The Magical Activist’s Spellbook
The following spells have been created to be easy to follow and understand, and they utilize common or readily acquired components. That does not mean they are “beginner” magic or in any way “dumbed down.” This is the real deal. Approach these spells with respect and perform them responsibly.
With minor modifications, all of them can plug into a wide variety of traditions, so adjust and tweak accordingly.
As you read and work with the spells in this book, you will begin to see the patterns that make up a larger set of practices I have developed, through trial and error, over the course of twenty-five years. By practicing the following rituals, you will be well on your way to understanding and mastering the larger system. The spells here can, and should, be used as a foundation to create your own workings.
In recent years, a divide has grown between magicians who emphasize a personal energy model of magic and those who adhere to a spirit-based system. I find that split, like many divisive arguments in the magical community, to be silly and counterproductive. Both models work, so I use both.
Black Lives Matter: Spell for Justice
for a Victim of a Police Action
This is a spell for justice in what has become an increasingly common situation—when an African American is the victim of an unjust, extrajudicial killing by a police officer. I watched as my home city, Baltimore, was torn asunder after the death of Freddie Gray in the back of a Baltimore City Police van. None of the officers were charged with a crime, which is also all too common in these cases.
I’m tired of innocent black men, women, and children dying without any consequences.
In this spell the power of the color black is invoked to represent the energy of the African American resistance in the United States, going back to the uprisings of enslaved Africans.
This is a powerful working that calls upon the severity of the sword of Justice and should not be employed lightly or indiscriminately, but only when it is overwhelmingly clear that the attacker(s) killed someone without justification.
The ideal time is during the waning or new moon.
Components
Black candle
Hyssop Oil or Power Oil (see pages 143–144)
Pin or nail to inscribe candle
Justice tarot card (you will need to give up this card for the spell, so if you can’t afford to buy a new deck, use a printout instead)
Images of slain African American activists: MLK, Medgar Evers, Fred Hampton, Malcolm X, etc.
Images of the police officer or small square of paper with their name written on it
Arrange the images of the slain civil rights leaders around your altar. They will be the audience for your working.
Inscribe the candle with the name of the victim while keeping the victim in mind and saying a prayer for them. Anoint (dress) the candle with oil.
Print the photo or write the name of the assailant on a piece of paper. Write JUSTICE across their photo or name twice, in the shape of an X.
Place the image (or paper with name) of the perpetrator facedown on a fireproof surface on your altar. Place the Justice card on top of it, faceup. Then place the candle on top of the Justice card.
Do the Centering Ritual.
Light the candle.
As you look upon the faces of the slain black activists, say,
I call upon the honorable spirits of those who died in the great struggle for civil rights. May you be with me as I work for justice for the soul of (victim’s name).
As this candle burns down, just as the spirit left (name of victim)’s body, may it bring the full force of Justice, by all means necessary, down upon (name of perpetrator). May the soul of the unjustly murdered (name of victim) find peace, and may the guilty be tormented by the cries of the spirits of the unjustly slain until they atone for their wickedness. Amen, selah, so mote it be.
Burn the candle daily for as long as it takes to melt it down to a stub. If wax drips on the tarot card, so much the better.
When the candle has fully melted, take all the components and leave them on the steps or grounds of a courthouse (ideal), jail, or detention center or bury them away from your home near a crossroads or in a place with little human traffic.
As with all spells in which components are left in a public place (which should only be done when magically and symbolically significant), please balance the act by collecting and disposing three times the mass of your leavings of litter nearby or elsewhere.
Extra Credit
Donate time or money to a victims’ rights organization, a victim’s family, or to support families of slain police officers.
We Shall Form a Circle
to Protect Our Children
(With special contributions by Nick Dickinson)
Deity options for this spell include Great Goddess, Horned God, Demeter, Artemis, and Diana. Perform this ritual during the waxing or full moon.
This spell arose as a response to the vacuous “thoughts and prayers” offered by politicians and pundits in response to the plague of school shootings in the United States. It recognizes the need to spread compassion, education, and justice to end violence against children, and can be performed as a prayer at schools or other places where children congregate. You may wish to combine this spell with the Hex the NRA spell (page 201) for a double whammy against the purveyors of toxic gun culture.
Components
Rose quartz
White candle
This spell may be performed individually or in a group—see notes at the end of the spell for group suggestions.
Perform the Centering Ritual. Stand before your altar. Hold the rose quartz in your clasped hands at the center of your chest. Close your eyes.
Recall in your mind the most beautiful sunrise you have ever seen. If you don’t have a specific memory, visualize the sun rising over the ocean, its rays spreading through brilliantly colored clouds. Feel the warmth of the sun’s rays on your skin, your face, your heart, and in the rose quartz in your hands. You may begin to feel the crystal warming along with your visualization. Say,
A sunrise.
Recall in your memory a time when you laughed to the point of tears. If you can’t recall a specific moment, visualize and hear the friend you laugh the most with as you both are overcome with unstoppable laughter. You should be smiling broadly and on the brink of laughter. Feel the laughter coursing through your body, into your hands, and into the rose quartz. When the laughter reaches a peak, say,
Laughter.
Call to mind people you love dearly. See their faces, smiling. See your love for them reflected in their eyes. Feel the love that exists between you and them centering in your heart and energizing the rose quartz in your hands. When the feeling reaches a peak, say,
Love.
Take a deep breath and blow into the rose quartz, charging it with the energies of a sunrise, laughter, and love. Say,
I charge you to carry sunlight, laughter, and love.
Place the rose quartz on the center of your altar.
Now hold out your hands at your sides, and feel people at either side taking your hands into theirs. Visualize a line of people to each side of you stretching in a circle so wide it wraps around the earth. Say,
Hand to hand, heart to heart, mind to mind. May wisdom and reason prevail. May the cycle of ignorance, hatred, and violence be broken.
Visualize the glowing love in your heart running down your arms, through your hands, and into the hands and hearts of the millions of others connected in your circle. See your compassionate circle making a protective fence surrounding all the world’s children. Say,
May all the world’s children be treated with reverence and respect. May our circle protect them from all dangers, violence, or injustice. May they experience health and harmony, and grow into healthy and harmonious beings.
Light the white candle. Again, extend your hands and reconnect with all those in your infinite circle of compassion. Say,
I offer this light to the world. May it burn away all ignorance, hatred, and violence. May it lead us all out of darkness and fear into the purifying light of joy.
Feel the healing light expanding into infinity as you breathe slowly and deeply. Know that the children inside the circle are safe, loved, and supported.
When you feel the time is right, say, So mote it be, and blow out the candle.
Ground yourself. Shake your body, jump, stomp your feet, and have a small bite to eat. Chocolate is a delicious choice.
When the opportunity arises, give the charged rose quartz to a child. Tell the child it is a very special stone of protection and love, and if they ever know someone who is feeling unsafe or hurt, they should gift it to that person, with the same message to pass it along to someone else in need.
Extra Credit
Donate money to a child protection or gun control organization. Volunteer at a local school, daycare, or recreation center.
Notes
The rose quartz portion of the spell creates a powerful protective talisman, and can be done on its own (ending when you place the rose quartz on your altar). You can give these to people to carry, incorporate them into protective mojo bags, place them inconspicuously on school grounds, or use them in other workings.
Without the ritual elements, this can be done as a group prayer, starting with “Hand to hand.”
Spirits of (Polling) Place
Components
Four ordinary, small rocks
Black marker or black paint and brush
Vote protection sigil that you have created
Altar with four elements represented
Three small white candles
Incense
Water bottle (or other discreet container) filled with spring water, rum, or whisky
Several days before a major election, look for four rocks. They should stand out from other rocks or otherwise call to you, but they should look normal. Clean the rocks with soapy water and let them dry.
When dry, use the marker or paintbrush to draw a voter protection sigil on each of the rocks. As you are adding the sigil to each rock, focus your energy on imbuing it with protective energy. Allow them to dry completely.
Set up your altar for the Consecration Ritual (see page 160).
Place the four rocks in the center of the triangular candle formation.
Stand or sit before your altar and perform the Centering Ritual.
Light your incense.
Pick up the four rocks. Hold them in your hands in front of you and then say,
Bless these stones, powers of earth (touch object to your earth symbol), water (touch water to your extended index and middle fingers and wet the object with them), fire (hold over your fire symbol), and air (hold in rising incense smoke or touch to feather); spirits of the heavens (lift toward sky) and of the underworld (lower toward altar or ground).
Consecrate these guardians to serve as wards for my polling place. May they keep the voting honest, safe, and free of meddling. May they alert the poll workers if anyone attempts to circumvent the free and fair process. So mote it be.
Blow onto the rocks, feeling your breath imbuing them with watchfulness and protective energy. Say,
Awaken to your duty. When it is done, return to your natural state with my grateful thanks.
Ideally, a day or two before voting, visit your polling place. If you can only visit the day you vote, arrive early. Enter as deeply into ritual mind as you can without causing a scene. Call out to the spirits of the place. Open your spirit to contact, and welcome the connection with whatever spirits occupy this piece of land. They may be from centuries before, or they may be recent occupants or just passersby. Just quiet your mind and use your magical senses.
Say out loud or internally (have the spell copied out if you don’t want to carry the book),
Spirits of this place, I ask you to accept my presence and my respectful offering. I beseech you to protect those visiting your home as they come to take part in the sacred act of voting. Please watch over them and forbid all those who would cheat or do harm. So mote it be.
Discreetly pour out a libation from your water bottle onto the ground as an offering to the spirits of the place.
Then place the four rocks around the polling place. Try to put them where they won’t be disturbed or dislodged, but where people will have to pass by them to enter the building to vote. The goal is to form a shield of protective energy.
When you’re done, thank the spirits of the place silently before leaving.
Healing the Earth
(Microcosm Ritual)
This is a great spell to do with kids. They enjoy helping put everything together and understand it intuitively. And though it is rather light in its imagery, do not underestimate its seriousness. As Peter Grey wrote in Apocalyptic Witchcraft, “If the land is poisoned then witchcraft must respond.” 31
Perform this ritual during the waxing or full moon.
Medium-size pot of earth (organic potting soil is good if you can get it)
Green candle (any size)
Small plant (an edible magical herb, like rosemary basil, marjoram, mint, or sage is a good choice)
Small shell or other nonplastic container filled with water
Small toy animal or animal sculpture, ideally not plastic (even better if it’s an endangered animal—I use a ceramic elephant)
Goddess sculpture from your tradition (optional)
Rocks, stones, or crystals
Feather(s)
Moon and Sun tarot cards (optional)
This “little earth” that you care for connects your energy to the larger earth. It should be separate from your working altar, occupying its own place of respect, ideally near a window or on a balcony or sunny porch. This is an easy way to do “hidden in plain sight” magic because it looks just like a nice arrangement.
Place the candle in the center of the pot of earth. Plant the small plant away from the candle and add the other items, arranging them in a pleasing manner. Bury some stones or crystals in the soil. If you’re using the Sun and Moon tarot cards, lean them against the pot or place them nearby or above it. You can return them to your deck after the spell or leave them in place.
If you can do this outdoors, all the better, but near a window is fine, too.
When the arrangement is ready, do the Centering Ritual, light the candle, and quietly pray the following words while holding your open palms in front of the little “mini earth” you have created:
Mother Earth, giver, creatrix, from you I have risen and to your embrace I shall return. Spirits and elementals of this place, I offer you the humble home I have made of earth, water, fire, and air. Take residence here as you wish, depart as you will, for works of healing and regeneration.
Feel healing energy streaming from your hands into the pot. Say,
I consecrate this microcosm for the healing of the earth, all growing and blooming things, the crawling things, the walking, flying, and swimming things, the air, the forests, the waters, the deserts, and the ice and snow.
May healing and balance come to you, Great Mother, to the rocks of your bones, the waters of your blood, the green earth of your flesh, the air that carries your voice, the fire of your immense heart, and to all of your children who live and love and die beneath the Sun, the Moon, and the stars on your sacred skin.
Hold your hands on the pot and energize it with your healing energy and your graciousness for the earth that sustains you.
End the ritual with So mote it be. You can now blow out the candle.
Every day, take time to pause and say the above prayer or a short little personal prayer for the healing of the biosphere. Make sure to keep the small container of water from going dry, and keep your miniature earth clean and healthy.
Repeat the ritual on the solstices and equinoxes and on Earth Day, April 22.
When the plant starts to get too large, remove it and transplant it. Continue and honor the cycle as the plants transition from the little earth to the wider world, and enjoy the bounty in your cooking and magic. You can also gift the plants that you remove, spreading the healing energy to others.
These mini earths also make great gifts. Make a copy of the ritual and pass it along, too.
If you want to charge an object or sigil with earth energy, just place it on the soil. Extra points if you leave it overnight under a waxing or full moon.
Extra Credit
Donate money, time, or both to an organization protecting the earth.
Hands Off, Laws Off: Hekate Invocation
for Reproductive Rights
This is a spell for the protection of women’s reproductive rights. It can also be done for protection of women’s health clinics and their doctors and health care workers.
Perform this ritual during your period (if you have one), in response to antichoice votes or initiatives, to protect clinics under siege, or during the full moon. Do this ritual at night, never in the daytime.
Components
Red candle with the words Hands off inscribed on one side and Laws off inscribed on the reverse. Use a pin or a nail.
Your menstrual blood (if during your cycle) or consecrated olive oil (see the Consecration Ritual on page 160)
Incense charcoal
Cauldron or ashtray
Bay leaves and myrrh
Photo or name paper of politician, representative, judge, preacher, or other figure opposing a woman’s right to choose; or the printed logo of an antichoice organization
Piece of red cloth large enough to wrap around the candle
If it is during your period, you may want to anoint the candle with your menstrual blood. It is an extremely potent magical substance, so you only need a tiny bit spread across the surface.
At your altar dress the inscribed candle with your menstrual blood or olive oil. As you’re doing so, see and feel your fingers transferring your personal power into the wax while repeating in a whisper,
My blood, my life, my power.
Dab your blood onto the photo, name paper, or logo of your target. Feel the feminine energy overpowering your target.
Set the candle on your altar, with the target paper in front of it.
Perform the Centering Ritual and begin.
Light your charcoal. Light the prepared candle. Say the following prayer:
I call to thee, Hekate of the Crossroads
Queen of the starry cosmos
Lady of the dogs
Guardian of the realms of the dead
Come to me from the deserted places of the night
I call you to my sacred chant
Please accept my gift of incense
And hear my prayer
Of Protection
Drop bay leaves and myrrh onto charcoal. Watch the smoke as it rises to please Hekate.
Pick up photo, name paper, or logo in your left hand and hold it in front of you, just below eye level. Say with passion, ferocity, and strength,
Keep your hands off my body
Keep your laws off my body
Only life that is wanted
Shall we carry into this world
Only life that will be loved
Shall be brought forth from our bodies
Whenever the choice must be made
The choice shall be mine
My body
Is not your property
My body
Is not your domain
My body
Is not your god’s
My body
Is my own
Hands off
Laws off
Hands off
Laws off
Hands off
Laws off
Light the target paper on fire from your candle and say,
Say with all of your focus and will,
MINE!
Drop paper into cauldron and let it burn. When the paper is burning, say the words of power (see note):
AKROKODÊRE MOUISRÔ CHARCHAR ADÔNAI ZEUS DÊ DAMNAMENEUS KYNOBIOU EZAGRA
When the paper has burned completely to ash, say,
The spell is cast. My body is protected.
Throw more bay leaf and myrrh onto the charcoal. As the smoke rises, say,
I give praise and thanks to Hekate of the crossroads.
May you go in peace, carrying my prayer. So mote it be.
Extinguish the candle. Clap three times to end the ritual and ground.
Wrap the candle tightly in the red cloth. Keep it stored in a safe, secret place, as a ward to protect your body and your choice, and ready to be used again if the need arises.
Note
Pronounce the “barbarous” words of power, which are drawn from an ancient ritual of Hekate, phonetically to the best of your ability. If you’re feeling ambitious, look up ancient Greek pronunciation. We really don’t know exactly how the words were pronounced, so just say them with passion.
Dance of Pan:
LGBTQ+ Protection
A spell for protection of the LGBTQ+ community calling upon the bisexual god Pan, this is a great ritual to do with friends before going to public events, pride parades, celebrations, or political actions. Perform during the waxing or full moon.
Components
Incense charcoal
Myrrh and patchouli blend (or just myrrh) or frankincense
Rainbow candle
Salt (about ¼ cup)
Chalice or cup of wine
Set up your altar normally. In the altar’s center, pour out the salt into a pile. With your index and middle fingers spread the salt out from the center to make a clear space (about the diameter of your candle). Place the rainbow candle in the clear space and the cup of wine in front of it.
Do the Centering Ritual (page 152). If you’re doing this with friends, stand in a circle around the altar and do the group version.
Light your charcoal, and when it’s ready, throw on a small pinch of incense.
Light the rainbow candle and say,
Leader:
I call on you, Great Pan
Immortal god, the world is thine
You are the world and world is you
Oh earthly power divine
All:
Hail Pan!
Leader:
Goat-footed, two-horned
Piper, lover, bacchanalian Pan
Come, attend our holy rite
And hear our fervent prayer
Pour out a tiny bit of wine onto the circle of salt. Throw another pinch of incense on the charcoal.
Raise your hands above your head. If working as a group, everyone raises their linked hands.
Leader:
As all nature is in your care,
Protect all who love
Regardless of their nature
Female
Male
Both
Or none
For love is your nature
Love, without bounds
Lower hands and bow your head.
Leader:
Protect our circle, Great Pan
Beneath the dancing stars
May your sweet pipings
Bring forth love in all its many forms
And vanquish fear and hate
All:
May the right of consenting adults to love one another prevail.
May all live and love freely without fear, persecution, or hatred.
I ask this in your name, oh great god Pan.
So mote it be!
Blow out the rainbow candle to end the ritual. Pass around the chalice of wine if you’re doing the ritual as a group. Put a small bit of the salt on your tongue, and as it dissolves feel the energy of Pan spreading into your body. You may feel energized, full of joy, and even (thanks to Pan) a little horny. Ground by putting on some music and dancing.
Calling Bullshit
This all-purpose antibullshit spell may be used against individuals or groups (perhaps a certain bullshit-spewing “news” network) who are creating, weaponizing, or disseminating lies, baseless conspiracy theories, propaganda, or “fake news.”
Best performed during the waning or new moon.
Components
White candle
Hyssop Oil or Power Oil (see pages 143–144)
Small piece of paper with written name, printed photo, or logo of target
Piece of jet, obsidian, or quartz crystal
Sage bundle, sage leaves burned on charcoal, or copal or frankincense
Ashtray or cauldron (for burning paper)
Inscribe the word TRUTH on four sides of the white candle and anoint it with Hyssop Oil or Power Oil.
Place the piece of paper on your altar, face down. Put the gem or crystal on top of the paper. Place the candle behind them.
Light the candle and your incense and do the Centering Ritual.
Point at the name or logo paper or photo and say, with as much vitriol as you can muster,
I call bullshit on you, (name of target)
Spreader of poison
Mouth full of shit
May your tongue burn
With every lie
Pick up gem or crystal and say,
This rock will draw your lies
And bind them within
So that your bullshit
Will fester and rot
Hiding from the light of Truth
Place it back on your altar and hold up the paper. Say,
I call bullshit on you, (name of target)
And may the fierce fire of Truth
Burn away your deceit
And turn your lies into ash
Light the paper from the white candle. As the flames consume it, chant with increasing vehemence,
Bullshit!
Bullshit!
BULLSHIT!
Allow the paper to burn out in the fireproof container.
Bring your hands into prayer position across your chest and say while gazing at the white candle flame,
Bright light of Truth
Fire that burns away lies
May you prevail in times of confusion
And illuminate all deception
Give voice to the honest
And clarity of mind to the people
So mote it be
Blow out the candle, ending the ritual.
When it’s safe, take some of the ash from the burned paper and rub it on the gem or crystal. Then place the crystal somewhere related to defecation, such as in a bag of dog feces before disposing of it, next to your cat’s litter box, hidden in a public bathroom (the grosser the better), inside your toilet tank, or tossed into a portable toilet.
Finally, donate money or time to an organization fighting the spread of bullshit (a term I prefer over the ambiguous “fake news”).
No Borders, All One Family:
Invocation to Hermes
A spell to protect immigrants and refugees, especially those fleeing harm, and to encourage global fellowship via the invocation of Hermes.
Perform during the waxing or full moon.
Components
Printed photo of Earth from space
Blue candle
Statue or printed image of Hermes or Magician tarot card
Cut out the printed image of Earth so that it is a circle and place it on your altar between your elemental symbols. Place the blue candle on the center of the Earth. Have the statue or image of Hermes or your Magician tarot card propped up and looking upon your ritual.
Do the Centering Ritual.
Light the blue candle. Hold your arms in the orans position (arms extended to your sides, elbows bent, palms turned slightly upward; it should feel as if you are holding up a large, invisible ball).
Each time you repeat the refrain No borders, all one family, bring your hands to prayer posture, resting against your chest. Then return to the orans posture. Say,
Come unto me, Lord Hermes
Protector of travelers
Crosser of all boundaries
Bestow upon me your grace
And hear my prayer
May those fleeing persecution and danger
Be welcomed and protected
No borders, all one family
May families never be torn asunder
But united and made whole
No borders, all one family
May those who spread hatred of immigrants
Realize their kinship with all people
No borders, all one family
May boundaries dissolve
And borders disappear
No borders, all one family
May we all awaken to our common humanity
And accept our brothers and sisters with love and compassion
No borders, all one family
Retain prayer position until the end of the spell.
Lord Hermes, whose eyes are the sun and the moon
Please protect those traveling to foreign lands
And those living in new lands
Open the hearts of the ignorant and bigoted
And awaken us all to love for our brothers and sisters
No matter where they were born
For thou art king of heaven and earth
And thy name and spirit rest upon the good
So mote it be
Stand silently, imagining a globe without borders, in which all humanity acknowledges our deep connection as one family.
Blow out the blue candle to end the ritual. Be sure to ground.
While you’re still feeling the leftover energy of the spell, make a donation (however small) to an immigrant rights or refugee support organization. If you desire, make it in the name of Hermes.
Note
If done as a group, the leader should read the main passages while the others respond with the refrain No borders, all one family.
This spell targets sexual abusers, especially those who have not been outed. Its goal is to bring their behavior to light so they may be exposed, shamed, and prosecuted (if applicable) and also to bind their predatory actions so that no one else is harmed. It may also be used against online harassers.
The spell cuts all psychic ties to the abuser and ends with a powerful affirmation of healing, empowerment, and strength.
Perform during the waning or new moon.
Components
Black candle
Nail or pin (to inscribe candle and for use on altar)
White candle
Paper figure of a man (about four inches tall, or shorter than your black candle). It can be rough, just a general outline of a human figure.
Black thread or string
Pen or marker
Dirt from near a court building (optional)
If you have been abused and your abuser is known, write his or her name (or online name, Twitter handle, etc.) on the black candle with the nail or pin. As you are digging in the nail, imagine it cutting deeply and painfully into the target. If you are doing the spell in support of all women who have been abused, inscribe abusers on the candle instead.
On the white candle, carve #MeToo.
Take the cut-out paper figure and write the full name of the abuser on it if you are targeting someone. If your abuser uses Twitter or other online services to harass you, write their avatar or handle name. If you have a photo of the abuser’s face, cut it out and glue it onto the paper doll. Otherwise, draw an X for each of its eyes and for its mouth.
Place all the spell components on your altar.
Do the Centering Ritual.
Light the white candle. Say, Me too, if you have been subjected to sexual abuse, otherwise say, I light this candle to honor the abused.
Using black thread or string, begin to wrap it around the paper doll and the black candle (you are wrapping the paper doll to the candle).
While you wind the thread or string, say,
I bind you, (name of abuser or all sexual abusers)
So that you shall never hurt another vulnerable person
I bind your hands so they shall not touch another without permission
I bind your eyes so they shall not stare when it is not wanted
I bind your mouth so you shall not speak unwanted words
When it is completely wrapped, tie a knot around the paper doll, binding it to the candle. Say,
I bind your genitals, that they may fail to bring you pleasure at another’s expense.
Take the nail or pin and pierce the paper doll’s genitals, embedding the nail or pin in the candle.
Light the black candle. While holding it in front of you, speak to it as your abuser, summoning all your righteous anger:
You are powerless over me
You are powerless over others
Your foul deeds have bound you
To their consequences
And as the elements expose
What lies hidden beneath the soil
So your wicked behavior
Shall be exposed to all
Blow out the black candle. Lay it on its side. If you’re using dirt from near a court building, sprinkle it solemnly on the candle.
Hold your hands out to the white candle, palms facing the flame. Say with power and truth, three times, with increasing intensity,
I am powerful
I am safe
I am whole and healed
I am a survivor
Feel your body, mind, and soul completely healed and radiating strength and power.
If you are aiming the ritual at a specific abuser, visualize a thread connecting you to the black candle. It is the last connection to your abuser. Use your dominant hand like a blade to sever that final thread, saying,
I sever all connection to you.
When you cut the thread, it withers and disappears. Feel, as powerfully as you can, that you have broken all links to the abuser. (If you are aiming the ritual at abusers in general, skip this step.)
When you feel ready, say a prayer of thanks to your preferred deity, finish with So mote it be, and blow out the candle.
Take the bound black candle and leave it somewhere desolate and exposed to the elements. You may need to head into the woods or seek out a deserted, trash-strewn lot. You want to leave it where it will be exposed and where it’s unlikely anyone will disturb it. As with all spells in which you leave something outdoors, be sure to pick up and dispose of three times the spell components’ weight in litter to right the balance.
Donate to or volunteer to help an organization that supports survivors of sexual abuse.
As mentioned earlier, this spell, previously appearing on Medium, was born of the reprehensible response of the National Rifle Association (NRA) to the murder of seventeen students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, on Valentine’s Day 2018.32
On Valentine’s Day, seventeen schoolchildren were mowed down and over a dozen others were injured by a nineteen-year-old with an AR-15.
Earlier that same day, the NRA retweeted a gun manufacturer’s holiday promotion: a photo of a heart-shaped box and two 9mm pistols, along with the message “Give your significant other something they’ll appreciate this Valentine’s Day.”
Something is seriously wrong with this country.
As Tim Dickinson details in his Rolling Stone article from 2016 (“How the NRA Paved the Way for Mass Shootings”), the NRA’s unholy legion of lobbyists is responsible for the surreal state of affairs in which mass shootings have become a normal part of American life.33
The NRA fought for Florida’s permissive gun laws, earning it the nickname “the Gunshine State.” Governor Rick Scott earned an A+ rating from the NRA for opposing universal background checks, and the organization spent two million dollars to ensure Scott’s reelection.34 And while the state mandates a three-day waiting period for handgun purchases, there is no such restriction for assault rifles.
Florida Senator Marco Rubio, who also received an A+ rating, received $90,205 of NRA blood money in the 2015–2016 campaign year and over three million dollars in his career.35
The biggest beneficiary of all? Donald Trump, to the tune of tens of millions of dollars spent on the 2016 presidential campaign. Surprise, surprise. Perhaps that’s why he said, “I am going to come through for you” when he addressed their conference in Atlanta in April of 2017.36 And why, shortly after he was elected, he rolled back a safety measure aimed at preventing severely mentally ill Americans from buying guns.
Let’s be honest, shall we? As a supporter of the right to own firearms, I have no issue with citizens owning guns for hunting, home defense, or sport shooting. But the NRA is not the champion of gun owners—it is the marketing wing of the gun manufacturer industry, and those gun makers are increasingly dependent upon sales of assault-styled weapons like the one that killed those seventeen Florida children and so many others before them.
The NRA is not a patriotic defender of hunters and sportsmen, but a profit-driven, mercenary cult fueled by sales of increasingly lethal weapons designed not for hunting, but for the mass killing of human beings. They oppose any and all gun safety regulations, including common-sense measures, like background checks, that the majority of their members support. And they suppress scientific research into gun violence by public health organizations—because they know the truth would appall all decent Americans.
They’ve stoked paranoia about the government coming for everyone’s guns (how’d that turn out?) and radicalized citizens against civic institutions. Lately, they’ve completely embraced far-right politics, defending Trump and his cohorts against accusations of Russian election meddling, inciting violence against nonviolent activists, and portraying the news media, as Trump has called them, as the “enemy of the people” in slick propaganda videos.
I’ve fucking had enough.
Some Things to Consider
Graveyard dirt is a very powerful magical substance. In all traditions, it must be gathered appropriately (with permission from the spirit or spirits) and paid for. So don’t just stop by your local cemetery and grab a handful of earth. Learn about its proper use or don’t use it. Powdered mullein is a good substitute.
While technically illegal, defacing or destroying money as a symbolic protest is extremely unlikely to result in prosecution. If the government comes after you for painting a dollar bill red, I suspect the resulting negative publicity would win you a very supportive lawyer. But as always, you make your decisions and accept the responsibility. I will happily paint my dollar bill red and write NRA Blood Money on it in front of the Treasury Secretary if it comes down to defending your right to do it.
Note the possible legal complications of this protest mailing. If you’re wary of getting on some sort of enemies list, by all means, avoid this direct action and just do the spell itself. But I don’t believe there’s need to worry, unless you put your real name and address on the envelope, and even then, this is clearly a symbolic action, not an actual bloodied bill (and please, do not think about using actual blood, which is a biological hazard and could actually land you in the slammer. Don’t. Do. It). You have the right, as a citizen, to express your dissent symbolically, through writing and imagery, to your compromised representatives or to morally bankrupt organizations, as long as you are not threatening anyone or sending illegal substances.
Finally, protest is not meant to be polite. Fuck the NRA.
Components
Red paint or red permanent marker
Black permanent marker
Dollar bill
Printed image of an NRA logo
Black candle engraved with NRA (use a nail or pin)
Olive oil (optional)
Graveyard dirt (optional)
Printed image of an assault rifle
Ashtray or flameproof container
3 wildflower seeds (from plants native to your region)
Envelope and stamp
Take your red paint or red permanent marker and apply it to the dollar bill, covering the entire front. Make sure there is enough red paint or ink to render it invalid as legal tender. You’ll see why soon enough.
Use your black marker to write across the bill, in bold lettering, NRA BLOOD MONEY.
On your printout of the NRA logo, write the following text from Psalm 37:13–17 across it, reading the words aloud as you write them.
The wicked have drawn out the sword, and have bent their bow, to cast down the poor and needy, and to slay such as be of upright conversation. Their sword shall enter into their own heart, and their bows shall be broken. A little that a righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked. For the arms of the wicked shall be broken: but the Lord upholdeth the righteous.
Assemble all the components on your altar. If you’re using the optional graveyard dirt, dress the engraved black candle with olive oil and roll it in the dirt. Place the candle atop the NRA logo, in the center over the eagle.
Say a prayer to God or your preferred deity or deities for the protection of innocent beings against violence, and ask for a blessing on yourself.
Light the black engraved candle.
Say the following, with as much emotion as you can:
I curse you
Merchants of mayhem
Profiteers of pain
Dealers of death
You who fatten on the blood of innocents
And feast like demons on their corpses
May your thoughts and prayers
Turn to poison in your mouths
May every mother’s cry be a bullet to your heart
May the weeping of children rend your flesh like shrapnel
May the people turn against you
May they, too, curse your wickedness
May they melt your murderous machines
Light the paper image of the gun from the candle and let it burn out in your ashtray or flameproof container. Say,
May your blood money blister your hands
And your riches turn to ash
In the eternal fires of hell
So mote it be
Blow out the black candle. Bury it somewhere far away from your home.
Plant the three wildflower seeds above the candle, saying a prayer for the protection of all innocents from gun violence.
If you’re feeling any negative residue from this working, take a salt bath, pray, and, if possible, spend some time playing with children.
Now comes the important part, where your hex is sent directly to its recipient.
Fold the blood money dollar bill inside the inscribed NRA logo. You want to fold it so that it will fit inside a regular envelope.
Put the folded package inside an envelope. A security (opaque) envelope is best.
For the return address, use a fake address and the name of a victim of a mass shooting in place of your name.
Address it to the NRA Headquarters at 11250 Waples Mill Rd., Fairfax, VA 22030. You can address it directly to Wayne LaPierre or leave it blank. You can also send it to your Congressional representative (if he or she is a recipient of NRA money) or use this handy chart at OpenSecrets.org to find the worst of the worst offenders: https://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/toprecips.php?id=D000000082. Add a stamp, and as you’re dropping it in the mailbox whisper a curse (Fuck the NRA, which I use, is short and succinct).
Another Option
Send away for free NRA materials. Burn them while repeating the above spell, and return your red-painted dollar bill in their reply envelope.
Follow-Up
After doing any hex, it is always wise to take direct positive action to keep the scales balanced. Donate money to a gun victim support fund or charity, donate blood, or volunteer with a gun safety organization.
Candidate Boosting Spell
Here is a simple spell to help a candidate in an election. It is best done during the waxing or full moon.
As this may be utilized as a “road opener” spell, especially if the candidate faces great odds, you may consider invoking the following deities: Ganesha, Hekate, Hermes, Elegua, Papa Legba.
Components
Glue stick
Printed photo of the candidate (sized to fit ⅓ the width of the candle)
Yellow or white glass-enclosed prayer candle
Campaign materials (pamphlets, flyers, buttons, bumper stickers)
Power Oil (see page 144) or abre camino oil
Incense (frankincense, copal, or your preference)
Lodestone (or magnet)
Emperor or Empress tarot card (depending upon sex or identity of candidate; if trans use the World card instead)
Use the glue stick to apply the photo to the glass. Voilà! Instant vigil candle for your candidate. Place it on your altar.
In the center of your altar pile the campaign materials. Place the lodestone or magnet atop them. Lay the tarot card atop the lodestone.
Anoint the candle by first wiping a bit of the Power Oil around the wax at the top (near the wick) with your finger. Make three clockwise circles.
Do the Centering Ritual.
Light your incense.
Light the vigil candle, saying,
Hear me, oh spirits (or deity name)
In the name of all that is good, and true, and honorable
Open the way for (name of candidate)
Who represents the lawful
The righteous
And the just
Guide (her/him/them) to victory
In the contest before us
For the sake of (name of town/city/state/country)
May (name of candidate) serve with honor
Compassion
And fairness
And awaken the people to their true goodness
Hold your hands over the campaign materials, feeling the spiritual energy radiating from your hands, and say,
Bless these materials, spirits (or deity name)
May they open the road to victory
For (name of candidate)
In the name of the greater good
So mote it be
Clap your hands three times, ending the ritual.
Allow the candle to burn and the lodestone to attract more energy for as long as you’d like.
Extinguish the candle and ground.
Afterward, when possible, distribute the energized campaign materials to voters who are either leaning toward your candidate or on the fence.
Burn the candidate vigil candle daily, each time saying a silent prayer for victory.
Note
You can repeat this ritual with more campaign materials as desired. If you’re doing the spell for an important election, but it’s not one you are personally connected to locally, omit the campaign materials and use a photo of the candidate beneath the lodestone and tarot card instead. Just use a plain white or orange candle.
When you find a special stone in your travels, use the following conjuration adapted from Aradia, or the Gospel of the Witches.37
Hold the stone in your hand to the sky and say,
Spirit of good omen,
Who art come to aid me,
Believe I had great need of thee.
Since thou hast come to aid me in my need,
I pray of thee do not abandon me:
I beg of thee to enter now this stone,
That in my pocket I may carry thee,
And so when anything is needed by me,
I can call unto thee: be what it may,
Do not abandon me by night or day.
Therefore, O Sprite!
I beg thee in this pebble make thy home!
So in my company thou shalt ever be,
And thou and I will ne’er part company!
Add the stone to your altar, keep it in a special place, or carry it with you for good luck.
This multipurpose, hard-core binding jar spell may be used against neo-Nazis, fascists, anti-Semites, white supremacists and nationalists of all varieties, and the alt-right. It may be used to target an individual or a group, as necessary. It should only be performed in the evening during the waning or new moon, optionally at midnight.
It is rather complex, so you may want to write or type the steps out (in print large enough to read by candlelight) as a script to have on your altar.
If you are part of an African-based magical tradition, call upon your “hot” deities to aid you in this working.
This spell is one of the most severe bindings in this book, but remember: the targets are people who would exterminate those they consider inferior because of skin color, race, sexual orientation, disability, or religion.
Working magic against such toxic targets can leave you feeling icky and energetically sticky, so be sure to take a purifying salt bath after this ritual.
Components
Pen or marker
Representation of your target: printed photo of an individual, logo or symbol of group, or small square of paper (5 × 5 inches maximum)
Pin or nail
Small white candle stub (no taller than 3 inches)
Small container of vinegar
Large black candle
Hyssop Oil or Power Oil (see pages 143–144)
Two High John the Conqueror roots (optional)
Incense charcoal
Incense (frankincense or copal)
Small glass jar with tight-fitting lid
9 sewing needles
9 pins
Small piece of glass, shiny metal, or mirror
Small container of salt
Small container of red pepper (ground or flakes)
Phone or camera (optional)
Gather all of the materials at your altar. If you don’t have the printed photo, logo, or symbol of your target, write the name of the person or group on a piece of paper.
With the pen or marker, write the following, adapted from Psalm 1:4–6 across the image, logo, or name:
The ungodly are like the chaff which the wind driveth away. For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous, but the way of the ungodly shall perish.
Using the nail, carve the name of your target individual or group, along with their symbol (if they have one) into the white candle.
Dress the white candle with vinegar (applying it with the fingers of your right hand) and set it upright on the center of your altar. Leave your workspace, wash and dry your hands, and return.
Dress the black candle with Hyssop or Power Oil, using the fingers of your right hand. With the remainder of the oil on your fingers, say a prayer for protection to your deity as you anoint the top (crown) of your head, your third eye, and the centers of your palms.
Place the large black candle behind the white candle, dominating and overshadowing the white candle. If you’re using the John the Conqueror roots, place one to each side (left and right) and touching the black candle.
Do the Centering Ritual and begin.
Light your charcoal and add your incense.
Light the black candle and say, emphasizing the energy of the words,
Power. Strength. Virility. Courage. Truth.
Light the inscribed white candle. Say, with contempt and ridicule,
You, (name of person or group), are powerless. You are weak. You are impotent. You are cowardly. You are a liar.
Laugh at the pathetic white candle.
Pick up the white candle carefully and drop it in the glass jar. Put the lid on the top of the jar (don’t screw it on) and watch as it burns out. Remove the lid and set it aside.
Pick up the needles. Say,
I bind your anger, that it may pierce you.
Drop the needles into the jar.
Pick up the pins. Say,
I bind your wicked tongue(s), that your words may bite you.
Drop the pins in the jar.
Pick up the piece of glass, shiny metal, or mirror. Say,
I bind your hateful thoughts, turning them back on you.
Drop the pieces in the jar.
Pick up a pinch of salt. Say,
I bind your false ideology, that it may be mocked and rejected.
Drop the salt in the jar.
Hold up the red pepper. Say,
I bind you and drive you away from all you would dare to harm.
Drop the red pepper in the jar.
Pick up the container of vinegar. Say,
I bind you and all those who share your malignant ideology, that you may turn against each other.
Pour a small amount of vinegar into the jar.
Finally, pick up the photo, symbol, or name paper. Say,
I bind you, (name of person or group), and call upon the spirits, protectors, and ancestors of all those you hate to contain your poison and prevent you from doing harm to anyone but yourself.
Fold the paper up tightly and drop it in the jar.
Pick up the jar lid and screw it on tightly. Say, with power,
And thus you are bound! Amen, selah, so mote it be.
Pick up the black candle and, carefully tilting it, use the dripping wax to create a seal around the lid. As you’re doing so, imagine your target trapped inside the jar. Hear the anguished cries and the anger fading as you continue to seal the jar.
When the jar is sealed with black wax, place the black candle back in its place. Place the sealed jar in front of it. Let the black candle bask in power and victory for a few minutes as you sit in silence. Say,
May love prevail.
Blow out the black candle. Clap your hands three times, ending the ritual.
Ground. If desired, take a photo of the jar.
Take a purifying salt bath to rid yourself of any sticky negativity. Pray to your deity.
When possible, dispose of the jar by burying it in a desolate location far from your home or leaving it in a garbage can or dumpster by a crossroads.
Optional
If you are technically savvy enough, use an application to remove all EXIF data from the photo and post to an anonymous image site labeled with the name of the target.
Share the Wealth Spell
Components
9 dollar bills (or nine equivalent bills in your national currency)
Pen or marker
Green candle
Hyssop Oil or Power Oil (see pages 143–144)
Tower tarot card
Emperor tarot card
Fool tarot card
Incense (frankincense or copal, or your preferred prosperity incense)
On each of the dollar bills write Share the wealth on the front and Feed the poor on the reverse in small lettering with a regular pen.
Dress the green candle with Hyssop Oil or Power Oil.
At the far end of your altar, place the Tower and Emperor cards next to each other. Place the 9 dollar bills around the cards. Set the green candle so that it touches the Tower and Emperor cards. Closer to you, place the Fool card.
Light your incense.
Do the Centering Ritual and begin.
Light the green candle. Say,
Wealth that is hoarded is wealth that is stolen
From the hungry, the wretched, the poor, the cold, and naked
For the sun is no sooner risen with a burning heat
But it withereth the grass
And the flower thereof falleth and perisheth
So also shall the rich man fade away in his ways 38
Move the candle and place it atop the Fool. Say,
Those who give to the poor will lack nothing
But those who close their eyes to them receive many curses 39
Slide the dollar bills across your altar to the Fool. Say,
Because the poor are plundered and the needy groan, I will arise and protect them from those who malign them.40
Hold your hands, palms down, over the dollar bills. Feel the energy of compassion and generosity streaming from your palms. Say,
May the mountains bring prosperity to the people, the hills the fruit of righteousness. May the afflicted be defended, may the children of the needy be saved, and may the oppressors be crushed.
Spirits (or deity), bless this money, that it may take away wealth from those who hoard their riches and rob the needy. Bless this money, too, that it may provide refuge to those in distress, shelter from the storm, shade from the heat, food to hungry mouths, and medicine for the sick.
Visualize the bills spreading from hand to hand, drawing wealth from the rich and multiplying exponentially as it helps the poor.
Blow out the candle and say,
So mote it be.
Take the bills and keep them with you separate from your other money. Give them out, one dollar at a time, to homeless people you see on the streets. Be sure to smile at them and acknowledge them as human beings.
Cease Fire Shrines:
Invocation of EirEnE
Create cease-fire shrines in your community. You can set these up around your community where people are suffering from crime (or fear of crime). Of course, exercise appropriate caution, and don’t create shrines in unfamiliar or potentially unwelcoming communities.
Eirēnē (pronounced “ay-RAY-nay”) is the Greek goddess of peace and the spring. She is also one of three keepers of the gate of heaven, along with her sisters Dike (Justice) and Eunomia (Good Order). She is frequently portrayed as a beautiful young woman with a cornucopia in her left hand and an olive branch or staff of Hermes in her right. As the goddess of peace, this spell calls on her to bring peace to troubled places and the souls of those who have suffered violence.
You can charge multiple candles and rose quartz crystals at the same time before creating altars in multiple locations.
Components
Rose quartz crystal
Fresh flowers (any kind)
White candle (glass prayer candle if possible)
Hyssop Oil
Piece of paper with CEASE FIRE written on it
Incense (frankincense, rose, cinnamon, or your favorite peace or healing incense)
Arrange the rose quartz, flowers, and white candle at the center of your altar. Place the CEASE FIRE paper with the words facing up beneath the white candle. Anoint the top (crown) of your head, your third eye, and the centers of both palms with a tiny bit of Hyssop Oil.
Light your incense and do the Centering Ritual to begin.
Light the white candle and say,
Oh great goddess, Eirēnē,
You who bring peace to the troubled
And abhor slaughter
Accept my offerings
Of flowers and sweet incense
And hear my prayer
Pick up the rose quartz and hold it between your palms. Bring your hands clasped together in front of your heart. Say,
Bless this stone, great goddess
May it carry your blessing of peace
May it end the slaughter
And the violence
And bring healing to my community
Close your eyes and feel the goddess’s energy surging from your heart, through your arms, into your hands, and into the rose quartz. Say,
May your peace grow
In the hearts and minds of all
Like green shoots from the earth
May your shrines
Sprout like flowers in the spring
So mote it be
Clap three times and blow out the candle. Ground.
Take the candle, the flowers, the rose quartz, and the CEASE FIRE paper and find a place in your community to set up a shrine to Eirēnē. Try to find a spot that won’t be molested, such as a nook in a wall, a quiet corner, or in the crook of a tree. You may also set up shrines at places where someone has been murdered or add them to the shrines already in place. Light the candle, say a quiet prayer to the goddess, and extinguish the flame before leaving.
If possible, check on your shrines occasionally, bring them new flowers and rose quartz, and pour a libation to the goddess.
31. Peter Grey, Apocalyptic Witchcraft (London: Scarlet Imprint, 2013), loc. 280 of 2906, Kindle.
32. Originally published on Medium as “Hex the NRA: A New Spell for the #MagicResistance,” February 15, 2018, https://medium.com/@michaelmhughes/hex-the-nra-a-new-spell-for-the-magicresistance-5be06f113c41.
33. Tom Dickinson, “How the NRA Paved the Way for Mass Shootings,” Rolling Stone, June 15, 2016, https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/how-the-nra-paved-the-way-for-the-orlando-shooting-20160615.
34. Dickinson, “How the NRA Paved the Way for Mass Shootings.”
35. Nancy Dillon, “Top 15 recipients of gun group campaign donations and their NRA grades as firearm bills keep getting shot down,” New York Daily News, December 10, 2017, http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/15-top-recipients-donations-gun-rights-groups-nra-grades-article-1.3687802.
36. John Wagner and Elise Viebeck, “‘I am going to come through for you,’ Trump vows to NRA,” Washington Post, April 28, 2017, https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/i-am-going-to-come-through-for-you-trump-vows-to-nra/2017/04/28/3258b3e6-2c20-11e7-a616-d7c8a68c1a66_story.html.
37. Charles G. Leland, Aradia, or the Gospel of the Witches (London: David Nutt, 1899), 27–28.
38. Adapted from James 1:11.
39. Adapted from Proverbs 28:27.
40. Adapted from Psalm 12:5.