The color red is believed to protect against evil in many cultures. Red ribbons are worn as amulets to protect from vampires, evil spirits, evil eye, bewitchment, and other evil or demonic attacks.
Salvic lore believes the red corpse is a tall tale sign of them person tell tale sign of vamirism.
Ankh is an Egyptian symbol of life, regeneration, and mortality and the universe.
Ankh means “life” and “hand mirror” is a tav, or looped cross. Tutankhamen had a hand mirror in this shape.
In Egyptian art, Ankh is carried as a scepter in the right hand of the gods. It’s also drawn on the nostrils of the dead to bring them back to life.
Amulets in the shape of an Ankh were made from semiprecious or precious stones, wax, wood metal, and Faience.
Pagans and Wiccans wear an Ankh as an amulet against negativity and/or a talisman for good luck and good spirits. They also use it to represent the union of male and female. The masculine being the staff, and the feminine being the closed loop.
I’ve also heard of the Ankh being drawn on the lips of the dead so they’d receive the Life’s breath in the otherworld.
Whenever I hear charm, I think of a little figure on a bracelet.
This isn’t what I’m talking about today though.
In magic or witchcraft, a charm is/are magical words, phrases, chants, incantations, or prayers when verbal.
They’re also incantations or symbols drawn on paper, parchment, wood, or other materials including the body.
There are other charms that include phrases and actions like spitting.
They’ve been common since ancient times and can be used for any purpose: find love or riches, fertility and potency, or to make a man impotent, revenge, to keep a lover faithful, protection of self, property or animals, or to get rid of pests.
Folk witches, and cunning folk were often sought to create a charm to break or repel spells of other witches, ill-wishing, evil eye, etc.
The church promoted the use of holy charms like rosaries, and holy relics. In the 17th Century, the rosary was blessed as a charm/amulet against fire, tempest, and evil spirits.
Abracadabra was originally a charm from around the 2nd Century Rome, probably older, and was believed to cure fever.
Folk witches renowned for their healing abilities used many charms creating the name Charmers for themselves. I’m sure charmers became a nickname the townsfolk called them.
They used Christian prayers spoken or written in Latin. The church was okay with the use of these prayers and scripture quotes for protection and cures, but they didn’t like Charmers and witches prescribing them.
In the 17th Century a sorcerer from Nottingham began selling a charm against witchcraft, copies of St. John’s Gospel, and to break the spell he prescribed herbs and the recitation of five Our Fathers, five Hail Mary’s, and one Creed.
In the 19th Century, England poems similar to nursery rhymes were said to protect against witchcraft. Witches had their own good luck charms too. They were also used for other purposes like gathering medicinal herbs.
The belief in charms started to dwindle in the 17th Century. There are some we still use today though, Ladies –guys too- how many times did you pluck petals from a flower while saying, “He loves me…. He loves me not”? I know my friends and I plucked every flower and clover we could find one year.
Wiccans replaced the word charm with chant or incantation.
Images found on Google search
Blue
The Greeks believed blue repels vampires and other spirits.
They painted blue around doorways and windows to prevent vampires from entering their house.
Blue is also the most common color of the evil eye protection amulet.
Use this to protect against evil eye.
Protection from evil spirits and their forces is never far away. As long as you’re not dehydrated.
In folklore spittle represents the world, and speeding it isn’t offering to the gods for like and for protection.
Body fluids were always good offerings to the gods.
You need to spit as soon as you sense any supernatural danger. Spit before you enter any dangerous for haunted area.
Aspen.
Aspen is believed to be the wood that made Christ’s cross and thus protection of all things evil.
It is a favorite for making stakes, and destroying vampires. If you lay a few branches on a vampire or which is grave it will keep them from raising.
Image from Google Search.
An Egg Tree is a charm to ward off witches.
It’s a dead bush with cropped branches. It’s decorated with dozens or hundreds of blown eggs and is always by a home.
Nice Easter decoration, 😉 keep witches away too.
Image from Google search
Gold can be used to protection against evil. It’s not as well-known as silver.
It’s gold is associated with the sun, goodness, and everything light, divinity and purity.
Placing gold coins or crosses on a corpse will keep it from rising from the grave.
Images from Google search
The Horseshoe has long been considered lucky. It’s possible that the crescent shape (like the moon’s) being made of iron (considered magical) and being used by the horse (often linked with being used by the horse. (Often linked with Gods and Goddesses) had a large factor.
It’s best if you find the horseshoe. There are rules of how and where to hang it depending on if you wish to bring luck or protection.
There’s an old Gypsy folktale of a young Rom (male Gypsy) who was out late. He was on his way home when he noticed 4 demons (they were named: Bad Luck, Ill Health, Unhappiness, and Death) were chasing him. One of the demons -Bad Luck- was getting closer when the Rom’s horse threw a shoe and hit the demon in the forehead.
The Rom stopped to pick-up the shoe while the other demons took their dead brother away to bury him.
The Rom told the others what happened and nailed the horseshoe to his Vardo (gypsy wagon). The three demons returned the next day. When they saw the horseshoe they turned and never returned.
The Gypsies to this day believe a horseshoe will keep bad luck away.
***It’s now politically correct to use the term Romani or Roma instead of Gypsy. I’ve always loved the lifestyle and I use Romani, Roma or Gypsy interchangibly.***
***!!! I’ll be running a witch feature next month. If you’re interested in being a part of it -short story, or an article, please get in touch with me.!!!***
So it’s been called to my attention there wasn’t a Witching Hour post this month.
I’m so sorry for the ooops. I’ll make it up…
Here is an interesting witch myth I just heard for you today…
The Black Walnut Tree
If you suspect a witch is hexing you. You must find a black walnut tree. Draw her picture on it.
Mark her heart with an X. Hammer a nail into the X, just a little every day.
The witch or someone she sends in her place will try to borrow something from you.
Don’t lend it!
Continue to hammer the nail farther into the tree something will happen either the witch will stop hexing you; or she will try to borrow something from you.
You must not lend her anything, the protection will stop if you do or she will die.
All right, now my questions. What if you can’t draw worth squat? Does it work as long as you know who it is? I hope so. What if you can’t find a black walnut tree? Could any tree do or would any nut tree do?
What do you think about this myth? I’m starting to believe that what we’re told in myths to protect ourselves are just silly stories to make us feel safe.
Mari Wells 