Well
From Traditional Witchcraft Wiki Project
A well is a hole dug to access water. The name comes from the Old English weallan, meaning "to boil" or "bubble up".
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Wells As A Gate
Wells are often considered as entrances to the Otherworlds, and were thus considered as liminal. In his book "Call Of The Horned Piper", Nigel Jackson gives a technique of entering such wells during spirit flight in order to enter the Underworlds.
Wells, Saints And Spirits
Many holy wells that were recognised by the local populace as having patron spirits, fairies or gods presiding over them had saints appended to them by the early church. Some wells were believed to have a resident immortal fish (often a trout or salmon), eel or serpent living within them as a guardian. Some wells have a human guardian, whose spirit is bound to the well, not always by choice; such are often the spirits of those whisked away by the fairies for one reason or another. Offerings are normally made to these guardians when using the waters of the well.
Wells In Folklore And Magic
The two major functions of wells in folk magic are in seeking blessings or healing and for aid in cursing one's enemies. In the healing of ailments they were generally held to be of aid in clearing up infertility, eye problems, childhood illnesses and various other maladies. Othertimes the resident spirit of the well was believed to impart healing powers to those who approached them in the correct manner. The rituals necessary to procuring healing from a well differ to some degree from well to well, but a general pattern is common to most of these.
The rough formula according to folklore is to go to the well on a certain day, normally an old festival, and at a certain time, such as dawn, dusk or midnight. The well often has to be approached from a certain direction, normally east for healing, and then circled a number of times, often three times, in silence; the circling is usually performed deosil for healing and withershins for cursing. Then the spell or prayer is to be spoken before gathering the now empowered water, which is then put into a vessel and drunk, sprinkled, bathed with, used as a base for a philtre or similar. An offering is then made to the well before leaving without turning back. Strict silence is normally to be observed during the whole rite.
Some healing rituals involve the person going to the well with a rag that has been tied about the afflicted part, which is then soaked in the well's waters and tied to a nearby tree to rot (the illness rotting with the cloth). Other rites of healing involve the person bathing in the water or immersing themselves within it.
Offerings To Wells
An offering must always be given to the spirits of water, and this has crystallised in the coin thrown in the wishing well. Coins are but one way of making an offering to the spirits of the well, another is the tying of an organic biodegradable cloth to a nearby tree. Other gifts to the well include beads, buttons and pins, which were sometimes bent and sometimes first used to prick a person and draw their blood. Another practice is the giving of flowers and garlands to the well, hence the custom of well-dressing. Bronze Age offerings included swords, shields, fetishes and various pieces of metalwork.
Wells And Divination
Wells may be used to scry within, or the spirits of them may be called upon to give guidance and knowledge.
