call me mandrake

This is a regional variation of a work used in the Southern US, known throughout Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, and Virginia.

What you'll need:

Dirt from near a police station Use any combination of the following ingredients along with the police station dirt —

Black pepper

Black mustard seeds

Brick dust

Coal dust

Dirt from an anthill

Dirt from a church yard (can be used in any work to ward off or get rid of unwanted persons)

Dirt from a graveyard

Red pepper flakes

Salt

Seeds of caraway

Seeds of lemon

Seeds of pawpaw

What you'll do:

To help keep police away from your home, mix the police station dirt together with your other chosen ingredients. You can use any of the above ingredients and can include as many or as few as you'd like. Some common combinations are:

-police station dirt, black pepper, and black mustard seeds; -police station dirt and brick dust; -police station dirt, church yard dirt, and salt; -police station dirt, church yard dirt, and brick dust; -police station dirt, black pepper, red pepper flakes; -police station first and coal dust.

Again, use any combination that you'd like or feels right for you.

Dust the threshold of your home with it and, if able, sprinkle it at the outer corners of your home or property.

Some customs call for the recitation of Bible verses (welcome to the South, y'all; there are Bible verses in basically every kind of folk magic down here) whilst sprinkling this mixture. If that's up your alley, here are some verses from the Tanakh and Bible that can be used for various protective purposes —

-Psalm 35:1 (for protection against any law enforcement)

Plead my cause, O L-rd, with them that strive with me: fight against them that fight against me.

-Psalm 35:4-6 (for protection against any law and immigration enforcement)

Let them be confounded and put to shame that seek after my soul: let them be turned back and brought to confusion that devise my hurt. Let them be as chaff before the wind: and let the angel of the L-rd chase them. Let their way be dark and slippery: and let the angel of the L-rd persecute them.

-Psalm 44:7 (for protection against police, immigration enforcement, and those who would bring such trouble down on your home):

But thou hast saved us from our enemies, and hast put them to shame that hated us.

Such verses can also be written (on paper or in chalk) as protective charms and placed at the threshold along with the dirt dust boundaries. They can be easily concealed beneath welcome mats as well.

Sator Squares, to protect the home and to protect one's person from physical assault or violence:

As featured in my piece Protection Work in Folk Magic: Herbs, Spells, & Charms for Protecting Yourself & Others, the Sator Square/Rotas Square is a versatile protective tool that can be used to many ends, including to keep unwanted people away from your home (and, yes, we're going to use it here to keep away immigration or law officers).

The Sator Square / Rotas-Sator Square is a palindromic word square used as a magical charm or amulet. It’s been around for quite some time (with the oldest known square possibly being from as early as AD 50) and has been found to have been used historically throughout Europe, Africa, Asia Minor, and the Americas. As to its origins and intended purpose, no one knows for sure, but the Sator Square has come to have a number of magical uses, including as a tool for curing ailments, aiding in childbirth, putting out fires, and, in fitting with the theme of this piece, in protection magic.

Medieval Sator Square etched into a wall; Oppède-le-Vieux, France.

There are many variations of Sator Squares / Rotas-Sator Squares, but the most common forms consist of five rows of five words, each with five letters, arranged in a 5x5 grid.

The Rotas-Sator Square (in which rotas is the word listed first, pictured below on the left) was the more common in pre-medieval use, but the Sator Square (in which sator is listed first, pictured below on the right) became far more prevalently used than the Rotas-Sator variation at some point in medieval Europe.

Rotas-Sator Square (left) and Sator Square (right).

One can easily use a Sator Square for protection of one's home.

What to do:

-Simply write the square onto a paper or cloth (or carve the square into wood/etch it into clay) and mount the square somewhere within the home — above the mantle, near the front door, above a window. It's said to repel unwanted company of all sorts, as well as offer various protections.

Pennsylvania Dutch variation of a Sator Square found in 'Long Lost Friend' by German-American Pennsylvania Dutch healer and charm worker, John George Hohman; published in 1820.

In Southern Appalachian and some Southeastern folk practices within the United States, one can also use a Sator Square for protection from violence or assault against your person, which can absolutely be used as-is or adapted (by adding further specified blessings) as a charm of protection for protestors or for those for whom ICE or other law enforcement agencies are a threat to their physical safety and well-being.

What to do:

-Write out a Sator Square or Rotas-Sator Square and carry the charm with you. It can be kept in the pocket, especially a shirt pocket, in the shoe, or even be sewn into one's clothes.

Corncob Charm, to deter police or law enforcement from stepping onto one's property:

In Kentucky and Tennessee (and perhaps other regions of the US), it's said that one can use dried corn cobs to deter police from coming onto one's property.

What you'll need:

A dried corncob

Nail (if hanging)

Yarn/string (if hanging; preferably red or black string, though any color you have that you associate with protection or banishing will work just as well!)

What to do:

-One can either hang a dried corncob (usually from a string, which is sometimes braided) on their doorpost or one can bury a dried corncob at each of the four corners of their home.

Penny Charm, to repel the attention of law enforcement:

Penny charms to discourage the attention or presence of law enforcement aren't at all uncommon in the South.

What you'll need:

4 or 9 pennies (some customs specify 'Indian Head Pennies') / (different customs call for different amounts; see below for more information)

What you'll do:

-Some variations of this charm call for placing the pennies in a row underneath your doormat. Some call for nailing or gluing the pennies above your front door. Some call for burying the pennies at the boundary of your property or at the front gate.

-As to whether one should use 4 or 9 pennies, it depends. Where I'm from, I'd always been told that 9 were used, but in some other Southern regions, the custom is 4 pennies, and in Jake Richards' 'Doctoring the Devil' it's specified that 4 pennies are used unless the house in question is home to illegal undertakings or business, in which case, 9 pennies are preferred. You can choose whichever feels right to you.

-There is also always the question as to whether it's necessary to acquire Indian Head Cents or not. Traditionally, the Indian Head Cent was used (at least in Tennessee, Kentucky, and Virginia), but I've seen this work done with regular pennies as well. Nowadays, the Indian Head Cent is harder to come by and buying them just for this work can cost quite a lot. If it's more accessible for one to use regular pennies, then know that you're not the first and won't be the last to do so.

Quick & Easy Charms to Carry for Protection:

Garlic: Carrying a clove of garlic on one's person can protect against many forms of evil, but it can also protect against malicious persons and forces. Garlic cloves can also be included in hex bags, charm bags, hands, sachets, etc. for protection. Similarly, one can make a protection oil that includes minced garlic or garlic oil.

Angelica: Angelica root is known to be used in protective charms and works throughout Europe and in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the US. Though it's commonly used for protection against magical workings and spirits, angelica root is also known to provide protection against evil, malevolent, and harmful people. Angelica can be carried (dried or fresh) to bring protection, or it can be included in spells and workings for protection.

Hair of a black dog: Dog hairs can be used as amulets for luck and protection. The hair of a black dog is considered especially good for protective purposes.

SOURCES & FURTHER READING: As this post contains excerpts from other @sheydmade pieces written by Keziah, please see the original posts for sources, citations, and further reading recommendations.

'Home Protection in Folk Magic: Charms, Wards, & Work to Magically Protect One's Home' (2024); Zibelmann, Keziah

'Protection Work in Folk Magic: Herbs, Spells, & Charms for Protecting Yourself & Others' (2024); Zibelmann, Keziah

'the People's Magic: an Examination of Folk Magic' (2024); Zibelmann, Keziah