Polter pystri-Magick powders

Most people may have come across the idea of magick powders in the context of American hoodoo, root magick etc. But the wytches/Pellers of the south-west of Britain also have a history of using magick powders as I'm sure have magickal folk of other parts of Britain. Here I give a few that I know of from the south-west used by wytches/Pellers of that region. Of course these are just the material bases for these powders which to have affect need to be magickally empowered or as some would say cooked.

Wytch powder There are a few different formula for this more famous powder, the main ingredients being Dragons blood and brick dust to which are often added a "smelly" i.e. a pungent ingredients like camphor, Rosemary oil etc. Wytch powder is used to cast off negative spells, Ban's etc normally by being sprinkled around the house being affected or over the person or animal during a banishing rite

Soot Soot is a very magickal substance it can absorb vast amounts of magickal energy both negative and positive. A Bowl of appropriately consecrated soot placed a room will absorb the negative energy in that room. Soot can also be made into a paint or ink and used to paint protective symbols on the walls and doors of houses, barns and other buildings. On the other hand a curse will be all the more affective if the person sending it can obtain soot from the chimney of the hearth of the victim. It is said that in the past those sending a curse would fly a kite over the chimney of thier intended victim to gather this soot.

Cross road earth Earth gathered at the cross roads is used in many spells, a mixture of earth gathered from a place were four roads meet and earth were three roads meet being the most powerful.

Mixed earth A useful base for spells can be made from earth gathered from a number of places, the greater the number of locations the better. This earth being gathered from so many different places will loose it's distinct associations and so is easier to charge with your intent what ever it may be.

Grave soil This must be soil that has actually touched the coffin and even better if it comes from within the coffin and incorporates powdered human bone. Used in certain rites either to cast curses or to bring fertility to land.

Death powder, Corpse dust This is just the above soil and bone powder charged in certain necromantic rites. It is used both to bring death to a house and to send it away. Also used in some rites to summon the dead to a location.

Love powder A mixture of Orrisroot, Red rose petals and sugar ground fine. This sweet and sticky powder is a common ingredient in love spells.

Charm ash After making and then charging talismans they can be burnt and then the ash scattered were the result is required. Though this technique is normally used for what might be called positive out comes it can also be used in a particularly nasty traditional curse. I will use this curse as an example as it illustrates, I think, particularly well the use of charm ash. Take a clean piece of paper, draw on it a large circle and at it's centre the name of the one who is to be cursed and around the name write all the bad things you desire them to suffer. As you write these words declare them out loud. Now take a largish piece of meat (say a leg of lamb) and pin the paper to it and then hang it up outside. As long as the weather is warm the meat should soon become covered in maggots. When they have become fat and start to fall, gather them up in a container you can cover.  Take off the paper with your curse on it and dry it out and then burn it to ash; keep this ash. Soon the maggots will pupate and then turn to flies, when this has happened lift the lid slightly and put the ash from the curse paper in with them. The flies will be covered in the ash. Release the flies through the letter box of the one being cursed, in this way the flies will carry the curse to every thing the victim touches and eats, there will be no escape.

Crow ash Crows are emissaries of the spirit world and their ash is sometimes used in rites where strong spirit contact is needed. On the night of full moon a small fire is made without flint or iron and on it are burnt the corpses of crows. The fire should only be just big enough to burn them to ash. Once the fire has cooled sieve the ash and put in a jar.

Bone ash Made in much the same way as the above (Bonfire/Bonefire). Used to mark out magick signs upon the earth during some rites.