Poppets are dolls used for sympathetic magic, and are designed in the likeness of individuals in order to represent them in spells to help, heal or harm. The word poppet comes from the Middle Ages in England, originally meaning a small doll or child, and it is still in use today as a name of endearment. The term is older than the phrase ‘Voodoo doll'. Pagan Portals – Poppets and Magical Dolls explores the history of poppets and offers a practical guide to making and using them in modern witchcraft. It also covers seasonal dolls, from Brigid dolls, used in celebrations for the first stirrings of spring, to fairy dolls enjoyed in tree-dressing at Yuletide. Other topics covered include spirit dolls, ancestor dolls and dolls as representations of mythological beings and creatures from folklore. The newest book from Lucya Starza, author of Every Day Magic: A Pagan Book of Days. Lucya Starza is an eclectic witch living in London, England, in a rambling old house with her husband and cats. She writes A Bad Witch's Blog at www.badwitch.co.uk and is the author of Pagan Portals - Candle Magic. She edited the community book Every Day Magic - A Pagan Book of Days and also contributed to Naming the Goddess, Essays in Contemporary Paganism and Paganism 101. Pagan Portals Poppets and Magical Dolls Dolls for Spellwork, Witchcraft and Seasonal Celebrations By Lucya Starza John Hunt Publishing Ltd. Copyright © 2017 Lucya Starza All rights reserved. ISBN: 978-1-78535-721-3 Contents Introduction: The Oldest Type of Magic, Chapter 1: Dolls our Mothers Gave Us, Chapter 2: An Easy Way to Make and Use Poppets, Chapter 3: The Body of the Matter, Chapter 4: Finishes and Flourishes, Chapter 5: The Prickly Subject of Pins and Thorns, Chapter 6: Ethics, Cursing and Assertive Magic, Chapter 7: Rituals to Enchant Your Poppet, Chapter 8: More Spells with Poppets and Magical Dolls, Chapter 9: Decommissioning Poppets, Chapter 10: Deities and Creatures from Myth and Legend, Chapter 11: Dolls of the Dead, Chapter 12: Seasonal Dolls of the British Isles, Chapter 13: Doll Magic from Around the World, References, CHAPTER 1 Dolls our Mothers Gave Us When you were a child, did you have a special doll? Perhaps it wasn't human-looking, but a Teddy bear or even a plastic gonk. Dolls and other toys can have a talismanic quality. It can feel as though having them keeps us safe, wards against our fears and worries, and attracts good luck. Sometimes it seems they have their own personality, or perhaps a little of the personality of the person who gave them to us. When we were young they might have been our friends, helpers and confidantes as well as going on adventures of the imagination with us in play. While we might grow too old to play with dolls and toys, many of us still have them and they can still be there for us if we need them. As an adult, your old dolls or toys might have a place as ornaments in your bedroom or be stored in the attic, but it would feel wrong to throw them out. If you didn't keep any of your childhood dolls, perhaps you have one you were given as an adult by a friend or loved one. Maybe it has sentimental value or cheers you up and reminds you of the giver. Perhaps it acts as a lucky charm. Personally, I have several dolls and other toys from my childhood and a few given to me over the years. I also have a Kipling rucksack, which comes with the brand's iconic monkey. There have been times when I was travelling somewhere or to something I was nervous about and have looked at that irrepressible-looking monkey and wished for luck. The Slavic fairy story Vasilisa the Beautiful tells of a young woman who gains help from a magical doll given to her by her mother. It comes from Russian Fairy Tales by Alexander Afanasyev and is worth reading in full, but here is a short version: On her deathbed, Vasilisa's mother gave her a small wooden doll and told her the doll was very special. If she was ever in need, she should give the doll a little food and water and ask for help. Vasilisa's father remarried but, as is often the case in fairy tales, the stepmother was not only cruel, but had two daughters of her own who treated Vasilisa badly. They set her the most difficult and unpleasant household chores, which she nevertheless accomplished perfectly – with the magical help of her doll. The father was a merchant and his work often took him travelling. On one occasion, when he had been away for a long time, Vasilisa's stepmother sold the family home and moved the girls to a gloomy hut at the edge of a forest. Their nearest neighbour was the feared hag Baba Yaga, who it was said was in the habit of eating unwelcome visitors. One winter's day, Vasilisa's stepmother put out the fire in the hut, leaving only a single candle alight to work by as the sun set. The stepsisters, who were in a particularly mean mood, blew out the candle and told Vasilisa she would be blamed. The only solution, they said,