5. Form the mixture into thirteen equal balls with a little good molasses and flour.
6. Place these balls on the black cloth at the center of the circle, and wrap them in the cloth to store them, only opening it to withdraw a ball when needed.
7. To remove an enchantment or uncross a victim, hide a ball beneath the doorstep or along the path of the conjuror who has harmed them. This will end their power over the victim.
USING WITCHBALLS FOR PROTECTION
Witchballs were not only used for harm, but also for uncrossing a bewitched person. One could roll henbane (Hyoscyamus niger) and mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris) into a ball with a victim’s hair and place it under the doorstep of the victim to keep a witch out of the house. A recipe from American Witch Stories calls for “Ginseng (Panax spp.), Mugwort, Sassafras, and Henbane, powdered and dry mixed with the bewitched person’s hair and molasses. These were to be hidden under the witch’s doorstep to break the bewitchment.” This essentially turned the magic of a conjurer back upon them, a concept we see over and over in Appalachian witchcraft and folk magic.
The inclusion of old-world plants like henbane and mugwort in these recipes is a clear linkage to the folk magic of Western Europe. When mixed with the magically powerful Native tree sassafras and the iconic Appalachian root ginseng, the recipes stand as fine examples of the unique melding of the diverse cultural influences of the mountains. It seems a logical choice to combine the best of both worlds in efforts to fight these invisible weapons.
SATOR ROTAS SQUARE
This charm is a small square of paper with “SATOR ROTAS” written upon it in the shape of a square. It is used to find lost things and is either spoken out loud or written on a piece of paper. It is very, very old, and not unique to Appalachia. This charm was found etched onto a wall in Pompeii and has been found all over Europe, from Italy to Sweden. While the exact origin is still debated, it is likely originally Mithraic, later becoming a part of Christian syncretism and surviving among various Christian traditions. This means that this symbol most likely has Persian roots.
It was found inscribed on walls, often above doors, to keep out evil spirits and malefic witches. SATOR ROTAS is a palindrome, and curiously, a near universal folk belief holds that the Devil or evil spirits cannot tamper with these special word images. In Pennsylvania Dutch folk magic, it is used to put out fires, keep travelers from exhaustion, and protect cattle from witchcraft. It was especially used by Pennsylvania German Appalachians, written on small squares of paper, and either fed to cattle to protect them from witchcraft or glued above windows and doors in a household to provide the inhabitants the same protections.
TO MAKE THE SATOR ROTAS SQUARE
To make a square of your own to protect house and land, simply inscribe these words to form a square on a sheet of new paper. Roll it up or fold it and secret it away among the eves of your home or barn, or in your vehicle.
S
A
T
O
R
A
R
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P
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N
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P
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A
S
ABRACADABRA CHARM
This word charm has made its way into popular culture, with many children’s magicians declaring it loudly! A possible meaning of the word “abracadabra” is of Jewish origin: “God sends forth His lightning to scatter His enemies,” a sentence from a Psalm of David. ABRACADABRA was used to diminish disease, much like the word diminishes as it goes down to a single A. This act of imitation in magic is called “sympathetic magic.” As the word decreases, the theory is that so too does the disease.
These triangles were first mentioned in a third-century book, Liber Medicinalis, where the author recommended malaria suffers wear them as an amulet written on paper. They continued to appear even on the doorways of Londoners fearing the great plague and were carried on one’s person to avoid disease or diminish it. It was also believed to have the power of curing the pain of a toothache. These charms are most often found in Appalachia in the eaves of barns and houses to prevent fire and protect the animals and people within from witchcraft.
