We are approaching Imbolc which falls on February 1 – 2. This is a time to welcome the sun and is a moment of renewal. The days are getting longer, however we are still in the depths of winter weather. This is a good time of year to start seeds in a greenhouse, and flowers like crocuses and snowdrops will soon appear. To learn more about Imbolc check out my post and click HERE. This is a time of year to do spells about increase and growth. This year the moon will be full on Imbolc which is a time of release of a previously cast spell. If you do spells by the moon this is an awkward time to do a spell about increase and growth. If you want to go by the time year and the moon for your spell about increase and growth you might opt to wait until February 18 when the moon is a barely visible waxing crescent to cast your spell. It is up to you how to handle this situation.
This is a good time of the year to do container spells. Containers used in container spells include glass jars and bottles with lids, stoppers or corks, glass balls with corks, boxes both wood and cardboard, sachets, cloth bags and poppets. Energies in container spells are meant to be released over time. The fillings that go into the container should align with the energies of the spell you are doing. All objects have a life force or energy which needs to be taken into consideration when doing a spell regardless if it is a container spell or other spell. To learn more check out this book about container spells by clicking HERE.
Focused intention and will are most important in making your container spells work. As you fill the container and charge it, the more focused your intention and will are the more powerful your spell is. Intention is like the seed, and will is the force that makes it grow. Other things you can do to help maintain the focus of the energy you send to the container are balancing your chakras, opening your third eye, keeping a gratitude journal, using positive affirmations, cleansing your aura and smudging in general to cleanse. With all container spells you may choose to cast a circle for the time you are spending on your working. To learn more check out this book about jar spells which includes a section about intention and will. Click HERE.
Let us start with a container spell for self love. First obtain your container. A jar, bottle or glass ball works well for this. You can use a clear glass ball which was an ornament for your Yule tree. Use a cork to close the top. As with all container spells start with purifying your materials. A common method is to pass the objects through the smoke from a smudge. For smoke you can use incense or a smudge stick. Do not forget the matches or lighter when you set up! Be careful of cultural appropriation. You can also smudge with sound using a bell or singing bowl. Smudging cleanses the items of unwanted energies which they picked up along the way.
Materials:
A glass jar with a lid, bottle with a lid, stopper or cork or a glass ball with a cork
Something to use as a smudge
A pink or white candle (White in general is good substitute for other colors except black.)
Pen
Paper
Rose petals
Catnip
Rose Quartz
Smudge the materials. View your pen as a magical, and smudge it as well. That goes for all spells which require pen and paper. Write affirmation(s) on your paper without any mistakes. You may need to use a separate piece of paper to make your mistakes as you plan out what say. You may want two clean copies of your affirmations, one to put in the container, the other to refer to every day. Click HERE for a blog that gives ideas of what say. This blog includes affirmations as well as a section about writing your own affirmations. If you can make them rhyme even better. Check out this rhyming dictionary by clicking HERE. Put the fillings in the jar with the affirmations last. Focus your energy on the jar or bottle and its contents, saying, “May I find truth in these affirmations and be more loving to myself.” Close the jar, bottle or ball with the lid, stopper or cork, burn the candle and use wax drippings to seal the container. (Note: You can also use a hot glue gun as a substitute for candle wax to seal the container. Glue sticks come in clear and in many colors. This substitution can be made for any container spell that calls for candle wax to seal the container.) Put the self love container out where you see it everyday. It helps to recite your affirmations everyday as well.
Moving on to a love spell. A few notes before we begin. The target is the person to whom the spell is directed. I started with a self love spell because should you do it, you give yourself permission to be the target of the spell. With spells you do directed at a target, it is ethical to get permission from that person. If you do not get permission, it steals the target’s free will. You can use a taglock to provide a link to the target. A taglock may be hair, nail clippings, urine, spit, items worn by the target like a ring or a piece of clothing, photograph of the target, business card or a signature.
Materials:
Glass jar with a lid, bottle with a lid, stopper or cork, a glass ball with a cork
Something to use as a smudge
Pen
Paper
Red or white candle
Red rose petals
Coriander seeds
Cardamon seeds
Garnet
2 to 3 taglocks
Smudge the materials. Write a petition for the love spell. Be specific. “May ____________ (fill in target’s name) love me” is too general. How do you want him/her to love you? How do you want her/him to feel when s/he sees you? How should s/he think about you? Mindfully put the fillings into the container, petition last. Focus your energy on the container and its contents, saying, “May ____________ (fill in target’s name) find that s/he loves me.” Recite your petition. Close the container and burn the candle to seal with wax drippings. Place the container where you will see it every day. There is also a looking for love spell. In this spell there is no specific target, so no permission is needed. Instead you announce to the Universe that you are ready for love. The Universe will send someone who is ready to love you. Use the same materials for this spell. Just word it differently. Say “Universe, I am ready for love. Please send someone to me.”
Another common container spell is the money spell. Be on the lookout for sympathy in magic, which in this case is like attracting like. The coins or bill(s) are used to attract money. I use a two dollar bill which was a birthday gift to me a long time ago. Use something special or found change. Let your intuition be your guide in determining what to use.
Materials:
Box, wood or cardboard
Something to use as a smudge
Green, gold or white candle (optional)
Pen
Paper
Bay leaf
Aventurine
Spare coins or bill(s)
Smudge the materials. Write down a statement which includes how much money you need. Be specific. It may say something like, “I need enough money to repair my car.” Write the amount you will need on the bay leaf. Mindfully put the bay leaf, aventurine, coins or bills then petition last in the box. Focus your energies on the contents of the box and say “May the money I need be attracted to me.” If desired seal the box. Place the box where you can see it everyday.
Another container spell you can do is a sachet for success. This is different because to seal it you tie the sachet. As with all spells, put in the mundane work for the spell to succeed.
Materials:
Green, gold or orange cloth bag or sachet
Something to use as a smudge
Pen
Paper
Cinnamon stick
Pyrite crystal
Smudge materials. Write down a statement about your area of life in which you need success. For example I might write “It is my burning desire to have a successful blog. May words flow through me onto the page. May I find more readers through my social media accounts.” Mindfully place the cinnamon stick, pyrite crystal then petition into the sachet. Close and tie it shut. Wear on your person when you need help with success in the area of life you addressed.
Another container spell is what is called the Witch’s Bottle. This spell protects the home from negative energies. It is a highly protective spell, and the container for which is buried or hidden outside the front door. Since you do not want broken glass right outside your door, I suggest a jar that does not break easily such as a jam jar or Mason jar. The hair or nail clippings of those in your home acts as bait to attract the negative energies. If you choose to use hair or nails from your pet gatherer them ethically and in as stress free manner as possible for your pet. Consider your pet’s temperament. Maybe s/he enjoys a good brush. Maybe not. Look around your home and gather nail sheaths or hair from your pet instead of taking them directly from your pet. You can pick and choose from the list of materials what to use. Think about what you already have on hand. One note, if you use vinegar do not use nails or anything else with iron in it, as it will result in a chemical reaction and explosion.
Materials:
Jar with lid
Something to use as a smudge
Black candle
Hair or nail clippings of all those in your home
Salt (optional)
Tangled string or thread (optional)
Cob web (optional)
Liquid ingredients (choose 1):
Urine
Vinegar
Sharp objects (choose 1 – 3):
Thorns
Old rusty nail
Pins
Broken glass
Broken mirror (can send curse or hex back to sender)
Herb (choose 1):
Rosemary
Black pepper
Cayenne
Crystal (choose 1):
Black obsidian
Black tourmaline
Black agate
Smudge the materials. See the ingredients offering protective energies as you put them in the jar. Say “May your energies protect me and my home.” Seal the jar with black candle wax. If possible bury the jar near the entrance of your home. Consider burying it in the soil of a potted plant near the entrance of your home. Otherwise find a good place to hide it outside near the entrance. Leave it to do its work. The only time you should have to touch it again is if you move. If you move, you can take it with you and bury or hide in its new location. There are some people who would say to dispose of the one at your old location and make a new one for your new location. I have also made one for my purse with small bottle. If I take my purse to the airport, I take the bottle out. Try explaining it to security!
Another form of sympathetic magick is the poppet. A poppet can be used for many purposes, but I will discuss making a poppet for healing. It is ethical to get permission from the target before you start. The poppet can be cut out of cloth in the shape of a gingerbread man. If sewing is not your thing, poppets can be made of materials like wax, clay and wood. You can give it features that the person has especially the person’s facial features and hair. When drawing, people tend to put the eyes way up high on the face. The eyes are positioned half way up the egg shape of the head. Choose materials you want to use to add features to your poppet.
Materials:
Something to use as a smudge
Fabric (natural fiber) 9” x 12” 2 pieces white or skin color (for healing)
Chalk
Thread
Needle
Scissors
Pins
Items you can use to add features (choose):
Markers
Fabric paint
Embroidery floss
Yarn
String
Buttons
Use your imagination
Stuffing:
Cotton balls or old pantry hose
Herbs (choose):
Feverfew
Pine
Lemon balm
Nutmeg
Stones (choose 1):
Turquoise
Bloodstone
Amethyst
Taglocks (2 – 3)
Smudge materials. Lay the pieces of fabric together inside out. Draw a gingerbread man shape on the fabric with chalk. If you use white material, use chalk with some color in it. Make the legs and the arms fat when you draw. In 3-D they will look skinnier. Do not forget to add a seam allowance when you draw. Cut out the gingerbread man shape on both pieces of fabric. Stitch the pieces together and end stitching when you can put two fingers inside the poppet. I suggest having the hole in the side of the poppet. Turn it right side out. Add features to the poppet. Stuff it with stuffing and fillings. Stitch it closed. Name the poppet and tell it what its purpose is. For example you might say “You are Jane Smith, and your purpose is to heal her.” To learn more about poppets click HERE and HERE.
As you can see Wiccans, Witches, Pagans and those who honor the Goddess and/or the God use many kinds of container spells for many different purposes. Try one out and see how it goes for you!
To my friends in the Northern Hemisphere have a sacred and meaningful Imbolc! To my friends in the Southern Hemisphere have a fruitful and blessed Lughnasadh!
Auburn Greene
Suggested Investigation:
Bedell, Charity L. Container Magic: Spellcrafting Using Sachets, Bottles, Poppets & Jars, Llewellyn, January 8, 2023, https://a.co/d/euULN1R. Available in paperback, and on Kindle Unlimited and Goodreads.
Crisis Text Line. “100 Positive Affirmations for Better Self-care.” Crisis Text Line, January 8, 2024, https://www.crisistextline.org/blog/2024/01/08/100-positive-affirmations-for-better-self-care.
Mankey, Jason. “Poppet Magick.” Raise the Horns, March 8, 2022, https://www.patheos.com/blogs/panmankey/2022/03/poppet-magick.
Merriam Webster’s Rhyming Dictionary, Second Edition. Merriam Webster Inc, June 1, 2007, https://a.co/d/b4Qox8u. Available as paperback, mass market paperback, on Kindle and Goodreads.
Nerdyquaintrelle. “How to Do a Jar Spell + 15 Jar Spell Rituals to Try.” Tea and Rosemary, October 5, 2022, https://teaandrosemary.com/jar-spells-rituals.
Wigington, Patti. “Using Magical Poppets and Dolls.” Learn Religions, January 5, 2019, https://www.learnreligions.com/what-are-magical-poppets-4072783.
Wren, Delores E. Spell-Crafting and Spellcasting With Jar Spells: A Beginners Practical Guide to Container Spells, Modern Folk Magic, Manifestation and Harnessing the Power of the Universe, Amity Life Books, Esoteric Books, February 11, 2025, https://a.co/d/3lwfKGZ. Available as paperback, hardcover, and on Audible, Kindle Unlimited and Goodreads.
My Inner Wiccan 