Rose Ariadne's Chitchcraft Blog

Dear Friends,

Witches use ink for a wide variety of tasks. From writing in their Book of Shadows to inscribing papers for spells, ink is a common tool that many people rarely think about. For thousands of years, ink was viewed by the people as magickal and mysterious. The ability to permanently inscribe words and symbols in such an easy manner was viewed as wonderous, a task performed by those alchemists and magicians skilled in creating the ink.

As ink become more easily made, it naturally became more commonly used. Modern people rarely consider the manufacturing of ink though. We are too used to just simply picking up a pen and being able to write. But creating your own magickal ink for your personal use is not only very rewarding, it can add a great deal of power to your spells and rituals as well.

Ink can be made from a number of different ingredients. In ancient times, inks were made from strong plant pigments or even blood. Some of the following ink recipes I am going to share with you are similar to these ancient pigments, with use of more modern ingredients to help the ink function properly.

The important ingredients in any ink are carriers and colorants. Vinegars and alcohols make the best carriers, as they also work as a preservative that keeps the ink dark and rich even after a long period of time. Alcohol is also very fast drying, so you don’t have to worry about the ink smudging while you are writing.

Dragon’s Blood Ink

15 oz. Denatured alcohol
1 oz. Dragon’s blood resin powder
1 oz. Gum arabic

Dragon’s blood resin powder is a powder that is derived from the Dragon tree, which adds color to your ink. Gum arabic is also a resin which is a binding material to bind all of the ingredients together. Pour the alcohol into a large, dark colored bottle. Slowly pour in the dragon’s blood resin, slowly turning the bottle to give it time to dissolve. Next add the gum arabic, place a lid on the bottle and shake well to blend the ingredients together. Leave the mixture set for one week, then strain through muslin or cheesecloth. Place the strained liquid back into a dark bottle, and store in a cool, dark location.

Walnut Ink

12-15 black walnuts in hulls
Water
Denatured alcohol

It is important to gather the walnuts when the hulls are turning a dark shade of brown. Using a medium-size saucepan, put the walnuts in the pan and cover with water until the nuts are just covered. Simmer the walnuts over low/medium heat until the husks fall off on their own. Remove the nuts from the pot, leaving the husks behind. Raise the stove temperature and bring the liquid to a boil until it is very dark brown and beings to thicken. Strain the liquid through a very fine colander and allow to slightly cool. Slowly pour in your denatured alcohol until the mixture thins just a little, and reaches your desired darkness for your ink. Allow to finish cooling, and then store in a dark bottle that should be kept in a cool place.

Making your own ink is not only a fun project, but helps to add more power to your spells and rituals. This type of ink is intended to be used with a dip pen or a quill which can take some time getting used to using, but with practice you will get the hang of it eventually. There are many other ink recipes that you can make too, so if you find that you enjoy making your own ink you may want to consider trying other recipes. Some inks can add different levels of magick to your work, so you can experiment and mix and match to find those inks that are best for you.

Brightest Blessings,

Rose Ariadne
Your Warm and Caring “Resident Witch In Charge”