War Water
What is it?
War Water is a particularly powerful bit of magic stemming from American witchcraft traditions in the South. Contrary to popular belief, war water is not rooted in Hoodoo but in European-influenced folk magic practices. Due to this, debates about which is the most “authentic” recipe for war water are unproductive. Folk magic practices in the early parts of white American history were not well documented and the specifics of these practices were likely kept within close-knit family circles. The result is that spells such as this one have always had quite a bit of variation. This lack of homogenization leaves us with many traditional recipes for spells such as war water and most of them do contain the grain of authenticity that many modern witches crave in their practice.
Tools and Ingredients
2 large glass jars, preferably with glass lids and rubber gaskets.
Distilled white vinegar
Salt, roughly 1/2 of a cup
A railroad spike or iron nails
A carbon steel hunting knife, stripped of its furniture (handles, etc)
Water
Process
Charge each item individually with intent.
Place the iron in one jar. Fill it with water and set it to the side. If the iron already shows signs of rusting that can speed up the process.
Heat the vinegar to just about boiling. Add salt and dissolve.
Stir it clockwise with the knife.
It helps to let this breathe for at least the first 24-48 hours, and then to give them a day or two of air every now and then after. When rust starts to form and tinge the water, give the jars careful swirls just to keep the rust suspended in the water and new oxide layers forming constantly.
Eventually, your railroad spike water will turn muddy looking and the knife-vinegar solution will turn almost black and you will see little flakes of metal swimming around in there if you look closely.
After a year or so you will have some pretty good product and then you can combine the two liquids, refill the jars, and start another batch.
Now, to finish it off, you can add any number of ingredients to augment its power. Black and red pepper, mustard or poppy seeds, devil's snuff, or gunpowder are some examples. The best thing, however, is your own urine.
Tips, Tricks, and Uses
You want to make sure to have a glass lid on this one or to change lids often because this stuff WILL eat through a regular Mason jar lid in no time War Water is often used to place a curse. War Water is a traditional and allegedly potent weapon during psychic warfare and witch wars. It can be used to reverse a curse and send it back to where it came from. War Water is not intended for consumption, rusted nails should be handled with care. These are simple standard recipes, they can be personalized and adapted as necessary to give the water more kick. Should mold or bacteria ever form, discard everything, including the jar, and start again from scratch.
