Witch Balls

The witch ball - not to be confused with the crystal or gazing ball - is a form of lucky charm for use indoors. Rather than attracting good luck, legend says it was used to ward off bad luck and evil spirits, especially witches. The fear of witches is less common today than it once was, however many people still like to buy them either as symbols of protection or simply because they find them attractive.

What Is A Witch Ball?

A witch ball is simply a hollow glass sphere intended to be hung up indoors. They vary tremendously in both size and shape. Some are as much as seven inches in diameter, others are much smaller - it's said that glassblowers would sometimes make them up from whatever glass was left at the end of a day's work. Plain green and blue spheres were common, however they can be found in just about any colour and design - presumably it depended on what colours of glass were left at close of play.

The exact origin and history of the witch ball is unclear. They certainly date back to at least the 18th century, possibly far longer.

Power

There are several theories as to the operation. One is that the light reflecting off of the glass casts positive energy into the home which counteracts negative spirits; witches can't stand the attractive light. Another says that witches become almost hypnotically fascinated by the colours in the ball and are distracted from their evil schemes. Yet another theory says that the word "witch" is incorrect and that the name is a corruption of "watch ball", which might link them with the gazing ball.

Use

The witch ball would traditionally be hung up by a window where they could catch the light of the sun or moon. They would be placed either near the doors of the house or in the room that required special protection - perhaps a bedroom.

It's interesting to note that traditional witch balls must have looked very similar to some of the decorative glass ornaments we use today on Christmas trees.

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