by River Lux
Some say that the full moon is the best time to collect the dirt, but this is truly up to you. You should bring a digging utensil, such as a trowel or spoon, a container to keep your dirt in—a pill bottle or Ziploc baggy, and your gifts/offerings to the spirits.
For the offerings you will need 9 copper pennies, some whisky or wine, tobacco (unless it is the grave of a child then it is appropriate to use candy or a small toy).
You should go a day before you intend on collecting the dirt to pick a grave. When you go to collect the dirt meditate on the grave—state why you want the dirt and ask if you may purchase their services, listen for a reply if it is a yes you should pick from the offerings what you feel they would like…if you feel it is a no, send out a message to another who may be agreeable. You will get a response, or a grave will send out an energy and you will be drawn to it.
Now gather the dirt from where you feel their heart would be, if there is grass remove it and keep to use as a plug for when you are done. Dig about 3 inches- 6 inches in the ground, and collect your dirt. Drop either a silver dime or a if you feel they prefer copper…drop it in instead—this is your payment to the spirit. Thank the spirit for the help they are going to give you, then pour the whisky or wine or candy into the hole. Cover the hole back up with the plug of grass.
Now comes a bit of “book keeping”, write down the name, birth and death date of the grave as well as the cemetery on a piece of paper or label and affix it to the bag or jar. Hold the bag or bottle of dirt in your hand and pray hard for the spirit of the grave to come with you. Leave the grave knowing that you have that spirit's assistance and its power in the grave's dirt. Don't look back. Leave the cemetery and go home by a different route than the one you came by otherwise more than just that spirit will come with you, at the gate turn around three times (if you’re walking) or get out of your car and do that, it confuses any spirits that might decide to attach themselves to you.
Then go home, before you enter your house, turn around three times, make it look like you are just checking things out like anything around the outside of your home or the neighborhood. Be subtle. This is to also confuse the spirits in case any of them decided or are able to circumvent the gates of the cemetery, also have outside next to your front door a pot with a lot of small pebbles and sea salt, add another pebble to it before you enter, spirits will have a compulsion to want to try and count what is inside the pot, and if they try and are still there by sunrise they are forced to return to the cemetery.
The dirt needs to be prepared, there are two ways to dry the dirt out, one is to tie the dirt up one bottle’s worth at a time so you don’t confuse or mix up the dirt, in an old tee shirt or old cotton dish towel, so the dirt will dry out. Another method which is good if you’ve only collected a small amount is to lay out the dirt on a piece of foil to thoroughly dry out.
Once it’s dry (and do this next step outside or if you’re doing it inside wear a mask to not breath in the dust) sift the dirt into fine grains, larger clumps or bits of rocks/pebbles, tiny roots, any dead bugs, any live ones or worms (this is if you dig very deep) that you find, put into a jar and release at the nearest open field (even a school or park baseball or football field) and release them.
The dirt that is either fine dust, clumps, rocks/pebbles, roots, dead bugs, keep those but put them into separate jars or bags but with the same name on the label, keep a list or notebook of whom you gathered dirt from and for what purpose, each part of it can be used depending on the spell or if you are making a mojo bag or packet. Another way to store the dirt is in a small paper bag or a zip lock baggie with the name, birth and death dates and name of cemetery on it.
Every time you use the dirt, call the spirit by name and ask it to assist you with your work by the contract you and the spirit made in the cemetery.
Types of dirt to consider:
Mentally Disturbed / Insane person : To cause insanity, mental instability, etc.
WARNING: When collecting this dirt, do remember that you're dealing with the spirit of someone who was obviously mentally disturbed. This can backlash upon you.
Murderer / Killer : The older the dirt, the better in this case. Dirt from the grave of someone who has taken human life can be extremely powerful in matters of revenge and causing harm. Especially if the person was hung by the neck.
WARNING: Do be aware that incorporating this type of dirt into your magical practices can even cause DEATH! And like the insane person can be an instable energy to work with.
A Murdered person: This dirt is very useful in matters of injustice or wrong-doing.
Nun / Priest / Pastor: Used in situations where spiritual guidance and spiritual protection are needed. However, some people will unscrupulously use this to present or to convey the appearance of goodness and innocence to the outside world. This is a type of glamour or glamoury spell and it cannot hold up against someone who is truly good.
Oya is the Queen of the Dead and holds domain over all cemeteries. It is important to gain Her permission before entering her kingdom. Always bring Her some sort of enticement. She loves gifts, she is not known to have ever turned any down, she is rather fond of red wine and copper. Add 9 pennies to an old pill bottle with some red wine. So when you ask her permission to enter, let her know you have brought her a gift.
Knock 3 times on the ground and say the incantation before entering.
CEMETERY ENTRANCE INCANTATION
Oh, Oya, I call on You! Please lift Your head
And grant me swift entrance, Oh Queen of the Dead,
Into Your kingdom. I’ve brought You a present—
Nine pennies in red wine—which I think You’ll find pleasant.
I beg of You earnestly, grant me admission;
Let me enter Your realm without terms or condition!
Once you’ve gotten Oya’s permission, enter the cemetery, uncap the bottle and prepare to give Her the gift. But because protocol is important here, the pennies need to jingle together and make noise. The reason is that you’re doing more right now than just giving Oya a present. You’re also alerting the dead that they have company and you want them to hear you. So, drop the wine- soaked pennies in the nearest urn or vase, on a plot curb, or in the pathway.
.
You can go anytime you want once you’ve finished thanking Oya and her subjects for their time and for sharing their home with you.
If you chose to, you may exit by backing out of the cemetery…or by doing so as stated above, it’s all up to you…I would suggest doing both…figure it out.
Timing: It’s said that for good works, graveyard dirt should be taken within the hour before midnight and, for evil, within the hour after mid-
night. If your cemetery is locked up at a certain time, I would suggest going when they are open.
Coffin Nails
Coffin nails are generally considered a component of baneful or negative magic and have a rich history in Hoodoo and other magical systems. However, they (or any nail) can also be imbued with properties of what is called “fixing down” energies or sealing a spell. An Iron nail is preferable because of it’s energetic properties; real coffin nails (those formerly used to affix a coffin lid or any parts of a coffin) are a rarity!
It is alleged that the use of coffin nails in magical spells and ritual raises the level of power and its focus. Coffin nails are primarily used to offer protection by negating or neutralizing malevolent influences rendering them useless, to break spells and curses, for dark art and Luciferian initiation as well as for closure, purging, revenge and destruction. The exact roles and rituals of coffin nails in ritual use are dependent upon the particular craft practices of the magician.
Coffin nails are magical instruments with intrinsic power that must be treated with respect, they are not toys or novelty items. If by some chance you do get genuine coffin nails, you MUST respect the spirit of the deceased who was in the coffin that the nails were used to make.
In ancient times nai
ls and spikes were made of Iron, these days they are made of steel, the exception of course is rail road spikes, but for subtle ritual workings only a nail will do. The modern nail is made of steel, which is a mixture of iron and carbon which will work just as well.
Iron is a natural metal said to have a very powerful protective and disruptive energy attached to it.
Folk magic practitioners use coffin nails as a way of connecting with the dead in the belief that the dead can aid in spell work. Magically, the spirits of the dead are believed to possess many abilities to influence and control things beyond the earthly realm. Some practitioners use the nails to work with a specific spirit or ancestor they knew or work with frequently.
If petitioned for aid and paid properly then aid will be given and the power of the spell work will improve. But coffin nails are not limited to protection or curses; many practitioners of both folk magic and Pagan tradition say they can be used in almost any spell to boost the spiritual energy.
In black magic, the concept is that whatever caused the death of the person from which the coffin nail has been taken, will transfer itself by what is called "contagious magic", and cause harm to the recipient of the spell. Any evil spell is said to gain potency when coffin nails are used in place of the generally prescribed pin.
In Africa, an image is often made of an enemy and held to be used when needed. Whenever one feels threatened by the enemy, a coffin nail is wedged into the image and this protects the practitioner from any evil intended by their enemy.
In Voodoo, a spell that causes an enemy to go mad is performed with a voodoo doll, a coffin nail, and black arts oil.
Coffin nails are still used today in rituals both in Wicca, Witchcraft, Voodoo, Hoodoo, Obeah, Santeria, and others.
Obviously for a number of reasons it is hard to come upon real coffin nails nowadays, because to deliberately go to an old graveyard and dig up an old coffin to get the nails and or wood, is desecration and can bring down the spirit of the deceased upon you, and the fucking police as well.
You can make your own coffin nails using steel nails, or you can purchase a lot of 5 on amazon for around 7 dollars…most occult shops have them as well.
Making Your Own Coffin Nails
All you need is a package of nails, some graveyard dirt, a Ziploc bag, and these instructions:
Count out the number of nails you’ll need for
the spell, and charge them with your desire.
Place the nails in the plastic bag, and sprinkle
them with graveyard dirt that is appropriate to your desire. (A few tablespoons will work.)
If the spell calls for rusty nails, sprinkle them well with water.
Seal the bag and allow the nails to sit in the dirt
overnight, and they’ll be ready for use the next day…IF YOUR SPELL CALLS FOR RUSTY NAILS DO NOT WIPE THE NAILS CLEAN.
Nails from other places can be used in spell work as well:
Courthouse: To bring justice or to cause the
target to lose his or her legal battle.
Hospital: To cause illness.
Jail: To bring jail or prison time.
Mental Institution: To cause insanity.
Police Station: To bring about an arrest.
Workplace: To cause trouble for a co-worker or
employer.
Poppets
This is one of the most commonly used implements in sympathetic magic, which follows along on the theory that ‘like creates like’. They can be used to harm or to heal, so if you create a poppet of a person, anything done to the poppet will affect the person it represents.
Poppet magic is one of the finest and most practical uses of sympathetic magic. It’s been around for thousands of years, and is still used by practitioners today for healing, protection, prosperity, and other needs.
A poppet is simply, basically—essentially, a doll. It can be made from many different items…be creative. Here are some ideas and suggestions:
Cloth poppets, Paper poppets, Clay poppets, Wax poppets, Yarn poppets…aluminum foil can even be used. Just make your doll, stuff it with whatever you need the doll for. I usually just use grass and leaves from outside, you can add herbs, grave dust, taglocks, runes, anything really to it.
The doll should resemble, or at least remind you of the intended. This can be done by adding taglocks, or photos. You can pretty much make your poppet however you want…really there is no wrong way.
For paper poppets you can glue all the herbs, photos, taglocks, etc…onto them.
As far as poppets within this book are concerned, this is what you really need to know:
For best results, use a personal belonging of the victim’s that has their vibes in it to construct the poppet. A photo, a small article of clothing, car keys, small personal possessions, hair, fingernail clippings, sexual fluids, or even dirt taken from a footprint can be used. There are endless possibilities, as long as the article has a close connection in some way with the enemy. Poppets were often constructed from wax or clay in the old days. Wax can be hard to work with. It is best to construct the image to be sturdy and not soft, if you plan to inflict any serious damage. The poppet should be constructed to take abuse.
What is important is that the right amount of focusing and hatred goes into the working. Driving a nail into its head will cause insanity. Driving a nail into the heart, with the right kind of focus and intensity, will cause death if done with enough intensity and the operator’s aura is powerful enough. Burying the image in the ground will cause the person to waste away as the image rots in the ground.
Take whatever you have and use it in the construction of the image. Clothing articles may have to be cut to size. What is left over can be saved for the ritual working. A doll can be sewn and stuffed with what you have obtained. Wax, clay or the like can be molded and blended with pieces of the victim’s personal belongings. While constructing this image, chant aloud, or inside your head, the name of the enemy it represents, over and over as long as it takes to complete the image. This should be a mantra of hatred.
While chanting, focus intensely on the wrongs this person has committed and your hatred towards them.
When it is finished, write or engrave the enemy's name upon it. If you wish to completely destroy the enemy, this is best done during a waning Moon. You can perform a full ritual, where at the height of the ritual, you present the poppet, read aloud or to yourself the wrongs the enemy has committed against you and the curse you wish to inflict. When you are finished reading, burn the paper the curse was written on in the flame of a black candle.
While the paper is burning, for a while afterwards, focus all of your anger and hatred upon the enemy, chanting their name repeatedly, cursing their name, etc. This is the time to drive nails into the image, roast it over the fire, twist it, and mutilate it or whatever. Go over the offenses; get all of the anger out until you are completely exhausted. At this point, the image can either be burned (this is best done outside in some secluded area) and the ashes can be buried.
If you cannot burn the poppet—throw it in the trash, or if you have a cat and non toxic herbs were used in the making of the poppet…let them destroy it. BUT ONLY IF IT IS SAFE FOR THE CAT. I fucking love cats, more than people, so if any of you hurt any cats—a curse is laid on you to always smell like cat piss forever!
Decoy Poppet
A decoy poppet is one you craft to represent yourself, to absorb any negative/evil that may be sent to, or back to you.
Create a poppet to represent yourself, use either white fabric or an old white tee shirt. Charge the poppet with the task of taking on damage in your place. You should stuff it with dried grass or hay, or leaves. Add a personal taglock, and stitch it up. Once you are done you can either carry it with you for a few days to extra charge it, or continue with the ritual.
Blow upon the poppet—giving it life—tell the poppet what it is for.
I have made you, and your name is (insert your name). You shall re
ceive any and all negative energy in my place.
Place the poppet somewhere hidden, cause after all it is you…hide it in a safe place! You will need to make a new one every 3 months. To dispose of the old one un-name it, deconstruct it and burn it.
You were me, now you’re not I remove our bond, so you can pass on.
Scatter the ashes into a running stream, or some form of running water.
I should not that the poppet doesn’t have to be made of cloth here…wax, paper, yarn is acceptable…you can also place the poppet in a jar with herbs or protection: rosemary, sage, thyme, etc. The same concept of hiding it applies here as well.
A Witch’s Bottle
Items:
Small glass jar with a tight-fitting, screw-on lid
An assortment of sharp objects (Broken glass razor blades, rusty nails and screws, pins and needles…etc.)
Personal taglocks
Your urine
Menstrual blood (for women) Semen (for me) [This is optional]
Fill the jar at least half full of the sharp objects,
place the taglocks on top, and if you choose, add the blood or semen. Finish filling the jar with your urine, and screw the jar lid on tightly. Then seal the lid well with tape or wax.
Tradition holds that the jar should be buried at
least a foot deep on your property and as close to the front door as possible. If you cannot do this, due to where you live, simply put the jar out of sight...in the back of a dark closet, or pantry…just leave it alone and let it do its job.
