Witches Salt

I am constantly being asked about  the Witches Salt mentioned in my recent book 

The Haunting of Stoke Water. (Queenie uses it repel the evil spirits in 

Rosemarys flat.) 

So I thought I would just quickly explain how to make and use it.

    “Queenie suddenly smiled with relief as she pulled a small glass phial from 

a piece of silk cloth. ‘There it is! I was worried I had left it at home.’ 

She looked at their anxious faces. ‘Shall we get started?’ Clutching the phial 

in one hand and a bundle of sage in the other Queenie headed out into the hall. 

 ‘What is that?’ Joseph whispered to Sybil.She pointed to the jar in Queenie’s hand.

 ‘That’s Witches Salt and we are going to use the sage to smudge the flat and 

drive out this evil spirit.’They gathered around the waiting woman and watched 

as she pulled the stopper from the jar and opened the front door. As she poured a t

hin line of black salt across the threshold she muttered quietly, ‘I seal this place 

with a shield of protection and so we are safe within this home.”

Although I am sure knowing Queenie as well as I do she has tweeked the original 

recipe handed down by her witchy ancestor Hannah, she just can’t resist meddling

 as Sybil would point out.

Witches salt or black salt is used as a protection against evil and negative entities, it 

can even be used in the footprints of some one who you dislike to make them leave

 you alone.

There are of course many ways of making black salt but here is a basic 

recipe:

Two parts of sea salt mixed with one part of the scrapings from the bottom of your 

cast iron cauldron or if you do not use a cauldron ( shame on you what would 

Queenie say!) one part fine ash from your fire pit.

You can also add the burnt ashes of some protective herbs to add to efficacy of

 the salt such as Lavender, Rosemary, Cinnamon, Clove, Caraway, Mug-wort, Sage

 and a touch of Verbena to bring success in your spell.

Just the thing to do on a dark winters night with friends!

The faeries of Lincolnshire

The tiny faeries of Lincolnshire are referred to as ‘Strangers’, small 

creatures with arms and legs that are as thin as threads, and on the ends of these,

enormous hands and feet.

They can be seen scampering about the flat lands of the Fens wearing their 

distinctive yellow hats in the shape of toadstools, the rest of their clothing

is just the normal green jacket and breeches. Apart from this, their appearance is 

quite odd; they have long noses, great wide mouths out of which their tongues 

have a tendency to loll.

Up until quite recently, offerings were left for these people on flat stones around 

the Fens, usually the first ears of corn and the first new potatoes of the crop.

Bread and milk and also Beer  would be left upon the fireplaces of the locals' homes

 to ensure a good harvest for the following year, for the ‘Strangers’ were believed to

 help the corn ripen and all things to grow.

If neglected, these faeries can be vindictive, affecting harvests, and even the birth rate!

 from Faeries and Folklore of the British Isles

If thou wouldst see faeries

A few snippets on the folklore of the Ivy

Witch bottle

Witches Familiars