Witch Balls

While in Salem, one can find a wide variety of beautiful hand blown glass orbs in the many 'Witch Shoppes' around town. If you've seen those big 'Gazing Balls' that are in many a garden, then you are already vaguely familiar with their ancestor...the Witch Ball. Witch's Balls were very popular in 18th century England, but their actual origin is thought to be much older. For well over 300 years, hollow glass spheres have been hung in windows to ward off witch's spells, evil spirits and ill fortune. However, the Witch's Ball actually originated among cultures where witches were considered a blessing and these witches would usually "enchant" the balls to enhance their potency against evils. Hanging these decorative balls in the window is thought to tantalize evil spirits which may be threatening a home's tranquility. The evil spirit is mesmerized by the ball's reflective beauty. When the spirit touches the DreamCatcher type threads inside the sphere, it is absorbed and trapped in the web-like strands of the glass inside. The Witch Balls trap the negative energy and prevent it from affecting the work or home environment. Because they're similar to the glass balls used by fishermen on nets, witch's balls are also associated with many sea superstitions and legends. I can't help but wonder what happens to all those negative spirits if you accidentally break the ball though. Especially if it happens after you've had it for 20 years. That's a LOT of pent up bad energy...ha!

Another artistic take on the Witch Ball is the beautiful 'Tree of Life' Inspiration Ball. I love this one because it looks like a changing tree in Autumn. It says, "Like each leaf of a tree, our life is full of colorful and unique moments that define us as individuals. Similarly, the changes a tree endures throughout the seasons illustrate to us the circle of life. The Tree of Life reminds us to live every day of our lives with compassion, integrity and gratitude." A profoundly true statement indeed. You can find a large selection of stunning Witch Balls to choose from on-line at Quantum Alchemy.