#hexing

When I built my first altar, it looked like a sad thrift store shelf, mismatched candles, half-melted incense sticks, a chipped mug standing in for a chalice. I was so desperate for it to look witchy, like the glossy photos in books. But it didn’t feel like mine. It felt like a stranger’s stage.

It took me years, and many messy, candle-wax-soaked attempts, to realize: your altar isn’t an Instagram post. It’s a heartbeat. It’s your magic’s nest. It should feel like home, because it is one.

Here’s how I’ve learned to build an altar that breathes with you, one that feels like warm floors, familiar shadows, and the exact right hush of your spirit.

🕯️ 1. Know What An Altar Really Is

Strip away the fancy words: an altar is just a sacred spot. It’s where you gather your power and your gratitude in one place.

It can be as humble as a windowsill or as grand as a dedicated room. A shelf, a table, a box, all that matters is intention.

Think of it as a tiny crossroads: your body, your spirit, and your magic meet there. The rest is just trimmings.

🌿 2. Start With What Calls You

Forget the shopping list that says you must have a pentacle, a wand, a chalice, this and that.

Ask: what do you reach for when you feel witchiest? A candle that smells like your grandmother’s kitchen? A stone you found at the river? A jar of salt?

Your altar is not a museum. It’s a nest of meaning. Let it be ugly at first. Let it be real.

🔮 3. Give It a Heartbeat

I always tell baby witches: your altar’s alive if it changes with you.

Maybe you set it up on the floor for a spell, then move it to a shelf when you get a cat who loves knocking things over. Maybe you swap the flowers every season. Maybe you leave offerings that rot a little, because magic is not sterile.

Mine has bits of charred candle wicks, a cracked seashell, and a scrap of cloth from my mother’s apron. I clean it, but I don’t bleach it of history.

🗝️ 4. Make It a Conversation

An altar is not a monologue. You don’t just speak at it. You speak with it.

When you light a candle, linger. When you place a new object, ask it, “What do you bring here?” Listen. Maybe you rearrange things when they feel stale. Maybe you sleep with a stone under your pillow before giving it a spot on your altar, so it knows your dreams.

This is the bit the books forget to tell you: your altar listens back.

🌙 5. Protect It, But Don’t Police It

It’s good to cleanse your altar, blow off dust, pass smoke over it, ring a bell if it feels heavy.

But don’t let perfectionism be your deity. I once wasted hours agonizing over where to put a feather. It’s a feather, Nyra. Spirits don’t care if it’s center-left or right.

Your hands are sacred. Trust them.

🕸️ A Few Simple Ideas To Try

Place something that represents each element, but only if it feels real to you. A rock, a candle, a cup of water, a pinch of salt.

Add one thing that smells good. Scent ties your spirit to memory.

Leave an offering to your guides or ancestors, even if it’s just a whisper of thanks.

Keep a tiny cloth or broom nearby to sweep off old energy when needed.

🌒 A Final Whisper

Your altar is not a shrine to aesthetics, it’s a mirror for your spirit.

Build it slow. Let it shift. Let it hold your tears, your giggles, your burnt matches and hopeful wishes.

One day you’ll sit at that sacred little corner, a mug of tea in hand, and think: This is mine. And it will hum back: Yes. And I am yours.

edited 7.6.25

crystals:

agate - for use on a target who has entered a space uninvited, i.e. someone breaking into your home or vehicle; confusion

alexandrite - causes obsession and delusions

amethyst - causes sensitivity and self-destruction; delusions

astrophyllite - causes those who have died at the hands of another to torment the target from the grave

celestite - detachment

diamond - causes blindness, confusion, and disorientation

diopside - lowers inhibitions and causes secrets to be revealed

emerald - causes greed, selfishness, and isolation

flint - causes conflicts

garnet - leeches energy from a target

kunzite - induces vulnerability 

kyanite - used to infiltrate a target’s mind

lapis lazuli - illusion and detachment

meteorite - used as a catalyst in baneful magic

moldavite - delusions

obsidian - used for general aggressive magic

onyx - causes nightmares and mental torment, and is used to break up relationships

opal - used to store negative energy, and then to be given to a target

pyrite - illusions

ruby - used to focus your intent on a target

tiger’s eye - causes arrogance

colors:

black - law, justice, manifestation, sorrow

red - force, energy, confrontation, jealousy, anger

greenish yellow - strife, discord, illness, conflict, jealousy, greed

magenta - catalyst

botanicals:

ague weed - confusion 

angelica root - misery, strife, distress, discord

asafoetida - drives enemies away

bayberry - depression

bindweed - binding

blackberry root - distress

black salt - misery, strife, distress, discord

bladderwrack - illness

bloodroot - substitute for blood

blueberry - confusion, strife

boneset - distress, confusion

cayenne pepper - anxiety

chicory - discord

chili pepper - discord, misery, strife

cinquefoil - discomfort

clove - stopping gossip

cramp bark - pain, illness

dogbane - deception

dragon’s blood - destruction, strife, misery

hemlock - discord, sadness

henbane - illness, discord, melancholy

jezebel root - wickedness, ending relationships, punishing unfaithful lovers

knot weed - binding

lemon - sourness, bitterness

lemon verbena - a boost of power, ending relationships

lime - sourness, bitterness

lobelia - discord

mace - misery, strife

mandrake - misery, strife

mistletoe - isolation, confusion

mullein - spirit work, nightmares

mustard seed - strife, discord

myrrh - a boost of power

nightshade (belladonna) - discord, illness

onion - strife

patchouli - illness

poke root - confusion, discord

poppy seed - discord

rue - misery

safflower - destruction

spanish moss - bad luck

slippery elm - ending relationships

stinging nettle - jealousy, envy, discomfort

sumac - bad luck

tobacco - a substitute for any baneful herb

tormentil - distress, harm, discord

vetiver - silence

wormwood (absinthe) - misery, strife

yew - spirit work

yohimbe bark - impotency

planets:

mars - power, force, energy, war, conflict, jealousy

saturn - law, justice, chaos, revenge

neptune - confusion, illusion, chaos

pluto - death, mystery, crisis

celestial bodies:

black hole - darkness, destruction

comet - stasis, isolation

supernova - destruction, endings

lunar phases:

waning - binding, banishing

dark - destruction, banishing, justice

black - power, manifestation

taglocks:

drawings

photos

the target’s name written on paper

the target’s signature

an item that belongs to the target

the target's DNA

other ingredients:

cigarette butts

broken glass

razorblades 

vinegar

lemon/lime juice

alcohol

bones

needles

nails

thorns

shark teeth

catfish or urchin spines

murex seashells

flying devil oil

dead insects

black sand

charcoal

disclaimer: i do not condone the unethical practice of collecting or harvesting animal parts, or forcefully obtaining taglocks. this is just a list of theoretical correspondences and I am not responsible for the actions of others. for entertainment purposes only.

Already quickly back with another water post, I'm hoping to make a master post once I'm done with all these posts of magical waters I use.

What is War Water?

War Water, also known as Mars Water or Iron Water, is an aggressive magical water used for hexing, curses, offensive protection, warding, return to sender, and to restore peace.

War Water, whenever it is from Hoodoo or European-folk magic, shares these traits and the ingredient iron.

Iron, also known as the metal of Mars, is commonly used in witchcraft to repel, contain, or harm fae, ghosts, malevolant spirits, and others. Iron is considered a sacred element of the Earth and because of it's association with Earth, it has a grounding and balanced aura to it. Hence why War Water restores peace.

Let's not forget that weapons, like that of swords, is typically associated to be made of Iron and steel. which is also why War Water is aggressive and offensive as a sword weapon.

How do I make War Water?

There's a few different ways to make War Water, but all of them share at least one common ingredient, iron. You can use any iron object in your War Water, the most common form is nails. Here's my War Water recipe.

Place iron nails, either whole or cut, in a glass vessel with a tight lid, it does not matter if they're already rusty. Cover it up with water from a storm preferably. Otherwise Holy Water, rain water, or tap water will do. You may also add urine* to it depending on the use.

It will have to rest for about a week, So make this water on a Thursday corresponding to a waxing moon, and end it on a Thursday. Thursday is associated with Mars, the God of war.

Where do I use War Water?

War Water is a great hexing magical water and protective agent. It removes disruptive forces from your life and will restore relaxation and peace in your environment.

It is also used as an offensive protective ingredient. Think of making a spell and lighting a black candle dressed in this water for protection. The spirits will go to this candle and essentially be spiritually cut by the nails and rust away, at least, that's how I like to think so.

It is also used for curses for it's aggressive nature.