Just wanted to let everyone know I am still alive but rarely on the web. Thanks for all the mails and invites which are now expired! lol Know my friends are in my heart . . . wish me luck as my Tarot book is nearly half way written and school is going very well!

Hopefully cable rates will go down in the future and I'll be back on line with you all. Have wonderful holidays!!!

Love, E

Hi Guys, Thanks for all the invites to Multiply. I am trying to figure out where to go - right now I've got a temp (maybe permanet page) on Pagan Space. Also, for those that want an entire FREE PAGAN WEBSITE . . . check out spiritualitea.net. There is a good chance I will start an entire site. They let you build it using their tools and its pieca' pie pieca' cake!

However, I set up a pay it forward page there and they booted me . . . hard to believe huh? I've restarted a page there, but am going to wait until I actually buy one for 2 bucks a month before I post it.

I do hope to stay connected to my friends, and I will figure out exactly where I am going shorty! Love, E

The Magic of Witch Balls

Witch balls had a number of different forms and uses. Originally,
they were probably green and blue glass globes, often the same type
as the old glass fishing floats, which one can still occasionally run
across. This seems to be their earliest form, and so we shall look at
how these could be used magically. It should be remembered that this
magic could also be used for the later kinds of witch balls made
differently as well. The ones originally used were about one and a
half inches in diameter, and were hand blown. The green ones were the
ones most used.

Witch Ball Past Life Regression For a past life regression, have the
subject sit and have them hold the green witch ball in their hands.
Have the room dim, with only one candle lit. The candle can be of any
color, and the room should be free of drafts. Have the subject gaze
at the flames reflection on the glass sphere. When it starts to
change, disappear, dance, or do something have them close their eyes.
Since this is a trance inducing technique, you can suggest to them
that they are seeing one of their past lives. Ask them where they
are, ask them to tell you whether they are male, female, etc. This is
an old technique virtually forgotten.

Personal Witch Ball Spells To use the witch balls for a personal
spell, have a proper colored candle ready. Use a green candle for
healing, pink or coral colored candle for anything else. Light it for
atmosphere, and have incense lit to take your prayers to the Gods.
For a healing use pine incense, for other spells you may use a
flowery incense, such as jasmine. If it is a healing spell you are
casting, visualize the person first ill, then well. Maintain the well
visualization. Draw in energy around you either by chanting, or
seeing yourself filling with light, and let it go down your right arm
(if you are right handed) into your dirk. Fill your dirk with this
energy, and point it at the sphere, and see the blue flame go from
the dirk into the sphere. The spell is cast. For a healing spell, use
a green glass float. For a mental spell, such as telepathy, use the
blue witch ball.

Elemental Invocations Using The Witch Ball To invoke the elementals
using the witch balls, first chant your invocation. If you need some
money, or earthly matters, invoke the earth elementals. If you need a
gift from the sea, invoke the water elementals. Invoke them by
singing to them in a "sing-song" voice. If you are right handed,
point your wand at the globe, holding it in your left hand. The wand
is used, as you want the elementals to obey you, but to love you
also. The wand is a tool of request and persuasion, while the dirk is
a tool of force. The left hand is the Goddess hand. The right hand is
used with the dirk, as it is the God hand.

Telepathy Using The Witch Ball If you wish to send a message to
someone, create a very strong impression or thought in your mind.
Bring your hands up to your head and pretend you are taking the
thought out of your own mind and into your hands, and then throw it
into the blue witch ball. It will go to the person that you wish it
to. This is an excellent way of sending thoughts or power through the
witch ball.

Witch Ball Meditation For meditation, hold the witch ball in your
hands as you sit. During meditation, do not close your eyes, but gaze
(not hard) at the sphere and think about what you are going to
meditate on. Use the blue witch ball for peace and tranquility if you
are upset, also health or a job, etc. Use the witch ball as your
focal point. Use green for healing, blue for soothing nerves. For
mental communications, visualize as you sit with the globe in your
lap, the person you wish to communicate with. Gaze at the globe, and
see that person writing you a letter, etc.

After the persecutions started, it was dangerous to be seen with a
witch ball, as the authorities had a pretty good idea of what they
were used for. To hide them, people began to put them in their
chimneys. This served two purposes. First, because of the heat of the
fireplace, they were pierced and opened, so that they would not
explode. This meant that salt could be put in them, and be charged by
smoke and fire magic. However, if someone happened to find it in the
chimney, it could be said that it was used for drying salt which had
been collected from the ocean. This was a cover story, to keep you
from getting executed. Because of the heat on the witch ball from the
fireplace, it formed a salt glaze inside of the sphere, which gave it
even more of a reflective quality. This made it even more magical,
and thus it was used to reflect negativity away from the spirit
world, and served to stop the chimney as being used as an entrance
for some kind of magical attack. As these spheres became reflective,
they came to be called Spheres of Confluence. In a sense, this was
theologically important. Because of the way that witch balls had
become internally reflective due to the salt glaze, and the glass
itself was reflective anyway, wherever they were hung they basically
reflected the whole room. As such they became symbols of
enlightenment as they were "the point where all things meet". In the
center of the globe, behind the reflection, everything came to one
point, just like consciousness. This idea was incredibly magical as
literally then any place could be accessed, as well as anyone. Behind
it was the philosophy of the Unity of all things, one of the most
important philosophies of the Old Religion. Since the witch balls had
become reflective, it was thought that they reflected away
negativity, like a mirror. It was then thought that it was probably a
good idea to hang it on the Yule tree. It was also thought that it
was a good idea to hang them in the window, as it was thought to send
evil spirits away, and for the same reason it was often hung in the
entryway of a home, particularly in Victorian England. They were also
put in the gardens in front of the house, usually on a pedestal, for
much of the same reason. The witches themselves put out the stories
that if a witch came to do you harm, she would be so entranced with
her reflection that she would be caught staring at herself till
morning, and then have to flyaway when the sun came up. Ghosts were
also dealt with, but by being sucked inside and being imprisoned,
unable to get out. It can thus be seen that the breaking of a witch
ball was probably not considered to be a very good thing. It was
often considered the "luck" of the house.

These were also hung in pubs, and were called watch balls, for two
reasons. One, everyone could see the clock in it from most anywhere
in the room, and the second was that you could see if someone was
sneaking up behind you for some nefarious activity .

To think that these did not end up being used ritualistically by the
old hereditaries would of course not be logical. The silver ones were
hung in the windows to "collect" the powers of the sun and the moon,
and were placed next to the altar so that their power could be drawn
upon for a magical spell. Obviously the silver ones were used for
lunar magic, as these spheres could also symbolize the moon. This is
why most often they are found in the windows of the old witch homes.
After the drapes were drawn at night, they were taken down or moved
in their pedestal next to the magic rites. Thus by the old witches it
was also called "The Magic Conductor", as it facilitated the sending
of magic, and the collecting of it. If there was any excess energy
left after all of the magic had been done, the witch ball "collected"
it again until it could be next used on the full moon. It was
apparently not used on the sabbats, but was used every esbat. Since
the witch balls were used for group workings, here is an old spell
that addresses this use.

Witch Ball Group Protection Spell To protect yourself and your group
from a psychic attack, take a witch ball (one could use a mirror, but
a witch ball is better) to a dark place outside, where no light will
shine upon it. Obviously this means that this is done on the dark of
the moon, or very near it. Stand in a circle around it, all robed
with your hoods up. Think "light" until you see light coming from
yourself. All shall then point their dirks at the witch ball.

This can even be touching the witchball with the point of the dirk if
need be. See a blue flame coming out of the tip of the dirk, and
hitting the witch ball, reflecting back to the persons who are
sending you ill will.

Invoke the goddess in her protective aspect, or her war aspect if
need be just before the crescent of the moon is visible. While you
are raising the power, chant:

"Let evil be returned to all who work evil. This is our will so be
it."

Do this with faces covered, because someone might be peeking in to
watch you do this. This will return all the evil to those who work
evil.

Witch balls came to be our Yule tree ornaments, or the silvered
spheres which hang on our trees. The modern ornaments are made with
the silvering on the outside, and thus are easily scratched and
marred. The older witch balls always had the silvering on the inside,
and often had ornamented brass caps which were placed on them, and
which the balls were hung by. It is by the ornamentation of these
caps that antiquarians can now date them. There were "table" models,
which were flattened on the side of the hole so that they could be
placed alone upon a table. Others were suspended by the brass caps as
mentioned, and others were placed in a stand, often ebony, or glued
into a base, often also a black glass.

Finding an antique witch ball is difficult, and when one is found,
they are often prohibitively expensive as rare antiques. The
philosophy behind the witch ball however, makes it so that even a
modern yule tree ornament can work. I think the best way to use them
is to get a candle stick that you like, and place the stem of the
ornament down into the hole where the candle would go, and glue it
in. Consecrate it, as you feel is appropriate, and place it in your
window, to "collect" and protect your magic.

The Magic of Witch Balls
By Lou Percus

Originally printed in Raven's Call Volume 1, Number 1
http://collegeofthecrossroads.org/WitchBalls.htm

Witch Balls


There are basic materials needed for each ball no matter which one
you make.
You will need paint in color that corresponds with your intentions.
(There will be colors listed with the various balls)
You will need the glass ball (clear glass ornament)
You will need herbs that correspond with your intentions. (These will
be listed as well)
You will need ribbon in a color that corresponds with your intentions.
Small piece of paper to write your intentions.

Protection
Herbs: Angelica, Basil, Cinnamon, Cinquefoil,
Clove, Mugwort, Oak, Sage,
Willow, Witch Hazel,
Colors: Black, Blue, White

Happiness
Herbs: Catnip, Lavender, Meadowsweet,
Marjoram, Hawthorn, St. Johnswort
Colors: White, Red, Pink, Blue

Healing
Herbs: Allspice, Apple, Cedar,
Cinnamon, Elder, Flax,
Oak, Onion, Pine,
Sandalwood, Spearmint, Thistle,
Thyme, Violet, Willow
Colors: Blue, Red

Luck
Herbs: Allspice, Cotton, Fern,
Nutmeg, Oak, Orange,
Pineapple, Poppy, Rose
Color: Green

Fertility
Herbs: Carrot, Fig, Grape, Hazel,
Mandrake, Nuts, Oak,
Olive, Patchouli, Peach,
Pine, Poppy, Rice,
Sunflower, Wheat
Color: Green

Ok first you want to take the paint, the color you have chosen to
use, and coat the inside of the ball. Allow the excess to drain by
placing the ball upside down in a jar or glass. Once the ball is
completely dry, write your intentions on the paper and roll up and
put inside of the ball. You will then want to add the herbs you have
chosen. You can use all the ones listed or you can use some or only
one, it's up to you. The ribbon is for decorating and again, you can
use all the colors or just one, or a couple, it matters not. You get
to decorate the ball any way you want, just so long as you keep the
the colors. Keep your intention in mind the whole time you are making
the ball. Pour your energy into it as you pour in the herbs. Hang it
somewhere special to you, where you think it will do the most good!