Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Just in time for Halloween: Witch's Balls

I have always been fascinated by folklore and superstition. I do not consider myself superstitious at all, but I love to hear the stories and meanings behind objects commonly found in homes.

One of these objects is a witch's ball. Though there are various explanations, the one I grew up with was that these beautiful glass orbs stopped witches in their tracks as they stood and admired the colors and swirls of the glass. This ensured that a witch, along with any spells or tricks, would be stopped at the entrance of a home. When I was in England, I visited several rock formations (including Stonehenge) and recall seeing several witch's balls in the windows of cottages.

Interestingly, those garden globes often spotted in American yards are derivations of witch's balls.

The photo above is of my mom's witch's ball, which hangs in the front window. I have one as well, though mine hangs from the light in my kitchen where it doesn't do much good since a witch would be well into my house by that point. It's a pretty cool symbol and artifact from the past.

If you want one of your own, check out metaphysical shops and art fairs. We purchased ours at Enchanted Moments in Milford, Ohio.