From the Grimoire: Creating Black Salt for Use in Protective Magick

This is a page from my grimoire and the recipe that I use for making black salt, which is a "bread and butter" material component for any witch or druid.  I would like to credit Auburn Lily (the author of Appalachian Witchcraft for Beginners, which is an excellent resource that I highly recommend); although I am not using her spell directly, it was a source of inspiration for mine.

 

Introduction 

This is a recipe for infusing mundane salt with magickal protective energy as black salt (Salis Oscura), which is a powerful alternative to mundane salt in the practice of protective magicks.  This process infuses the protective qualities of ashes and oregano into ordinary salt and amplifies its protective abilities.  The material components for this spell are easy to source or even to grow and make for yourself.

Tools Required

• A mortar and pestle
• A bowl
• A small cauldron (or other fire-safe vessel)
• A match or lighter 
• A container that can hold at least one cup (250 ml), for long-term storage

Material Components

• One charcoal disc (you can find these at most metaphysical stores; if not, any charcoal briquette will do, or you can make the charcoal yourself)
• Three tablespoons (45 ml) dried oregano
• One cup (250 ml) salt (sea salt is best, especially if wildcrafted)

Process

I. Arrange your sacred space.  Make sure you are outside or in a well-ventilated space, as this ritual will produce a considerable amount of smoke. 

II. Ground yourself.  Tap into earthen energies and set the intention that you will be protected in this working before you begin.

III. Hold the charcoal over your cauldron carefully (use tongs if you are concerned about burning yourself).  Light one edge of the charcoal while reciting the incantation:

Char and cinder, black as night
Thy cleansing fire, I call alight.

When the lit edge begins to sparkle, drop the coal in the cauldron and allow at least half of it to burn to grey.

IV. Little by little, begin to sprinkle the oregano onto the burning charcoal.  Recite the incantation:

For to banish unwanted energy,
Oregano's power, I call upon thee. 

Watch as it burns.  Clear your mind and watch the smoke rising from the cauldron, letting your eyes go out of focus.  Repeat the intention, "I am protected from unwanted energy" as the smoke cleanses your space.  Continue this process until all of the oregano has burned.

 

V. Carefully transfer the charcoal and oregano ash to your mortar and pestle and crush them into fine powder.  Stir it widdershins (that is, counterclockwise) to banish unwanted energy, repeating your intention as you do.

VI.  Combine the fine ash with the salt in your bowl.  In your mind's eye, picture a sturdy fortress of energy surrounding and protecting you as you stir widdershins and recite the incantation:

Darkened salt, now hear my plea,
Bestow thy magick protection on me.

VII. The salt is now ready for use or storage.  It can be used in place of mundane salt in any protective magicks (although it should not be ingested).  If you don't have time for rituals but would like to call on its protective energy, simply sprinkle a pinch of it in any doorway to ward off unwanted energy.  To shield a space more fully, pour black salt in a thin line across the threshold of the doorway.