Poppet Magick: Patterns, Spells & Formulas for Poppets, Spirit Dolls & Magickal Animals - Silver RavenWolf 2018
Poppet Rituals
Birthing, Naming, Sending, and Deactivating Rituals
Once your poppet is completed, you may wish to employ a birthing and naming ritual to bind and solidify the doll’s purpose. It is thought that if the doll “rests” for a period of three days, buried in the earth or lain across a cauldron of blessed water that is changed each day, the energies will coalesce in a stronger pattern. The first two rituals provided are the longer version of the birthing process that includes resting the doll for three days; they are what I use for virtually every poppet I make. However, time is not always on your side—you may need to put a poppet together and birth it quickly. The third ritual, entitled Fast Track Poppet Birthing Ritual, can fulfill this need.
THIS GUARDIAN DOLLY, OR WARNING/WATCHING DOLL, IS FILLED WITH GRAVE DIRT FROM MY ANCESTORS’ GRAVES;
SEE CHAPTER 5 FOR FURTHER INSTRUCTION
Dirt Birthing and Naming Ritual Formula
For this ritual, first gather dirt taken from a peaceful place (not a cemetery)—enough to fill a small container. The dirt must be completely dry. Place in full sun or on a cookie sheet in the oven at the lowest setting for at least one hour to ensure the dirt is dry.
Then gather the following:
· 3 tablespoons dirt from the entrance of a cemetery (for protective purposes) or 3 tablespoons dirt from an ancestor’s grave (in either case, use dirt that has been ritually taken—where prayers were given and an offering was left)
· 3 tablespoons dirt from a hallowed place
· 1 cup blessed and empowered basil
· 9 drops holy water
If your intuition tells you to omit the dirt from the cemetery, that is fine; always follow your gut feelings. Ritually cleanse and bless the dirt as you did your supplies. Then pass your hand over the dirt in a counterclockwise direction, saying the following nine times:
In the name of _________________ (insert the name of your divinity),
I conjure and command thee, O earth, to be the womb of creation.
I bless thee in the name of the seven angels.
I bless thee in the name of the seven stars.
I bless thee in the name of the seven planets.
I bless thee in the name of the seven winds.
Make a hole in the dirt large enough for the doll. Intone the following conjuration nine times, blowing into the dirt after each repetition:
In the name of _________________ (insert the name of your divinity),
I empower and command thee in the name of the seven angels.
I empower and command thee in the name of the seven stars.
I empower and command thee in the name of the seven planets.
I empower and command thee in the name of the seven winds
That thou shalt do my bidding; I know thee will do this for me!
Wrap the poppet in white muslin (to keep it clean), and bury it in the dirt. On the surface of the dirt, draw an equal-armed cross. Cover the pot with a lid or a piece of black cloth. Leave the doll in the dirt for three days. On the dawn of the fourth day, open the pot and intone the following nine times:
By the power of (insert the name of your divinity),
I raise thee in the name of the seven angels.
I raise thee in the name of the seven stars.
I raise thee in the name of the seven planets.
I raise thee in the name of the seven winds
That thou shalt do my bidding; I know thee will do this for me!
At the end of the ninth repetition, ceremoniously lift the doll from the dirt, blow on where the mouth is (or would be), and name it, saying:
In the name of (your divinity),
Thou art (person’s name or energy pattern,
such as “healing” or “prosperity”) to me!
I command that thou art born unto this world to do my bidding!
Repeat three times. Then say:
As above, so below—it shall be so!
I know thee will do this for me.
Sprinkle three drops of holy water on the head of the doll. Draw an equal-armed cross in the air three times over the poppet. Finish with:
This working is sealed.
Note: Never give a poppet a living person’s name unless you intend to use the doll in 27 days, which is a Braucherei/Whisper Magick cycle of completion. The number 27 factors down to 9 (2 + 7), which is reduced to 3—the number of charming. An unattended “named” doll has been known to wreak havoc in the life of the doll maker—just like a puppy, it gets bored easily! Do not leave a named doll lying around with nothing to do! I actually give my “in process” dolls toys, magickal items, crystals, flowers, jewelry, etc., to keep them busy if I have to leave them for any length of time before their completion. I may have nine or ten dolls on my work table at any given moment, so I designed special bags to store them. These bags are decorated with “holding” sigils (such as the Eyes of Spirit sigil in chapter three) to keep the dolls’ energy safely confined. Wrapping the doll in a black cloth can be just as effective—it is all in what you choose to do.
Your doll is now ready for a spell or ritual work, or you can simply command the doll immediately using your initial intention statement or by using the sending technique given later in this chapter. If you command the doll immediately, be sure to seal your statement by drawing an equal-armed cross in the air over the doll to seal your final intent.
Water Birthing Ritual
The water birthing and naming ritual is much like that of the dirt with only a few changes. The formula for the water is:
One mason jar of holy water or a ritual pot with blessed water with either three pinches of salt or the inclusion of fresh or dried herbs such as rosemary, hyssop, or lavender (or all three).
You can also put the doll in a dry, empty jar, cap it, and set the jar in a stream or creek (should you have one close by). However, the doll must stay there at least twenty-four hours or three days at best. If the doll is to bind a criminal, you can place the jar in stagnant water for three days. Light a white candle. Say:
In the name of (your divinity), fire sparks the waters of life!
Plunge the lit candle into the water. (Note: Candle can not be reused. Discard after the ceremony.) Pass your hand over the water in a counterclockwise direction, saying nine times:
In the name of (insert the name of your divinity),
I conjure and command thee, O water, to be the womb of creation.
I bless thee in the name of the seven angels.
I bless thee in the name of the seven stars.
I bless thee in the name of the seven planets.
I bless thee in the name of the seven winds.
Intone the following conjuration nine times, blowing into the water after each repetition:
In the name of (insert the name of your divinity),
I empower and command thee in the name of the seven angels.
I empower and command thee in the name of the seven stars.
I empower and command thee in the name of the seven planets.
I empower and command thee in the name of the seven winds
That thou shalt do my bidding; I know thee will do this for me.
Position the doll over the rim of the open jar (being careful it doesn’t get wet). Drape a black cloth over the doll and the jar, then draw an equal-armed cross in the air over the black cloth.
Repeat this ceremony for three days each morning, as the water and the salt or herbs must be changed every day.
On the dawn of the fourth day, remove the black cloth from the doll and intone the following nine times:
By the power of (insert the name of your divinity),
I raise thee in the name of the seven angels.
I raise thee in the name of the seven stars.
I raise thee in the name of the seven planets.
I raise thee in the name of the seven winds.
By my command, thou shalt do my bidding;
I know thee will do this for me!
At the end of the ninth repetition, ceremoniously lift the doll from the rim of the jar, sprinkle some of the water on the poppet, blow on where the mouth is (or would be), and name it, saying:
In the name of (your divinity),
Thou art (person’s name or energy pattern, such as “healing” or “prosperity”) to me!
Thou art born unto this world to do my bidding!
Repeat three times. Then say:
As above, so below; it shall be so.
I know thee will do this for me!
You can sprinkle some of the water onto the doll if you like, then draw an equal-armed cross in the air over the poppet three times, saying:
This working is sealed.
Your doll is now ready for spell or ritual work, or you can simply command the doll immediately using your initial intention statement. If you command the doll immediately, be sure to seal your statement by drawing an equal-armed cross in the air over the doll to seal your final intent.
Fast Track Poppet Birthing Ritual
There might be times when you will need to birth and name a poppet quickly—perhaps there is an emergency or your schedule is so packed, you only have a very small window of opportunity. You may also feel that since you have added your intent while constructing the doll, a quick birthing is all that is needed.
Hold the poppet in both hands and face east, the place of birth. Silently connect with Spirit or utter a prayer or incantation of your choice. Begin chanting the word “air” nine times, making sure your breath floats across the doll. Feel the element of air enter the field of the doll.
Chant the word “fire” nine times, again making sure your breath floats across the doll. In your mind see sparks of fire surrounding the doll and then melting into the doll.
Chant the word “water” nine times, letting your breath roll across the poppet. Envision the element of water filling the field of the doll and gently melting into the image.
Chant the word “earth” nine times. With the “earth” word, the power of the doll descends to the earth plane. In your mind, see the doll connected with the person for which it is intended. Imagine an invisible cord that snakes out from the poppet and into the visualization of the living individual to which it is connected.
Next, chant the word “spirit” nine times. This is where all the elements coalesce and become the spirit of the doll. It can also be a blessing from Spirit, that beautiful energy that carries love throughout the universe. When you feel the energy around the doll pulsing in your hands, begin chanting:
In the name of (say your chosen divinity), you are (the person’s name).
You can also say “I lock thee to (the person’s name)” while running the energy up from the earth to the top of your head, then down into your heart chakra and out into your hands and the doll. You could also run the energy down from the heavens into your crown chakra, down to your toes, then back up to your heart chakra and out into your arms and hands. Or you can run energy from the ground up with the first chant, and then from the heavens down on the second chant, followed by ground up on the third and heaven down on the fourth until you have completed nine times of chanting “In the name of ____________, you are ____________” or “I lock thee to (the person’s name).”
Lift the doll in the air. Say:
(Name of the poppet), thou art born unto this world to do my bidding.
I command thee to live! I command thee to manifest my desire!
Blow into the poppet’s mouth three times. Then say:
As above, so below; it shall be so. I know thee will do this for me!
Finish by drawing an equal-armed cross in the air over the belly of the doll three times to seal the birthing. At this point, you can direct the doll what to do or declare “This working is sealed!” and save the doll to command it later.
Please understand that this is only one way to quickly birth the poppet and that you can enhance or change the meaning and power of the elements as you chant. Activating a poppet is highly personal, and you should feel absolutely comfortable with what you are doing. You can also expand this ritual by adding physical representations of the elements and passing them over the poppet as you chant. This is a highly effective way to empower the work and takes about fifteen minutes of your time from start to finish. You may also like to take portions of the longer rituals (earth or water) and add them to this one. The choice is up to you.
Poppets in Magick
Goddesses that lend their energy well to poppet/spirit doll construction include Norse Dame Holda, Frigg, and the Norns; Greek Hecate, Athena, Aphrodite, and Arachne; Egyptian Neith, Isis, and Bast; Japanese Shinto sun goddess Amaterasu; Cherokee Kanene Ski Amai Yehi, and any divinity that is concerned with domestic affairs (as in spinning, weaving, or sewing). Your first poppet may be styled to serve or represent one of these goddesses in an effort to celebrate the energy of creating poppets and dolls through the assistance of divinity. Such a poppet might be honored in ceremony and receive monthly or weekly offerings.
Once you have completed and birthed your poppet, it is ready for meditation, ritual, spellwork, or sending (where the doll is commanded to reach out into the universe and perform a specific task). To send a poppet is to make it work—to call it to action and tell it what to do when, where, and how.
The ceremonies in which you use your poppet can be as ornate or as simple as you desire. Many people talk to their poppets, particularly if they are of the long-term nature such as a poppet dedicated to a goddess, good health, or prosperity. In this chapter I provided three birthing rituals that can lead directly into sending the poppet. Alternatively, you can make the poppet, birth it, and then let it rest in a box, wrapped in cloth or a bag, until you are ready to send it.
To send a poppet is
to tell it what to do
when, where, and how.
Make it work.
Call it to action!
Sending the Poppet
In this photo we see the three-headed poppet, primarily used to separate a negative group mind, asking for peace and loving transformation in its place. As you can see, the format using the rune candleboard and the colors of red, white, and black along with the symbol of Thor’s hammer fall in the realm of Norse magick. The goose feather is an offering to Dame Holda, the goddess of the Wild Hunt and protectress of children. When I send a poppet, I try to stay within the realm of the system I am working. If I petition the Norse/Germanic gods and goddesses, then all the correspondences I choose are related to them. I am a firm believer in not mixing systems unless what you are asking for supersedes the points where the systems do not agree. For example, in asking for divine love—a pure and compassionate vibration in itself, a perfection of divine energy at its highest manifestation—the request trumps deity/spirit squabbles.
The primary force in sending a poppet lies within you. You must “know” that what you are doing will work and what you are asking for will come to pass. If you have any doubt, there is a good chance that the process of change will either fail or flow in a direction you didn’t see. Some people use a divinatory tool to check the direction of their sending before the actual ritual to ensure their feelings match their intent. Your spellwork should be mentally calm, performed with the conviction that all will be as you say, and you must not waver in your thoughts, should the first few events after the working appear to be at cross-purposes to your desire. Hold onto the “knowledge” that in the end it will be done as you say. I teach my students that it ain’t over till it’s over! Do not let events or circumstances that may appear to be the conclusion actually be the conclusion. Do not give up just because you hear something about a situation. Our world is fraught with gossip, misinformation, and misleading, twisted pseudo-evidence that can tangle, trip, and hobble the mind. Remember: it ain’t over till it’s over!
If the work carries subconscious guilt, fear, or you know in your heart that what you are requesting is immoral, cruel, or downright wrong, the magick will turn back, and, like the bite and squeeze of the adder of justice, you will pay dearly.
It ain’t over till it’s over!
Do not let events or circumstances
that may appear to be the conclusion actually be the conclusion.
Many of the spellworking patterns we use today stem from the ancient Chaldeans, Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans. For example, ritual purification of one’s self and the area in which you choose to do magickal work, the petitioning of deity as in “in the name of ___________” at the beginning of a spell formula, using an analogy to click that “knowing” in your mind (“as a cadaver lies cold and useless, so wilt lies against me have no power”), and the disposal of spell elements (in tombs, wells, rivers, or caves) all date back to the ancient practitioners. Likewise, whisper magick (the combination of Braucherei and Granny enchantments) and the absolute adherence to secrecy are also ancient elements. For example, in ancient Greece Apollo’s priest uttered his famous curse along the seashore only after he was out of earshot of the enemy ships; Pelops waited until he was alone on the beach in the dead of night to urge Poseidon to bind his enemy; and Orestes kept his words under his breath to turn back a curse (Faraone and Obbink 1991, 17). Secrecy is a science and a tactic not to be ignored.
Items used in sending a poppet are employed for a variety of reasons, including
· to heighten or help solidify the practitioner’s mood, imbuing self-confidence and that feeling of certainty necessary for a victorious end result. If the scent of patchouli does it for you, then that is what you choose.
· to access the power of the various levels of the vibrational universe, such as a particular choice of color, aroma, shape, or energy function (fire burns as well as lights, etc.).
· tradition—although I don’t always agree with this. Actions can become petrified, morphing into tradition erroneously, often because the original practitioner didn’t know the science and based their success solely on something innocuous or odd, which became a tradition. On the other hand, actions of tradition can help to bind or solidify a group mind. Always know why you use a traditional act or object, and understand its purpose in the matrix of your own working. In this way, tradition will aid rather than hamper the working. Choose your balance.
Sending your doll can be done in a magick circle, in sacred space, or in a spiritual place (such as the woods or a place where you connect with Spirit and have a feeling of well-being). Some practitioners utter prayers rather than physically create a sacred area—what works for you is what is right for you. Don’t be afraid to try sending in various ways. Eventually, you will choose a way that will always work for you—this is a combination of you and your environment that will create the proper mindset for success. A sending can be long or short.
IN THIS WORKING, THE DOLL REPRESENTS A GODDESS AND HAS BEEN USED MORE THAN ONCE FOR VARIOUS PETITIONS. HERE THE PAPER SIGIL WILL BE FOLDED, ANOINTED, AND PINNED TO THE DOLL’S BELLY WITH A SAFETY PIN. THE GOLDEN COINS WILL BE DISTRIBUTED AS ITEMS OF GOOD LUCK TO VARIOUS PEOPLE. THE CRYSTAL BOOSTED THE POWER, AND THE CAULRON FILLED WITH BLESSED WATER REPRESENTS THE BIRTH OF THE SPELL.
Easy Steps for Sending Your Poppet
1. Breathe deeply three times to clear the mind and connect to Spirit and the potential of the universe all around you.
2. Light a candle to represent that the sending has begun or light incense to open the way to Spirit and raise your personal vibrations.
3. Invoke deity or universal power.
4. State your intent clearly.
5. Bless the doll with a bit of oil and liquid fluid condenser that matches your intent.
6. Whisper your intent into the doll as you hold it, running energy up through the ground to the top of your head and then out into your hands and into the doll.
7. Add a chant to build power. In Braucherei chants must be said nine times. As you chant, your breath should always flow over the poppet. It is here where a pin, nail, or safety pin can be used to direct power into the doll.
8. Whisper into the doll’s mouth or ears (whatever feels right) exactly what you want it to do. Through the mouth, the energy would travel down through the heart chakra and into the “root” of the doll.
9. Intone a final sending statement that matches your intent. “In the name of (divinity name), I command you, poppet (or poppet’s name), to go forth and do not rest until you have ________________ (fill in the blank).”
10. Seal the work. I use an equal-armed cross drawn in the air over the poppet three times.
11. Enact the final disposition of the doll. Will you burn it immediately in a fire-safe cauldron? Will you place it upon a soft bed to send dreams of information or healing energy to a friend? Do you plan to release the poppet in the river? Bury it in the earth? Place it on the railroad tracks? (Hey, it can happen). How you dispose of the doll in respect to the sending and the work is just as important as how you created it in the first place.
12. If you have invoked a deity or a universal power, now is the time to offer thanks and perhaps an offering specific to that deity, spirit, or power.
You will know by your feelings when the sending process has concluded.
Deactivating or Decommissioning a Poppet
If your desire has been met and your poppet was of temporary intent, it is time to deactivate or decommission the working. You may also wish to deactivate a poppet that is old, choosing to replace it with a new one. Either way, you should release the energy with as much care as you constructed it. To do this, you may wish to cast a magick circle, recite a favorite prayer, or intone a particular chant before the deactivation so that you are working in sacred space. Then, begin by circling your hand in a clockwise direction nine times over the poppet, saying:
By the power of ____________________ (insert divinity or planetary power name here),
I release and disperse thee in the name of the seven angels.
I release and disperse thee in the name of the seven stars.
I release and disperse thee in the name of the seven planets.
I release and disperse thee in the name of the seven winds.
I thank thee for thy service. Now your work is done.
I command that you go in joy and peace.
Continue reciting the same verse eight more times as you take apart the poppet. When the poppet is thoroughly dismantled, burn what you can outdoors and dispose of the rest off of your property.
Please note that in this book, clockwise and counterclockwise motion are reversed and may not be what you are normally used to. The technique where counterclockwise is used to draw something to you and clockwise is used to expel was employed by Sybil Leek. If you are not comfortable with this mechanic, feel free to change it to suit your needs.
