Spell Work: Making "BLUE" SALT for Manifesting and Protecting Peace

So you might have already heard of using salt for different types of rituals and spell work. Salt, used for cleansing negative energies, has been used in different cultures and religious practices for "banishing" of and protection from all sorts of evil. And even without the superstitious and spiritual associations, salt remains highly relied on by people all over the world for culinary and medical purposes.

You've heard of using "sea salt", even "pink salt". Both occur naturally in nature. Sea salt obviously comes from, generally speaking, the sea. Pink salt's name is actually "Himalayan Sea Salt", and from the name itself, comes from Himalayan origins (although both types can be modified and created these days through artificial means). If you're familiar with using salt for spell work and other spiritual practices (or  perhaps you're just a naturally culinary and cultural savvy fellow), there's a chance that you've also heard of "black salt"-- salt mixed mainly with charcoaled materials. But what's not often spoken about is "Blue salt".

Matey, just tell me what the fuck is "Blue Salt"

Aight. Getting to the point, "Blue Salt" actually exists. The 'real' blue salt is called "Persian Blue Salt", and from the name itself, hales from somewhere in the Persian region (Northern Iran) source: https://guide.michelin.com. In the context of spell work, however, it is basically just salt colored in blue through organic or inorganic means, with the intention of creating a 'tool' against evil eye and protecting one's 'peace'. Blue salt is also associated with healing. 

Technically speaking, when it comes to salt magic, all salts are used with the intention to repel negative energies (spirits, even). So I'd like to focus more on the specific aspect of 'Protecting and Manifesting Peace'.

If you have access to Persian Blue Salt, you may use that one, too. But if not, you may create your own. What matters most is to remember your intentions behind creating it.

Dyeing in Blue

• Natural Pigments: The blue pigments may be derived from natural sources such as flowers and herbs. Some people use dried blue flowers by crushing them into powder. 
• Kitchen Ingredients: Berries (crushed), Tea (brewed into a strong concentrated amount) or Food Coloring.
• Other Sources of Pigments: Ink, watercolor, oil paint, and pretty much any other types of paint (highly recommended for artists and those who work closely with creative crafts. Especially those who use art as a form of emotional and psychological therapy). Just be mindful that the salt's consistency and moisture will be affected depending on the type of paint you choose to use. If you use acrylic paint, latex, or even nail polish, it will help to use the odorless variety. Also, take note that those types of paints will basically "coat" your salt granules instead of soaking them through. They leave a rubbery film that may stick to your jars/bottles.

You can mix more than one source of  blue pigment to dye your salt. If you feel that you don't have enough flowers to turn your salt blue, or if using berries give you a color too dark for your liking, don't hesitate to make adjustments in your dyeing process. 

Additional Ingredients --Not a must, but if you have the time, I highly recommend it. 

(*Belief and Focused Intention are the main tools of the person writing in this blog, so expect to read a lot of recommended 'personalization' tips and a lack of 'fixed reference' on any religious or spiritual school/principles :) )

To further personalize your Blue Salt/ "Peace Jar", you may add things that you personally associate with peace and calmness. Feel free to throw in bits and bobs that bring you a sense of security and joy. Remember, the whole point of making the Blue Salt is to manifest and protect your Peace as well as your emotional (and perhaps, spiritual) healing. Here are a few suggestions:

• Flowers: You can add blue flowers for more color (and even aesthetics if you have any plans of adding the jar as a form of decoration, too). Butterfly pea, hydrangeas, lavender, delphinium--you name it. Feel free to top the salt with non-blue flower petals, too. I recommend adding in preserved or dried flowers so you don't have to worry about any insects which the decomposing process may attract (plus the decomposition may affect the salt's color, too even if you choose to shut your bottle tightly with a lid).
• Herbs: Oregano, rosemary, sage, basil... You can mix in more than one type of herb in your blue salt, if you'd like. Aside from symbolic associations, the herbs can also add a pleasant smell to your concoction.
• Essential oils: Essential oils make great addition to your Blue Salt if you choose to seal your jar with a permeable material, such as mesh cloth or gauze. Although it's not practical if you have a limited supply of essential oil (if you're working on a budget, the good quality ones can be expensive, especially for the younger spell casters), or if you are choosing to tightly shut your jar with an airtight lid (I mean, who's gonna smell that). But hey, it's your jar, so go knock yourself out with your customizations as long as it makes you happy and it's not going to trigger anybody's allergies. 
• Crystals: You can mix in bits of your favorite crystals, or even excess crystals from old trinkets and broken bracelets. It's a plus if you use ones that are associated with peace and tranquility (such as amethyst, blue aventurine, sodalite, or turquoise).
• Charms: If you are going to mix in other objects, it would be ideal to put in ones that are made of glass or plastic materials. You can use metal charms, too. But please be mindful that metals will rust overtime. And with salt as your main ingredient, the corrosion process will speed up.
• Written Prayers or Sigils: Cut a piece of paper, write your intentions for calling in peace or washing away tumultuous energies. If you have a sigil or any guides you draw inner strength from, write their name or symbol in that small piece of paper, too. You can fold the paper and bury them in your blue salt.

The Final Step: Sealing

It is a common practice for spell casters to seal their spell jars on the lid with wax by dripping a candle around it; make sure that you close the jar or bottle tightly with a lid before doing this. If your chosen container doesn't have a lid (or if you're using a recycled bottle and the lid/cap has long gotten lost), feel free to use other materials such as cork board pieces or even cut out coasters. Please note that you can't use sheets of soft and thin plastic materials as a substitute lid if you will be using hot wax to seal your jar. The heat will melt thin plastic sheets.

Non-traditional ways to seal your Salt Jar: You can use a cloth, a piece of stainless screen (the fine ones with very small holes), or gauze to close your jar/ bottle. If you don't want to use candle wax, you may tightly seal it with a ribbon, a thread or even a twine. Or just leave your Blue salt concoction open in a bowl, or store them in any accessible container; that way, you can also use it for sprinkling in certain areas of your home. You can then make it a part of your anti-negativity and space blessing rituals.

Lastly, don't forget to pray over/ charge your blue salt with your intentions!

My take:

I used a mixture of brewed butterfly pea flower, watercolor, and mica pigments to dye the sea salt; the blue that came from my old stock of dried butterfly pea was too dark for my liking (it looked teal, even with a minimal amount used), so I decided to take some "blue" from my arts and crafts stash. I have this old stock of my favorite flower tea, golden edge rosebuds, and I decided to sprinkle them over my blue salt. I then put in a few loose turquoise beads and some of my favorite chipped crystals and gemstones into the mix.

I'm honestly not much of a candle user (plus the place I live in have sensitive smoke detectors-- goodbye to even attempting fire-scrying), so I decided not to use a spell candle. I used a red thread for sealing the jar instead. Not just because I like the color and think that it will make a great contrast to the coolness of the blue salt and the white cover, but also because the red thread is commonly used as a protective amulet, good luck charm, and a soul bond symbolism in many religions and culture (such as Hinduism, Buddhism, and Feng Shui).

Additional Recommendations:

Plain sea salt, pink salt, black salt, blue salt... Honestly, I recommend you to get creative because why not? Think of an intention, pick a color-- even mix colors, or layer them in accordance to your intentions and make your own salt jar when you find the time and have the energy for it :) 

Things to Know Before Cleansing Crystals in Water

Saltwater rinse, Sound frequency cleansing, moon-water cleansing, moonlight baths, smudging-- and many other ways of cleansing divination tools are passed down from one magic/witchcraft practitioner to another. At some point, you would pick certain cleansing routines based on what your mentor or school of practice had taught you, or simply on what is most comfortable for you.

However, every tool is made up of different materials. And different materials require different ways of caring. One thing that has always made me cringe is the popular notion that you can bathe or "wash" all your crystals. I have seen many crystal-users and enthusiasts confidently share their cleansing routines with generalized instructions. Some would even say that "washing" ALL your crystals is a MUST when cleansing. 

Sure, if they are this confident, then it most likely means that it works effectively for them, right? But what these types of guides often do not take into account is that there are different types of crystals with different hardness levels, purity (mineral concentrations), and water solubility. Some people who are new to crystal-cleansing may not be aware that certain types of crystals can get damaged or worn down faster if often soaked in water. The people who generalized washing or soaking crystals in any liquid either own high quality crystals with high water resistance and hardness level, or they simply change their crystals on a normal basis when they see that it is beginning to crack, discolor, or crumble. And perhaps that's just not something they thought much about, or maybe it's just a natural and normal thing for them, that they forget to put a warning for their audience.

Below are things to consider before you conduct water-cleansing rituals for your crystals/ gemstones;

1. Hardness level: If you have been collecting gemstones for some time now, there's a high chance that you have already encountered the term "MOHS Hardness Scale". Here's a short explanation for it:

"The MOHS Hardness Scale starts with talc at 1 being the softest mineral and ending with diamond at 10 being the hardest mineral. It is universally used around the world as a way of distinguishing minerals. Simply put: the higher the number, the harder the mineral." - gemrockauctions.com

Here's a chart for quick reference:

2. Purity: Did you know that for some crystals and gems, the higher the purity is, the softer or more brittle they actually are? This is another reason the Mohs Scale is important. The scale assumes that the gemstones are at its purest form. You can use it as a reference for the level of purity of the stone you are buying. 

For example, it may not be indicated in the reference chart above, but turquoise falls under number 3 in the hardness scale. This is because the mineral typically comes in chalk form from nature. However, you might notice that some turquoise feel tougher and more scratch-resistant than others despite their respective sellers claiming they are authentic. That's because jewelers and laboratories mix the chalky mineral with stabilizers or hardeners. This is also commonly done with jade. You might notice that some jades have a glassy or marble-like feel to its surface, while some may feel a little "waxy". 

The Mohs Hardness Scale is a great basis for conducting different types of tests to prove a gem's authenticity. You can try a "Scratch test" (the main basis of Mohs scale), water solubility test, or heat tests on your own if you have the time and the courage to put your gemstones to the test.

3. Water Resistance/ Water Solubility: Since some crystals are softer in its purest form while some are harder, certain types of stone are more likely to wear down faster if soaked in water or exposed to anything liquid. For example, with the softness of pure selenite, not only can you easily scratch it with a fingernail, you can also expect it to become mushy and disintegrate in water. If it doesn't do either of the two after a thorough soak or frequent exposure to liquids, it's definitely been "treated" in one way or another.

4. Treatments

• Hardening agents: As mentioned earlier in this post, it is very common for soft and chalky minerals to be mixed with stabilizers or hardeners. However, some jewelers also grind hard gem stones and mix them in different combinations of hardeners. This allows them to sell gems in larger batches and at a cheaper price. Often times, the "diluted" or "treated" gems also undergo other forms of treatments in the process to enhance its appearance;
• Color enhancements: Have you ever encountered certain types of stones that have more vivid colors than others despite appearing "raw"? Or stones that have passed all forms of test but somehow just looks too colorful than the others of the same kind? Sometimes, it's just because the gems are of high quality, or it's the "good piece" from the chunks which the seller has sold to you. However, if the price is almost suspiciously cheap, and the vividness of the pieces seem so uniform (such as those commonly sold in bead form), it has most likely been dyed. 
• Sometimes, the dye treatments were done in a "soak" or spraying process. Which is then followed by heating or airdrying. Gemstones or crystals that go through this type of dying process are the ones that commonly fade fast from exposure to sweat and water.
• Another way jewelers or gem manufacturers color-treat gemstones is by mixing the coloring pigments into the hardeners or "diluted mixture". This type of coloring treatment gives a more durable result; even if the piece is cracked, the color appears solid through and through. With a good mixture, the artificial color will not leak easily even when soaked in liquid or exposed to soap.
• Coating/ polishing enhancements:  Aside from the different smooth "cuts" most high grade crystals go through, another process that gives crystal pieces luster are glass coatings, resin, or other forms of varnish. So if you think the beads or square chunks you got are a little too shiny and reflects more light than its minerals are supposed to do, then it's most likely been varnished. This extra coating can make your gemstones more resilient to liquids and breakage.

I found this chart posted by a jewelry shop on Pinterest. The source of the original post is at the bottom of the chart itself. I think this is a great chart for those only beginning to familiarize themselves with crystal/ gemstone care. 

However, I still recommend keeping in mind the list of factors mentioned in this blog post. After all, as I have mentioned above, many crystals in the market undergo different treatments. 

My Personal Experience of Being Ignorant About the Basics of Crystal Care:

I remember buying my first lapis lazuli bracelet. It was sold for a lower price than most stones of similar kind and size. I bought it right away. At that time, I didn't really care much about crystals and gemstones. I simply bought the bracelet because I loved the colors. Heck, I loved it so much, I wore it almost every day. However, I began to notice the color of some beads slowly fading. The pyrite specks remained, but some beads noticeably turned into a lighter shade of blue.

I went back to the shop that sold it, and they claimed that all the crystals they sell were authentic and even go through a series of tests before they are put up for sale. They didn't provide certificates of authenticity, though. So I did some online research to try to ease my mind. I learned that apparently, lapis lazuli is one of the most commonly dyed gemstones in the market.

I suddenly remembered all the times I would wash my hands with the bracelet on. I also thought about how I often sprayed perfume on my wrists without letting it completely dry before putting on the said accessory. Long story short, it was a lesson learned for my ignorant ass.

I have more experiences like this with different types of stones and crystals. At some point I even had assumptions that as long as a gem is heavy and didn't have any bubbles in it, then it must be genuine. (LOL, I know. That was clearly not very smart of me.) It's really important to read about the type of crystals you are interested in before buying it. That way, you get your money's worth, as well as learn more about the proper ways of preserving its good condition for a longer period of time.

Can you tell which ones are laboratory-made and/or treated?

I'll continue to update this list if I remember more things I should add here. If you think I forgot to mention other important information, please feel free to send me a message about it.