Image © @gendergems
In Anna Biller’s The Love Witch, paragon of feminist cinema, we witness our titular heroine Elaine creating a witch bottle in the kitchen of her recently deceased lover/victim Wayne. The key ingredients? Her own urine and a blood soaked, used tampon. “Most men have never even seen a used tampon” she muses in the voiceover. Digging Wayne’s grave, she places the witch bottle beside his remains - “a gift to her lover”, Ms Biller explains on a recent episode of The Witch Wave podcast. After all, what is more intimate than a tampon?
Witch bottles have not always been gifts. In 17th century East Anglia, stoneware bottles or jugs were traditionally created by cunning folk, astrologers or chemists as counter-spells or ‘prepared cures’ to retaliate against suspected witchcraft. Folklorist Icy Sedgwick recalls the story of cunningman James Murrell of Essex, who used a cast iron witch bottle to counter a curse placed on a young woman. He reportedly held the bottle in a blazing fire until the witch appeared and begged him desperately to stop. The next day, the girl was found to have miraculously recovered, whilst the witch had burned to a crisp.
Nigel Jeffries, a ceramic specialist working on Bottles Concealed and Revealed (a joint research project into witch bottles by the Museum of London Archaeology and the University of Hertfordshire) suggests that witch bottles were made primarily for wellbeing—to conjure longevity and good health. Later witch bottles, made from glass or plastic, were (and are) used by witches themselves in a similar way, or else laced with protective magic to guard against psychic or physical attack. A witch bottle dating back to the 1980s was recently discovered on the shores of the Thames—a plastic pill bottle containing human teeth, coins, and a tiny bottle of clove oil. Perhaps its creator had toothache.
Over 100 witch bottles, mostly from the 17th to 19th centuries, have been unearthed in the UK alone—under houses, in ditches, streams, and graveyards. Typical burial sites were in chimneys or under hearths—evil spirits were thought to enter houses via such thresholds. Last year a Victorian glass bottle was discovered at the site of the former Star and Garter Inn in Northamptonshire. It contained fish hooks, human teeth, glass, and liquid (urine and other bodily fluids have long been typical ingredients). The inn happened to be the 1761 birthplace of Angeline Tubbs, the infamous Witch of Saratoga. We might wonder whether the bottle’s creator was guarding against some of Angeline’s lingering forces.
If you’re feeling intrigued, and itching to do a little spellcasting, you might be wondering how to create a witch bottle for your own devices. Here are two simple recipes to get you started. Just don’t take Elaine’s murderous ways too much to heart. She might be our heroine but let’s face it—she’s no role model.
The (Self-) Love Bottle
There are written records of love charm bottles dating back to the 19th century. They often contained Dragon’s Blood - a vivid vermillion plant resin used by pagans to add potency to love and protection spells. Nowadays you can still find Dragon’s Blood in your friendly local apothecary or magical supplies shop. For simplicity, and economy, I suggest using jam jars as a starting point for your new witch bottle crafting hobby, but similarly any wide-necked glass bottle will do. Since it’s a bit creepy to bind others to you (take note, Elaine), let’s focus our love spells on self love instead. After all, the rest will follow.
Firstly, cleanse your jar by washing it thoroughly then placing it upside down on a lined baking tray (newspaper works just fine as a liner). Bake it in the oven on a very low heat for 15 minutes. Leave to cool. You can wash the lid too but no need to bake it.
Fill the jar half full with salt (whatever kind you have to hand), then sprinkle on a thin layer of Dragon’s Blood. Firmly push a small lump of rose quartz into place (rose quartz has all sorts of magical properties, but is especially potent when it comes to encouraging self love). Give it a kiss first—charge it with your intention!
A piece of red string or ribbon, symbolising protection, completes the spell. Seal the bottle with black candle wax (great for banishing negative energies), and hide somewhere deep inside your home.
The Fool’s Bottle
This recipe is inspired by Michelle Tea’s instructions for making a Fool Pouch (you can find this in her truly glorious, queer-friendly guide The Modern Tarot). Like the Fool card of the tarot, this bottle will conjure bravery, adventurousness, and wondrous naivety as you set out on any journey. It’ll also keep you safe, which is important given all that naivety and innocence. Why not keep it with you whenever you’re embracing something new, or embarking on an adventure?
Cleanse your jar or bottle as above.
Quarter fill your container with lavender, a perfect antidote to the stress of contemporary adulthood. Next add an anise pod and a sprig of rosemary (for passion and purity of intention, suggests Michelle), plus the small feather of any bird. This will keep you soaring high. A rusty nail or piece of metal gives strength and helps to banish evil forces. Bent rusty nails were thought to be especially potent for this purpose.
Top up with a clear spirit such as gin or vodka, to keep you giddy with a lust for life. Again, use candle wax (your favourite colour) to thoroughly seal.