Graveyard Dirt, Crossroads & Church Dirt (Or How to Use Soil In Spells)
Everything in nature has magickal properties. And when I say everything, I’m even talking about dirt. Dirt and soil have been used across cultures in folk magick for centuries including Hoodoo, Norse, Celtic, and in Indigenous nations around the globe. So, what’s so special about dirt? And why all the buzz over graveyard dirt and the like?
Magical History and Basic Properties of Dirt
For one thing, dirt is part of the Earth element. It can and has been used in spells and rituals to physically represent Earth, fertility and prosperity. Secondly, if you’ve ever made a mud pie, dirt mixed with water can make a clay-like substance in many instances. Peoples used this knowledge to create body adornment paint in various shades from brown to white to red ochre. In fact, red ochre is the oldest form of face and body paint known to exist.
Now that we have a little background on the use of dirt among varying cultures, let’s dive into sympathetic magickal use. Any time you use an ingredient that symbolizes your intention and is used to represent that intention, it’s known as sympathetic magick. So, how do we use dirt to represent our intentions in our spellwork? It’s actually a really easy answer: you collect dirt from a symbolic location that aligns with your intentions and the type of working you are trying to manifest.
Here are some examples of different types of dirt, where they can be found, and uses. Remember, this is just a starting point. If you think of symbolism not listed here and would like to use it in that way, by all means GO FOR IT!
Graveyard Dirt
Graveyard dirt can be used to hex or curse, speak with the dead, or aid in a variety of spells. The reason for this is because, traditionally, you would seek out the grave of a person who could help you manifest. Confused? Ok, it goes like this. Let’s say you are doing a prosperity spell. Who do you think is a person that could help with that intention? I say try the grave of a banker or a wealthy aristocrat. Be careful about your selection and always do your research. If it’s a benefic spell, avoid the graves of people who suffered extreme trauma or those who may be unwell. And you can search unwell spirits here on Otherworldly Oracle if you’re not sure how to discern them.
By the same token, if you want to work malefic magick, the grave of a person who suffered the same fate you’re wanting to induce is recommended. Due to modern laws regarding cemeteries and graveyards, you must have a purpose for digging dirt on someone’s grave. The most common-sense approach is to take flowers with you to offer to the deceased. You need to leave an offering anyway. And this gives you a perfectly normal reason to be digging on a grave.
Your Front and Back Yard
Dirt from your own front yard is an excellent addition to any spells that involve the protection, peace, and/or safe return of the family and/or property. Adding dirt from your property is an excellent addition to herbal warding mixes as well sprinkling it in the shoes of family and friends to ensure they return safely. Collecting and using dirt from the four corners of your property is extra powerful.
Church Dirt
Church dirt can be used for cleansing, purification, healing, protection, mending relationships and even in matters of justice.
Enemy’s House Dirt
Dirt collected from an enemy’s house is potent in hex and curse work. The reason to collect the dirt would be to have a physical item from your enemy in order to target the spell at them. However, because it’s the dirt of the property, it will target all who live in the dwelling unless you specify otherwise. Use with caution!
Courthouse Dirt
Courthouse dirt is great for legal, justice, and truth matters.
Police Station Dirt
Police station dirt is great for protection, law keep away, and justice spells.
Jail Dirt
Jail dirt is great for law keep away and protection spells. One common use is to sprinkle it along the baseboards of the home to invoke energetic bars of steel to protect the home’s occupants.
Dirt from your yard is particularly helpful in family protection spells.
Hospital Dirt
This dirt can be gathered from the hospital or any other healing facility. As you probably have guessed, hospital dirt is excellent to use in healing works. CAUTION: If you are using it to physically heal someone, be sure they are also seeking professional medical help. Healing is a sticky business because if someone is severely ill, the best way to heal them may be in death. This dirt is similar to graveyard dirt in ways as it can also be used for malefic reasons.
Bank Dirt
This dirt can be used for prosperity, abundance, money, and employment spells. Since banks are where the majority of the world keeps their money, its dirt can symbolize the obtaining and collection of money and wealth.
Crossroads Dirt
Crossroads’ dirt is a great addition to road opening spells. It is also especially useful in underworld journey work as it connects you to the gate keeper at the crossroads which you must pass through to descend into the underworld.
Your Place of Employment
Tired of getting passed over for that promotion? Need a raise? Dirt from your place of employment can massively add to workings of this nature. It’s also useful to hex that co-worker or boss who just won’t give you a break.
Railroad Dirt
Trains have been used for centuries to bring cargo in and take cargo away. Adding railroad dirt to your spell can aid in drawing it to you or pushing it from you. This isn’t a complete list of dirt that can be used in spell by any means. That’s because if you can think of a place that has dirt, it likely has magickal symbolism that can be used in sympathetic spell workings. A few tips about gathering dirt:
Always make sure you appear to have a logical reason as to why you are collecting the dirt OR have a plan that doesn’t incite people to question your actions. For instance, you want courthouse dirt? You may want to accidently drop something and pick it up with a handful of dirt ready to put in an opened container in your pocket.
Don’t get arrested for the sake of getting dirt. While dirt is a powerful ingredient, there is always something that can be substituted in its place.
Take into account all of the people on a particular property if you are using the dirt to add to a targeted spell. You will want to adjust your spell so that those you don’t wish to affect remain untouched by the spell.
Courtesy of otherworldlyoracle and Wikipedia.
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