Candlelight Spells: The Modern Witch's Book of Spellcasting, Feasting, and Healing - Gerina Dunwich 2000

Poppets
Spellcasting

A poppet is a cloth doll, similar to a voodoo doll, but used in white magick spells for love and healing.

To make a poppet, you will need two pieces of cloth equal in size, scissors, needle, thread, ink or paint and herbs to stuff the doll.

Concentrating on the man or woman the poppet will represent, draw the outline of the person on one of the pieces of cloth. Place it over the other piece of cloth and then carefully cut along the outline with scissors to make two identical doll patterns. With a needle and thread, sew together the two pieces of cloth along the seams but leave the seam at the top of the head open for stuffing.

The next step is to draw the person’s facial features, characteristics (such as moustache, beard, glasses, hair, etc.) and his or her astrological symbol on the torso of the poppet with ink or paint.

If the poppet is made to be used in a love spell, it should be stuffed with mugwort, feverfew, sorrel or any other herb ruled by Venus, the planet of love. If a spell involving healing is to be performed, the poppet should be stuffed with the herbs that are healing to the person’s ailment. (See Chapter IV—HERBS AND HEALING for further information on herbs and their healing properties.)

After the poppet has been stuffed, the opening at the top of its head should be sewn shut to prevent the herbs from falling out.

The poppet is now ready to be used.

When the moon is waxing, lay the poppet in the center of the altar and sprinkle it with salted water to consecrate it. As you do this, say:

WITH THIS SALT AND WATER

I CONSECRATE THEE

Pick up your athame with your left hand. Touch the poppet with the athame to charge it with magickal power and say:

I CHARGE THEE

BY THE DIVINE POWERS

OF THE GOD AND GODDESS

Incense and candles should now be lit. (Red candles for love spells and white candles for healing.)

Pick up the poppet and hold it in your hands. Concentrate on the love or healing of the person whom the poppet represents and direct your power into it. Recite the person’s name nine times, shouting it loudly on the ninth recitation.

Return the poppet to the center of the altar and tie a red ribbon (representing love) or a white ribbon (representing healing) around its body. Place the athame on top of it and leave on the center of the altar for three weeks.

After completing the ritual, wrap the poppet in a white satin or silk cloth, leaving the ribbon tied to it, and keep it in a safe and secret place where it will never be disturbed.

To reverse a poppet love spell, you must untie the ribbon from the poppet, remove the herbs and burn the poppet as you recite the following words:

BY THE DIVINE POWERS

IF THE GOD AND GODDESS

I NOW REMOVE THIS SPELL

LET (name) LOVE ME NO MORE

Mix the ashes with the herbs and bury the mixture in the ground during a waning moon.

In the event that the person represented by the poppet should pass away, the poppet should be wrapped in a black cloth and buried along with the person, if possible. If this cannot be done, then burn the poppet and bury the ashes under the shadow of an oak tree.