Once you’ve completed your spells and rituals, you can have remnants and not know what to do with them. These leftovers include ashes, candle stubs, and herbs. They are all important and it doesn’t seem appropriate to just throw these items away. While it isn’t wise to hold onto all of the leftovers, some can be reused. There are different items that can be disposed of in a variety of ways, and in this article, I will share the different ways to dispose of these remnants.
All magickal leftovers fall into one of these three categories: Reusable, occasionally reusable, and never reusable.
Reusable: All your consecrated altar tools are able to be used as much as you please, and can be cleansed after your spell or ritual if you feel the energies from the magickal workings are still lingering on them. Your crystals, gems, and stones are also here for keeps. These should be cleansed and charged after their usage. The only time you wouldn’t keep one, would be if you were to use is for an offering to a deity. Other reusable remnants would be charms and oil or herbal blends.
Sometimes Reusable:Things like ashes, bottles, candles (as long as they were not anointed), candle wax, and spell bags are all reusable. The choice is ultimately up to you, as many believe you should not recycle these items.
Do Not Reuse: Food is should not be reused, nor should oils, herbs, or blends that is blended for the spell itself (so full moon blends, altar blends, or general healing blends are okay to keep). Any and all offerings should never be reused, as this can insult the receiving deities.
Now that you have decided what you will keep and what you will get rid of, there are a few different things you need to think about before you toss your magickal leftovers. You’ll need to consider the content: Is it natural and biodegradable? Is it capable of hurting someone? Things like foods, plants, ash, and water are easily given to nature, but there are things like metals, plastics, and bones that don’t break down and should be disposed of differently. After you thought about the content, you should consider where you would want the remnants to end up. Many witches keep their leftovers on their property, if they own it. This is done so it wouldn’t fall into another’s possession. If you are to banishing a person from your life, you probably don’t want that in your yard, or anywhere near you. You should take it to the edge of town and never go back.
Disposal by Earth
One of the most commonly used ways to get rid of spellwork leftovers is by burying it, simply because it is the best way to absorb and recycle all energies. The best place to bury your remnants would be on your own land, since it is almost guaranteed no one else can get their hands on it, but sometimes that isn’t feasible. If you live in a city, an apartment, or any place without a yard, a planter or flower bed works just as well. If you will be burying in a planter, you can still place it outside your home or apartment (the back or front), depending on your remnants. If you choose to burying in another location, like a target’s property or a business’s property, you can use any open soil; their yard, and a planter/flower bed on their property will work. If you choose to bury in a cemetery, before you do, you should check in with the caretakers for permission. You should only bury things that are biodegradable. Things like plastic, metal, and glass should be disposed of in a different manner.
| Method of Disposal | When to Use | Example Spells |
| Burying in Your Backyard | Maintain circumstances, finances, a person/persons, or a possession in your life | Marriage, prosperity, protection, and harmonious family spells |
| Burying in Your Front Yard | Welcome something new into your life | Attract new love, new career/life-path, attracting new experiences, health, marriage spells |
| Burying in a Cemetery | Curse/hex/harm another, end a habit or circumstance | Curses, hexes, or banishment spells |
| Burying in Target’s Property | Curse, bless, or influence person or family | Curse, love, protection, influence/manipulation spells |
| Burying at a Business Property | Bless, curse, or influence a specific business or employee of the business | Curses, protection, influence/manipulation, prosperity spells |
Disposal by Air
There isn’t much you can dispose of using air, as it needs to be very light and very small. Things like ashes, herbs, and salt are the only things you can really toss this way.
| Method of Disposal | When to Use | Example Spells |
| Blowing/Throwing | General all-purpose release of spellwork energy into the universe | Love, prosperity, protection, healing spells Blow in the direction of the target |
Disposal by Fire
Using fire to dispose of your magickal leftovers is a great way to create a clean and permanent break, as there is no retrieving or reconstructing the items. Many witches keep all of their remnants in a sealed box, to burn them all annually on Samhain, the witch’s new year. If you feel some extra nasty energies, you can bury the ashes when they’ve cooled. You will need to take the content of the items into consideration, since plastic, polyester, and nylon all give off dangerous fumes. Things like hair, bone, and horn are okay to burn, but you will need ventilation because they smell really bad. You should try to not burn bottles or items with trapped air because they can burst. Fire is not recommended for getting rid of haunted, ‘possessed’, or cursed objects, or anything with really nasty energies. They should be cleansed and buried.
| Method of Disposal | When to Use | Example Spells |
| Throwing into Flame/Burning | Release negative circumstances, deliver a curse or influence a person in an unknown location | Curses, banishment spells, spells to release emotional pain |
Disposal by Water
Water absorbs, transports, and charges all items given to it, so it is a great way to release any and all energies in your ritual items. You’ll need to consider the content due to the wildlife and what is safe for them. You’ll need to know that light items, or items with air inside, can float and possibly wash ashore. If you’re wondering about toilet water, you can flush any ‘crap’ out of your life, so it is great for banishment spells.
| Method of Disposal | When to Use | Example Spells |
| Releasing into a Stream/River/Natural Lakes/Ocean | Release negative circumstances/emotions, deliver a curse or influence a person in a distant or unknown location | Curses, banishment, love, influence/manipulation spells, spells to release emotional pain |
| Releasing into Man-Made Lakes/Reservoirs | Man-made lakes usually do not have streams or rivers that carry water in or out. Therefore the energy tends be fairly stagnant. | If you live on the man-made lake, refer to the Burying in the Backyard list of circumstances and uses. Otherwise, stay away. |
| Releasing into Ponds or Swamps | Ponds and swamps have stagnant energy. You may use them if you do not live by on. | Curses If you live on/near the pond or swamp, refer to the ‘Burying in the Backyard’ list of circumstances and uses. |
Disposal by Other Methods
When using other methods of getting rid of your magickal garb, you can leave some things out in the open. When you just leave something, you should make sure it isn’t ‘just trash’, and it won’t hurt any of the wildlife. When you decide to use this method, the best choices in items to get rid of would be salt dough/clay figures and charms, since they are safe and can break down effortlessly.
| Method of Disposal | When to Use | Example Spells |
| Leaving on Active Railroad Tracks | Release negative circumstances, deliver curse or influence to a person in the direction of the running train | Curses, banishment, love, influence/manipulation spells, spells to release emotional pain |
| Leaving on Abandoned Railroad Tracks | Separate yourself, or other people, from another person or from a situation | Banishment and break up spells |
| Leaving at Road Intersections | Release negative circumstances, deliver a curse or influence a person in an unknown location | Curses, banishment, love, influence/manipulation spells, spells to release emotional pain |
| Leaving on a Road in the Direction of Your Target | Deliver a curse or influence a person in the direction of the traffic lane | Curses, influence/manipulation spells, love spells on a specific person |
| Leaving at Your Target’s Door/Driveway | Most direct way to curse or to influence Remnants must be inconspicuous and discreet. |
Curses, love, protection, influence/manipulation spells |
Whichever method you you choose, you should remember to do what feels right to you; there is no definite way to get rid of you magickal remnants. Just remember to not pollute or trespass on private property.
Keep in mind, all of my posts are based on my opinions that I have gathered from my research. You may disagree or have something to add. Please do so kindly in the comments.
Blessed be, brothers and sisters.
(all charts are credited to Old World Witchcraft)
http://www.oldworldwitchcraft.com/blog/spell-remnants-15-ways-to-properly-dispose-of-spellwork-remains
