Poppet Magic

From the Witch’s Library

This is one of the most commonly used implements in sympathetic magic, which follows along
on the theory that ‘like creates like’.

They can be used to harm or to heal, so if you create a poppet of a person, anything done to the
poppet will affect the person it represents.

Poppet magic is one of the finest and most practical uses of sympathetic magic. It’s been
around for thousands of years, and is still used by practitioners today for healing, protection,
prosperity, and other needs.

The poppet is simply a doll. Although TV-shows and movies typically show poppets as the
stereotypical ‘voodoo doll’, poppet magic is so much more.
Materials

Cloth poppets

Cut two identical gingerbread shapes from fabric. Felt, cotton, or muslin is suitable, but so is
fabric from the subject’s old shirt or any piece of clothing. Embroider, draw, or paint magical
symbols, words, anything meaningful to the spell on the right side of one piece of your pattern.
Green eyes? Dark hair? This is where you add those details. Right sides together, sew the
shapes together, leaving a good sized hole to stuff it with.

Prepare your herbal mixture. For those of you into numerology, one method is to choose a
number that corresponds with your magical intent and add that number of herbs. I use multiples
of three in my poppet blends. Using multiples of three, a prosperity blend might include
patchouli, honeysuckle, and basil. If I’m adding honeysuckle flowers, I might add 6 or 9.

I mix my personal effects with these herbs (hair, fingernails, a cut up picture, whatever I have.)
For a money spell, I might shred a dollar or add three silver coins. For a healing spell, I might
add a stone that represents the ailing body part and use herbs that would medicinally treat the
sickness.
This is where you can get entirely creative. I like to place representations of the heart inside
cloth poppets. Again, a piece of copal resin or tourmaline would do nicely if stuffing inside.
Some sew hearts on the outside in a color corresponding to the purpose of the spell.

You don’t have to stuff the poppet entirely with herbs. You can include a small herbal mixture
with other kinds of stuffing — batting, shredded paper, whatever you have on hand. I just love
the smell and feel of poppets stuffed entirely with herbs. Once you’re satisfied with the stuffing,
sew the poppet up and consecrate.

Paper poppets

The easiest of all. Cut a gingerbread figure from a piece of clean paper. Write the name of the
person for whom you’re making your poppet on the paper. Draw your sigils and any other
distinguishing signs. This is a very quick, yet surprisingly effective alternative to putting hours
into poppet design. Anoint the paper with herbal oils corresponding to your spellwork. For the
emergencies or impromptu spells.
Root or wood poppets

Several herbal roots and wood are very well suited for poppet magic. Of course, there is the
mystical mandrake. This wo/man-shaped root has been used for centuries in sympathetic
magic, especially love magic. To activate a dried mandrake, place it on the altar undisturbed for
three days. Then place it in warm water overnight. The root will then be activated and ready for
any magical purpose. A human shaped mandrake root is going to be very expensive.

Substitute ash roots, apples, root of the briony, or the American may apple if the cost is
prohibitive. Ginseng root has a human shape, and is especially good for protection, love, and
healing spells. Ginseng is expensive too, though! Poppet shapes can be carved from wood.
Apple wood is a great choice. This can be labor intensive unless you are a wood carver or just
happen to find a nicely shaped branch or stick.

Clay poppets

Buy clay or gather from the riverside. When your figure is formed, hollow out a hole in the heart
area to place hair, nail clippings, herbs, or other magical ingredients. Cover the hole with clay
and proceed with spell. Clay poppets may crack if dried too quickly. If cracking occurs, wet
fingers and smooth clay over cracks. Repeat daily, if needed, until poppet is dry.

Mr. Potato Head

Potatoes can be carved into poppets. Apples too. A carrot would make a good fertility poppet.
Are you getting the idea that just about anything will work as a poppet? Focus and magical
intent are the keys.
Consecration

To make everything work better, you’ll want to do a small ritual to connect the poppet with its
counterpart and/or its purpose.

Construct a chant to use while making your poppet. This can be as elaborate as a signet or as
simple as repeating the name of the poppet’s intended counterpart or a rhyme stating your
magical purpose. Visualize your magical intent as you work.

When the poppet is finished, lay it on the altar and repeat this or something like it:

‘Though separate you were,

Now you are one.
The link of unison has begun.’

Continue with your spell, visualizing what you intend to accomplish.

Care and Disposal

After performing your magic, wrap the poppet in a white cloth and store in a safe place. You
should keep the poppet safe until the magic has manifested itself.

Take it apart and bury it after it has fulfilled its purpose. Be sure to sever the magical connection
between the poppet and the person it represented with this (or a similar) chant.

'By the Moon and Stars

and Goddess above.
I now sever this link
with thanks and love. '

It's possible to work magic on the same poppet more than once. I see no harm in repeating
spells (as long as you don't obsess over your magic). Some witches are strongly opposed to
this.
Poppet Spells

A poppet spell

Firstly you will need to form a bond between the person and the doll. Use this simple naming
ritual:

‘Little one, I made you and now I give you life

I name you (person’s name)
Her / his body is your body
Her / his breath is your breath
Her / his passion is your passion
Her / his blood is your blood
Though separate you were
Now you are one.’

To bind an enemy

Make a poppet to represent the person you wish to bind. Burn patchouli leaves and
frankincense on a charcoal block. Light a black candle and pass the poppet through the incense
smoke
saying:

‘Hecate, great Goddess of life and death,

I ask you to acknowledge that this Creation of cloth be known as
Flesh and blood of (name).’

Wrap the poppet tightly in red ribbon, paying close attention to the
area you wish to bind, i.e.: the genitals of a rapist, the mouth of a
slanderer. As you wrap, say:

‘Between the worlds in Hecate's eyes you (name) are bound

powerless.
In the eyes of this world, you are harmless.’

Imagine a heavy net made from a white light. Imagine the net
clinging to the poppet. Wrap it in a piece of white cloth and bury it
close to the person's house (or by the ocean and bid the sea to bless it).
Poppet against a malicious person

A poppet can be sewn to represent the malicious person.

Fill it with earth (grave dirt if you can find it), rosemary, sage, a
piece of smoky quartz and a piece of amethyst. Also enclose a piece
of the person's fingernails, a lock of hair, or another personal item.

Handwriting can be enclosed if you have nothing else. Photos can also be
used.

Poppet healing

Take a poppet and sprinkle it liberally with blessing oil. Rub perfumed oil all over your hands
and hold them over the doll’s head, palms open and say:

‘You are very ill-be healed

You will recover-be healed
Heal! Heal! Heal!’

Now blend equal amounts of Rosemary perfume oil, Violet perfume oil, Voodoo oil and
Damnation powder. Mix thoroughly until you have a paste. Completely coat the doll from top to
bottom with this mixture and repeat the words given above. After several times, carefully wrap
the coated doll in a piece of red cloth and hide it away, it must not be seen for several days.
Then take the doll and burn it and scatter the ashes to the wind.

Poppet to stop gossip

Using black felt, a needle and thread, and stuffing, make a simple poppet to represent the
offender. Cut a slit into the fabric for a mouth and stuff it well with slippery elm. Sew the mouth
shut with a six stranded piece of purple embroidery floss. As you sew, say:

‘Your mouth is closed. You cannot speak

To gossip, slander, or havoc wreak.
Your mouth stay shut, but only 'til
It speaks of friendship and good will.’
Place the poppet in a box. Stuff the box with paper to force the
poppet's face into a corner. Leaving the poppet as such removes the offender's urge to gossip.

Banishing spell to stop harm

This will protect without causing the person bound any harm. It is not a dark spell but a very
potent protective one. You may use a different oil if you wish to use as a banishing oil.
Rosemary may be substituted for Rue.

Materials:
1 black taper or image candle (gender depends on who you are trying
to bind)
Nail
Black cloth
Red ribbon
Cotton
Needle and thread
Banishing oil
Loose tobacco
A small mirror that can stand by itself
If you can obtain hair or nail clippings from the person or a picture,
you can use it in this spell.

Fold the felt in half and cut out a rough shape of the person you want to bind. Make the figure
large enough so that you will be able to stuff it after you have sewn it together. Sew the pieces
of the poppet together, leaving a hole through which you can stuff the poppet.

Fill it with cotton and tobacco, and if you have the hair or nail clippings of the person, add those
to it. Once it is filled, sew the opening closed. If you have a picture of the person, staple or sew
it to
the front of the poppet.

Next, carve the name of the person onto the black candle with the nail and add these runes:
Thuraz, Isa, Eihwas, a dark filled in circle to represent the dark moon, bars like you will see in a
jail, and a widdershins (anticlockwise) spiral.

Anoint the candle and the poppet with the oil. Cast a circle, invoke the elements, God or
Goddess you are working with. Light the altar candles. Light the black candle and adjust the
mirror so that flame is reflected in the glass. Hold the poppet out in front of you and say:

‘Creature of cloth thou art,

Creature of flesh and blood you be.
I name you (name of the person you are binding).

No more shall you do me harm.

No more shall you repeat false tales.
No more shall you interfere in my life, nor in the lives of my loved ones.

By the power of the Gods and by my will, So mote it be!’

Draw an invoking pentagram over the poppet. Now take the ribbon
and begin to wrap the poppet like a mummy, leaving no space
unwrapped. Say:

‘I bind your feet from bringing harm to me.

I bind your hands from reaching out to harm me.
I bind your mouth from spreading false tales to harm me.
I bind your mind from sending energy to harm me.
If you do so continue, let all negative energy be cast and reflected directly at you!’

Tie off the ribbon and hold the poppet in front of the mirror while
you visualize all negative energy this person has sent to you being
reflected back at them.

Wrap the poppet in the black cloth and tie with another length of
ribbon. Say:

‘Great Mother, I have bound this person

from harming me and my loved ones.
By the powers of three times three
By Earth and Fire, Air and Sea
I fix this spell, then set it free
Twill give no harm to return to me
As I will, So mote it be!’

Let the candle burn out while the poppet sits at its base, then take the poppet and the remains
of the candle far from your home and bury it deep in the ground or toss it in the ocean and walk
away without looking back.

Banishing spell

1/2 ounce olive oil

15 drops pine oil
12 drops rue oil
7 drops pepper oil
10 drops peppermint oil
Flower: crushed black peppercorns
Gem: obsidian or black onyx

As with most recipes, you'll probably have to substitute, this is a good thing; it makes it your
own. Be careful though as most of the oils called for are skin irritants. Make a poppet out of
black cloth,
stuff it with cotton balls or batting and tobacco. Add hair and/or nail clippings if you have them.
Sew it closed and staple a picture of the person to the front of the poppet (if you have one).
Carve the person's name into a black candle and add the runes Thurisaz, Isa, Eihwaz, Dark
Moon, Widdershins and Bars. (Dark Moon is a filled-in circle; Bars is a tic-tac-toe with 4 lines up
and 4 lines across; Widdershins is a counter-clockwise spiral with a an arrowhead at the end.)

Anoint the Poppet and Candle with Banishing Oil (if you can't make the oil, a single oil with
banishing properties can be used). Cast a circle, invoke the elements and the God or Goddess
you are working with (I'd use The Morrigan, but she can be rather volatile).Light the altar
candles.

Light the black candle and adjust the mirror so that the flame is reflected in the glass. Hold the
poppet out in front of you and say:

‘Creature of cloth thou art,

Now creature of flesh and blood you be.
I name you (name of the person you are binding).
No more shall you do me harm,
No more shall you spread false tales,
No more shall you interfere in my life, nor in the lives of my loved ones.
By the power of the Gods and by my will,
So mote it be!’

Draw an invoking pentagram over the poppet. Take a red ribbon and begin to wrap the poppet
like a mummy, leaving so space unwrapped. Say:

‘I bind your feet from bringing you to harm me.

I bind your hands from reaching out to harm me.
I bind your mouth from spreading tales to harm me.
I bind your mind from sending energy to harm me.
If you do so continue, let all negative energy be cast and reflected
directly back at you!’
Tie off the ribbon and hold the poppet in front of the mirror while you visualize all negative
energy this person has sent to you being reflected back to them. Wrap the poppet in black cloth
and tie with another length of ribbon. Say:
‘Great Mother, I have bound this person
from harming me and my loved ones.
By the powers of three times three
By Earth and Fire, Air and Sea
I fix this spell, then set it free
'Twill give no harm to return on me
As I will, so mote it be!’

Let the candle burn out while the poppet sits at its base, then take the poppet and the remains
of the candle far from your home and bury it deep in the ground or toss it in the ocean and walk
away without looking back. This spell is very powerful and works quite well.

You’ll probably never need a different binding spell. Sometimes binding spells work in
unexpected ways. The person you are binding may suddenly decide to move away, they may
have a change of heart and turn into a decent person after all; they may go through a horrible
streak of bad luck and learn their lessons the hard way. There is an outside chance that if they
are projecting enough negative energy, the might end up hurt. Be assured, they were only
caught in the backwash of their own negativity.

Protection poppet

Dogwood twigs and shavings

Black thread
An acorn
Black cotton thread & stuffing
Eucalyptus, sage, thyme, oak leaves & an acorn, parsley fern, birch
bark, nail clippings.
Hair, blood, Cedar wood or another protective oil
Dragon's Blood ink

Perform the actual ritual on the Full Moon. Construct the ‘skeleton’ out of dogwood twigs,
lashing the twigs together with black thread, using an acorn for the head. Choose the number of
herbs, for example 9.

Begin consecrating and grinding these items, meditating on the purpose all the while three
nights before the full moon. Mix in nail clippings, hair and some blood (not necessary). On a
piece of birch bark draw the rune of ‘Ohl’ with Dragon's Blood ink roll it up and tie it to the ‘torso'
of the poppet with black thread. Fashion clothes out of your own clothing and apply some of
your own hair to the poppet.

On the night of the full moon cast your circle and sew the clothes onto the little guy and stuff
him. After you’re done stuffing it, anoint it with Cedar wood or another protective oil and placing
your poppet on the pentacle on the altar. Meditate in the purpose and then dedicate it to the
south.

‘Magic doll, my little friend.

Away from me all harm you send.
Protect me now through day and night,
as I bless you with this rite.
All empowered these herbs within.
See me safe through thick and thin.

Protect me now oh little one.

Keep me safe and harm to none.
Blessed by the powers of three.
As I will, So Mote it Be!’

Take the poppet and pass it through the flame to the south, the water to the west, the salt to the
North, and the smoke (sandalwood) to the East. After that put it into a white muslin pouch with a
black and white agate, some rose petals and a rosemary sprig. On the pouch again draw the
rune of Ohl with Dragon's Blood ink. Carry this pouch with you and recharge or change the
herbs every so often.

Love poppets to return and keep your lost love

These poppets are to represent you and him/her. With any sympathetic magic what is done to
the poppets is done to the lovers. A poppet is a specially constructed cloth doll. It is a simple
rough
figure from 2 pieces of cloth. While cutting the cloth, concentrate on who it will represent. It may
then be worked on further with embroidering it with facial features, special characteristics such
as a beard, moustache, long hair, etc. Even astrological signs and the person's name can be
embroidered onto the doll to help symbolize who it represents.

Sew the figure leaving the top open. The figure should then be stuffed with the appropriate
herbs again concentrating on the person. You must use any 3 or more of these love herbs:
Verbena, Vervain, Rosemary, Rose petals, Cinnamon, Patchouli, Yarrow, Valerian, Catnip,
Lavender, Rosebuds, Strawberry leaves, Jasmine or Ginger may be used. (These herbs are
ruled by Venus)
Along with the love herbs, add to your lover's poppet some of your moon-blood (a powerful
option), some of your pubic hair and some of your underarm hair (don't shave your armpits for a
few days if this spell is to work well!)

The top may then be sewn closed. The two figures must be prepared this way. One
representing each of the lovers. Now name the figures as you hold them focusing on the intent
of the spell - him/her returning to you. Say:

‘Your name is ----- you are now his/her/my---- true essence’

Bind the figures face to face with red ribbon or thread. Now ‘put them to bed’ in small box and
keep safe. Each day at the same time exactly, dress a red candle with rose or jasmine oil or
even olive oil massaging it in from the ends to the middle to imbue it as a tool of Magic with your
personal magic and energy - also you may have both your names inscribed on it inside a heart
shape (with a sharp pin) and burn it for 15 minutes holding the poppets, focusing on your
ex-lover and willing him to return thinking of all the loving times you have spent together and
picturing in your mind you both together. Holding the bound poppets high up over the candle so
the poppets get warm a little but do not get too hot. Now say:

‘I melt your heart as I melt this wax

(Name) even as this wax flows,

So your love glows stronger for me

I melt your heart as I melt this wax
Even as this wax flows,

So your love flows back stronger to me

I melt your heart as I melt this wax
Even as this wax flows,

So you are reminded of all your love for me

I melt your heart as I melt this wax
And by fire of love and its molten flow

Return (name) and your love for me show..

I call (name) back to (your name) so mote it be!’
Say last line 3x3 times

Binding
The purpose of this spell is to protect yourself and the one who’s physically and mentally trying
to break you.

You’ll need:
Cloth poppet (Don’t attach the head until you begin)
Needle and thread
Black ribbon
Black candle
Your cauldron or something similar
Pen and paper
A candle in each quarter (north, south, east, west)

Invoke the elements. Light the black candle, concentrate on the person you’re going to bind.
Write down the person’s name and your wish on the piece of paper. Put the paper inside the
head of the
poppet and sow it up. Tie the black ribbon around the poppet’s head, think of the person the
whole time. Say:

‘I bind you (name),

from doing harm to yourself
and from harming others.’

Repeat this until the head is completely covered by the black ribbon. Place the poppet in the
cauldron and leave it there until the next day. Thank the Goddess and the God for their
protection and strength. For the next 5 days, keep the poppet as far away from you as possible.