Rose Ariadne's Chitchcraft Blog

Dear Friends,

Once a year, normally in the fall, my circle and I have a fun coven project where we make witch bottles for protection. The purpose of a witch bottle is to create a bottled spell to ward off evil and protect the home.

Witch bottles originate from a British tradition that started in the 1500s. Witches of the British Isles used glass bottles filled with iron nails, human hair, bodily fluids, thorns, needles and pieces of wood. In ancient times, the bottles were buried underneath the fireplace. From a magickal point of view, the fireplace was a security risk as it had a straight connection to the sky above.

Today, we use witch bottles to capture any negative energies coming from outside toward ourselves and our families. You can also make a witch bottle charged with energy for your financial success, for creativity, for positive energy and for health. The possibilities are endless, they are basically spells in a bottle which means you can do anything with them you wish.

The main thing that makes all witch bottles alike is their structure. In my circle, we normally use small jelly jars, mayonnaise jars or mason jars. We fill them with objects that are specific to our purpose. We charge each item with the intended purpose before we place them in the bottle.

I always offer my circle members a variety of items to choose from. For our protection witch bottles, I have bent iron nails, thorns, razor blades, broken glass and small pieces of mirror. The purpose is to provide sharp and dangerous energy to ward off danger. Witch bottles are always more potent with some personal items such as hair, saliva, blood and other bodily fluids from the bottle maker.

For other types of witch bottles, you can include the items that you would normal use in a spell for that purpose. For example, if you want to make a witch bottle that brings love into your life, you can use scented oils, herbs associated with love, pieces of red, white and pink fabric, gemstones that bring loves etc.

Be creative with your witch bottles! You can include items that just “feel” right, even if they don’t have specific correspondences. I’ve had coven members include different colored sands, flowers, coins and sawdust while creating different types of witch bottles.

After constructing a witch bottle and charging it with your purpose, the next step is to bury the bottle. This is a way of activating the spell and returning the energy back to the earth in order for it to come to you. If you own your own home, you may be able to place the witch bottle in a traditional place, like under the fireplace, under the floor or in the walls. I usually recommend, for those that own their home, to bury the bottle in the backyard in a place where nobody will accidentally break it while gardening.

Burying a witch bottle can be more difficult if you live in an apartment, but not impossible! It’s not a good idea to bury the bottle in a shared yard, or somewhere that a neighbor can dig up the bottle and hurt them. The bottle doesn’t have to be near your home in order to work. You can make a trip to a forest or a swamp to bury your bottle. If you’d like to keep your bottle close to home, you can make a smaller bottle that can be buried in a large flowerpot near your door. If you’re living in the “broom closet,” or with a roommate the miniature bottle idea may work as well. Small witch bottles can be hid in a variety of ways and still provide the same protection.

The timing of the witch bottle preparation is important. Make sure to choose a date that is during the Waning phase of the Moon. You can do an informal ritual and perform visualization for the witch bottles purpose before making it.

Witch bottles are very powerful, since the energy of the spell is contained in an enclosed area. Make sure to protect your bottle after completing it, especially if you used any of your own hair or bodily fluids.

But if you need protection or want to bring something into your life, there’s no better way to go than the construction of a witch bottle.

Brightest Blessing,

Rose Ariadne, Your Warm And Caring “Resident Witch In Charge”