How To Make No-Sew Conjuring or MoJo Bags
A Four Part Series of Creative Magick  — Part II
by Silver RavenWolf
copyright 2012
In the first part of this series we talked about vibration and rhythm, and how they play into the construction of your conjuring bag. Every thought you have is important. Your thoughts either hinder or assist the energy that is in and around the bag you make, regardless of its purpose. Most importantly, the enthusiasm you have for making the bag from collecting the contents, to construction, decoration and empowerment significantly affects the outcome.
Today’s article focuses on the construction of a bag for protection. This bag can function for protecting people and animals or warding property from theft, or weather. The focus is entirely up to you.
A notation must be made here that if you feel you are in physical danger or in need of some type of protection, you should take the appropriate actions that are available to you in our society — and seek profession assistance. Making a conjuring bag to solve the problem in no way negates the help from a qualified professional. In Braucherei we teach that all tools are valuable tools.
The Circle of Magick Charm Bag for Protection
In Part One we discussed the sound or rhythm of a thing, concept, or idea. We talked about your emotions, and how they play an important part in your magickal applications. What might be the rhythm/sound pattern of protection? Close your eyes and think about that. Tap out how you feel when you experience safety and security. Got the right rhythm? Good. Keep this pattern in your mind as you make your protection bag.
The Circle of Magick Charm Bag uses black material. Black here is used to banish negativity, and exemplifies the void from which all things are born. Black is the still-point, the moment of emptiness before the breath of light.
The supplies used in the example bag are:
Black Cotton Cloth — I used a 9 x 9 inch piece of cloth
A small plate (about 6 inches in diameter, although you can use larger)
A piece of white paper
Sewing Pins
Black Marker
Piece of brown paper bag on which to write your desire cut in a square shape (about 3×3 inches)
Ribbon to tie the bag shut
Scissors to cut the pattern, cloth, and ribbon
An amethyst crystal point (for transmuting negative energy — not shown in picture)
Black Onyx or Black Tourmaline Gemstone (for protection)
One white Stone to represent Spirit
One unlit match (the sulfur on the tip of the match adds to the protection energies)
Protection Herbs of Your Choice — I used lavender, rosemary, cinquefoil, nettles and a High John Root. You may also like to add cloves or other protection herbs of your choice. The root in this example is important, as many practitioners believe that the true power of any plant is in the root system. To have the piece of the root is to be able to access the totality of the power in the herb.
One small square mirror — to deflect negativity
Holy Water or Blessed Water
Ribbon — I used purple and black 1/8 inch ribbon
Embellishments of your choice for the outside of the bag — I used a Sterling Silver Pentacle, black beads, a safety pin, bells to ward off negativity, a tiny bottle filled with black glitter & grave dirt of an ancestor, and skull beads to indicate the help of the beloved dead. You may wish to add a symbol of a deity, angel, or totem animal to the outside of your bag. The embellishments on this type of bag are just as important as the content. Take your time choosing the decorations that speak to you and feel right for your purpose.
Construction of the Circle of Protection Bag
This bag is super simple to make. As with the first example, Step One is the same.
Step One. Gather all your supplies together. Sprinkle them with holy water. Bless all supplies and tools in the name of your deity. Charge all items in your own words (with clear intent) with what you wish to accomplish.
Step Two. Using the black marker, trace the outer edge of the plate on the white paper.
Step Three. Cut out the circular pattern.
Step Four. Pin the white paper pattern to the black cloth. Cut the black cloth following the pattern. Note: I recommend a good, sharp pair of scissors for a neater edge.
Step Five: Write your protection charm on the brown 3×3 inch piece of paper. You can use any incantation. I chose to incorporate parts of the Lesser Banishing Ritual with the word “protection” written around the outer edge of the paper. Be sure your name or your initials (if the bag is for you) are somewhere in the center of the petition. Draw any runes or other magickal sigils on the petition, such as the Algiz Rune or the Wiccan Pentacle, for protection. Finally, seal the paper charm with the drawing of three equal-armed crosses. The petition can also be sealed with a magickal oil if you desire.
As a Note: You may wish to use our Healing Circle Charm: You can’t see me, you can’t find me, you can’t hurt me anymore! (which has a marvelous rhythm to it when you really get to chanting). Or, you could recite a prayer to the Goddess Bastet or Sekhmet (by the way, Sekhmet likes red beer, candy, and Kyphi), as you work on the bag.
Step Six:Â Place all items that will go into the bag in the center of the black cloth as shown in the example photo.
Step Seven: Carefully draw up all sides of the bag at the same time. Tie tightly with ribbon. Draw three equal-armed crosses in the air over the bag to seal the working. Add embellishments. Seal again. Your bag is now ready to be empowered for protection either through prayer and candlelight, or in a larger spell, or in a full ritual.
When To Make This Charm: There are several choices, depending on what type of protection is needed from general to specific. You can wait until the Dark of the Moon (right before new), build the bag on a Saturday, use the planetary hour of Saturn, etc. The Moon in Scorpio is one of my favorite times for protection magick. If Moon timing just doesn’t fit, you can use the Braucherei Formula of choosing Dawn, Noon, Twilight, Midnight, or Halfnight (3:00 AM). Which time?
Which time feels right to you? Then that’s the right time.
Re-empower your bag every thirty days (from moon to moon) until it looks ratty or you feel that it is time to make a new bag.
Project Length:Â Once you have gathered the supplies — ten to fifteen minutes.
You can hang this magick bag in your car, by a window or door, carry with you on your person on in your purse, briefcase or toolbox, place on the altar with a photograph of someone or something you wish to protect, and more. In Braucherei, the bag is sometimes put in a jar by the front door, or hung over the front or back door from a pair of open scissors (to cut the negativity of anyone walking in through the door). How you use the bag is entirely up to you.
There is one last Braucherei (Pow-Wow) trick to this working. If this bag is for you, take off the shirt your wore when making the bag. Turn it inside out. Open a dresser drawer. Place the shirt half in and half out of the drawer. Slam the drawer shut with gusto and yell as loud as you can “out!”. Sounds stupid. Actually works. This technique can also be used for healing, as some Braucherei practitioners see disease as a type of monster that must be vanquished.
The Circle Bag construction can be used for a variety of purposes, not just protection. For example, if you wanted to do a healing bag, you could choose white or green cloth. Some practitioners prefer pink (the color of healthy flesh — particularly if you are working on a wound or healing after surgery).
Part Three of this series will cover a type of Good Fortune conjuring vehicle. If you enjoyed this article, please let us know by using the comments section. If you have a better idea, or would like to share with folks a special technique you have in making mojo bags, please feel free to do so. If you have made a bag and would like to show us, you can always post photos on my Facebook Author Page. We would love to see your projects. We are a Magickal Village, after all.
Peace with the Gods
Peace with Nature
Peace Within.
So be it.
Silver
Related articles
- The Magick Circle (ankhafnakhonsu.net)
- Protective Charm Bag (witchesofthecraft.com)
Silver RavenWolf 