Adolescent (Ages 11-19): Dirt from the graves of those from ages 11 to19 can be used to cause inattentiveness and irresponsible behavior. Try this dirt, too, when you want to stir interest in another person, cause romantic involvement, kindle sexual attraction, and increase sexual prowess.
Adulterer or Adulteress: Use this dirt to cause a love triangle or bring about the urges to cheat on one’s spouse. There’s nothing more effective for breaking up a romantic involvement.
Child (Ages 2-10): This is a terrific aid when the appearance of child-like innocence is a factor, or the development of new friendships is your quest. It’s also a great help when obtaining basic necessities is at stake, but for this purpose, it’s best to gather the dirt from the grave of a poor child rather than from one who was handed everything on a silver platter.
Doctor: This dirt can be used either to heal or to cause illness, depending upon your intention.
Executed or Murdered: Extremely powerful when it comes to matters of wrong-doing or injustice, this dirt can also be useful in efforts of revenge or those to cause harm to others.
Gambler: If you are sure that the gambler was good at his game, then this dirt can be used to increase luck at the tables, slots, or tracks. If not, use it to force someone to take unnecessary risks—those way beyond the point of reason.
Infant: Since a baby’s vision is still somewhat blurry, this dirt is helpful when you need someone to cast a blind eye to something that you’re doing. It’s also useful if your purpose involves ensuring that someone becomes totally dependent on you, or when you need to appear indispensable.
Insane: This dirt is used for the obvious reason: to cause insanity in another. When collecting it for use, though, remember that you’re dealing with the spirit of the mentally infirmed. And just because it agrees to assist you, doesn’t mean it will follow through—at least, not in a manner you intend.
Lawyer/Judge: There’s little better when it comes to winning a court case or receiving a settlement. It can also be useful if injustice is at issue, or your rights have been violated.
Magical Practitioner: Dirt from this grave can be used for virtually anything.
Pet: Dirt from the grave of your former pet can be used for many things including protection and loyalty. It’s also known to be effective in matters of the heart.
Physically or Emotionally Abused: While this dirt is extremely useful in assisting those in an abusive relationship, its strength lies only in giving them the courage to remove themselves from the bad situation. It is not—and I want to be really clear about this—a substitute for picking up the phone and calling the police!
Serial Killer or Murderer: Do not use this dirt unless your intention is to cause serious harm to someone. In fact, its magical incorporation could even cause death.
Nun or Priest: While dirt from these graves is often used for efforts involving personal spiritual protection, it’s also used occasionally to convey the appearance of innocent goodness to the outside world.
Soldier: Because soldiers are strong, brave, quick thinkers and are trained to follow orders, dirt from their graves can be used for nearly anything. Before gathering it, though, it’s a good idea to note the birthplace and any other data on the headstone that might indicate the causes that he or she believed in and fought for. The last thing you want is dirt from a soldier who might be at cross-purposes, thwart your efforts, or work against you.
GETTING THE SCOOP ON OTHER DIRT
With so much ado about graveyard dirt, most of us automatically assume that nothing else will do—at least not when it comes to working magic. But that’s just not so. In fact, there are lots of other places from which you can gather dirt; places, I might add, that are more easily accessible and depending upon your intention, may even suit your purposes better. Best of all, you won’t be left in the position of having to explain yourself to local law enforcement if you handle things properly.
But how do you manage that? It’s a simple matter of using common sense and keeping your wits about you. Begin by carefully surveying your surroundings and taking special notice of what seems normal for the area. In the case of the courthouse square, for example, you might find people sitting around under trees, eating lunch, and just generally milling around. All you have to do to blend in is act in kind. Plop down under a tree—a book is a handy prop if you’ve got one available—then idly pick up a stick and proceed to scratch at the ground. You’ll have what you need in no time flat, and all without drawing the slightest bit of attention to yourself. You get the idea.
The list below outlines a few alternative locations for dirt collection. And even if you’re not concerned about digging around in the cemetery, you may want to give some of them a shot. A brief description of intent follows each for your convenience.
Bank or Financial Institution: Collect and use this dirt to bring money into your hands or to receive payment of a long overdue debt.
Church: This dirt is excellent when used to invite the assistance of positive spiritual forces. It also goes a long way toward protecting against the intrusion of evil spirits.
Courthouse: Use this dirt for anything even remotely involving legal matters. This could include contracts, court cases, general justice, and even money that’s owed to you. If your intent would benefit from the discerning eye of the law, this is the dirt you need.
Educational Facility: Whether it comes from a school yard or a college campus, this dirt is excellent for efforts involving knowledge acquisition and retention. It can also be used effectively in magic to induce study.
Enemy’s Home: Granted, gathering this dirt is a bit trickier and may involve some skulking around to collect. But there’s no better way to cut your enemy off at the knees than to use dirt from his own home against him. Just an aside, though: Unless you want to cause possible harm to everyone living on that property, be very careful how you word the related spell.
Home: Gather this dirt to protect all the occupants of your home and guarantee their safe return. The best way to accomplish this is to sprinkle a bit in every pair of shoes in the house. To ensure that someone else visits you again, sprinkle a bit in his or her shoes.
Hospital, Clinic, or Doctor’s Office: Gather dirt from any of these locations for efforts that involve healing. There are a couple of things you should keep in mind, though. First, no magic in the world is a substitute for medical care or prescription medication. And second, be certain that healing is exactly what you’ve got in mind when you add this dirt to magic, especially if a serious illness is involved and death is a possibility for the recipient. Why? Because healing and staying alive are two entirely different things. And death is often the best way to heal someone.
Garden or Flower Shop: Often used in love spells, this dirt has the tendency to make love sprout and grow roots, bud and blossom. Unless you’re playing for keeps, though, it’s inadvisable to add this dirt to your magic.
Jail: Use this dirt to keep the police away from your door, especially if you’re prone to trouble with them. To make yourself invisible to the police and perhaps, cause them to overlook a bench warrant, add a piece of hematite to the dirt.
Shopping Center or Mall: These areas are always busy, employ many people, and have a reputation for attracting large amounts of cash. For this reason, there’s nothing better than this type of dirt when used in efforts to obtain gainful employment or increase your cash flow.
Police Station: Dirt from this area is often collected and sprinkled along the baseboards of the home and along the edges of its structure to keep the family safe from harm. It’s not a good idea to use this dirt if you’re involved in any sort of illegal activity, though, as it could bring the police straight to your door.
Workplace: There are lots of uses for this sort of dirt. It works wonders when included in efforts for getting a promotion or raise. But that’s not all. It can also be used to foil a co-worker or for figuratively getting the dirt on the company, itself.
CHARMI
NG THE DIRT
Now that you’ve collected the dirt, you’ll want to put it to use. And while a good portion of it will probably be added to spells, curses, and ritual supplies like oils, washes and powders, it’s a good idea to use some of the more positive stuff for yourself. After all, one can never have too much good luck. Right? Besides, if you’re even thinking along the line of hexes and curses, you’ll want to go the extra mile and do whatever it takes to protect yourself.
One of the great things about dirt is that it works of its own accord. You don’t have to cleanse it. You don’t have to charge it. You don’t have to do any of the things you might ordinarily do when using another substance in magical work. The fact that it’s a part of the Earth and thus, as old as creation, gives it stability. As it’s sucked up the collective consciousness of all who have stepped on it over the years, it has knowledge and power. And if you’ve collected it from the graveyard, it’s also imbued with the energies and qualities of the person whose final resting place you’ve tapped. Put it all together, and you have a ready made magical operation. All you have to do is apply it.
There are several ways to do this, but all have the same beginnings. Simply put, you need to decide which dirt samples to combine. You can mix as many or as few as you like, the only rule being that the combination must be to your benefit and not harm you in any way, shape or form.
Once you’ve made that decision, the only thing left to figure out is exactly how you intend to apply the dirt. Know that there is no wrong or right way and that you can’t screw this up. Just choose a method with which you’re comfortable—even if it’s not listed below—and let the dirt do its thing.
Sprinkling: Perhaps the easiest and quickest way to incorporate the dirt’s beneficial energies into your life is to sprinkle it along your baseboards, under your rugs, and along the outside perimeter of your property. It’s also a good idea to sprinkle it under the doormat and around the front porch. The only drawback with its presence inside the house is the vacuum cleaner. Just know that you’ll have to replace the dirt if you decide to embark upon a cleaning frenzy.
Charm Bag: Also known as a mojo and sometimes a gris gris, this bag is traditionally made of red flannel, but it’s frequently constructed of other materials such as leather, beadwork, and more decorative fabrics by today’s practitioners. The dirt is usually combined with snippets of your hair and fingernail clippings (these taglocks identify you as the person to reap the rewards), along with any other items you consider of benefit. The entire mixture is then placed into the bag, which is worn around the neck or someplace else close to the body. These bags also may contain taglocks from other family members. In that case, though, the bag should be buried rather than worn and rest as close to the front step of the home as possible.
Good Luck Bottle: Sometimes known as a Witch’s Bottle, this generally takes the form of a jar with a tight-fitting screw-on lid. The dirt mixture is placed in the bottom of the container and sprinkled with herbs that vibrate to good fortune. (Any combination may be used, but I tend to use cinnamon, basil, and lavender, as they bring love, money, and spiritual protection.) Traditionally, fish hooks are also added to “hook” good luck, as are nine dimes in payment to the spirit world for its protection and rewards. Once the jar is at least half full, it should be filled to the top with your urine, capped tightly, and buried on your property—preferably as close to the front door as possible.
Garden Additive: While I’ve also heard of practitioners adding the dirt mixture to the soil in their flowerbeds and vegetable gardens, I’ve never tried this myself. However, the premise is that as the plants grow, so do the rewards to the beneficiary. And in the case of vegetables, “ingesting” the good luck would seem a most appropriate way of having said luck become an integral part of not only one’s life, but in essence, of oneself.
CHAPTER 3
THE CURSE OF THE 11” FASHION DOLL
1959 was an auspicious year. Mattel moved a new girl to town and brought her out to play. Gorgeous, fun-loving and intelligent, the 11” fashion doll befriended all who sought her out. And if that wasn’t thrilling enough, her not-too-shabby boyfriend seemed perfectly willing to come along for the ride. Little girls everywhere were absolutely beside themselves and couldn’t wait to take her home. (Parents were happy too, for at $1.98, most of them could afford to buy her.)
Of course, only the toy company realized that the dolls were really magic come to fruition. Parents hadn’t yet figured out that buying the doll was just the beginning. Or that normal modes of punishment weren’t even going to begin to stop their daughters’ whines once they had the doll in hand. No, the only solution was to go for broke, mortgage the house, and acquire that million dollar wardrobe so befitting a pony-tailed length of plastic with a teeny-tiny price tag and a waist to match.
The folks at Mattel sure knew their stuff, all right. Who else, after all, could cast a spell so powerful that its effects would outlast its original magicians? But even though they’d conjured some powerful magic in invention, marketing, sales, and sidelines—to say nothing of invoking the necessary midwifing skills to birth such a large neighborhood of fashionable friends—it’s a safe bet that they failed to see the whole picture. Or at least the part of it that offered more than a set of dolls with expensive clothing. If they hadn’t, there wouldn’t be a cheap knock-off anywhere. And yet, hundreds of them line the shelves of corner dollar stores all over the world.
That’s good news for magical practitioners. Why? Because it gives us a quick, easy, and inexpensive alternative to bean bags, carved potatoes, and grapevine figures with Spanish moss tresses. It allows us to put aside our sewing kits and save those stacks of felt scraps for other purposes. But even better—at least for clumsy practitioners like me—it puts an end to the inadvertent blood sacrifice that too often accompanies the slipped rotary blade or knife.
That’s right, folks! That lovely little fashion doll—the very same one who joyfully befriended all who sought her out—has now become the magical practitioner’s best friend as well. Used properly, she’s become the perfect poppet. The quintessential poppet. The ready-made poppet that’s just waiting to go home with you and be molded to your specifications. And all for less than a good cup of coffee. What could be better than that?
True enough, you may not be able to find a doll that meets all your specifications when it comes to acquiring a poppet. But that’s not a problem. Creativity is not only the matrix from which all magic flows, it’s also the stuff that nurtures the child in each of us and encourages it to have fun. And when it comes right down to it, it’s that child we’re avenging anytime a hex or curse comes into play. So, bring forth that child, unleash its creative urges, and let’s have some fun!
THE MAGICAL POPPETEER
When using the fashion doll as a poppet, it’s important that the doll somewhat resemble the person in question. Somewhat is key here, though, so don’t get caught up in the but-it-doesn’t-look-exactly-like cycle. Such will only serve to make you crazy, and that will defeat your purpose. Just remember that if you know who the doll is supposed to represent, so will the Powers Who Be. And in this case, that’s all that matters.
That said, let’s start with hair and eye color. The best possible scenario is, of course, to find a doll whose hair and eye colors both match those of the object of your intentions. But as that’s not always possible, check for hair color first.
There are a couple of reasons for this. For one thing, hair color is just as much a part of a person’s individuality as the curve of the toenail. For another, snippets of hair have, for centuries, been used to identify objects of intent during spellcasting. And since the poppet is a symbol of that object, it’s imperative to get as close to the proper shade as possible.
As simple as it sounds, this can occasionally present a few problems. You may know, for example, that the person in question is the queen or king of hair dye, that the only one privy to the natural shade is a well-tipped hairdresse
r, and that nothing—not even pain of death—is going to pry it out of them. Not to worry. Just purchase a doll tressed in the current shade and call it good.
On the other hand, what you may really need is a doll with silver hair, and for obvious reasons, the chances of finding one are slim to none. That’s not as much of a problem as it might seem either. Just take a good look at the person’s coloring. That will give you a clue as to the shade with which the person was born, and you can go from there.
Of course, it may be that you’ve already searched through multiple dollar stores for a red-headed wonder, there’s none to be found, and you simply don’t have time to drive all over hell and half of Georgia to locate one. What then? Just relax and take a deep breath. Then grab the doll with the palest hair in the store, march over to the section touting permanent markers—these little goodies are great for coloring hair—select the proper shade, and head for the check-out counter.
With that out of the way, let’s move on to eye color. And since manufacturers tend to pair certain hair and eye colors together, the search for a doll with the right combination of shades may be a moot point. There’s no need to despair, though. Paint pens are the answer. Just a dab or two and you’re good to go. End of problem.
There is one other thing that some practitioners tend to worry about when it comes to finding the proper poppet. And as much as I even hate to mention it, that worrisome characteristic is skin color. So, let’s address that now and get it out of the way. If you can find a doll with the proper skin tone, grab it and consider yourself lucky. But if you can’t, don’t spend a lot of time searching. Don’t make a problem where there isn’t one. And for the love of the Gods, don’t over-analyze. Just know that by the time you’re done with preparations, there won’t be any question as to who your poppet represents. I personally guarantee it.
Utterly Wicked: Curses, Hexes & Other Unsavory Notions Page 5
