“Salt. What a clever little white witch,” Winifred Sanderson nearly admitted defeat when Alison drew a circle of salt around her for protection. We all know and love Hocus Pocus, and this part of the movie struck me as a child. Why salt? I used to think. Now that I’m a grown-ass witch, I know why. Salt is one of the most powerful ingredients in a witch’s arsenal. Learn about the potency of salt magick, and how to use the different types of salt in your witchcraft.

Why is Salt So Magical?

Salt isn’t just for flavoring food, its also great for making magick. But why is salt so magical? Salt is a pure substance made in the earth or from the sea. Therefore it carries the very essence of the earth and water elements. For example, sea salt carries the water element’s properties, while Himalayan pink salt carries the earth’s. Keep in mind, the salt will take on the energy of its natural surroundings: so Hawaiian black salt will carry Hawaiian energy while Cyprus black salt will taste, feel and act differently because it carries Mediterranean energy. Whatever salt magick you choose to make, know that it will be effective. Moreover, witches have used salt magick for centuries.

11 Types of Salt and Their Magical Properties

There are dozens of kinds of salts found worldwide, all of which contain their own unique magical properties. Here’s our top 10 favorite magical salts:

1. Sea Salt

Sea salt comes from the sea, as its name suggests. Therefore it carries the power of the sea and the water element. You can find sea salt at nearly any grocery store for an affordable price. Sea salt is purifying, protective, and great as an offering to sea spirits and deities. Many a kitchen table will have a salt mill containing sea salt in it these days. And paired with coarse black pepper? You have some powerful magick at the ready!

2. Himayalan Pink Salt

Himalayan pink salt is a popular choice these days. Pink salt comes in chunky and powder form (and literally in lamp-form) and is used for culinary purposes. They call it the “purest salt on earth” because it’s been maturing in the earth for over 250 million years! This type of salt magically decalcifies your pineal gland (opens your third eye) AND has an added magical property of self love and romance. I liken its energy to that of rose quartz – soft and soothing. This salt gets its pink color from the iron in it, and therefore is a powerful warding ingredient as well. In cooking and baking, experiment with less of it, as it is stronger than sea salt. And your dishes may come out tasting saltier than normal if you overuse it.

3. Witches Black Salt

Witches black salt is a powerful substance and a favorite among witches. It is NOT edible because it’s made of your choice of salt and ashes. The ashes come from your firepit or herb bundle remnants. Some witches also use cast-iron scrapings from their cauldron and mix it into salt. Black salt is protective and useful in banishing, binding, and reversal spells. There are literally dozens of uses for witch’s black salt.

4. Kosher Salt

The main difference between regular salt and kosher salt is that kosher salt is used in the kosher process of drawing blood out of meat, in compliance with Jewish religious law. Kosher salt is large and flaky and can be used in magic to quickly draw out or absorb negativity (just as it absorbs blood from meat)!

5. Table Salt

You might be wondering, is table salt just as effective in magic as the other fancy salts? In my experience, it works just as well as sea or pink salt in magic. Does it taste as good as pink or sea salt? Not usually. And therein lies the difference. Not to mention it’s not as healthy for you as other less-processed salts. However, using it to purify, protect, and in ritual is perfectly acceptable if you have nothing else.

6. Hawaiian Black Salt

Hawaiian black salt is an exotic culinary salt harvested from the evaporating water on the Hawaiian island Molokai. It is natural and has activated charcoal added to it giving it that black color. Using Hawaiian black salt in your practice invokes the power and beauty of the Hawaiian islands and its volcanoes. This salt is extra-strength.

7. Alaea Red Salt

Alaea salt is red and is used in Hawaiian cuisine and spiritual customs. The alaea added to the salt gives it its red color is actually volcanic clay that is rich in iron oxide. Hawaiians use this salt to cleanse their tools, canoes and homes. When used as a seasoning, alaea red salt is healthy as it is high in nutrients (80+). It is more difficult (and expensive) to purchase authentic Hawaiian alaea red salt, as most of it is now produced in California and not in Hawaii.

8. Fleur de Sel Salt

I find this type of salt most fascinating. Fleur de sel (pronounced flure-de-sell) is French for “flower of salt”. On the coast of Brittany, France, seawater collects in shallow pools and allows for this delicate sea salt to be harvested for consumption. It’s one of the most expensive salts in the world, because of its rare and delicate nature. Fleur de sel can also come from other places in the world, so if you specifically want the Brittany version, be sure to look for it. When used in magick, Fleur de sel adds a softer quality to your workings. Add it to food after it’s been cooked. Because it comes from Brittany’s coast, I also attribute this particular kind with the fairies and elementals.

9. Gray Salt

Gray salt is the result of salt that’s developed in pools made of clay. It has a natural gray color and a flaky texture. It also has higher concentrations of iron, manganese and calcium than table salt. Chefs use this type to flavor a dish after it’s been cooked, including steak, pork, roasted vegetables and more. Magically speaking, gray salt is great for “gray magic” – magic that straddles the line between good and bad. Between here and there. Essentially, gray salt is a liminal type of salt and can be used in liminal workings.

10. Cyprus Black Salt

Another “finishing salt”, Cyprus black salt comes from the Mediterranean. Sea water is dried in lava beds and then mixed with charcoal. It is indeed edible and used, once again, after a dish has been cooked. Get this – it’s shape is pyramidal! So, in my opinion, this type of salt evokes the properties of the pyramids. Drawing down energy from heaven itself. And the charcoal mixed in “activates” it, much different from other salts. If you’d like to add a bit of the Mediterranean to your magical practice and kitchen witchcraft, find you some of this salt, Witch.

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11. Herb Infused Salts

You can find salt infused with various kinds of edible herbs nearly anywhere on the market. Online and in artisanal grocery stores. OR you can make your own! The most popular herbs to infuse into salt include rosemary, thyme, sage, oregano, garlic, parsley, tarragon, etc. Choose an herb(s) that aligns with your intentions before infusing into the salt of your choice. Learn how to make herb salt here.

12. Epsom Salt

When your grandma said to take an epsom salt to relax and throw off the bad luck, she was onto something super magical. This is another salt that is NOT edible, but is specifically for topical use. Its origins date back to the 1600’s in Epsom, England (of which its named for) and its medicinal benefits have been well-known for ages. According to to the Health Cleveland Clinic, epsom salt baths are specifically helpful in relieving muscle stress and mild pain, destressing, and reducing inflammation. By taking a ritual bath with epsom salt, you’re engaging in a centuries-old remedy perhaps even performed by witches from the past.

13. Pickling Salt

You wouldn’t think pickles or the ingredients used to make pickles were magical, would you? In fact, pickling is a form of preservation that many of our ancestors have used over the centuries. And a method of preserving food we still use today…mostly because it tastes good. But pickling back in the day even required the women who performed the task to only pickle on certain nights – during certain moon phases and in alignment with their menstrual cycles.

So, yes, pickling salt is another type of magical salt and for good reason. The best thing about pickling salt is it’s salt in its purest form – with no anti-caking agents. So the purifying properties of this salt are OUTSTANDING. Use to pickle your homegrown cucumbers and veggies AND in your spells to “preserve” things like love, prosperity, etc.

Salt Magick: Ways to Use Salt in Your Witchcraft Practice

The way you use salt in your practice is completely up to you and only limited to your creativity and preference. Here’s just a few witchy ways to make salt magick:

• In Kitchen Witchcraft: salt flavors food, tenderizes meats by way of osmosis, draws out spiritual impurities, cleanses and protects (note Witches Black salt isn’t edible)
• Spread salt over your thresholds and windowsills to absorb negative energy and ward off spirits
• Encircle your house or sacred space as a protective barrier
• Bowls of salt placed around the home absorb bad vibes
• Cleanse crystals and other tools by placing in a bowl of salt
• Sprinkle a tablespoon of salt to the bath to cleanse the aura and aid in healing
• Add a tablespoon to moon water to increase its purifying effects
• Encircle your candle spells with salt to contain the energy and protect from negative energy
• Add salt to spell bottles, bags, jars, and herbal pillows
• Include salt magick in your foot soaks
• Incorporate salt in your magical sprays to cleanse the home and sacred space before ritual
• Salt, while generally not encouraged in spirit work, can be used as offering to certain deities including Berchta (whose cult lived and worked in salt mines) and sea salt given to sea gods like Poseidon or Lyr

More MAGICAL Ingredients in Your Kitchen:

• Honey Magic: The Magical Properties, History and Uses of Honey
• 12 Magical Ways to Use Basil
• Rosemary Magical Properties and Uses