Lydia Vvinters

It’s the season to be crafty.

Witch balls have a rich and varied history, and they’re a popular item in many modern witchcraft and neo-pagan traditions.

Initially, witch balls were green or blue glass balls, around two to five inches in size, which date back to the 17th century in England. Their name came from the belief that they could ward off evil spirits, hence they were frequently placed in windows to protect homes.

In England, hollow glass spheres were also filled with holy water and other items to ward off witchcraft. In Victorian England, these witch balls were primarily used for decorative purposes, often placed in the window where they sparkled in the light.

In North America, witch balls appeared among early 18th century settlers, used for their traditional magical purposes, but also as a sign of prestige or good luck.

They were thought to protect against evil spirits by trapping them inside the ball’s interior strands of glass. The ball would draw in any negative energy, preventing it from affecting the people in the house. Once trapped, the negative energy would be neutralised by the positive energy of the home and family.

Modern-day witch balls are often ornate, containing charms, herbs, and other items relevant to the intention they’re being used for. They often mirror the appearance of the homeowner’s taste, correlating with the colours and symbols that resonate with them most.

Witch balls are often hung in windows, doorways, or prominent areas where they are thought to cleanse negativity and promote peaceful environments. Some modern witches also use witch balls in their spellwork, crafting them with specific intentions in mind, such as for protection, prosperity, love, or clarity.

As with any spiritual tool, the power of a witch ball is largely dependent on the user’s belief in and connection with the object and its symbolic meanings. Just like any other magical tool, it should be used with a specific intention and regularly cleansed of collected energy to maintain its effectiveness.

Lastly, making your own witch ball can be a profound and empowering experience, amplifying the protective or enhancing qualities of the ball as it is imbued with your personal energy.

Spell jars and witch balls are two physical practices in modern paganism with similarities, but they each serve specific purposes.

Spell jars, also known as “witch’s bottles,” are containers (usually glass) that hold items associated with a particular intention or spell. The contents of a spell jar can include herbs, crystals, feathers, oils, written spells or affirmations, charms, and even personal items or mementoes. The jar serves as a container for specific energies corresponding to the intention of the spell. While making a spell jar, a chant or incantation may be spoken to charge the aforementioned items with the user’s intention. For instance, a witch might create a spell jar filled with rose petals and rose quartz to set the intention of attracting love.

Witch balls, as previously discussed, are not only decorative but traditionally were thought to defend a home by trapping negative energy or spirits within its intricate interior. Modern pagan practices utilise witch balls in a similar protective function, or they can also be used as a tool to attract specific energies.

The practical overlap between these two is in their overall purpose and use. Both can be used for protection, attraction of certain energies or intentions, or physical manifestations of spells. They can also serve as vessels for a specific intention—a physical embodiment of magic that a witch wants to manifest.

However, a spell jar is typically more specific to the person and the spell, while witch balls are traditionally used more for general protection. A witch ball is usually hung in a window or door frame to protect a home, while a spell jar might be buried on the property, kept in a secret place, or included on an altar.

In essence, both practices involve focusing and manifesting the practitioner’s intention, very often by using physical items as symbolic representations of that intention, and both could be seamlessly integrated into many witches’ practices. It largely depends on personal preference, style of practice, and specific needs, such as whether someone chooses to use a spell jar, a witch ball, or both in their personal witchcraft.

With this history and context in mind, I aim to combine the two intentions and create Witchballs that are simultaneously protection spell jars. Here are the instructions on how to make your own:

You will need:

• See-through/glass ornament/ ball.
• Amethyst
• Amber
• Salt
• Lavender
• Fennel seeds
• Sage
• Holly
• Pine
• Crow feathers

Instructions:

• Gather all your materials, and make yourself comfortable in your sacred space. Calm your mind and focus on the task at hand.
• Before you start, ensure both the ball and all your ingredients are spiritually cleansed. You can do this by passing them through incense smoke, burying them in the earth for a while, or charging them under moonlight.
• Open your ball, and layer your first ingredient. This could be the salt, which serves as a powerful cleansing and purifying agent.
• Next, add lavender for its calming, healing and protective powers.
• Add in the fennel seeds, which are known for warding off negative energy and bringing strength.
• The sage can be added next for its renowned purification and protection properties.
• Now, add elements of your amethyst and amber. Amethyst has calming, psychic protective qualities, while amber can absorb negative or stagnant energies.
• Grate some holly and pine tree bark if you have it, as both of these tree elements have protective features. If not, just the twigs will work!
• Insert the crow feathers as symbols of power, transformation, and spiritual strength.
• While you’re layering these ingredients, visualise each of them weaving a protective shield around you.
• Once all your materials are in the ball, seal it tightly. If you wish, you can paint the outside of your ball with purple paint to symbolise magic, power, and protection. You can also inscribe protective runes or symbols onto the paint for an added layer of protection.
• Charge your witchballs under the moonlight, stating your protective intention.

Lunar luminescence, intangible and bright,

Bless these vessels in the hush of the coming night.

Infuse them with thine argent glow,

Aegis intent within them sow.

Under thy cool, watchful gaze,

Protective power in them raise.

Lost in moonlight’s mystic spell,

Make these vessels ward and shell.