The Druids had charms that were thought to hold magical abilities to cure. Even with the conversion to Christianity these charms were simply substituted with Christian names and rituals. Special talismans were used to pray over the sick, for protection, and for love. No one would dare laugh for an evil fate would certainly fall upon the ridiculer. There had to be complete faith while the words were chanted, insuring the good intentions of the charm.

Below you will find a few of these rituals. Sit back and imagine the Druids in their magical groves uttering the words by the power of the air, wind, sun and moon.

FOR SAFETY: Pluck ten blades of yarrow. You must keep nine and cast the tenth away for the spirits. You must put the nine yarrows in your stocking, under the heel of your right foot, when you go on a journey. This will insure that the Evil One will not have power over you.

HOW TO BECOME INVISIBLE: You’ll need a raven’s heart. Using a black-hafted knife, you must make three cuts and place a bean in each cut. Plant it immediately. When the beans sprout, put one in your mouth and chant the desire to be invisible. While the bean stays in your mouth, you will be invisible.

TO HEAL A WOUND: You must close the wound tightly using two fingers as you chant a prayer to the Father, Son and Holy Mary.

TO UNDO A FAIRY STROKE: You must place three rows of salt on the table in three lines, all of equal length. If you are the one performing the spell, you must place your arm over the rows of salt covering them completely. Then you should lean your head over them and repeat the Lord’s Prayer three times over each of the rows. (Nine times)
Then take the hand of the one that is fairy-struck pray for the evil spell to be broken.


LOVE POTIONS
Love powders and charms to gain affection were used often in Ireland by men and women.

Love Potion for a Girl:
Girls were known to go to a graveyard at night. They would exhume a corpse that was buried for nine days, and tear down a strip of the skin from head to foot. They were to tie it around the leg of the man they love while he is sleeping. They had to remove it before he woke up. She was to keep the strip of skin in her possession and hidden from everyone to keep the man’s love.

Love Potion for a Man:
Gold butter on a new-made dish and given in the presence of a stream, a tree and one he loves. He must chant: “O woman, loved by me, mayest thou give me thy heart, thy soul and body. Amen.”

Rules to Obtaining Charms, Incantations and Potions:
If a potion is made up of herbs it has to be paid for with silver; but you should never pay for charms and incantations for they would lose their power. It is fine to give one as a present.

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