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Salt has been an important part of Pagan ritual and folklore tradition for thousands of years.
Across the ancient world, salt was a highly prized and expensive commodity. It was used to preserve food, helped to stave off infection and was even issued to Roman soldiers as a form of “salary”.
Sal, Latin = Salt.
Because of salt’s high value and importance within ancient societies, it has long been associated with magical rituals, spells and rites. Let’s learn how to bless salt in Wicca.
The Superstitions and Folklore of Salt
- Spilling salt is considered unlucky. To counter bad luck, the spilt salt should be thrown over the shoulder to scatter evil spirits.
- During the winter solstice, salt’s powers of preservation were symbolic of eternity and divine wisdom; A belief that passed over into early Christianity.
- Sharing salt between friends was thought to form a very strong spiritual bond, and was often the first item brought across the threshold of a home by guests.
Incorporating Salt into Wiccan Spells & Rituals
So, we’ve established that salt is an important part of folk history and culture, but how do we incorporate this powerful compound into our own Wiccan spells and rituals?
Firstly, you’ll need to get hold of some salt, and then begin the process of blessing it.
You can think of this “Blessed Salt” as something akin to holy water, or if you prefer, a magical ingredient that is imbued with some form of power or attribute, a little like a sigil. Salt is highly absorbent and a powerful “carrier” for magical and elemental energies.
It’s possible to bless salt in a variety of ways and for a myriad of different uses. Let’s help you get started by looking at a few of them:
Elemental Earth Consecration with Blessed Salt
Try this ritual earth consecration when using blessed salt. By aligning yourself with the earth, you’ll symbolically solidify your energies, removing anxiety and calming the mind.
- Obtain a bowl that you can connect with and some salt
There’s no hard and fast rules for the bowl. It just needs to fire the imagination and be easy to focus on. You can choose a simple earthenware bowl and pour in a small pile of Kosher or sea salt for optimum and humble aesthetics.
- Bless the salt
To bless the salt, you’re going to want to head somewhere quiet and secluded so you can give your undivided attention to the ritual process.
- Focus your mind and intention
Hold your hands over the bowl of salt and focus on your breathing.
- Charge the salt
Feel the salt pile begin to “charge” and saturate with power. Once your breathing is calm, rhythmic and steady, begin to imagine a green light of energy flowing from your body with each exhalation.
- Consecrate the salt
When you feel ready, calmly speak the following phrase:
“I consecrate thee, O creature of earth, In the names of the Great Mother and the Horned Lord” - Connect with the Earth Element
With a lightly moistened forefinger and middle finger, gently dab the salt pile and touch the base of your spine (the root chakra). Finally, sprinkle a little more of the salt over your head and try to feel the green earth energy blanket your body. Then say:
“I am now consecrated with the element of Earth” - Conclude the ritual and dispose of the salt
When the ritual is finished, the salt must be disposed of by tipping it into running water. Don’t fret if you live in a city: A sink and tap will suffice.
Tip: Use consecrated salt immediately after blessing to form a circle as part of a more complex ritual. If this is the case, omit the last part of the rite where you touch your root chakra.
For more options on how to dispose of your salt at the conclusion of the ritual, see our guide to disposing of offerings
.
Using Blessed Salt to Protect & Cleanse a House
Blessing a house when you first move in is a very ancient Pagan custom that has been used by all manner of different religions since ancient times.
For the modern Wiccan, a house blessing can be useful to counteract bad energies, the feeling of an unwanted presence, or simply for the reassurance of a peaceful, harmonious home!
Blessing the Salt
Get yourself a large bag of salt. You’ll need a good deal more than in the first ritual we described. This is for a house after all, not a human!
Next up, you’re going to “charge” the bag of salt using the exact same breathing and visualization technique used in the previous ritual. Once you’re calm and centered, direct the following words into the bag of salt:
“Friendly spirits and landvættir, protect this house. Remove all negativity and darkness from this place and only allow those filled with love to enter this home.”
We invoke the Landvættir (“land wights”) because of their strong connections to ancient Germanic, Norse and European Paganism. The Landvættir are friendly spirits of nature that protect the areas where they live, such as fields, forests or villages.
Do you feel a greater folk affinity to another part of the world? Then by all means add your friendly spirit of choice. It’s important to invoke something meaningful to you and the land you’re living upon.
Cleansing the House
OK, so now we have blessed salt. What next?
The first part is simple: Just walk around the perimeter of the house, scattering the salt as you go. It doesn’t have to be a joined up perfect circle. Just do you best to get a good covering all the way around.
What if you live in an apartment?
Simply use the same method to bless the salt and then go about the house distributing tiny amounts of salt as you say the following:
Touch the lintel and touch the wall
Nothing but blessings here befall
Bless the candle that stands by itself
Bless the book on the mantle shelf
Bless the pillow for the tired head
Bless the hearth and the light shed
Friends who tarry here, let them know
A three fold blessing before they go
Sleep for weariness – peace for sorrow
Faith in yesterday and tomorrow
Friends who go from here, let them bear
The blessing of hope, wherever they fare
Lintel and windows, sill and wall
Nothing but good, this place befall
Hint: Reference the “Internet Book of Shadows” (Various Authors) to see this particular blessing (and others). Download it here for free.
Blessed Salt Infusions
Because salt is extremely dry and absorbent, infused it with all manner of different scents and botanicals. This both enhances and complements the power of the blessings you’ve imbued upon it.
During ancient times, people had a far superior knowledge of the medicinal plants and herbs that grew along the country hedgerows than most of us do today. In fact, medieval cottage gardens teemed with dill, lavender, rosemary, thyme and all manner of other indigenous plants that were used far more often for healing purposes than in cooking.
In Spain and Portugal, lavender was added to bonfires on St. John’s Day to help ward off evil spirits, and rosemary bushes are also strongly associated with spiritual protection.
Making a Blessed Salt Infusion:
First decide what kind of “smell” would best suit the desired outcome of your blessed salt, by referencing our guide to Wiccan Herbs. (Scroll down the article to find a list of individual herbs and their correspondences.)
You’re going to take a small pile of kosher salt and a generous helping of the dried herb or spice of your choosing and mix it carefully into the salt, then decant the mixture into a sealed mason jar for safety. It’s worth mentioning at this point that salt is very good at absorbing essential oils too if that’s the route you’d prefer to go down!
The charging of the infused salt is mostly the same as we’ve described before, but with a small twist:
Once you’ve said the words that will charge the salt, and you’ve felt an energetic connection to the mixture, close the lid and place the finished article on a windowsill or ideally, outside in open ground.
Important: Pick a time when you can expect clear skies for a few nights and ideally a full moon.
Lunar Visualization
Every night that passes, try to visualize the jar sitting outside in the darkness.
Imagine it becoming bathed in gentle moonlight.
Each morning, bring the jar back inside the house and repeat your chosen incantation to re-affirm the blessing.
There’s no right or wrong way to proceed with this: You’ll instinctively “know” when the jar contains the right energy. It could feel appropriate to perform the ritual for 3 nights. For others, 4 might be required. Trust your instincts!
When you feel that your ritual is complete, you will be the proud owner of a fragrant and powerful blend of blessed salt that can be administered as required!
A Powerful Ritual Aid
There are no hard and fast rules about using blessed salt. It’s a powerful and ancient technique for enhancing your rites and rituals. Blessed salt can be imbued with all manner of energies and essences, making it a potent multi-purpose tool for the practicing Wiccan!
