Taken from Jane's Magical Herbs Branch lesson homework
I was introduced to witch bottles at the age of five when my family first went to stay at Tredarrup Farm in Cornwall. There was a milk bottle in the fireplace with a pile of rusty pins and needles in it. When I asked Mrs Whell, the farmer’s wife what it was for, she said “It’s to stop witches from coming down the chimney”. I took her at her word, but I also noticed there were hag stones hidden behind curtains and near door jambs, which I didn’t question at the time. Was Mrs Whell keeping witches out, or was she a witch herself?
I have a witch bottle by the bed to generally keep bad stuff out and let good stuff in while I sleep, and another one in the witchy room for protection. For the purpose of this lesson I will make one to protect me from illness and try to get my health on an upward spiral.
I am therefore making my witch bottle to reflect this, and protect me from myself!
Ingredients
Base/grounding: compost and pink salt.
Personal stuff: hair from my hairbrush with my DNA in the roots.
Italian seasoning, cardamoms and fennel seeds: to represent healthy eating.
Lavender: for restful sleep.
Crystals: sodalite and amethyst for focus and rational thinking, and rose quartz for self-care.
Tarot cards: tiny replicas of Strength, the Hermit and the Hanged Man to represent willpower, good health, time out and rest.
Angel card: tiny replica of a St Michael oracle card to remind me that the Angels have got my back, but I need to remember to ask them for help.
White feather: another Angel symbol.
My family and friends: the names of my nearest and dearest written on a scroll of parchment to remind me I am loved and I have a support network.
Paracetamol: to represent pain management.
Bicycle: a tiny picture of a bike to represent exercise.
Half a giant chocolate button encrusted with charcoal and wrapped in a cobweb: to represent aversion therapy!
As I put each ingredient in the bottle, I spoke my intent for it out loud. I could carry on adding things to this bottle till it’s stuffed full, but I think this is enough for now. I’ve used my wax dripping spoon and home-made sealing wax to seal the bottle before stamping the top with my pentagram seal.
I could also make a medicine bag for the same purpose, but this is not a spell. It’s a make or break game changer for a potentially life changing outcome, and as such it needs to be part of the furniture.
Meeting the magic halfway
Now I’ve assembled my bottle, I can’t just plonk it somewhere to look nice and expect the magic to happen on its own. I need to take positive steps to help it to happen and make it as enjoyable as possible. I’ll only have myself to blame if I fail.
To this end, I will be making much better use of my self-hypnosis CD, and now that the weather’s more conducive, my bike will be getting a lot more action, even if I have to kick myself out of the door.
The sensible cookery books will come back into use and hopefully I will get back into Callanetics to try and reign in my obs and abs. Seeing the visceral fat decreasing would be such a boost, and it only takes a few minutes three times a week, so no excuses! As I am fortunate to have a good support network of family and friends, I will learn to accept help graciously when it’s offered instead of trying to struggle on unaided, and accept that I’m not as young and able-bodied as I once was.
Notice I haven’t mentioned the scales. That’s because I don’t plan to use them until I can see and feel a real difference.
This all sounds very easy, but I know it won’t be, so I’ll keep the bottle in plain view as a constant reminder. I have marked this day by not eating a single biscuit or piece of chocolate. When I’m tempted, I will hold the bottle in one hand and a KitKat in the other, and see who wins!