#defixiones

The Bath curse tablets are a collection of about 130 Roman era curse tablets (or defixiones in Latin) discovered in the English city of Bath. The tablets were requests for intervention of the goddess Sulis Minerva in the return of stolen goods and to curse the perpetrators of the thefts. Inscribed mostly in British Latin, they have been used to attest to the everyday spoken vernacular of the Romano-British population of the second to fourth centuries AD.

Curse tablets: above right, with complaint about theft of a cloak and bathing tunic; below left, with complaint about the theft of Vilbia; below right, thought to have text in British Celtic—and, should be the case, it's one of only two known examples of a written British Celtic language.

Two Roman curse tablets (lead, c. 150-300 AD)

Curse tablets are found throughout the Roman Empire, though the UK has the highest number of known examples in Latin. The tablets were usually made of thin hammered lead or pewter in the hopes of passing the cold and heavy attributes of the metal onto the accursed. Inscriptions followed a common formula, invoking a god to bring harm to someone who had wronged the author, and might also include magical symbols to increase the potency of their curse. Before being left in ritualistically important locations like springs and temples, the curse would be either folded or rolled to disorientate the cursed individual. Unlike literature and monument commemorations, Roman curse tablets were written by all classes of people from slaves to high-ranking officials.

Poor Antonius; not only were you cursed by some ancient Roman, but they gave you a big bulbous bald head and weasely little arms.

My amazing mate @clover1982 got me the coolest Yule gift. A bit early cause I was having a rough day yesterday.

For use in spellwork; curse tablets in particular. Note that a ready made set can be found online for roughly $20. However, beeswax can be found readily in most craft stores for $6-10 and have many, many uses.

Materials

A photo frame, ideally 8x11" to allow for more writing space

Beesewax, shaved, chopped, or in pellet form

Oil - linseed is more historically accurate but olive or coconut will do. The oil makes the wax soft enough to write on and scrape it to re-use.

Hot glue, epoxy pen, or any other precision sealant (more on this below)

Colorant (optional) such as food, candle, or soap dye

Method

Determine amount of beeswax and oil required. You could eyeball it but if you want to be more precise, determine the volume (length × width x depth) of the frame's resevoir. You can then plug it into this online calculator to determine how much beeswax by weight you'll need. Then measure out between 10-15% of that weight in oil.

Prepare the frame. Remove the glass (save for another craft) and seal the corners on the inside using tape, a tiny bit of hot glue, or an epoxy pen - whatever will work to prevent the wax from leaking out while it's in liquid form.

Ensure that the frame is level for pouring. Many frames have a fold out stand on the back that will prevent it from laying flat. Keep this in mind and try to prepare it now so the wax dries evenly, rather than fiddle with it later while juggling hot containers.

Melt the wax. I tend to scorch things in the microwave so I prefer the double boiler method. Place wax into a heat safe container, then insert the container into a pot of boiling water. Beeswax has a melting point of 144 to 147 °F (62 to 64 °C) - much higher than, say, coconut oil (76 °F/24 °C). So melt the beeswax nearly completely first then add oil. Stir to combine. Add any coloring if using.

Pour into the frame. IMPORTANT: do NOT let any water get into your wax. It will cause it to bubble and crack. Allow it to cool completely before using.

Bonus ideas:

Select a dye color that is significant to your intended task

Use oil infused with associated herbs or plants

Add essential oils for the same reason, and also for a pleasant scent (myrrh fragrance, perhaps, for attracting the attention of Hekate?)