilis by the ancient Romans, but was later renamed for Augustus (Octavian) Caesar. Some Native American tribes knew that the sturgeon of the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain were most readily caught during this full Moon, for them it was the Full Sturgeon Moon. Others called it the Green Corn Moon or the Grain Moon.

Correspondences:

• Element: Fire
• Colors: Yellow, red, orange, gold
• Gemstones: Tigers eye, carnelian, garnet, red agate, fire agate, jasper,
• Trees: Cedarm alder, hazel
• Gods: Vulcan, Mars, Nemesis, Hecate, Hathor, Thoth, Ganesha, Diana
• Nature Spirits: dryads
• Herbs: Rosemary, basil, rue, chamomile, St Johns wort, bay, angelica, fennel, rue, orange
• Flowers: Sunflower, marigold
• Scents: Frankincense, heliotrope
• Animals: lion, phoenix, sphinx and the dragon
• Birds: crane, falcon, eagle

As the summer begins winding down, we've made it through the first harvest of Lammas/Lughnasadh, and now it's time to think about bringing in the next phase of crops. Grain is ready to be threshed and baked into bread. If you have a garden, pick your herbs and veggies, so you can preserve or dry them before the cooler days set in. Gather your herbs and hang them in a dark place to dry, so you can use them all winter, either for magical needs or culinary ones.

Energies should be put into harvesting, gathering vitality and health, also friendships. Harness some of the Corn Moon's fiery energy for your ritual and spell work. This is a good time to focus on your spiritual and physical health. It's the time to harvest what you can now to put aside for later use. What sacrifices can you make today that will benefit you further down the road?

Collected from various sources including: PaganWiccan,about.com

Magickal Uses of Corn

Corn aka maize, is the seed of seeds. Key words associated with corn magick are: Sacred Mother, Protection, Luck, Divination.

Corn represents fertility and is used to invoke Mother Earth. Used at Mabon and Lammas in ritual, it teaches the mystery of life, death, and rebirth. Many cultures gave corn, which is regarded as a food of prosperity, protection, and spirituality, a special god or goddess of its own.

• Eat yellow corn on the summer solstice for blessings and prosperity.
• Consume white corn for spiritual insight.
• Scatter blue corn meal to purify and bless a space.
• Hang red corn above doorways at harvest time to protect rewards that have been reaped.
• Corn on the cob represents the phallic gods and draws creative or sexual energy.
• Financial or love wishes that are shouted out as popcorn is popping will come true.
• Cornsilk is a very powerful ingredient when added to love spells; it is designed to attract the person you desire.

From: Encyclopedia of Magickal Ingredients

Corn Dollies and Ritual Poppets

When used in ritual poppets can also represent various aspects of the Goddess and God. For example at Lammas (1st August), Corn Dollies are made from the last cut sheaves of corn and fashioned into stick like figures representative of the Sacrificial God in his guise as John Barleycorn the “Spirit of the Corn”. These are then ritually burned and their ashes spread or buried in the fields. Many believed that with the cutting of the last sheaves of corn, the “Spirit of the Corn” retreated into the soil, to sleep there throughout the winter awaiting his rebirth in the coming spring.

In a similar ritual at Imbolc (1st February), Bridie Dolls are made to represent Brigit (also known as Bride) the maiden Goddess of Fertility. Again these are ritually burned, but their ashes are mixed with the new seeds and are ploughed into the ground in the hope that the “Spirit of the Corn” (the God) will awaken and ensure the next harvest.

Written by George Knowles

Making A Corn Husk Doll

As many recipes exist for making corn-husk dolls as for apple pie. No two dolls are identical, and you will probably find ways of making your doll unique after you learn the basic steps. This "how-to" was found at Thrifty Creativity.


Soak about a dozen dry husks in a bowl of water for a few minutes. The entire process will be worked with wet husks. Choose six large husks and lay them on top of each other with the wide edge at the top as in Illus. 4.

About an inch from the top, gather the husks and tie them tightly (Illus. 5). Cut off the top of the husks, and round it into a head as in Illus. 6.

Holding the head in your hand, peel one end of each husk down over the other, like a banana, pulling firmly and smoothly (Illus. 7). Don’t be afraid to pull—the husks are tough. If the head turns out to be smaller than you intended, roll up another piece of husk and push it inside the folded-down husks to add to the size (Illus. 8). Tie the husks to make a neck like that shown in Illus. 9.

Make the arms now from two husks rolled together one on top of the other into a long piece and inserted between the ends of the head husks as in Illus. 10.

Separate the ends of the husks that extend below the head and pull them firmly apart. Place the arrn roll tightly against the tied neck.

Some people like braided arms (Illus. 11) instead of rolled ones. They are also easy to make, Just tie three husks at the top and braid them, tying off the ends. Insert the braid just like the rolled arms.

Tie the arms in place with a criss-cross over the chest and back as in Illus. 12. Don’t tie the ends of the arms yet, even though they are obviously too long. Wait until the doll is otherwise finished so you can trim the arms in proportion to the doll’s height. Now take two more husks and fold each one into a strip about an inch wide. These will be the shoulders. Place one over each shoulder position and cross them over the chest and back, as in Illus. 13. Tie these pieces tightly around the waist.

The Skirt

One kind of skirt is made of long, wide husks laid on well above the waistline, as in Illus. 14, tied tightly and trimmed so that the excess will not show above the waistband. For this, fold another husk into a band about 1 inch wide and tie it over the skirt top, as in Illus. 15. Cut off the skirt at a length proportionate to the doll’s size. Then bend the arms down and cut them off at a point about one third of the way down the skirt.

(If you decide to turn this doll into a male, just separate the skirt, wind the husks around the legs, and bend the ends of the legs up for feet.)

If you let the doll dry now, the skirt will flare out and the arms will stick out like a scarecrow. Bend the arms any way you like, perhaps folded as though holding something, and tie them loosely until they dry. Put a loose string around the skirt to hold it in place until it dries. Once dry, the doll will retain its shape.

For a fuller, gathered skirt, put the husks in place as shown in the illustration above. With the wide part of the husk on top, the pointed end will extend about 2 inches below the waistline. Gather six or seven husks around the waist and tie them firmly. Then pull down the husks into a skirt. Tie it in place and let it dry.