Charm Bags
Portable Magic for the Occasion
On Tuesday, I shared a Charm for New Drivers, so today, I wanted to talk more about charm bags. Charm bags have long been a part of magical practices around the world, offering a portable and discreet way to carry spells, intentions, and energy with you throughout the day. These small bundles of magical ingredients can be made to attract love, abundance, protection, or anything else your heart desires. Whether tucked in your purse or pocket, hung above your doorway, or kept beneath your pillow, charm bags are powerful tools for infusing your daily life with purpose and magic.
The practice of creating charm bags is ancient and spans multiple cultures. In European folk magic, these bags were often filled with herbs, stones, or small personal items and carried to ward off evil or bring good fortune. In Hoodoo, gris-gris bags are used for protection, love, or success, drawing on African traditions brought to the Americas by enslaved peoples. Similarly, in modern Wiccan and neo-pagan practices, charm bags are used to focus intention and energy for a variety of purposes, connecting us to the natural elements and spirit.
What makes charm bags so compelling across different cultures is their adaptability and personal nature. Each practitioner can create a charm bag that speaks to their unique desires or concerns, drawing on their own spiritual beliefs and practices. Here are some specific ways they’ve been used:
Gris-Gris Bags (Hoodoo): Gris-gris bags are an important part of Hoodoo, a spiritual and magical tradition rooted in African, Native American, and European practices. These small, cloth bags are often filled with items such as herbs, roots, stones, powders, coins, and written prayers or sigils. Gris-gris bags are believed to draw specific outcomes—whether protection, love, wealth, or good luck. Traditionally, a gris-gris bag is made and empowered by a practitioner who speaks over it and sometimes anoints it with oils. Carrying the bag on your person or placing it in your home allows its magic to work. Here’s photos of a gris gris bag I purchased at the Voodoo Museum in New Orleans.
Historically, in Voodoo, each gris-gris bag is deeply personal and often created with a strict set of rituals. The act of crafting the bag, selecting its ingredients, and sealing it is believed to connect the physical world with the spiritual. Historically, gris-gris bags were used both for protection from harm and as tools of empowerment for enslaved people, blending African spiritual practices with local influences in the Americas. As such, it is important to respect the cultural significance of gris-gris when drawing inspiration for your own charm bags, especially if you are outside of that tradition.
Mojo Bags (Hoodoo): In Hoodoo, "mojo" refers to a charm or spell in physical form, and like gris-gris, mojo bags are created for a specific purpose—whether love, money, success, or protection. Traditionally, mojo bags are thought of as living entities, imbued with the spirit of the items inside and the energy of the practitioner. They are often “fed” with whiskey, oils, or breath to keep their magic strong. The bag is carried on the body, usually hidden, as part of the belief that revealing it can weaken or dispel its power.
Native American Medicine Bags: Medicine bags are sacred pouches used in various Native American traditions. These small bags often contain items such as herbs, stones, feathers, or pieces of bone, each selected for its spiritual or healing properties. Unlike charm bags in some other traditions, medicine bags aren’t always meant to directly influence events in the material world but are instead created to foster personal spiritual growth, balance, and protection. A medicine bag is often kept close to the body, and it grows in power and meaning over time as items are added to it.
This photo is a medicine bag I purchased on the Oglala Lakota reservation in South Dakota (Pine Ridge). This particular bag is more than 10 years old now.
Each Native tribe has its own customs around medicine bags, and they are often seen as deeply personal or ceremonial objects, sometimes passed down through generations or made for significant life events, such as coming-of-age ceremonies or vision quests.
European Folk Magic: In European folk traditions, charm bags were often created for protection and healing. For example, witches or cunning folk in medieval and Renaissance Europe might have created small pouches filled with herbs like vervain or rosemary, protective stones, or written talismans to ward off evil spirits or attract blessings. These bags could be hung above doorways, carried on the body, or placed under pillows. In some regions, they were used as "protection charms" for newborns or women in labor.
In modern witchcraft and Wicca, charm bags are used similarly to focus intention and channel energy. Often referred to as “spell bags,” these can be created for various magical workings, whether for abundance, love, or psychic protection.
This photo is the charm bag I made for my daughter and her car.
Latin American Ajo Macho Bags: In some Latin American folk traditions, ajo macho (macho garlic) bags are used for protection and to ward off negative energy. The small garlic bulb is believed to have powerful protective qualities and is often combined with other ingredients like seeds, charms, or herbs inside a small pouch. This bag might be worn around the neck, placed in the home, or carried in a pocket to ensure protection from harm or bad luck. These charm bags blend Indigenous practices with Spanish influences, showcasing the syncretic (blending of multiple influences) nature of folk magic in the Americas.
I’m sure this list isn’t exhaustive, but each of these charm bags has its own unique cultural context and practices behind it, showing that the concept of carrying a small bundle of magic close to the body is universal but not uniform. When crafting your own charm bag, it’s essential to be mindful of these cultural nuances and the origins of different practices, especially when working with traditions like Hoodoo or Indigenous spirituality. Understanding the roots of these magical tools not only honors their heritage but also deepens the personal power you bring to your own practice.
How to Make a Charm Bag
Creating your own charm bag is a deeply personal and intuitive process. The beauty of it lies in its simplicity—though it can be as elaborate or as minimal as you like. Here’s a basic guide to get you started:
What You’ll Need:
A small cloth pouch: This can be made of leather, cotton, linen, or silk. Black is commonly used for protection, while green might be used for abundance. Pick a color that corresponds with your intent. Note: Many cultures believe that you must create your own bag—find the material and sew it together. I have done both, depending on time and how much energy I want to expend.
Herbs: Choose herbs that align with your goal. For example, lavender for peace, rosemary for protection, or rose petals for love.
Crystals or stones: Small crystals can add an energetic boost to your bag. Amethyst for calming energy, citrine for prosperity, or obsidian for protection.
Personal items: A lock of hair, a photo, a written intention, or even a small charm can help personalize the energy of your bag. You can also add sigils that represent your intentions.
Essential oils (optional): Add a few drops of oil to infuse the bag with the energy of the plant spirits. For example, lavender oil for tranquility or patchouli for grounding.
Cord or ribbon: You’ll use this to tie the bag closed. Like the pouch, the color of the ribbon can add to the spell’s energy.
Crafting Your Charm Bag:
Set your intention: Before you begin, take a few moments to focus on what you want your charm bag to do. Visualize your desired outcome, and infuse your energy into the materials you’ll be using.
Select your ingredients: Choose herbs, crystals, and any personal items that align with your intention. Hold each one for a moment before adding it to the bag, mentally or verbally stating what it represents and what energy it brings.
Assemble the bag: Place your ingredients inside the cloth pouch. You might want to say a short prayer or affirmation as you do this, calling in any deities, spirits, or energies you work with.
Tie the bag: Once all the ingredients are inside, tie the bag closed with your ribbon or cord. As you do so, focus on sealing your intention within the bag.
Charge your charm bag: After your bag is assembled, take time to charge it with energy. You can do this by meditating with the bag, leaving it out under the full moon, or holding it in your hands while envisioning your goal coming to fruition.
Caring for Your Charm Bag
Your charm bag is now a little bundle of magic! You can carry it with you, place it on your altar, or keep it somewhere significant, like under your pillow or in your car. Be mindful of the energy in the bag over time—if it feels like it needs a refresh, you can add new herbs, charge it in the moonlight, or simply take a few moments to hold it and reaffirm your intention. Some people choose to bury or burn old charm bags once they feel the spell has done its work.
Charm bags are such a simple yet effective way to bring magic into your everyday life. They’re portable, customizable, and deeply personal, making them an ideal tool for witches of all levels. Whether you’re seeking protection, love, clarity, or something else entirely, crafting a charm bag is a beautiful way to focus your intentions and call in the energies you need.