Salt
in Folklore and Magic
Dr
Raven Dolick MsD Nov 8, 2014
All
rights reserved
Salt
has been used in ritual for thousands of years.
Many
different magical traditions call for the use of salt in spells and
ritual. For centuries, it’s been known as a very magical – and
also very valuable – ingredient. But why is salt such a magical
item? Let’s look at some of the history behind the use of salt in
magic, and some of the ways it’s commonly used in folklore and
legend.
Mark
Kurlansky’s book Salt: A World History does a great job of
summarizing how salt became as widely used as it is. Salt was
actually pretty important in the grand scheme of human civilization.
In the early days of mankind, or at least the days prior to
industrialization, the process of harvesting salt was time consuming
and labor intensive. This meant that salt was a pretty valuable
commodity, and only rich people could afford it. The Romans actually
paid their soldiers with salt, because it was so important for things
like food preservation. In fact, the word “salary” has its root
in the Latin word for salt.
So,
in addition to being a pretty important – and pricey – bit of the
material aspects of human living, salt began to find its way into the
metaphysical and spiritual realm. It appears several times in the Old
Testament, most notably in the book of Genesis, in which Lot’s wife
(who doesn’t appear to have a name of her own) is turned into a
pillar of salt after disobeying God’s commands.
In
many Eastern belief systems, such as Buddhism and Shintoism, salt is
used both as a purifier and to repel evil.
Folklorist
Robert Means Lawrence, in his 1898 book The Magic of the Horseshoe,
looks at some of the ways salt is used in folk magic around the
globe.
•In
parts of Germany, Normandy, and Scotland, salt is used in or around a
butter churn to keep witches from souring the butter or harming the
cow from which the cream was obtained.
•Irish
folk remedies include the use of salt, combined with a recitation of
the Lord’s Prayer, to cure those who might have been
“fairy-struck.” A similar story comes from Bavaria and the
Ukraine, in which salt is used to determine if a child is bewitched.
•Egyptian
caravans setting out on a journey across the desert used to perform a
ritual that involved burning salt on hot coals. This was done to
ensure that evil spirits wouldn’t get in the way of the travelers.
Often,
salt is used in purification spells. It can be incorporated into
smudging and asperging, and in some NeoWiccan traditions it is used
on the altar to represent the element of earth. It should be noted
that some groups associate salt with water, because of its origins in
the sea. Black salt, which is a blend of regular salt and other
ingredients, is used in protection magic in some traditions.
Salt
has maintained its usefulness in modern folk magic traditions as
well. Vance Randolph writes in Ozark Magic and Folklore of a number
of mountain beliefs regarding the use of salt.
•If
someone spills the salt at dinner, it means a violent family quarrel
is on the way.
•It’s
considered bad luck to lend salt to someone, because that can lead to
a feud between the borrower and the lender. A good way to avoid this
problem is if you get a cup of salt from someone, pay it back with
sugar or molasses instead. Interestingly, in parts of northern
England and Scotland it is also seen as bad luck to lend salt, mostly
because the person borrowing it can use it as a magical link to curse
you.
•Salt
can also be used to detect the presence of witches: in the Ozarks, it
is believed that witches don’t eat much salt, so if someone
complains about food being too salty, she might be regarded with
suspicion. There is also a tale that bewitched cattle will not touch
salt.
Many
areas include salt as part of local superstition - perhaps the best
known bit of advice is that if you spill salt, you should throw a bit
of it over your shoulder. This either brings good luck, or keeps evil
at bay, depending on which source you consult.
More
uses of salt in magic and folklore:
• Make
a Witch Bottle: Salt can be used as an ingredient in a witch bottle
for protection.
• Offerings
to the Gods: Salt is sometimes left as an offering to deity.
• House
Cleansing Ceremony: Use salt as part of a seasonal metaphysical
cleansing.
• Perform
a Self Dedication Ritual: Incorporate salt into rituals and
ceremonies.
NOW
LETS LEARN A RECIPE FOR BLACK SALT
Black
Salt For Protection
Make
Your Own Black Salt
Use
black salt to protect your property or belongings.
In
some hoodoo and folk magic traditions, black salt is used as a
protective element. It can be blended up and sprinkled around your
property to keep your home safe from intruders or troublemakers. It
is traditionally used to drive away evil, and can even be sprinkled
in the footprints of someone who is bothering you, to make them go
away.
A
few websites recommend adding a dye or food coloring to the salt.
However, when you add liquid to salt it gets clumpy, and then
dissolves. So you'll want to use something dry to color it instead.
Here's
a basic recipe for black salt:
•2
parts sea salt
•1
part scrapings from a cast iron skillet or pot OR
•1
part fine ash from your fire pit OR
•1
part finely ground black pepper
Depending
on the density of your coloring ingredient, you may need to adjust
the portions a little, but that's the basic method of making it. If
you have a well-seasoned cast iron pot or cauldron, you should be
able to get a good amount of black scrapings out of the bottom of it
-- if it seems too oily, use the ash or pepper instead. A few readers
have also recommended using black chalk dust, black powdered food
dye, or lamplight.
Don't
confuse this concoction, however, with the black salt used in Indian
cuisine -- that item is actually a mineral salt which is a weird
pinkish gray color and has a bit of a sulfuric taste to it.
No comments:
Post a Comment