Witches' Ball

[Flar's Freyja]

I think I saw some threads in Arts and Crafts on how to make these and they can be a very valuable tool to ward off negativity or bring prosperity into your life. I ran across this one in Llewellyn's 2002 Spell-A-Day Calendar:

Witches Ball New Year's Spell
Silver RavenWolf

To promote prosperity and harmony in the coming year, pass one dozen small or one very large Yule tree ball ornaments of various colors, some orange peel, cinnamon, nutmeg and your favorite prosperity oil through your favorite cleansing incense. Grind the herbs and orange peel in a mortar and pestle, saying:

New Year blooms in winter light
Bringing joy and love each night
With the dawn comes strength and more
Prosperity enters through my door

Add three drops of jupiter oil (or any other empowering oil) to the herbal mixture and stir seven times. Fill each ornament with a little of the herbal combination. Hang them on a tree outside, asking the winds of change to bring prosperity and harmony into your life.

I like this one. Last year I bought a package of large, clear ornaments and planned to make witch balls but never got around to it. I added this one to my BOS. I've seen many other methods of making them and will try to post a few more.

[Witchy Cowgirl]

OH! This is nice! And they would make wonderful Yule gifts.

[Flar's Freyja]

Here's another method:

Witch balls have been around for centuries, but is is nearly impossible (and very costly) to buy one. These silvery balls were once common fixtures in windows, particularly in England, where they were said to repel evil thoughts and curses. Most Pagans don't feel they can spend several hundred dollars to purchase such a ball, even if they could find one, but there is no reason you can't make one.

You will need a clear glass ball or Yule ornament with an opening in one end. If the glass ball has some kind of design, choose one you like or one you can change with further decoration. You will also need a bottle of silver paint found in hobby stores, a few drops of frankincense or patchouli oil, a spool of red thread, and a pair of scissors.

Cover your working space with newspaper to protect against spills. Take the metal cap off the ornament. Carefully pour a little of the silver paint inside the ball and swish it around until the inside is completely covered with the silver. Set it aside to dry.
When the paint is totally dry, cut the red thread into three inch-lengths. Carefully poke this thread into the open end of the ball. Continue cutting and putting the thread into the ball untill the ball is nearly full. Put in a few drops of oil. Then put the end back on the ornament. If it has no end, seal it with candle wax.

When you hang the protection ball, chant:

Symbol of the Moon, symbol of the Lady divine,
Reject all negativity, defend this home (car), me and mine.
This protection ball can be hung in the window of your home or in your car. Any negative thoughts or ill-wishes directed against you are reflected back to the sender.

You can also decorate the outside with appropriate designs. You can put them onto wreaths or make them part of a dried flower arrangement. Programmed for protection, these little Witch balls do a very good job.

http://members.tripod.com/~onespiritx/craft33.htm

Hmmm......when I reviewed this post, I got a little deja vu - I think that this one comes from Scott Cunningham and the site owner did not give him credit. I'll do some checking.

[Flar's Freyja]

Here's the thread from the Arts and Crafts forum:

Witch Balls (http://www.mysticwicks.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=2952&highlight=witch+balls)

[jelly.belly]

I love witch balls!!! They are so beautiful, and actually, I've never seen a witch ball that was that costy :huh: ... In Canada you can buy some, hand blown, for as less as $8!? But it's so very cool to actually make one, you can choose exactly what it'll look like and the ones you can buy are pretty much all look alikes! :)

[Flar's Freyja]

I agree, and you can make them with so many different purposes and intents and fill them with so many different things. I believe that Scott Cunningham also had ideas for filling them with straight pins to trap negative energies. I also recently saw a formula for filling them with some pretty disgusting things but I can't remember where I saw it.

It seems that you can only find the clear Christmas ornaments around the holidays. Last year I found some very large ones for half price at Michael's after-Christmas sale.

[WynterWynd]

I have two witch balls that I made myself, but then I also have one I recieved as a Yule gift. This is what it looks like. The Teal one.

[Rae ShadowWolf]

They are very beautiful. I will make one sooner or later. :)

[~*Ginger*~]

If you have any old glass ornaments that are colored, you can make up a bit of bleach water, let them soak in it and the coloring inside comes right off. ;)

And yes, they are beautiful.
I'm gonna make me some too.

I've wondered about using some nail polish and model car paint (silver & gold) to make some swirls inside before adding the covering color.

Maybe use a long small paint brush to add it.
Or maybe using the curved upholstry needles to do that with.

[Rae ShadowWolf]

I never thought of that. Thanks Flora!

[WynterWynd]

I like your idea for getting the paint out of old decor balls;)

If you put paint into a glass ball, you can use two colors of paint to get the swirl effect. You just need to have a place to set the ball, and turn it about every fifteen minutes till you get the look you want ( a bowl of rice, uncooked, works good to hold the ball) Then after you get it the way you like, just tun it upside down (opening side down) and let the excess paint drain out of it. Then it will take about......I gave mine a week, to be completly dry inside again.
The ultra-fine gold and silver glitters stick really well to the inside of the glass balls too!;)

[~*Ginger*~]

Oh, I can not take credit for that idea...
It came from a magazine, years ago...
Proably 'Family Circle' or "Women's (something).
It's been so long ago i can't remember which magazine.


( a bowl of rice, uncooked, works good to hold the ball) oooh and aren't you a clever one!

(totally off topic)
*WOW*
There's a silver cricket sitting here by me!
How cool is that!!!

[WynterWynd]

He wanted to check out all the discussion about silver balls!:eek::lol:

[~*Ginger*~]

He wanted to check out all the discussion about silver balls!:eek::lol:
Hee heee!
I've never seen a silver one before.

Ok, i'll stop with the cricket...
(sorry)

[Flar's Freyja]

This is the perfect time of year to get supplies for these - I'm noticing that they have all different sizes and shapes of empty glass ornaments that you can fill. I bought a unique teardrop shaped one last night that I'll use for a witch ball.