Everything About Witch Bottles

What is exactly a witch bottle? 

A witch bottle is a form of apotropaic magic - a type of spell work intended to turn away all forms of harm. Apotropaic rituals are considered ancient protection - there is much evidence that the ancient Greeks and Egyptians used it to protect their cities and private residences. 

The aim of this kind of magical defense manipulation was to control the source of evil when the individual was not in a position to destroy it, for example, because the identity of the hex sender was unknown. 

Most common apotropaic magic involved objects, devices and marks. Apotropaic symbols often appear in churches, manor houses, cottages, as well as public houses and shops. Ironically, they were used by religious people hoping to ward off witches, demons and spirits from their space. 

A Dangerous World

It is important to note, however, that houses were the places where ancient people considered themselves most vulnerable. Houses lacked many basic amenities and suffered from natural disasters because were built very cheaply: there were keyholes, front doors poorly secured, and even lighting was a very real risking in an era of rudimentary fire safety. 

Now, fortunately, we have solid constructions, keys, locks and alarms, but in ancient times, the world was dangerous and death was always around the corner. Add supernatural worries, intense terror to evil spirits and the frightening tales regarding witchcraft and you will understand why people was desperate to influence their very-likely-catastrophic fates with charms and spells. 

Strong magic was therefore needed to protect them from the dark forces inhabiting the world and traveling through the landscape to attack them in their homes.

There is much debate about cunning-folk apotropaic objects because well, the practices used in the fight against witchcraft looked so much like witchcraft itself. It gets confusing from our perspective. 

One of my favorites is the very rustic yet alluring magical jug, also know as a witch bottle. A witch bottle is a counter-charm object designed to call off a malefic spell.

Popularly, the magical folk objects were used to ‘prevent the entrance of witches’, hence the name. Indeed, the terminology often used is also problematic. Witches use it, but it's also an antidote against witchcraft, so...? I just recommend not acknowledging the complexity of the interpretation and use a witch bottle for protection if you desire, witch or not. Period. As an expertise, I can tell you that witches would make these magick bottles to ward off evil spirits or unwelcome visitors -the worse of the worse for us-, and we traditionally made them during Samhain, when the veil between our world and the next was at its thinnest.

They work great. It may look intimidating, but a witch bottle is simplistic and impossible to backfire.

I don't know how people got it into their minds that you have to keep your witch bottle away from you, but tradition rules when it comes to apotropaic magic. We are advised to hide our witch bottles in dark, secret corners. People in ancient times had their bottles hidden behind walls or inside the chimney for obvious reasons. I consider just fine leaving your witch bottle somewhere it wouldn't be disturbed, away from funny looks. 

My friends know that I'm a witch, but I don't want them to see a bottle with my urine inside when they come to visit. 

A witch bottle doesn't need to be elaborated to work. For example, in the Museum of London collection, we can see a bottle made from a tiny tube of plastic, with tooth inside. 

I find hilarious the fact that journalist believe it was a witch bottle created to give thanks for relief from tooth pain - no guys, I recognize the elements, and nothing to do with this. 

These superstitious beliefs and their associated amulets did not perish with their ancient adherents. Although apotropaic magic might not seem as common today, you’d be surprised in the ways it still surfaces. 

I love my witch bottles and they have a prominent presence in my altars, especially during hostile magick or hex rituals. I thought it's time to introduce mine. 

What We Put Inside

Instructions for creating a witch bottle were actually written down. Recipes from the 17th century can be found online, but like with all folk practices, the details varied while retaining some basic similarities. 

First of all, the witch bottle must contain the supposed victim's scent, being early morning urine the most used. Urine had been used magnetically in a similar way to blood from at least the mid-seventeenth century. Historically, the urine of the person under the alleged curse was believed to make the witch go curse someone else’s farm, "bury", disappear, or even better, die. 

Fun fact: my mother uses blood and wine. 

Then you mingle the fluid with destructive items "as carry a shew of torture with them": pins, needless, glass, razor blades, thorns, a handful of hand-made iron nails. Be careful adding items to the bottle so as not to cut yourself.

Other defensive ingredients that also combine offensive attributes to their nature like vinegar, red pepper and salt are good. 

Pragmatically, the sharp objects inside the bottle would produce excruciating pain in the body of the enchanter. The real reason we mix parts of ourselves with destructive items is so that whatever entity is seeking we out will be distracted by the contents of the bottle. It's some kind of sibylline diversion technique that works.

Something very extra is to add rotting meat, or old meat. Through decomposition, we confuse the evil energy into thinking it's a creature.

I like to put a rose inside to eventually cause this white, powdery fungal growth, a very natural and intense decay. Is correct putting something that is actively decaying into a liquid environment such as urine? Yes - uric acid do not cause a fermentation process and the decomposition will also not produce enough gasses to make an exploding bottle a worry.  

Sealing and Intention

Once you are finished, you must seal the jar around the lid with candle wax to keep all this gross nasty mixture where it belongs. Before the last step, I put sigils and advanced Latin spells in a paper inside the bottle, but here I can't properly advise. If you are not a natural born witch, you will have to trust in the process. You can, for example, use the wax seal step to properly define your intention. Take a black candle, let the wax melt down, seal your bottle and ask for demonic assistance. Invoke your favorite demon, speak to them and make the moment personal. 

As long as it is meaningful to you, it’ll work.

Are witch bottles still being fashioned? I don't care, but I love mine.