Dollcraft

Dollcraft: A Witch’s Guide to Poppet Magick and Haunted Dolls
Patti Negri
ISBN 978-0-7387-7748-1
Llewellyn
$16.99

Effigies are inherently magical. Simultaneously human and object, dolls have an uncanny quality that piques both fascination and fear. Because of this, they have been at the center of countless magical acts and images over millenia, from the ancient Egyptians fashioning figures of Osiris from mud and seeds four thousand years ago to ubiquitous horror depictions of sinister Witches stabbing poppets with pins. Dolls lend themselves easily to spiritual and magical manipulation—and everyone knows it.

However, no matter how bound up poppets are with magic in the popular imagination, most magic workers in the modern world are far more likely to reach for a crystal or a jar of herbs when they find themselves in need than they are to sew a poppet. Despite their sinister depiction in popular culture, though, poppets are as easily used for healing and other beneficent magic as they are for harmful purposes. Unfortunately, though, the craft of making and using them has been largely relegated to the corners of the occult world. In Dollcraft: A Witch’s Guide to Poppet Magick and Haunted Dolls, Patti Negri introduces the reader to explicit techniques for creating poppets and using them in spellcasting.

In this unique text, Negri combines her knowledge of classic poppet magic with the rising cultural interest in haunted dolls, including those of a malevolent nature. The text is divided into three sections: Haunted Dolls, Poppet Magick and Poppet Spells and Recipes. The first section, Haunted Dolls, deals with the phenomenon of dolls hosting spirits. Negri discusses this as a cultural trend while weaving in expertise gleaned from her own caretaking of such dolls. She includes instructions on how to find and identify haunted dolls, how to cleanse them and drive out evil spirits in the event that the doll’s presence comes with negative effects, what to expect from having a haunted doll, and how to attract a spirit to a doll that you wish might become haunted. She also describes a number of individual haunted dolls, the spirits they host and other people’s experiences with them, both positive and negative.

Haunted dolls are not magical poppets, though, and it’s an important distinction. In the second and third sections of Dollcraft, Negri details how to create and use poppets. She includes practical information about herbs, colors and materia to employ for specific magical outcomes as well as instructing the reader on how to associate a poppet with a particular person (including yourself) and use it to attain desired results. Her recipes vary and every reader will find a technique they can work with, from the elaborate designs crafty Witches will love to simple, fast solutions for those who would rather not sew. She also addresses the disposal and storage of poppets and includes recipes for biodegradable poppets.

If you are interested in haunted dolls as a curiosity or are considering acquiring one, this book will be indispensable to you. If you want to learn modern applications of classic magical techniques or desire to more deeply explore the rich world of poppet magic, Negri opens the door for you in Dollcraft.