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Spell jars might look simple, but the magick they hold is powerful. And they’ve never been more popular in the world of Wicca and witchcraft.
In this guide, you’ll not only learn the ins and outs of creating a spell jar but also what makes this unique, beautiful form of magick so worthwhile.
At the end of the guide, you’ll find a spell jar ritual that’s powerful enough for an experienced witch but simple enough for a complete beginner. Why not discover the magickal power of spell jars for yourself?
Let’s get started!
Table of Contents
- What Are Spell Jars?
- How Do Spell Jars Work?
- What Can You Do With Spell Jars?
- Spell Jar Ritual for Self-Confidence
What Are Spell Jars?
Spell jars are deceptively simple magickal objects.
Really, all you need is some sort of container and something to put into that container. They may look beautiful and they may be spiritually powerful, but, when it comes to creating the actual object, it couldn’t be easier.
Simple as they may be, let’s take a look at the makings of a spell jar to better understand just what’s going on.
The Jar
Like the name implies, spell jars will always involve some sort of jar or bottle container. Beyond that, though, there aren’t really too many hard and fast rules.
Traditionally, you’d see spell jars sealed with a cork stopper, and, while these do look great and can serve certain magickal purposes, they aren’t the most essential part of the jar. A jar with a lid or any other sort of tight seal will work just fine when creating a spell jar.
Ultimately, the jar you choose will largely depend on what your intention for the spell jar is and how it’s going to be used–two things that we’ll dive deeper into in just a moment!
The Contents of the Jar
What you put into your spell jar is really where the magick happens. You can put in pretty much anything that will fit your jar, but you will typically see some items in spell jars more commonly than others.
These include:
- Dried herbs or flowers
- Crystals
- Salt
If you’ve done any sort of spellcasting before, these items probably sound pretty familiar–they show up in tons of spells and rituals. But they’re by no means the only things you’ll find in spell jars.
As with choosing a jar, choosing the contents will be heavily determined by the purpose of your spell.
How Do Spell Jars Work?
Spell jars may be magickal, but they’re not miraculous! You can’t just throw some flower petals in a jar and hope for the best.
Making your spell jars work to their full potential all boils down to one crucial thing–your intention.
Setting Your Magickal Intention
When it comes to working magick, intention is the key. Without intention, spells suffer and are ineffective. With it, they can change your world.
Thankfully, setting your intention isn’t a complex task.
At its most basic, your intention is your goal for a spell or your desired outcome.
Intention is an expression of what you want. The universe cannot work its magick for you if you are unable to articulate what exactly it is that you want.
However, there are effective ways and ineffective ways to express that desire. When it comes to setting an intention for spell jars (or any sort of magick), being descriptive and clear is absolutely crucial.
A vague intention, such as, “I need more money in my life,” will never work as well as an intention with clarity and precision like, “I will turn my side business into a full-time job within twelve months.”
Intentions may vary from witch to witch and from spell to spell, but the markings of a good one never change.
A good intention is:
- Short (no more than a sentence or two)
- Clear (no room for misinterpretation)
- Specific (focuses on a concrete goal you can observe)
Enhancing Your Magickal Intention
When it comes to spell jars, setting your intention is a good first step, but there’s still more to be done.
The real power of spell jars resides in your ability to choose items for the jar that correspond to your stated intention.
All objects used in magick have correspondences–spiritual associations and energies that are unique to them. For example, mint leaves correspond to good luck, while red rose petals correspond to love.
To craft a powerful spell jar, you need items with correspondences that affirm your magickal intention.
With that in mind, let’s return to our example intention, “I will turn my side business into a full-time job within twelve months,” and our example items–mint leaves and rose petals.
While it might not be the most important correspondence, good luck is definitely something you would want when trying to build a business, so mint leaves could be a good choice for this intention.
However, falling in love is not really something associated with business, so including rose petals in your spell jar would only serve to muddle the specific energy you’re trying to attract.
Creating useful and potent spell jars is all about finding those perfect correspondences that align with your goals and discarding those which don’t.
For the spell jar ritual below, I’ve already done the hard work of choosing items and correspondences for you. No need to wonder if they’re aligned with the intention of the spell jar–they’ve all been selected with care!
What Can You Do With Spell Jars?
“So what’s a witch to do with a spell jar?” you might be asking.
The answer to that is…pretty much anything!
Spell Jars Are a Blank Canvas for Making Magick
When it comes to purposes that a spell jar can serve, the only real limit is your imagination.
No matter what intention you’re trying to accomplish, a spell jar can help to concentrate and permeate the spiritual energies conducive to your success.
There are common themes for spell jars that we see throughout history, like the traditional Hoodoo honey jar (for love or better relationships) and the witch’s bottle (for, humorously enough, protecting against witchcraft). However, spell jars stretch back almost as far as humanity itself, and they have been used for countless different purposes.
I say all that to say this–don’t be afraid to experiment and push the limits of what a spell jar can be or can do!
Portable Spell Jars
Spell jars don’t have to remain stationary on your altar or in your home–you can create portable ones that will allow you to carry the energies along with you wherever you go.
A small jar in your bag or pocket works fine, but some Wiccans and witches prefer to wear their spell jars in the form of necklace with a small bottle attached.
There’s nothing wrong with either of those options, as the power of spell jars isn’t dependent on the quantity of items within them–small jars can be just as potent as big ones. The energy of a jar is all about setting your intention and choosing the perfect correspondences.
However, when creating a portable spell jar, you do want to keep practical logistics in mind. If your spell jar recipe is calling for ten different kinds of dried herbs and flowers, will you really be able to cram all those in a thimble-sized jar attached to a necklace?
Small, portable spell jars work best when paired with simple recipes that don’t require a lot of different items. I’m not saying that a jam-packed, small spell jar can’t be done, but it’s going to be harder to assemble!
Spell Jars as Magickal Gifts
Spell jars are the perfect way to share your magick with others.
Even though you may have created it yourself, a spell jar given as a gift will still benefit the recipient with the spiritual energy contained within. This is especially true if you begin the process of creating a spell jar with the intention of giving it away.
When it comes to spell jars as gifts, the intention for the jar may, by necessity, need to be a little more vague than usual–unless your recipient has specified an intention they want used. In either case, try your best to make the intention as specific as possible and make sure that none of your correspondences are contradicting or muddling that intention.
Spell jars can look absolutely beautiful, especially if you’re crafty enough to deck it out with ribbons and other accessories. And when making one as a gift, you want it to be as visually beautiful as it is spiritually powerful.
Spell Jar Ritual for Self-Confidence
It’s finally time to put all your knowledge about spell jars to good use!
The following ritual is all about creating a jar that will help to boost your confidence in yourself and your abilities.
But remember–you want your spell jar intention to be as specific as it can be, so, before you begin the ritual, take some time to craft a clear, precise intention related to your own self-confidence.
The more specific you can be, the better. A spell jar with an intention like, “I am confident and articulate when speaking to strangers,” will be more powerful than a generic intention like, “I want to be more self confident.”
With that in mind, let’s begin!
Items Needed:
- 1 jar with a tight seal
- Paper
- Writing utensil
- Dried cardamom pods (for peace of mind)
- Dried oregano leaves (for mental clarity)
- Mustard seeds (to banish negativity)
- Dried or crystalized ginger (for confidence)
- Gold ribbon (for wisdom and bravery)
- Red candle (for courage and vitality)
- Lighter or matches
Buy These Ritual Items Now
To begin the ritual, clear a working space and cast a sacred circle around it. (Don’t forget to review our article on casting a sacred circle!)
Collect your ritual items in front of you, hold your hands above them, and repeat the following:
I seal and consecrate these tools with the blessings of the spirit world and by the power of my will.
Next, take your pen and paper. It’s time to write down your intention for this spell jar. Remember–the more short and specific, the better!
Once that is complete, roll or fold the paper and place it in the jar.
As you do this, first, repeat your intention aloud in a confident voice.
After that is done, you should say:
I set my intention and I seal my will. Let nothing stand in my way.
Next, take your cardamom pods and place them in the jar with the paper as you say this:
Cardamom, for peace of mind.
Now, place the oregano leaves in the jar as well and say:
Oregano, for clarity of mind.
Up next is the mustard seeds. While you place them in the jar, say the following:
Mustard, to banish all negativity.
The final plant to go in the jar is the ginger. As you place it, repeat this:
Ginger, for confidence.
Next, if possible, tie your gold ribbon around the outside of the jar in a bow or other decorative knot. If that won’t work, place the ribbon directly into the jar with the other items.
As you tie or place the ribbon, say this:
I seal this jar with the wisdom and bravery of the divine.
Now, you should tightly seal your jar.
Once that is complete, light your red candle. Allow it to burn for a moment before you continue.
When you’re ready, very carefully pour a bit of the wax from the candle onto the top of your jar. You don’t need to cover the entire thing–just enough so that it’s clearly visible.
When this is done, recite this final incantation over the completed jar:
The work is complete and the spell is cast. May the energies within this jar bring me all that I seek. I call upon these elements to work my will and fulfil my desire. So mote it be.
At this point, the ritual is over and you can close the sacred circle you cast at the beginning.
After the Ritual
Once the spell jar ritual is complete, it’s time to put your magickal object to good use!
If you’ve created a small, portable spell jar, be sure to keep it on you whenever possible or whenever you know that you need to access its powers of self confidence.
If you’ve created a large spell jar, you should keep it in an important area of your home. It’s perfectly fine to let it rest on your altar, but a table in your living room or bedroom would work great as well. The point is to expose yourself to the energies of the spell jar as much as possible.
While powerful, spell jars won’t last forever. Over the course of weeks or months you may begin to notice that it’s not as powerful or effective as it once was. When this occurs, it’s time to start a new jar from scratch.
Are You Stocked Up For a Spell Jar?
I hope that what you’ve read has gotten you excited to explore deeper into this unique type of magick–there’s much more to the world of spell jars beyond this one ritual!
Just remember:
- Set your specific intention
- Be thorough in your correspondence choices
- Don’t be afraid to really dream big and get creative
One quick question before you go–did you have on hand all the supplies you needed for that spell jar ritual?
If not, I’ve got bad news: your magickal pantry may be seriously lacking!
And trust me, we’ve all been there–with so many potential items needed for spells, keeping track of the essentials is a serious pain.
If you’re tired of your witchy supplies running low, we’ve got the perfect solution–our guide to the basic Wiccan supplies you should always have on hand.
With it, you’ll find out what supplies are must-haves for the serious witch and why they’re so important.
Give it a read and stock up today!
