Witch Jars 101
A very fun, easy and inexpensive way to do magic is to use/make/do Witch Jars. I have several Witch Jars, one of which I realize I didn’t take a picture of, but oh well. I’m honestly not feeling up to tracking it down (it’s outside), photographing it, and then uploading it (unless you want me to? Just let me know.)
Anyway, here’s the Witch Jars I currently have:
- Protection Jar
- Money/Lakshmi Jar
- Wish Jar
- Lakshmi Money Pouring Water Jar
- Money Jar (this one is really old, and I mainly keep it ‘cuz I love how it looks, with the wax going down the sides and all, and also ‘cuz it was my first one I ever made that wasn’t a protection jar.)
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HOW TO MAKE
Witch jars are extremely easy to make. Basically, you get a jar, put in the stuff you want, and seal it; either magically or physically. What you put in really depends on the kind of jar you want to make. For example, here’s what I have in my protection jar:
I always try to keep jars around. They’re basically free because for the most part you already have them! Examples:
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MAKING THE JAR
When it comes to doing spells it’s always very important to know exactly what you want to do; what your purpose is. I’m always harping that magic is intent and this is always true, and for me, always will be.
(* Side note; so much for not getting up. Got a pic of my protection jar and where I have it sitting as well. Photos at the end… possibly. We’ll see how this post formats.*)
So anyway, when you’re deciding what you want for your jar, go through all of your correspondences. Things like witch jars really make use of the craft part of witchcraft :) As you are not only putting physical items in them but also your energies, keep in mind the following, which is not an exhaustive list.
Again, this is not exhaustive but here are some ideas for Witch Jars:
WITCH BOTTLES
Witch bottles are … for me, little mini witch jars that you can take with you. I love having the little bottles for things like taking money water with me, I once made up an herbal mixture for helping me at work, things like this. Small bottles are great to keep around for making your own oil mixtures as well. These are different from witch jars, but still similar enough I wanted to include them in a small way here.
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NOTES
Anyway, here’s the Witch Jars I currently have:
- Protection Jar
- Money/Lakshmi Jar
- Wish Jar
- Lakshmi Money Pouring Water Jar
- Money Jar (this one is really old, and I mainly keep it ‘cuz I love how it looks, with the wax going down the sides and all, and also ‘cuz it was my first one I ever made that wasn’t a protection jar.)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
HOW TO MAKE
Witch jars are extremely easy to make. Basically, you get a jar, put in the stuff you want, and seal it; either magically or physically. What you put in really depends on the kind of jar you want to make. For example, here’s what I have in my protection jar:
- soil
- salt
- a star shaped piece of glass
- a mirror with a pentacle drawn on it
- nails
I always try to keep jars around. They’re basically free because for the most part you already have them! Examples:
- olive/pickle jars
- jam/jelly jars
- pasta sauces
- salsa jars (but these seem to frequently be embossed with shapes and such and this really takes away from my ability to do magic with them; this is personal though)
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MAKING THE JAR
When it comes to doing spells it’s always very important to know exactly what you want to do; what your purpose is. I’m always harping that magic is intent and this is always true, and for me, always will be.
(* Side note; so much for not getting up. Got a pic of my protection jar and where I have it sitting as well. Photos at the end… possibly. We’ll see how this post formats.*)
So anyway, when you’re deciding what you want for your jar, go through all of your correspondences. Things like witch jars really make use of the craft part of witchcraft :) As you are not only putting physical items in them but also your energies, keep in mind the following, which is not an exhaustive list.
- How big is your jar versus what you want to put in it.
- Astrological/timing symbolism.
- I like to make/decorate a corresponding candle to match my witch jars.
- Decorations for the outside of the jar; glitter, ribbon, stickers, mod-podge, etc.
- Everything you want to put inside.
- Do you want to include use of the lid for the jar. If so in what capacity? Permanently sealed, made with an opening, to open/close, etc.
- Is what you’re putting in it going to react with each other such as herbs and oils. Will it make mud/mold?
- How long do you plan to keep the jar? Like I re-open my protection jar to cleanse and re-charge it every few months.
- Taking things out of the jars can decrease the energy. Like in a money jar if you have to take money out if it for a necessary thing (Like I had to do to get food the other day….). This affects the energy.
Again, this is not exhaustive but here are some ideas for Witch Jars:
- Protection jar – Put this outside or near your front door. Include items to reflect negativity back (mirrors), to break spells (nails), barrier against negativity (salt, soil), other herbs/oils as your choice. These are typically permanently sealed, though I open and cleanse and re-charge mine every few months.
- Wish jar – Put inside goals you wish for, no matter how realistic (stop a habit, buy an item, loose weight, etc) or how unrealistic (have a pet tiger, meet Johnny Depp, own an island, etc). This one you want to leave open so you can add things to it. I like to have small pieces of paper and I draw on them what the wish is. The more time you spend on it the more energy is in it, so the better it works.
- Money jar – This one I put money in, and I also have items in it that represent finances and money. I have herbs and such in it, plus a small vial of my Lakshmi money pouring ritual water.
- Other jars – A witch jar can be anything you want it to be. You could use it to contain bad habits you want to release. You could make a “happy” jar where you put inside things that make you happy to increase the happy energy around you. Anything you want.
WITCH BOTTLES
Witch bottles are … for me, little mini witch jars that you can take with you. I love having the little bottles for things like taking money water with me, I once made up an herbal mixture for helping me at work, things like this. Small bottles are great to keep around for making your own oil mixtures as well. These are different from witch jars, but still similar enough I wanted to include them in a small way here.
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NOTES
- I just really like witch jars. They are super fun to make, super easy and can be used for a variety of things. This is one of those things that really makes me feel “Witchy” when I’m making it and when I look at them on my altars.
- When you are beginning to gathering jars make sure you get them super clean. I first hand wash them, then I usually put them through the dishwasher a couple times. This gets away all of the scent and residue from whatever food was in it. Also make sure to get off all of the label. I have found that nail polish remover is very good for it.
Witchs, Jars, & Burying them
I can’t be the only one that sees how many witch jar spells tell you to bury said jar in the ground and flinches. Why? Because reasons, that’s why.
Don’t roll your eyes. Read on.
Here’s a few reasons why burying all the witch jars you make can be a pain in the ass:
Ask yourself this when gathering ingredients for a spell:
In the end, this is going to come down to personal practice, personal belief, and convenience. Do what you do and I’ll do what I do.
Don’t roll your eyes. Read on.
Here’s a few reasons why burying all the witch jars you make can be a pain in the ass:
- It can break. Broken glass can eventually make its way to the surface and that barbeque you’re having and turn into a trip to the hospital. This is especially dangerous if the glass was coated or holding with poisons, rust, metal, or other harmful materials.
- Finding the jar again. Let’s say you want to undo a spell. Or you just need to find the damn jar after you buried it. If you didn’t mark it, you’re going to be playing the guessing game on locating it in the earth.
- Too many jars makes for a full garden. Think about it. Bury six jars in small space then try to plant a garden over it. You can do it, absolutely, but that’s a lot of earth being taken up for a spell.
- You’re burying a perfectly good glass jar. I hate using glass jars for spells. I prefer to use and reuse glass jars until I can’t any more. By can’t I mean they shatter, are given away, hold poisons, or contain a smell that can’t be dispersed.
- It isn’t your land. (Maybe) You’re renting? Live in an apartment? On campus? Maybe you shouldn’t be burying shit in places you don’t own a deed to.
- Someone else could dig it up and find it. And how much would your plan suck then?
- Glass doesn’t decompose. Technically called devitrification (if I remember correctly) only some glass actually “breaks down”. In this process, the glass crystallizes as typically seen in art glass, crazing, warping, etc will occur before the glass actually becomes so fragile it will break. This occurs over long periods of time. Some types of glass can be broken down with chemicals such as hydrofluoric acid. But most glass we use, such as silicates, don’t break down naturally.
Ask yourself this when gathering ingredients for a spell:
- Does it need to be buried? Does it really? Are you sure? There isn’t some other way to solve the problem?
- Is this a short term spell? Maybe burying it in a potted plant is better.
- Does it need to be liquid? You can soak herbs in vinegar, hot sauce, protection oils, water, etc. without needing to fill a jar. It might even be easier to soak said herbs then leave them for the spell’s target to stumble upon. Hell, you could even spritz some vinegar/water/oil/etc on it and it would probably work (depending on your paradigm and all that).
- Does the spell need to be contained? Sometimes spells don’t need to be contained. Sometimes you need them to leech into the soil, earth, and world. If it doesn’t need to be contained, perhaps you should try putting it in a paper bag or a “biodegradable” bottle (most of these aren’t fully biodegradable and don’t do it in five years as advertised so keep that in mind) Jars contain things. Why would you put something in a jar if you want it to get out?
- Is it a funeral? A lot of the time I see “bury this” spells is because you’re suppose to be given it a funeral. If you aren’t doing that, then you may want to rethink burying it.
- Is it a secret? I don’t bury my protection witch jars. Instead, I hang them up. I put them on display. I let the world know this place is protected. Besides, it also serves as decoration. (Obviously, if you’re in the closet or the spell has a secret purpose, this isn’t an option).
- Will some other container make do? I paper bag half my “bury this” spells. Especially if they don’t contain liquid. And the ones that do sometimes don’t need that much liquid. Instead of shaking the jar, I’ll shake and squish the bag instead.
- Can you reuse the jar? One your spell has gone off, are you willing to dig up the jar and use it again? I’m not talking about the ingredients. I would bury the organics and bring the inorganics to a recycling station or dump. I’m talking about the jar itself. This comes down to personal belief and practice. I go either way on it personally but to each their own.
- Does it need to be sealed? Many witches seal their jars in wax. Why not make a container of wax instead? Or seal a paper bag or whatever. It’s still sealed and yet you’re not burying glass.
- Does it actually need a jar? Many jar spells don’t need to be jar spells. It’s for convenience. You can pour hot sauce or vinegar over paper to curse someone. You don’t always need to stick it in a jar.
In the end, this is going to come down to personal practice, personal belief, and convenience. Do what you do and I’ll do what I do.