Mending the Flesh: A Folk-Inspired Wound Healing Spell

Unfortunately, I have spent much of my adult life dealing with tooth problems. None of this is the result of poor hygiene or bad eating habits, but instead because of genetics on my father's side. My grandfather lost all of his teeth by 30, and my dad, like myself, struggled to keep his, too. Since I turned 18, I have spent upwards of $35,000 on dental work, and despite my best efforts, I recently lost another tooth. While I am definitely used to it at this point, I don't enjoy being in pain or swollen any more than the next person, so I have learned to combine both mundane healing with magical means. While magic won't heal the wound overnight, it certainly makes me feel better about the whole ordeal. Reducing stress has been proven to speed the process, so why not add some magic to the mix?

This spell, in particular, is for healing wounds, especially those in the mouth. Even with modifications to the chant, I haven't found it particularly useful for healing colds and flus, so if that is what you are looking for here, you won't find it.

What You'll Need

• White candle
• Match/lighter
• Small bowl of cool, clean, spring water
• Pinch of salt 
• White, clean, biodegradable cloth or gauze

What to Do

Begin by cleansing your space and objects using your preferred method. This also means making sure items are sterile, and your hands have been washed with soap and water. We are trying to heal here, not promote infection. If you feel called to do so, cast a circle and invite any deities, spirits, or ancestors you wish to aid in the healing process. When ready, ground and center yourself in this moment using your preferred method.

Sit or lie somewhere comfortable and light the white candle. Take a few moments to relax and slow your breathing. Begin pulling your focus toward where you are experiencing pain. Feel it in its entirety, noticing where it hurts the most, how the pain radiates outward, and how it makes your entire body feel. Try to remain relaxed as you explore and acknowledge the pain caused by your wound.

When you feel you have completely explored your pain, add the salt to the bowl of water and stir it counterclockwise. As you do so say, “Blood and bone, be calm, be still. Flesh be mended by its own will. No harm lingers, no pain remains; Only healing, clean and plain. As I rest, so I restore; Whole and well, as once before.”

Dip the cloth into the water and gently apply it to the wound or area around the wound. In the case of a pulled tooth, I apply the cloth to my cheek, rather than the wound itself. Visualize the swelling easing and the bleeding slowing as the wound knits itself back together. Feel the pain leaving your body and entering into the cloth, the salt water helping to wash away pain and infection. If you wish, close your eyes and continue to chant the above spell as you continue your visualization. I find chanting softly with my eyes closed helps me focus on my goals and take my mind off any pain. Continue visualizing and/or chanting until you feel power swell within you. Direct that energy into the wound, encouraging it to heal quickly.

When you are finished, snuff out the candle, relighting it once a day for the next 3 or 7 days, depending on the wound. During each relight, focus on your desire to heal, whether through continued visualization or chanting. You can even repeat the above spell for the next week.

Bury the cloth in your backyard and dispose of the water outside as an offering, making sure to thank each for its assistance.

Warnings/Modifications/Alternatives:

• Do not leave a lit candle unattended, and always have water or another fire extinguisher nearby.
• If you cannot burn a candle, replace it with a battery-operated one, especially one that flickers. This spell also does not necessarily require a candle, so if push comes to shove, leave it out entirely.
• As mentioned before, please ensure all of your tools and supplies are sterile and that you have washed your hands thoroughly with soap and water to avoid infection. When in doubt, do not apply anything directly to an open wound; instead, hoving above it or around it, if necessary.
• If you cannot bury the cloth or gauze, you can throw it away or wash it. Do not use the cloth for any other purpose until it has been washed, as it is harboring your pain and any potential infection.
• Healing crystals such as obsidian, bloodstone, and rhodonite make wonderful additions to the healing water, should the wound be exceptionally deep or painful.
  
  

Why You Did It

Understanding the whys of a spell (or ritual or recipe) is just as important as performing it. It helps you understand the process so you can modify the spell or ritual to suit your needs, and it helps guide you in writing your own. It's my intention to provide these explanations so that you can build a better understanding of how spells are written and executed, so you can modify and build your own spells (the goal of my Spellcrafting Series).

Overall, this healing spell is incredibly simple, relying on visualization, chanting, and energy concentration to do the bulk of the work. The white candle, which is optional, is associated with cleansing, purification, and healing. Fire, like the color white, is also associated with cleansing and purification, as well as life and healing. By lighting the candle prior to beginning the spell, you are connecting with these energies and getting yourself into a "ritual" mindset.

This is furthered through the use of spring water and salt. Both are associated with healing and cleansing. Salt is also a natural antiseptic, helping to cleanse infection and promote wound healing. This mixture was stirred counterclockwise to banish pain, swelling, and infection while the chant helps to focus your energy on healing the wound. The salted spring water is then applied to the wound (or near it) using a white cloth or gauze, again associated with healing.

As mentioned previously, this is combined with chanting and visualization to help concentrate your energy on healing the wound while drawing out any pain, swelling, and infection into the cloth or gauze, which are then disposed of by burying in your backyard, which is associated with peace, balance, and long-term health. The cloth can also be washed to wash away the impurities before being reused for magical or mundane purposes.

This spell is continued by lighting the candle for 3 or 7 consecutive days, depending on the severity of the wound. The number 3 is associated with harmony and balance, which is great for minor wounds, while the number 7 is associated with healing (in folk medicine) and the completion of cycles (think the healing cycle), making it best for deeper wounds, like those associated with a tooth being pulled. It is exceptionally common in folk healing to continue the healing spell/ritual for several days to ensure success, with 7 being the most common number used.

Want to break this spell? This is not a spell to be broken. It will end when the wound has healed successfully.

Remember to record this spell in your Book of Shadows or use my Spell/Ritual Worksheet for reference later.

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I am a couple of days into my healing journey for this tooth extraction, and I can say it is going much better than the last one. In a couple of months, the wound will be reopened to place a pin in preparation for an implant next year, and I will repeat the spell all over again. Such is life, but I am thankful for my dental team, my Care Credit, and the support of loving family and friends, especially my husband, who loves to dote on me when I am recovering. I hope that you and yours are doing well. Remember to take care of yourselves, even when it feels hopeless. 

Much love,

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