What Is Black Salt?

We hear a lot about the importance of salt in the magickal community, and rightfully so! On a chemical level, this mineral is largely comprised of two elements – sodium and chloride – that don’t occur on their own anywhere in nature. That alone makes salt pretty special. But what about the metaphysical side, specifically in Black Salt?

In this post we’ll be discussing the transcendental properties of Black Salt: what it is, the different names, and how to make your own! I know that I aim to always have black salt on hand for my practice. So without further ado, let’s dive in!

WHAT IS BLACK SALT?

In simplest terms, Black Salt is a magickal salt used for its protective qualities in apotropaic casting, binding, banishing, reversal spells, and dispelling. It is typically comprised of sea salt and the ashes from a ritual fire, herb bundle remains, cast iron scrapings, or a combination of all three. This type of Black Salt is inedible.

DIFFERENT NAMES

Black Salt is also known as Sal Negro, Witch’s Salt, and Witch’s Black Salt.

NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITH…

In the culinary world, there is kala namak – “black salt” in Hindi. Another name for this is Himalayan black salt and it is found in the salt mines of India, Nepal, Bangladesh, and Pakistan among other places in the Himalayas.

Himalayan black salt was first ulitized for its holistic healing properties in the traditions of Ayurvedic medicine. Eventually this rock salt was developed from infusing it with various sulfuric spices and herbs to be included in regional culinary dishes.

Another type of black salt is black lava sea salt. This mix of activated volcanic charcoal and sea salt is also known as Hawaiian lava sea salt. While you can certainly use this type of black salt in magick, the difference is that Hawaiian lava sea salt can be consumed while Witch’s Black Salt is inedible.

WHAT IS BLACK SALT USED FOR?

As stated above, Black Salt is traditionally used as a defensive and protective component. This can be done for the home and for other places, like the workplace. For some, it’s also utilized in hexing, binding, and cursing.

A popular method of employing Black Salt for protection is to grind it up and sprinkle around the perimeter of your property. This keeps your abode safe from unwanted mischief-makers and intruders and to drive away any evil. I recommend doing this once a month to keep the bounds of protection strong and intact.

For a personal space protectant pour some Black Salt into a charm bag or sachet and stow it out of sight. This works especially well for deflecting office bullies and irritating coworkers. You can also use Black Salt in candle magick to banish negative people, spirits, and entities. Anoint a black candle with appropriate ritual oil and then roll it in Black Salt – always dressing away from you – and perform your spellwork.

HOW TO PROPERLY DISPOSE OF BLACK SALT

Leftover Black Salt needs to be disposed of properly, especially if it was used for hexing, cursing, banishing, etc. There’s a few options for proper disposal:

• Toss it into a fire (not in large amounts as salt can smother a fire) making sure not to use any remaining ashes in future magickal workings
• If used in protective magick, bury it on your property
• If used in hexing or the like, bury it far from your home
• Toss it into moving water that runs away from you

HOW TO MAKE YOUR OWN WITCH’S BLACK SALT

While some sources say to add liquid dye or food coloring, it does make the salt clumpy and somewhat harder to work with as it dissolves. Due to this, dry ingredients are preferred. The following recipe is pretty basic and can be altered to suit your personal preferences. Don’t be afraid to experiment and truly make it yours!

BASIC WITCH’S BLACK SALT RECIPE

• 2 Parts Sea Salt
• 1 Part Cast Iron Scrapings -OR-
• 1 Part Ashes from a Ritual Fire -OR-
• 1 Part Burnt Herbal Bundle Remains -OR-
• 1 Part Dry Black Food Coloring -OR-
• 1 Part Ground Black Pepper -OR-
• 1 Part Black Chalk Dust

Combine your chosen ingredients until all components are mixed thoroughly. You can accomplish this by using your hands (some ingredients will stain skin) or by using a spoon.

NOTES

• If your cast iron pot cauldron or pan is too oily, opt for another ingredient
• If you want your salt lighter or darker, adjust the portions to suit your personal desires
• Some practitioners like to add additional dried magickal herbs to their salt to add an extra boost for their intention

IN CONCLUSION…

Do you use Black Salt in your practice? Let me know in the comments!