🌌🔮 Methods of Sealing Spell Jars 🔮🌌
So, you've created your first spell jar.
You selected your jar and ingredients carefully (more on picking the right jar here), cleansed them all, ordered them up, and put them in.
Now what?
Time to seal your jar! Sealing spell jars is both symbol and practical. On the one hand, it can put a sort of lock on the spell, ensuring it stays in place. It can also serve as an emergency spell-breaking tool - specifically tying the spell to the seal will cause it to end when the seal is broken.
On the other, sealing a spell jar prevents it from being opened and ensures that its contents haven't been disturbed by anyone else in the home. It can be a helpful tool for closeted witches or witches with roommates to ensure complete safety.
Let's get into methods of sealing your spell jar!
🕯️ Wax Sealing 🕯️
The most common method of sealing is wax sealing - melting a candle or lump of wax and pouring it over the top of the cork or lid of the jar. Wax sealing is considered by many to be the most meaningful (not to mention aesthetic) way to seal a spell jar: It ensures the jar can't be and hasn't been disturbed, it looks nice if done properly, and creates an easy way to "break" the spell by tying it to the seal (though many powerful spell jars still will need to be cleansed completely to be totally undone!).
However, there are a few things to take into consideration here.
First, you need a LOT of wax to aesthetically and completely cover even a very small jar - and it can be very difficult to work with. It may not drip exactly the way you want it to, and you have to work fast. Plus, of course, the larger the jar's lid, the more wax necessary. It is not as easy as it looks.
Second, take into consideration both your environment and the bottle's before deciding on wax sealing. A vehicle protection jar may be just fine in the winter, but if you live somewhere that really heats up in the summer or run the heater a lot, that wax is going to get on everything in your center console or glove compartment, no matter how little you use. If you live somewhere hot, but know the spell jar likely won't be disturbed or touched often, or you store it in a cool, dry place, wax sealing should be fine - however, if your AC struggles to work or you leave spell jars sitting out in the sun, it might be best to choose an alternative sealing method.
🕯️ Inner Wax Method 🕯️
If you enjoy using candle wax but have decided against traditional wax sealing, you could instead coat the inside of the cork or the edges of the lid with wax. Then, seal the jar while the wax is still pliable. The wax will harden and create an inner seal, and it will only be disturbed if the cork or lid is actively opened. Heat will loosen the inner wax, but it won't get everywhere!
Be aware that you may experience some inner dripping if too much wax is used, so if you don't want the wax touching your spell jars contents, practicing beforehand will help.
🔮 Sigil Method 🔮
If your focus on sealing your spell jar is more protective or spell-driven than physical, a sigil is a great alternative! Sigils can be drawn or taped on the inside or outside of the lid or cork. One of the pluses to sigils is that they're highly programmable and can be specified to perform a specific function, so much like tying your spell to the seal, a sigil can both protect your spell jar and serve as an in-case-of-emergency spell breaker.
Keep in mind, however, that programming a sigil in such a specific way does take experience and practice with them, and will probably result in a very complicated sigil. I'd recommend a simplified sigil if you're just starting out. (Or, you can order a custom sigil from me by DMing me or visiting my Etsy!)
🖇️ Tape Method 🖇️
On the other side, if you don't care too much about the aesthetic and want to make sure the jar stays sealed shut, you could always tape it! There are ways to make this method aesthetic, of course, depending on the tape you use, but in a pinch, any old tape will do! Just make sure you cleanse and dedicate it first.
As previously mentioned, you can combine this method with the Sigil Method to better afix a sigil to the lid or cork and to keep the jar shut. That way, you can really cover your bases across the board as far as utility goes!
🔥 Flame Method 🔥
If the fire element of wax sealing is ritualistically important to your practice, consider using fire to seal your spell jar instead! Use a lighter or candle to cleanse and bless your spell jar by closing the jar then running the edges of the lid or cork through the flame. The heat will sometimes create a bit of a physical seal, but this method is mostly symbolic.
As always with fire, please exercise safety precautions if you utilize this method! Heat can potentially shatter glass, so make sure you do your research on the subject beforehand; while a small flame should be fine, it's always better to be safe than sorry!
🍓 Canning Method 🍓
This method is a little bit of an unusual one, to be sure, and definitely can only be used in certain circumstances; however, it's an interesting enough idea (that I had at 4 in the morning while writing this post) that I thought I'd mention it!
For kitchen witches or any witches with canning and preserving experience, this sealing method can absolutely be applied to spell jars! (Not to mention you can imbue your jams, jellies, and preserves with magical intent, but that's another post for another day.) Obviously, this isn't a great sealing method for the casual spell jar maker; however, if you're using a mason or jam jar for your spell, it's definitely an alternative to consider!
The biggest precaution here is to make sure in advance your spell jar ingredients won't be disturbed or ruined by the exposure to heat and moisture. Certain types of crystals can't take exposure to heat without being ruined, and if any moisture gets inside the jar, dry ingredients could be molded or rot away.
I hope this post is helpful to anyone making spell jars, whether you're a first timer or just looking for new alternatives! Please give credit if you reuse any portion of this post; apart from wax sealing, all methods of spell jar sealing found here are original (though not necessarily invented!)
As always, if you learned something new and would like to keep the content coming, you can support me here by buying me a coffee or check out my Etsy to utilize my services! Thank you all so much 💜