I would like to mention right from the get-go that this is not something that EVERY witch uses in their repertoire of witchy tools. Some witches will use the Witch’s Bottle and some will use the Witch’s Jar and some will use both, while others will use neither. The fact of the matter is that ANY tool that is available for the practice of the Craft is optional. As mentioned in former blogs on the subject of witchy tools, the most powerful tool is the witch him/herself. Tools are there as accessories, not as something that is a “must have or you are not an actual witch.” There are enough messages going around that a “real” witch will do this or that already. I want to make sure that my readers know that those messages are usually created by pretenders. They want to make themselves seem more authentic by casting shade on others who do things differently. This is the same type of thing that leads one religion to cast shade on another for believing or practicing different things. It completely stems from dogma and ego.
Having said that, Witch Bottles have many uses, as do Witch Jars. Often a Witch Jar is used to contain energy that is unwanted. For example, if you have a co-worker who is a royal pain and constantly at you about one thing or another, placing things that represent that individual into a Witch’s Jar and casting a spell to contain their toxic energy, thus protecting you from it, will do wonders.
When we look at the use of the Witch’s Bottle, it becomes more varied. Some will place things like nettles, thorns, nails and such into a Witch’s Bottle in order to protect the home from unwanted energies and malicious spirits. These tend to be quite effective. My personal suggestion is to place such bottles near the main entrance of the home. This way they can act as sentinals of sacred space.
Something that I often will do is place coins into a bottle and then place such a bottle in every corner of the house. This promotes the attraction of prosperity and abundance. You can also place herbs and crystals and such into a Witch’s Bottle to promote whatever energetic program you choose. The bottle that is in the photo is a wine bottle from back in the day when I could still drink wine and not have an allergic reaction to it. This particular bottle promotes groundedness and security. It is filled with sand (which is made up of crystals) and healing stones and crystals that are naturally inclined to promote that groundedness and security.
The Witch’s Bottle does not, however, have to be a wine bottle. In fact, you can use any glass bottle, as long as it has an option of being sealed up. I have an empty Maple Syrup bottle with a locking cork system that seals it shut which is going to be just as effective as the wine bottle option.
Another use for the Witch’s Bottle is to use it as a container for obsessive thoughts. How do you to this, you ask? Have it be a bottle that is corked or has a locking cork system like the one in this next photo. Your obsessive thoughts are usually going to be about worries and concerns, regrets and remorse etc. Uncork the bottle, take a deep breath, then blow those obsessive thoughts into the bottle, capping it off immediately. If you need to blow a few times, then use your thumb to cap it off in between blows and, once you are finished, cap it off or cork it to seal it up. Place the Witch’s Bottle in a safe location and leave those thoughts behind. Before reusing that Witch’s Bottle, take it ouside and “pour out” the old obsessive energies. Then use an incense stick to smudge the inside of the Witch’s Bottle before blowing any more obsessive thoughts into it. I recommend using this technique often. But not more than every 24 hours. And if you are going to leave the old energy in the Witch’s Bottle, do so for no more than a day and then pour it all out, smudge it and, if you are not going to use it again right away, then seal it up and put it in a secure location for next time. Do not use your Witch’s Bottle for anything other than this in between times of use. You don’t want it to accumulate unneeded energy or even toxic energy between uses. It can simply remain unused in between.
Not all Witch’s Bottles require a cork or seal. For some, it is important to allow the contents to breathe. So that one that I mentioned to protect your home is a good example. The contents need to be able to breathe in order to do their job 
properly. But the one that is for obsessive thoughts does indeed need to be sealed or corked so that those thoughts don’t just emanate from the bottle. Some people have several of the obsessive thought Witch’s Bottles on the go at the same time. There is no rule about that. What I would recommend in this case is to label or distinguish them with a bottle decoration or some such thing, so that you know which bottle is in use and which one is not. You may also want to place a date and time on it in some way to keep track.
We all have moments that haunt us. Relationships go bad, regrets about interactions build up and the next thing we know, we are obsessing about something that we cannot change. But at least with a Witch’s Bottle ritual you can lessen the hold that the obsessive thoughts have over you.
One more thing that I would recommend is to use your creative nature to create your Witch’s Bottle. Yes, you can get recipes in the form of spells etc, but it is important that your Witch’s Bottle be something that you, yourself have designed and created with your own particular creative flare. That way the Witch’s Bottle becomes more bound to your energy system and to your intent and will work better.