Foreword by Heather
A ritual to help you release any stress. Rachel suggests calling upon the Celtic goddess Cerridwen for this ritual as she is excellent to work with for healing and transformation, Her cauldron also being a representation of transformation and rebirth. The spell within this ritual is to create your own ‘cauldron’ of magic to help alleviate stress. It utilises witch bottle magic, use whatever bottle or jar you have or think suits your needs.
Rachel has given ideas for contents of your witch bottle, but as she says, it is yours and should be very personal to you, trust your intuition about what needs to go inside.
Rachel has a video on making Witch Bottles - Witch Bottles - Witch & Author Rachel Patterson - YouTube
This ritual can be done using the items listed below, or you can sit quietly in your space and just visualise the whole thing.
You will need:
Small dish of salt
Small dish of soil
Incense
Small dish of water
Candle
Drink
Food
Clean jam jar with a lid
Items to fill a witch jar such as dried rice, flour, nails, pebble from your garden, leaves, piece of string, dried herbs – for example, basil, chamomile, and lavender.
A witch bottle is essentially filled with ingredients that soak up any negative energy within your room or household and provides protection. Use something as the base that soaks up liquid such as dried rice, split peas, oats, lentils, or flour, save any out of date ingredients found at the back of the kitchen cupboard for this. Then add in a couple of nails to bring protection, not got any nails use pins or thorns. Leaves and pebbles from your garden make it personal to your property. A cobweb from your house is also good to add, because let’s face it we all have them! Dried herbs of your choosing, that remove negative energy and others that bring in positive. Go with what you have in your kitchen cupboard and follow your intuition. A piece of string is also used to tie in the intent.
The following is Rachels’ full ritual. However, if you already have protection and warding set up in your home, it is your choice whether you feel the need to cast a circle and call in the quarters.
Before you start: Place a small dish of soil in the North, incense in the East, light a candle in the South and pop a small dish of water in the West.
Cast your circle: Walk around in a circle deosil (clockwise) or turn on the spot around if you are limited for space and visualise a soft glowing light forming a circle around you. When the circle is complete, visualise the light forming above you and below you to form a globe. As you cast the circle say:
Circle of light
Circle of peace
Circle of protection
Circle this place.
Call the quarters: Turn and face each compass direction in turn, starting with the North and working deosil (clockwise). North is earth, East is air, South is fire and West is water. As you face each one say:
Element of Earth, bringing stability and grounding.
Please join me in this place.
Blessings of Earth.
Element of Air, bringing peace and clarity.
Please join me in this place.
Blessings of Air.
Element of Fire, bringing energy and passion.
Please join me in this place.
Blessings of Fire.
Element of Water, bringing emotion and calm.
Please join me in this place.
Blessings of Water.
Lighting the central candle, say:
I call upon the strong and compassionate goddess Cerridwen,
And ask that you bring your strength, guidance and courage
To assist me with this rite.
Blessings to you.
Now get your witch bottle items out in front of you. Take the jar and hold it up, ask Cerridwen to give her blessing to your ‘cauldron’.
Then take each ingredient and charge it with the intent of dispelling negative energy, de-stressing you and your household and bringing in protection. After charging, add each item to the jar. Take the piece of string and tie three knots in it, saying:
With this first knot I rid myself of stress.
With this second knot I dispel stress from my life.
With this third knot I seal the deal.
Pop the string into the jar and top up with other ingredients until the jar is full.
Screw the lid on and hold the jar in both hands, saying:
With this witch jar held by me,
I remove all stress and negativity.
So mote it be!
Take a sip of your drink, raising your glass to Cerridwen.
Take a few bites of your food.
Then close the ritual: Face the centre and hold your arms wide, saying:
My thanks to you, great goddess Cerridwen,
For your strength, courage and wisdom
Please continue to guide and support me.
With blessings and thanks.
Face each direction in turn, starting with West and working widdershins (anti clockwise) saying:
Element of Water, my thanks for lending your energy today.
Blessings of Water.
Element of Fire, my thanks for lending your energy today.
Blessings of Fire.
Element of air, my thanks for lending your energy today.
Blessings of Air.
Element of Earth, my thanks for lending your energy today.
Blessings of Earth.
Then walk the circle widdershins (anti clockwise), saying:
Circle of light
Circle of peace
Circle of protection
Circle this place.
This circle is now open but never broken.
Pour the rest of your drink and crumble some of your food onto the earth as an offering to Cerridwen.
The witch jar should be placed in the centre of your home, tucked away somewhere is fine.
The jar will need emptying on occasion and refilling. Rachel suggests that you tip the contents into the trash and wash the jar out, then cleanse it with incense smoke and refill with fresh ingredients. You will know when it needs redoing, the energy in the room or house will change.
A recording about this can be found here