The Sand Trap

***Taken from "Earth, Air, Fire & Water" by Scott Cunningham

This is a simple spell designed to "trap" negative energies before they enter your home. Similar objects and devices have been used for centuries around the world. To make it you'll need:

A small jar that once held spices, perhaps. It should be glass for, after all, glass is made from sand. Thoroughly wash and dry the jar, removing any labels. It must have a close-fitting lid as well.
Equal quantities of 2 different colors of sand. Some types include: fine greyish-white beach sand; yellowish coral sand (found on beaches in the Gulf of Mexico and in Hawaii); orangish sand from the desert; red sand from volcanic areas; black obsidian sand and many others. Search for suitable sands on your magickal forays into the wild. Or, buy them from aquarium supply stores, plant nurseries, or craft shops. If you buy them, be certain that the sands haven't been artificially colored.
A spoon (teaspoon for smaller jars; tablespoon for larger ones)
Two small bowls to hold the sands

Before you begin, pour one type of sand into the bottle until it's just over half-filled. Empty this sand into one dish. I'll refer to this as Sand #1 throughout these instructions.

Clean the bottle (if necessary) and repeat with the second type of sand, emptying in into it's own bowl. This is Sand #2.

Now you're ready. Hold your projective hand over Sand #1. Look down at it. See it humming and writhing with protective, projective energy. Touch the sand. Caress it. Visualize it emitting sparks of bright white light that ensnare negativity and draw it inward. Charge it with personal power.

Repeat with Sand #2

Place the bottle before you. Scoop out a level spoonful of Sand #1. Pour this into the jar while saying the following words:

"Trap of sand,
Trap the ill.
Trap the bane and
evil will."

Fill the spoon with the same amount of Sand #2. Carefully pour this into the jar over the layer of Sand #1, saying the same rhyme.

Continue alternating layers of sand and the chant. Repeat until the jar is completely filled. You should put so much sand into the jar that, when the top is on, the contained sand shouldn't move.

When you've finished, you'll have a jar filled with bands of different colored sand. Hold it between your hands and say onece again, while visualising:

"Trap of sand,
trap the ill.
Trap the bane and
evil will."

Push power into the sand trap. Place outside your home hidden among plants, buried in the earth or (my favorite standby) in a flowerpot filled with dirt. If this is impossible, place the jar in a sunny window. It will do it's work.

The sand trap, by the way, makes a great gift for friends who enjoy magickal objects. Make it with their permission, and give it with love.

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