How to Work With Poppet Magic
How to Work With Poppet Magic teaches how to stuff a poppet with herbs and crystals and how to create a self-love poppet with the Green Hearth Witch! Poppet witchcraft can be used for everything from curses to money magic.
If you love dolls, then poppet magic might just be the thing for you! It’s the kind of spell that can be hidden in plain sight. They are aesthetically pleasing and often easy to put together, making them beginner-friendly!
Just like with spell jars, you’ll want to use poppet dolls sparingly! Once your poppet is made, you can simply enchant it periodically to keep the spell going.
I often enchant my poppet doll by setting her out under a full moon and by talking with her periodically. Sometimes, I’ll even sleep with her next to me, so that she can become infused with my energy.
My poppet doll was created for self-love. If you create a spell doll for banishing or cursing, you’ll want to keep the doll away from you. Enchant your doll according to the kind of spell you’ve created.
For curse dolls, you’ll want to make your poppet ugly. You want it to look and feel like a curse, binding, or a banishing according to your will. With binding, which means to keep someone from being able to move towards you, you’ll want to wrap your doll in thread tightly.
Honestly, there are so many spells that can be made from a poppet doll! Before getting started, you’ll need to choose the intention that best suits your doll. The intention you choose sets the tone for the style of doll to make.
Some people make poppets, while others purchase them. My poppet, featured in the picture, was purchased from Moonflower Myst on Etsy. I felt drawn to her handmade dolls and had to have one of my own!
Once you’ve set your intention, you can choose or make your poppet! A poppet should have a place to store the herbs, crystals, and petitions. Mine has a cute little apron that holds the spell doll together!
Before I detail how to put your spell together, let’s talk about what makes poppet magic magical. Just like with wands, poppets become a focal point of intent. You put all of your energy into the doll and the materials she’s made of.
The doll represents a person. It could be you, your best friend, or your children. It could even be someone you don’t like.
While poppet magic often gets a bad rap, it is used for benevolent purposes. They can be used as protection guardians and as a form of healing. Poppets can also be used for luck, prosperity, and creative endeavors!
Also known as Voodoo dolls, poppets can be made of cloth, clay, or natural elements, such as corn dollies, during the Lammas holiday festivities. They can be made out of nearly anything, as long as it takes on the shape of a doll!
How to Work With Poppet Magic
Learning how to work with poppet magic could bring a different aspect to your practice that you may end up falling in love with! For me, I’ve always loved dolls, and adding them to my craft has brought me joy.
My first magical doll was a master root poppet. I named her and added a bow. The master root is a root that looks almost human-like. They come in different shapes and sizes and can be programmed to control any situation.
One time, my granddaughter left her doll behind after spending the night. I used that opportunity to enchant her doll to protect her while she sleeps and dreams. This is another form of poppet magic.
My current poppet has pink hair and an apron, and she’s featured in the picture. She has become my self-love poppet, and she’s meant to represent me.
Once a week, I have a conversation with her in which I tell her all the good things about herself. I remind her that she’s a good person and that she's worthy of love. When I say these things to my poppet, I’m essentially saying them to myself.
I also add self-love charms to her apron when she needs them. Regularly refreshing and updating spells keeps them going in the long term. You definitely want a self-love poppet to go on forever!
One way you can do that is by using the moon phases, the solstices, the equinoxes, and any of the pagan holidays when magic is fully alive! Keep in mind the meaning of each holiday.
For example, the summer solstice is considered the optimal time to spend time in nature. It is a bringer of light! You can lay your doll on the ground or up in a tree to absorb some of the light-bearing energy.
During the full moon, you can set your poppet on the windowsill or on the porch with your moon water. It will take on the energy of the moon phase we’re in.
On the other hand, if you’re working with a voodoo doll for a curse, you’ll want to use the baneful moon. This is a waning moon that works best for banishings, protection spells, and left-handed magic of all kinds!
If you want to work with poppet magic, you’ll want to learn to utilize the energies that already exist all around you. It can come in the form of nature, a holiday, or even a planetary alignment. Get a feel for what is going on all around you!
How to Stuff a Poppet With Herbs and Crystals
When making a poppet, you’ll want to stuff it with herbs and crystals. You can even add a petition, tiny charms, and anything that feels relevant to your spell intention. Most of all, you’ll want to add a taglock!
What is a taglock? A taglock is a personal item that you add to your spell to tell it where it needs to go. This can include strands of hair, nail clippings, saliva, blood, and photographs.
You’ll want to choose your spell ingredients purposefully. If you’re creating a good luck poppet, you’ll want to use green and gold materials to represent wealth.
You can stuff it with good luck charms, like four-leaf clovers, gold coins, and anything that brings you luck! You can add a tiny paper petition by folding it towards you and tying it with a ribbon. Additionally, you can ask Goddess Fortuna to come into your spell and bring you luck.
This is just one example. Always choose spell components with your intention in mind. If it’s a spell for banishment, you might use dark colors, sea salt, and cayenne pepper to scare a person away. Your doll should look dark and scary.
While choosing and stuffing each ingredient, touch the herbs, gemstones, and petitions, and put your intention into it. Doing this will raise your energy and bring your spell doll to life.
After you’ve stuffed your doll, you’ll want to do something to seal the deal. You can kiss your doll, tie a knot or bow in its apron, or place it in a power spot, such as an altar.
How to Activate Your Spell Doll
There are many different ways you can activate your spell doll, but my favorite includes a taglock! After completing your poppet, blow on it. I blow up and down her body on both sides a total of four times.
Then, I talk to the doll and tell her what I want her to do. I have a conversation with her. In poppet witchcraft, I tend to be repetitive, meaning I’ll regularly tell my doll what I want her to do and how I want her to feel.
I also sleep with my poppet. I recommend doing this only for poppets meant to take on your signature energy! Sleep with your doll every day for a week, and whenever you feel the energy waning.
Again, if you made a baneful doll for your enemy, you don’t want it anywhere near you. In this situation, you might place it somewhere dark, scary, and musty. A dark, secret cupboard or basement would make a good spot.
You’ll be able to feel when your spell has become activated. You’ll feel an energy that's either subtle or intense.
How to Create a Self-Love Poppet
To create a self-love poppet, I recommend using colors associated with love and friendship. Here, you’re learning how to be a friend to yourself. Soft pinks, lavender, and gentle greens work best for making a self-love doll.
Think of it this way: would you tell your best friend she’s ugly, fat, and unlovable? Probably not. So, why do we talk to ourselves that way?
I like to write out a bunch of affirmations to say to my doll. These will be loving, kind, and gentle words. Words of gentle wisdom and kindness.
Think about what you love about yourself. Write those down, too. You’ll want to tell your doll everything you wish you could believe about yourself.
Guess what? With time, you’ll begin to believe kind things about yourself. I’ve noticed a huge transformation in how I see myself after making my self-love poppet!
I’ve also noticed that other people treat me differently, too. They treat me with kindness, honor, and respect. Your self-love doll will bleed into other areas of your life.
Choose herbs and crystals to kindly stuff into your spell doll. I recommend herbs like damiana for confidence, basil for attraction, and catnip for both inner and outer beauty. For crystals, I recommend rose quartz, lepidolite, and moss agate.
Think of the kind of person you envision yourself to be while putting your spell together. Make your doll pretty, add accessories, and show her deep love, caring, and affection as if she’s a real person. That person is you!
