For my next post on Witchy Tools, I introduce you to the Witch Bells. Bells have often been used by witches of many different traditions and ethnic backgrounds. Bells are used to summon the Divine, as well as to ward off negative energies. Witch Bells are often attached to clothing, talismans, sacred instruments and even to doorways. This is because the bells, once blessed and energized, are extremely powerful.
I have Witch Bells attached to the base of my drum mallot so that when I am drumming and chanting the bells will take that sound and intent directly to the ears of Great Spirit. I also have Witch Bells hanging from doorknobs in certail rooms of my home. This helps to keep the energies that enter those spaces clean and uncluttered. In addition to this, I also have Witch Bells attached to protective talismans that are situated on or above each entry point to my home. This way the energy gets cleared as people (myself included) enter my house. Let’s face it, there can be a lot of irratic energies that we encounter out in the world, so why not do everything that we can to counter that upon entry?
Witch Bells of various forms can also be used when doing energy clearing of a space or of a person. For example, I have a set of tingshaws that I use when doing energy balancing treatments. The sound of the tingshaws clear away toxic debris from the energy field. As you strike them together, you create a sound that acts like vibrational emishing from a satelite dish! Very cool stuff. There is also no reason whatsoever why a person should not wear Witch Bells. I have several necklaces with Witch Bells attached. I figure that I might as well keep my energy system as clean as possible!
I have two Tibetal bells on my ancestral altar that, when rung simultaneously, create a combination of sound that calls out to the ancestral spirits to join me at my altar. The trick there is to get them to ring simultaneously! It takes skill, I tell ya! SKILL!
I personally feel that when we are talking about Witch Bells, we need to include the use of chimes. Chimes have, for centuries, been used to warn of and ward off danger. This is why I have them hung at my front door, along the walkway to the back door, and all around the back yard. I could definitely get carried away with chimes because I find them to be deliciously beautiful both in sound and function, so I keep the chimes to a limit of 4 sets. Indoors, I have a set of chimes at my kitchen window which are attuned to the element of Mercury. In addition to this, I have a full set of Koshi chimes in my healing room; a set of 4 and each one represents either Fire, Water, Earth or Air. Often when I am doing a smudging of my home I will include the use of one or more of the Koshi chimes.
Many moons ago, I went to a small country school in a small country schoolhouse. When recess or lunchtime was over, the teacher or principal would come outside and ring a hand-held bell. This bell would call in the students to the classrooms for the next set of lessons. I was enthralled by the sound of that bell, even if it meant that I was going to have to go back to class. I would look forward to its tone ringing through the air waves. And each time it did, I would see more than students gathering. I would see ancestral spirits gathering as well, and I was acutely aware of said spirits whispering wisdoms into the ears of many students, myself included.
One day I asked the teacher if it would be alright it I rang the bell at the end of recess. She was a bit confused by my request. I explained that I just really enjoyed the sound of it. She asked the principal if that would be alright with him and he agreed. So I was handed the bell when the time came and I went outside and rang the bell, but not shaking it rapidly the way they would. Instead I held it with the bell facing downward and simply turned my wrist just enough for the bell to ring out once. Everyone heard that and came inside. Days later I was told that the neighbours in the hamlet where the schoolhouse was located had all heard it and were wondering what was going on? They were so used to the clanky ringing of the bell being shaken that they had become pretty much deaf to that sound. But when it was rung with just one ringing sound, they all heard it and noticed it. I asked if that meant that I was not going to be allowed to ring it anymore. The principal said, “Oh, no, that is not what it means at all. What it means is that whenever you feel you want to take on that duty, you are welcome to. But we would also like you to show us how you rang it that way, because that sound travelled like crazy.” So I showed them after school one day while waiting for my schoolbus to arrive. From then on that is how the bell was rung.
I never did tell them about the spirits it gathered. My mother did not raise me to be a fool. Had I mentioned that I would have been in deep trouble one way or the other. So I just kept quiet about that. I told my mom and my grandma, but they knew magical stuff anyway and were quite alright with it. As my grandma said, “As long as none of the summoned spirits are disruptive, there is no reason to not welcome them!”