Human Hair in Witchcraft

Most of us have it, sometimes not enough, sometimes too much or where we don’t want it

It comes in a multitude of natural colours and textures and can be a huge part of a persons identity, culture or even religion.

Hair in the craft can be a very potent ingredient for personalisation of a spell, any hair can be used but hair from the head tends to be the most commonly used today next to pubic hair which has associations with carnal magick.

The general associations of hair is strength, psychic protection, virility as well as the connection to the person it directly came from.

Due to its nature and the fact it doesn’t decay and breakdown as quickly as the rest of the human body and is easy to legally obtain and keep, this material is an excellent material for those who wish to work with their ancestors.

Fun Fact - Those accused of being witches often had their heads shaved as it was believed that this would render them powerless.

To aid in getting a confession the bodies of accused witches were shaved bare to avoid the concealment of the devils mark.

Ways of Utilising Hair…

**Braiding**

One for those with long hair or even partners/children with long hair.

It doesn’t have to be elaborate, but a simple braid on its own done with focus and intent can work wonders.

Strengthen or further focus your will using coloured ribbons, flowers, threads or beads with relevant correspondences for the desired effect.

**Knot Work**

As with ribbons and cords, long hair can be knotted easily and lends itself to this way or working.

You can use a single strand or more if you wish. These could be from multiple people especially if you are working something that may involve binding or tying them together. We all know it’s almost impossible to unknot hair when it’s pulled tight.

Knotting will also fall into creating witch ladders.

**Felting**

Ah yes; this may gross a few of you out but this is what made me think of sharing this information with you all.

If you have long hair and a lot of it you will be familiar with the brush full of hair that greats you after a good grooming session.

There are methods (and they are easy) of using human hair for felting. It’s not soft and cuddly but if you are willing to put in the time and effort it is possible to create a felted effigy of someone.

Due to the amount of hair required this one is better suited to those with long hair and looking to work on spells aimed at their own well being. I’m personally planning a little felted poppet to represent myself that I can later embellish with small drilled gems in places I require healing or help.

**Sigils**

Long strands or hair can be used carefully as fine thread and really lends itself to a creative witch who wishes to personalise something with an embroidered or cross-stitched sigil, symbol, name or word. This could be done on fabric, cushion or even on a poppet.

**Stuffing**

Using hair to stuff a poppet or cushion.

This will work for both long and medium length hair. It would also work for short hair but a double layer of fabric may be required to avoid hairs poking out too much.

This can be used alongside other ingredients that you may want to have inside such as herbs or a few crystals.

**Cuttings/Loops/Curls/Locks**

It was very common in the Victorian era for women to collect locks of hair from their loved ones and have them in books or if they wanted to keep them close, in lockets.

Locks of hair can still be kept this way and used for personalisation but it’s also a lovely way of keeping a piece of a loved one for ancestral workings.

The ends of the loop can be kept together using general wax or as I prefer; sealing wax. The persons initial can also be pressed or carved into the wax and be kept as a trinket of sorts that can be used for focus and calling on them if they have passed.

**Art Pictures/Embroidery/Cross-stitch**

Get creative with the glue, resin or wax and use shorter hair clippings mixed with a medium.

Alternatively there are a huge number of art forms that can be created with long hair and I would strongly recommend searching online for ‘Victorian Hair Art’.

Create works of art using Hair from your family members and use it to focus spells that you want to blanket your family unit (protection).

**Bottles/Jars**

Just shove it in

**Hair Care**

Remember that this stuff is on you 24/7 and washing it in specially created shampoos, floral rinses or even a natural hair spritz means you will carry your intent with you all day.

Setting intent whilst bushing you’re hair is also an option. As brushing also generated energy (static) it’s also a nice way of charging and storing energy.

I personally love washing my hair when I’ve had a really bad day and enjoy feeling all the heaviness and turmoil wash away down the drain. I find it really helps me focus myself as well as relax.

**Matting**

Matting hair from someone to bring on bad luck. This can be achieved easily by rubbing long hair between the palms of your hands.

**All words and images are my own, please make sure that credit is in place if you reblog or share it**

I’ve been waiting to collect these remains for a while now and I finally did it.

This beautiful creature passed away in a ditch that was half full of water and now 6 months later it’s dry and just about passable through all the nettles.

This may not be everyone’s cup of tea, a number of years ago it wouldn’t have been mine. As I’ve gotten older and watched members of my family have their bodies fail them and held their hands as they passed, death and my view on it has shifted significantly.

For those interested, it’s a fox. The remains I have collected will be cleaned and be utilised in my craft which is very much based on what my local landscape provides.

I very rarely work with ingredients that I’ve not foraged for or grown myself and I feel this is another way of making a connection.

**All words and images are my own, please make sure that credit is in place if you reblog or share it**

Ostara Altar 2021

Creature Feature - Squirrels

These frisky little animals are a common site in most UK woodlands, the beautiful red one far less common than the invasive greys but they are all quite entertaining to watch.

I’ve personally felt a connection to the squirrel for as long as I can remember and even to this day, a squirrel sighting on a bad day will lighten my mood. Maybe it’s their playful, sometimes naughty and scatty nature!

The squirrel is a rodent and belongs to the family Scuridae and there are said to be around 300 different species across the world but the ones I’m going to focus on are the two that are found here in the UK (and Europe).The beautiful and smaller red squirrel is the only native squirrel to the UK and it’s said that until the medieval era the squirrel was able to travel across the entire country via the ancient woodlands; most of which no longer exist.

These days the red squirrel is on the endangered list and most of the population can be found in Scotland, although they can be found in a few other Welsh, Irish and English habitats.

The decline in the red squirrel can be attributed to the introduction of the non-native North American Grey squirrel and the parapox virus which is carried by the greys but is deadly to their native red cousins. Thankfully recent studies have shown that the reds are starting to show signs of growing immunity to the virus.

Obviously, the other contributing factor to their decline is the loss of habitat.

It’s the lovely red squirrel that has inspired artists and writers alike and is famously depicted in the works of Beatrix Potter as the naughty Squirrel Nutkin.

llIustration by Beaxtrix Potter (The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin)

Squirrels are known for being energetic and playful but when they aren’t chasing after each other and having fun; they can be seen stashing food away for the winter months when they may only emerge for a couple of hours a day. This is where the saying ‘squirrelling away’ come from.

The Squirrel in Nordic Mythology
The most famous squirrel that those with an interest in Norse mythology may be aware of is Ratatoskr. He was said to represent rain and snow as well as the elements Earth and Air. Ratatoskr is a red squirrel and is known as a speedy messenger that scampers up and down Yggdrasil (the world tree) and would relay messages between Níðhöggr (a monster that feeds on Yggdrasil’s roots and resides in the underworld) and the wise Eagle Veðrfölnir who lives at the top of the tree (more often than not, the messages were insults.)

Image from Wikipedia - Illustration from a 17th-century manuscript

Associations:Organization, survival, speed, resourcefulness, responsibility, speed, cunning, playfulness, joy, inquisitive, observant, agility, family, dedication, spirited, kindness, mischief, passion, hard-work, life, change, fertility, re-birth.

Feminine:Feminine

Elements:Earth & Air




**All words and images are my own unless otherwise stated, please make sure that credit is in place if you reblog or share it**
Sources:YPTE, Wildlife Trust, My BOS

My most recent Beltane altar for 2021, as with all my altar set ups I like to grow and forage for my foliage.

**All words and images are my own, please make sure that credit is in place if you reblog or share it**