The spell has been cast, the candles have been extinguished, and the sacred circle has been opened. Now what? What are you meant to do with all of these leftover bits? Get rid of them? Reuse them? Which way is the “right” way? Let me explain how to dispose of spell candles and other spell scraps!
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What Are Spell Scraps?
If you are an active witch who casts spells on the regular, then you are probably all too familiar with how incredibly, often frustratingly, easy it can be to end up bogged down with a horde of magickal or ritual debris. After all, there is all of your half-melted spell candles, those tiny bits of altar fabric, some frayed twine, a few ribbons, a bit of string, and those voodoo wax figurines.
Then, of course, there is all of those spell bottles and jars, your divine offerings, a few charm bags, some ward stones, all of the negatively charged salts, a couple of spell poppets here and there, and naturally, we can’t forget about all of those used up spell petitions. Honestly, the list could go on and on!
The sad fact is, that all of these spell scraps and other magickal materials, while once very useful to us, have long since served their purpose and are no longer useful in our craft. Sure, they once held great power and significant ritual meaning to us and to our active spells but what are we meant to do with them now?
Just throwing these scraps away with last night’s leftovers or this morning’s junk mail seems inappropriate, disrespectful, and potentially even harmful.
But, keeping them around could potentially hinder our future spells and let’s face it, they definitely clutter up our house! So, what exactly are we meant to do with it all?
Well my lovelies, you’re in luck! For today’s article, I have decided to dive deep into that magickally messy broom closet to help you settle once and for all the best methods for safely, and ethically, disposing of everything you’ve got – from your pesky petitions to your bits of melted candle! Let’s get started, shall we?
How To Dispose of Spell Candles & Other Spell Scraps – Which Way is the “Right” Way?
Weaving some powerful magick can be rather complex. In fact, there are times when you might have to labour over the same spell for weeks or even months at a time before you get to see the results of your hard labour. But, once that spell is finally finished, you may sometimes find yourself struggling with yet a new dilemma. Deciding how to dispose of those magickal remains and/or absorbed negativity.
As witches, we try to lead responsible lives. We seek to harm none and to pay homage to our generous mother Earth. That is why when it comes time to get rid of our spell scraps we often find ourselves agonizing over which way is the right way – the best way.
Which method of disposal will impact our environment the least? Which method will not offend our deities or spirit guides? Which method will ensure that all of our hard work and energy is not undone or worse? Well my dears, the truth is, there are quite a few different approaches to safely and responsibly disposing of your spell candles and any other ritual remnants.
Of course, the magickal meanings behind each of these disposal methods may vary greatly depending on the particular type of spell that was cast, the deity that you are working with if any, and even the type of magick that you yourself personally practice. I know, it is a lot to consider. But you’re not alone.
Many of your fellow witches, including myself at times, worry about the disposal process for our spell scraps and candles. We fear that if dealt with incorrectly, our active spells might fizzle out and/or backfire, that our spell remains might end up in the wrong hands or worse – that our hex removal or absorption spell scraps will leech out their destructive energies and end up harming or attaching themselves to some ill-prepared innocent bystander.
Can I Just Throw Them Away?
While spell remnant disposal can be a difficult decision that may overwhelm you at first, I highly advise against simply chucking them in the garbage bin. Certain spell scraps, such as candles and wax, can often be reconsecrated and reused whereas others, such as negatively charged salts or hex bags should never be reused yet require a certain level of caution in ridding yourself of them without allowing their dangerous energies to seep out.
As witches, we often call on powerful energy and assistance from the elements when enacting a ritual or casting our spells. That same working relationship and mutual respect can be employed to safely and reliably rid ourselves of our magickal leftovers as well as assisting us to redistribute the magickal energy they hold back into the ether. Think of it like metaphysical recycling!
Of course, if for whatever reason you are unable to properly dispose of these remains using the powerful energy of the elements, you still could toss them in the trash. However, typically, witches use the act of ceremonially disposing of spell scraps as a symbolic way to tie up any magickal loose ends from an active casting and to signal to our own subconscious that the working is successfully at an end.
If we were to simply toss out these remains with the trash without giving them a second thought, we run the risk of their magickal energies lingering without the guidance of our own energy and intentions which could, at the very least, result in a couple of unpleasant magickal side effects.
Therefore, if the only option open to you is to dispose of your spell remains with the trash, try to visualize yourself consigning them to the Earth as you do. You want to picture yourself gently laying them to rest, thanking them for the part that they played in your spells, with a sense of peaceful resolution and completeness.
Show the same level of respect that you would if you were actually able to bury them in the ground with a shovel or spade. After all, as will a great many things the magickal realm, it is our intentions that tend to matter the most.
The Exception: Of course, there is one little caveat that some witches believe should be given consideration when discussing this ‘don’t throw it away’ rule. That is that in certain cases, such as when you have worked a particularly powerful banishment, return to sender, or nasty hex removal spell you should try to find a “less than clean” means of spell remnant disposal which would then serve as a symbolic grave for all of that icky energy that was captured by your spell. For this method, some witches consider places such as smelly garbage bins, city landfills, and even port-a-potties to be excellent and rather fitting disposal sites.
Reuseable Materials
Some spell candles, as well as other magickal materials, may, on certain occasions, be safely reconsecrated and reused. An easy example of this would be if you have any half-melted vigil or 7 day spell candles lying around.
If so, you should be able to melt the remaining wax, pour it out of the glass to be used in forming new spell candles (more on that in a moment) and then you can cleanse, bless, and reuse the glass for a new spell casting, to plant fresh herbs in, to use as a vessel for a new combination spell candle, or for whatever else that creative witchy brain of yours can come up with!
And speaking of reusing old spell candle wax and crafting combination candles, did you know that you can actually reuse the leftover wax from certain spells to create brand new candles?
All you need is a cheap bag of candle wicks that you can easily grab off Amazon and a glass or heatproof container to pour it in. Pour in two or more magickal colours of wax and you have got yourself a powerful combination spell candle (think black and white, red and pink, green and yellow, etc).
Leftover spell candles and their wax can even be melted down to form wax figurines for hoodoo and voodoo practices. The possibilities for reusing spell candles, wax, and various other spell scraps are endless. Get creative!
Just remember, magickal intention is key so if you plan on combining two or more spell candles into one, make sure that you only use the new candle for spell castings and rituals that possess the same or similar energetic vibes and magickal purposes as the original candles. You will want to make sure of this because the magick sealed within the wax is already imbued with the spell intentions and energetic charge necessary for spells of the pre-set school.
For example, if you were to melt down a bit of leftover blue candle and some white spell candle wax both of which you had originally lit/empowered for positive and healing spell castings, then you would want to use your newly formed combination spell candle or wax figurine to cast and empower a positive or healing spell as well.
Witchy Tip: On the odd occasion that I personally decide to reuse an old spell scrap or two, I always like to make sure than I cleanse and reconsecrate them first. To do this, I will typically bury them in a purifying salt or in cool soil for anywhere from 10-28 days depending on the new spell casting or ritual that I have planned for them before rinsing them off in either a blessed rain or my moon water. That said, I would highly recommend that you never, ever, reuse any spell scraps or ingredients that had been used in a banishment, binding, return to sender, or hex removal spell. To do so could prove wildly unpredictable and even dangerous.
The Elements and Disposal
Okay! So, now that we are all familiar with when to simply throw away and when to reuse our spell scraps, let’s take a much closer look at how to properly dispose of them using our good friends – the elements.
As I have mentioned before, we experienced witches possess a close and very powerful working relationship with each of the natural elements and the other denizens of nature.
Without this connection to the natural realm and the raw energy of mother nature, our spells and magickal rituals would lack luster and strength and we might struggle to personally conjure up sufficient enough energy to properly ensure our spell’s success much less its timely and accurate manifestation.
The fact is, the power of mother nature and of her elements is that of both creation and destruction. Her strength is as incredible as her generosity. This is why we do our best to live cleanly and to dispose of our scraps, whether magickal or mundane, effectively and responsibly.
So, on that note, here are a couple of the most common and the easiest ways to properly dispose of your spell remains using the power of the elements:
Disposal by Earth
A tried-and-true method for sealing a magickal working is to bury its components in the ground. If you happen to live in an urban or concrete jungle, however, or if accessing open soil is a challenge for whatever reason, a simple flowerbed or potted plant will suffice as the next best thing.
The element of Earth can make for a great ally whenever the goal is to properly ground and redistribute/release, absorb, or neutralize any potentially erratic or dysfunctional energies from a spell. A “dirt nap” is arguably the best method of disposal for anything that carries dark or negative energies as well. Graveyards make for fitting and traditional disposal sites to bury or hide away your magickally charged remains.
Just make certain to get permission from the site’s spirit guardians first. In gratitude for taking and safeguarding your scraps, you may also want to leave a small token of appreciation or offering for the presiding spirits and the Fae.
Burying spell remnants is also a great method of disposal for remains of castings that dealt with protection, prosperity, abundance, or success. These types of spells often work best when they are buried on your property or at a crossroads. The element of Earth represents strength, stability, and a slow pace which aligns best with magickal spells and workings that you want to take root and work slowly over the long term. To ensure that your spell effects remain permanent and continue to work their magick, be sure to bury their spell scraps in a location where they will not be dug up by animals or otherwise disturbed.
Witchy Tip: If you are someone who can sense the energetic pull of ley lines or other geomantic energies, you may want to consider burying your spell scraps and other magickal spell materials near an active spot or crossing where the concentrated energies can help to disperse and activate your spell’s power even more quickly!
Disposal by Fire & Air
The element of Air contributes a great deal to magickal energies of spellwork. Air helps to bring us fresh ideas, old wisdom, and to teach us adaptability. However, when it comes to clearing away and removal of physical debris from spellwork, Air just doesn’t seem to pull its weight compared to the other elements.
While powerful in its own right, the element of Air works best for spell scrap disposal when paired with another powerful, sometimes unpredictable, element – Fire. Through the destructive and transformative forces of Fire, our spell scraps and other debris are reforged into mere dust and ash.
Fire burns away spell remains, leaving behind only cool ashes to be scattered by the wind and carried back out into the universe. This is a fantastic way to dispose of remnants from candle and petition magick, dream work, sex magick, as well as psychic and spiritual workings.
Fire pits, cauldrons, hearths, and stoves can all be useful tools for disposal purposes in this way. Fire is excellent for creating a very clean and permanent break with your ritual junk. There is no retrieving or reconstructing items given to Fire.
Warning: Fire disposal is not recommended for haunted, cursed, or “possessed” objects. Nor would I recommend it for anything with really bad or nasty vibes. The sudden and violent destruction of fire can sometimes cause this sporadic energy to be released and to disperse in a rather sudden and unpredictable way. Instead, be sure to cleanse the object properly and then bury it in the ground.
Witchy Tip: A balefire, or “funeral fire”, is a magickal ritual fire that is prepared for the sole purpose of disposing of old mementoes and spell items, and spiritual clutter. Many witches choose to construct and light their own balefire annually to celebrate Samhain (the Witches New Year) and to usher in the new while dusting off and giving thanks to the old. If you would like to try creating your own balefire this year, gather up and collect ritual or personal castoffs throughout the year, keep them all in an energetically sealed box, and burn them all at once during your Samhain celebrations! For added closure, bury the ashes come morning’s light once the embers have cooled.
Disposal by Water
Water, especially deep or running water, can be a wonderful way to release any pent-up energy in all of your ritual tools and objects – not just those you are wanting to get rid yourself of. Releasing biodegradable, environmentally safe, spell remnants into natural waters such as streams, creeks, rivers, and the ocean is a great method of disposal for magickal workings and spells which involve the art of healing, cleansing, increasing fertility, protection, and abundance.
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As water flows, it washes and cleanses and so it facilitates the continuous energy flow and empowerment of your spell upon the disposal of its remains into water. Water absorbs, transports, and changes all that is given to it.
Witchy Tip: Moving water can be used to carry an object far beyond its starting place, therefore it is believed by many witches to be a wonderful place to cast symbols from your wish spells and dreams. Proper water burial is especially suited to items that have been used in the magick of transformation and for any spells that you wish to travel far and/or quickly.
Disposal of Hex-Work (Removal Spells and Otherwise)
In many magickal and ancient traditions, the act of burying spell remains in the soil of the Earth is considered a fitting and safe method for the disposal of certain kinds of hexes or for hex removals. However, hexes and hex removals typically call for the burial process to be carried out at a crossroads, or in a graveyard.
In some cases, the burial may even require a location that is significant to your spell working such as on the property of the intended target that you are either hexing or hopefully saving from a hex.
However, because we live in modern times and therefore have an extensive legal system to contend with, please make sure that wherever you decide to bury your spell scraps and any other ritual remains, that you don’t end up getting yourself into any legal troubles.
After all, then you would have to cast a spell to fix your spell and let’s face it, that’s just a lot of extra work! According to some witches, an alternative to this method of disposal is to actually flush the spell ingredients down your toilet.
This is to symbolically “flush the person from your life” and while I don’t personally practice this due to potential hazards to the environment – not to mention my plumbing! – I know of a few witches who swear by it for everything from hex removals to binding spells and house cleansings.
If you think this is something that could work for you, by all means, feel free to give this method a try! Just remember to make sure that the materials are safe for the water and that they won’t clog up your pipes!
Well lovelies, that just about covers it! I hope that this article was helpful to you by putting all of those pesky worries about spell candle and spell scrap disposal to rest.
Remember, cleaning up is often the final magickal act of spell casting, so it should never just be an afterthought. Disposing of spell scraps can be a ritual in and of itself and can help to bring your spells both empowerment as well as some closure!
If you enjoyed this post please feel free to check out our other helpful articles and magickal guides here at The Mystic Corner!
Until Next Time,
Clear Skies & Bright Moons,
Naia Moonbrook
