Ask Black Witch Coven
Parchment writing paper
Sep
Question:
Hi BWS,
I see that you sometimes use parchment paper for spells. This is why your spells have success? I can’t seem to find parchment paper? I also, Don’t have the means to buy my own witch tools ….So any advice would be helpful. Thank you,
S, Ohio
Answer:
Hi S,
Straight up…..it doesn’t really matter what you write your spell petitions on, as your spell will fail for other reasons first, before your choice of paper. After all we don’t have animal skins to write on anymore!
Real parchment paper, comes from calf skins. Back in the days before we had access to a great variety of paper, we had little choice. So many old spell recipes tell you to obtain parchment paper. So unless you’re slaughtering your own animals, obtaining a calfskin is not only expensive, but also difficult to obtain.
I must admit I go through phases, where in some years I love to do everything traditionally, and in others I sit it in remote locations, using only my mind for all rituals. This year I totally love using parchment paper, and I think it’s because I’m living in New Orleans right now, so I’m leaning in towards Santeria and Witchcraft practices. One of my own teachers only uses parchment paper, cut into thin strips – Where the petition is written with small font, and either put under the candle or burnt in the offering bowl.
In various pact writing rituals and many of my black magick spells, the pact/intention is released into the spiritual world via flame. If I was to use traditional calf skin, my Temple would stink (burning animal skin), and the calf skin takes much longer to burn (more fire resistant)- So it’s definitely not suitable for me! In saying that, I think it would be really cool if you are writing your own pact, to write it on a calf skin, and store in a secret space.
So does it really matter if we use white paper or brown paper for writing of our petitions?
I say that you have to do whatever makes you feel like you’re doing it properly. If using modern parchment paper makes you feel like you’re conducting your rituals correctly, then by all means you should invest in parchment paper. If you cannot afford Parchment paper consider these options.
Alternatives to parchment paper in spell casting
- Of course you can use a brown paper bag found in your super market for your hoodoo petition writing.
- Cookie sheet lining parchment paper works too. Best part is, you can cut off just what you need.
- Put a sheet of white paper into a frying pan (Without oil), and let it “crisp” or brown a little.
- I love using Post-it notes as well!
I hope this inspires your choices! If anyone else does something cool to create their own parchment paper, please share below!
BWS
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3.5
Greetings BlackWitch S, could you tell me if you have anything I could use to help get rid of depression off of someone? Thank you
Greetings,
Is it long term depression or has the person gone through a tough period (>3 months). What type of magick do you practice or are you comfortable in using? I will write a post to help you based on this information.
Blessed Beast!
Savannah
Dear S,
Depending on where we live, and what we can afford, we will have more or less options available to us (with our craft as with everything else in life). While we may prefer a mansion and a luxury sports car, we survive just as well living in a one bedroom apartment and using Uber to get to work everyday. The same concept applies to our craft and whatever tools we may or may not have available or have access to. Magic and witchcraft is not only available to the select few, the elite, the financially able or the well supplied. As a matter of fact, some of the world’s first magicians were living in what we would today call, impoverished conditions. Our ancestor witches lived off the land, used the few items available to them and, in a time when occult shops and online international shopping was centuries away, managed to create something so powerful and magical, that it survived the tests of time, persecution, and almost complete annihilation. If the success of our craft depended that heavily on something as trivial as what type of paper we used, the craft all together simply would not exist or function. These are things that we should keep in mind when searching for a particular herb we cannot find, need a certain oil we do not have or when we have been advised to purchase a tool we simply cannot afford. Part of the enjoyment of our practice, and what makes our spells special and unique to us, is the need to and the ability to improvise. Be creative!
As I also live in New Orleans, obtaining parchment paper is easy as we have occult/esoteric shops and botanicas everywhere. However, if you are unable to locate or afford parchment paper, in addition to the ideas BWS has already shared, I will share some of mine with you, as well.
In any super store such as Walmart or any grocery store, you can buy a pack of brown paper lunch bags. You get about 50 for about $3.00. Again, the price may vary depending on where you live but you are in Ohio, so this should be the case for you, as well. I used to buy a pack and then simply unfold one, and at the line that divides the bottom of the bag from the top (about two inches from the bottom), cut along. That will leave you a “ring” of paper. Simply flatten that out and cut vertically and you are left with two rather large sheets of brown paper that works wonderfully for spells. You can even cut those pieces down to size, which will make your supply last even longer. Depending on how much work you do or how long your petitions are, one bag can last up to a year and sometimes even longer.
Again, at Walmart or any office supply store, you can buy a pack of printer paper that is designed. This can run a little more expensive, but you can get about 200 – 300 sheets for about $5.00. They have paper that is designed to look aged/antique (gold in color and browned at the edges), they have some that is even designed to look like antique scrolling paper. There are so many to choose from and many of them almost seem to have been designed for spell work, especially for those of us who enjoy the traditional feel of the craft and the “authentic appearance” of our altars and tools.
Also, if you just have plain white paper, you can take a match or a lighter (carefully) and lightly burn either the four corners of a page or all around the paper’s edge. This gives it an aged and old school “witchy” appearance and feel, as well.
The important thing to remember is that, at the end of the day, a spell can be completed and successfully so, without any tools at all. On the other hand, we can have a closet full of the most expensive, custom made, authentic, traditional and hand crafted tools available on the market, and have no success at all.
It is our energy and our intention that is what matters. The power behind the spell comes from within us (and from whatever spirit/energy/deity/god/goddess/demon/angel) you may be calling on and working with.
Also, remember that anything can represent anything, as long as YOU KNOW what something represents (I have used white candles in place of other colors, simply because that is what I had on hand at the moment, many times and with just as much success as when I use the “correct” color candles). What is important is that we know what each tool represents, and that we are taking the time to cleanse and consecrate our objects , we are taking the time to charge them, we are using our energy to fill our tools with our intentions and we are taking the time to communicate the purpose of each item to the item itself, so that each one knows why they are there, what their use is and what they represent. You use your own energy to create the purpose for your tools and to charge them with intent. As long as we know what they are representing and we have charged that object so that object knows what its goal or purpose is and what is represents, you can use whatever you want.
After all, the world’s first magicians had no one to direct and teach them or tell them what to use, or when or why or how to use anything at all and they didn’t have a library full of books to guide them along. They did what they felt was right and created the witchcraft and the ritual as they went along. We carry on that tradition today and just as they worked with what was available to them back thousands of years ago, we work with what we have available to us today.
Believe me, a spell will not succeed or fail, strictly depending on what type of paper a petition was written on, what ink you used, or whether or not you used a quill pen. I hope this will help you. Best wishes with all of your endeavors. Always remember, be creative and improvise when you need to – make it personal, make it unique and most of all, have fun with your craft. Also keep in mind that different methods and different tools work differently for different people. Some witches absolutely must have an athame for every single ritual or ceremony; I, however, have never owned or used one and I still enjoy success and desired outcomes. Some witches practice sky clad, some require a black silk robe and some wear a black t shirt and black yoga pants – they all enjoy success together. There are dozens and dozens of tools, supplies, herbs, oils, candles, altar tools, etc that are available. It isn’t reasonable to expect that we each have to attain every single one of them to begin. Do what feels right to you, and acquire tools and supplies as you are able to.
Blessings
Greetings Bewitched. This is great advice, and thank you for taking the time to share in such detail.
– Blessings to you and yours
BWS
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