Sigils The Balancing Path (prose) Witchcraft

Spells for Black Lives Matter

by Sidney Eileen

I periodically update this article with new links and resources.

If you know of an excellent free resource or spell to help advance Black Lives Matter, on any platform, please comment at the bottom or send me an email with a link so I can add it to this page.

The Balancing Path: Spells for Black Lives Matter was originally published to The Agora column on Patheos Pagan, on June 9, 2020.

Last Updated on: February 5, 2024

I have seen a lot of people mentioning on social media that they would like to do spells or other metaphysical work to help with Black Lives Matter and the George Floyd protests, but they don’t know what to do.  Your most effective spells are usually going to be the ones you create yourself, but it can also be very powerful to add to workings that are being conducted by a lot of other people as well.  There is also something to be said for having a recipe to follow when you are too emotionally worn or overwhelmed to be able to devise your own brew, or when you are too new to spellwork to be confident in your own ideas.

Having a recipe is sometimes helpful.
Having a recipe is sometimes helpful. Image by Barbara Rosner via Pixabay.

I had originally hoped to get this article compiled and published before the June 5th supermoon, but there will be more full moons and new moons, and any time of the month is the right time for social justice.  If you are keeping the moon phase in mind for sympathetic help with your spellwork, achieving the goals of Black Lives Matter includes the dissolution of corrupt law enforcement and entrenched systems of structural racism, and uplifting POC so they have genuinely equal opportunity to achieve life, liberty, and happiness.  There are aspects to focus on which are sympathetic to any time of the month.

Also, this is a marathon, not a sprint.  It’s not going to be over in a week, or even a month.  We need to put effort and energy into social justice both now and into the future in order to achieve true equality for everyone.  I hope this collection of links helps you in those efforts, whether you have been fighting for years, or just got involved yesterday.  What matters most is that you have decided to do the work.

What follows are links to spells, sigils, rituals, and other resources for enacting social justice.  This is by no means a comprehensive list, so please use it as a jumping off point for research and for finding more spellwork or creating your own.

For additional advice about how to work effective magic for social change, I recommend reading 5 Ways to More Effective Magical Resistance, by Laura Tempest Zakroff.

There is a lot out there, but it can be hard to find. Hopefully this list of links helps.
There is a lot out there, but it can be hard to find. Hopefully this list of links helps. Image by blickpixel via Pixabay.

Resources for Black Lives Matter

These are non-magical resources.

Some of them provide information so you can educate yourself about black history and the experiences of black people.  If you are not black, and especially if you are white, please take some time to educate yourself.  If you know black people who are willing to educate you, that’s great, but it is not their responsibility.

Other links provide advice and tools to help create change.  Magic is always most effective when it is backed up with real-world action.  If you are in a position to physically help, that’s fantastic, but be sure to read up about how to best do that.  It is possible to ignorantly harm the cause if you don’t understand how to help.

Ally Resources For Supporters of Black Lives Matter by SWAAY
“If you aren’t able to be out protesting, there are still tons of ways you can support the current movement for racial justice at home. Here is a list of resources, organizations to donate to, petitions to sign, and a number of other actions you can take from home to help support Black Lives Matter as an ally.”

Black Lives Matter: Resources by Black Lives Matter
Toolkits and other resources straight from the Black Lives Matter website.

Black Lives Matter Resources 101 by Playbill
“From suggested donations to ways to learn to be an anti-racist, here are some ways to volunteer time and money to Black Lives Matter.”

How Can I Become a Better White Ally? by Marie Claire
“If you’d like to be supportive and don’t know how, here are some good places to start.”

Documentaries About Black History to Educate Yourself With by Marie Claire
“It’s no secret that your U.S. history class didn’t teach you the real story about how we got here, but, thankfully, there are a plethora of documentaries for you to educate yourself with. Many are available on streaming services you probably already have, like YouTube and Netflix, so there’s no excuse for not watching them.”

The Anti-Racist Reading List by Marie Claire
“Because allyship can’t be proven with a few social media posts.”

An Essential Anti-Racist Reading List by Vogue
“Below, a reading list to help you better understand the context of the protests following the death of George Floyd, a 46-year-old African-American man who died in custody after an officer from the Minneapolis Police Department stood on his neck for eight minutes and 46 seconds.”

31 Children’s books to support conversations on race, racism and resistance by embracerace
“Research from Harvard University suggests that children as young as three years old, when exposed to racism and prejudice, tend to embrace and accept it, even though they might not understand the feelings. By age 5, white children are strongly biased towards whiteness. To counter this bias, experts recommend acknowledging and naming race and racism with children as early and as often as possible. Children’s books are one of the most effective and practical tools for initiating these critical conversations; and they can also be used to model what it means to resist and dismantle oppression.​”

Looking for books about racism? Experts suggest these must-read titles for adults and kids by USA Today
“Whether you’re looking for titles to help expand your knowledge or searching for where to find them, we’ve rounded up options for beginning or continuing your reading quest.”

Being Antiracist by the National Museum of African American History & Culture
“To create an equal society, we must commit to making unbiased choices and being antiracist in all aspects of our lives.”

Talking About Race by the National Museum of African American History & Culture
“Talking about race, although hard, is necessary. We are here to provide tools and guidance to empower your journey and inspire conversation.”

Official Black Wall Street
Directory of black-owned businesses.

SBO (Support Black Owned)
Directory of black-owned businesses.

Support Black-Owned Businesses: 181 Places to Start Online
Where to start? We’ve got you covered. We’ve compiled a list of 181 Black-owned businesses across the United States in many different categories.

How to Support Black Lives Matter Online
Very good advice for how to keep yourself safe while engaging in social justice activism online.

Sigils are magically constructed symbols, and self-contained spells which can be added to other workings.
Sigils are magically constructed symbols, and self-contained spells which can be added to other workings. Image by Pexels via Pixabay.

Sigils

Sigils are magically constructed symbols.  They are spells in and of themselves, but their nature is such that they can be used in a myriad of ways, including as a component in other spells and rituals.  Most of the articles on each specific sigil will give suggestions about how to use them.

As individual spells, each sigil will have its own meanings which address different aspects of the very complex issues around social justice in general and Black Lives Matter in particular.  Be sure to read the information about those meanings before deciding how they will apply to your own magical emphases.  Those listed here focus on issues as diverse as supporting the protests, creating change, self-care, and building a new future.

Sigils for enacting change and for protection

Self-Care and healing sigils

Support and nurturing sigils

General information about sigils, and collections of sigils

You can craft your own spells, or follow someone else’s example.
You can craft your own spells, or follow someone else’s example. Image by Tracy Lundgren via Pixabay.

Spells & Rituals

These spells and rituals are provided by various magical activists throughout pagan and occult communities.  Many are offered so that additional people can add to the power of ongoing workings, and others are intended to teach you how to create your own workings.  Depending upon how they are structured it might be best to follow them exactly as described, but more likely you can adapt them as needed to better suit your practice.

A Witch’s Sevenfold Waning Moon Spell for Magical Resistance by Laura Tempest Zakroff
“The Sevenfold Waning Moon Spell is a magical resistance working designed to aid in breaking down and banishing systemic racism and destroying white supremacy that feeds it.”  This is also posted to YouTube as a video.

Practical Magick: A Justice Spell For George Floyd and Others by Gwyn
“The similarities between the deaths of George Floyd and Eric Garner are chilling. Ode and I want to (magically) assist with that outcome so that Lady Justice may prevail in the Floyd case and others like it.”

The Triple Moon Goddesses Ritual For Justice by Cyndi Brannen
“This ritual was developed over the past week to bring about racial justice, to bind the guilty, and to liberate those oppressed. It is my humble offering to end this horrific racism that has led to the senseless murders of countless people. This ritual is because black lives matter. “

Protection Spells For Protesters by Lilith Dorsey
There are many protection spells people can do to prepare themselves. One good idea is to make a gris gris bag, or mojo bag, for protection.

A Spell to Protect BLM Protesters from THE-ILLUMINATED-WITCH
“Although magic is no substitute for genuine activism, not all of us are able to attend protests, donate money, or even be outspoken about our support. This spell allows you to magically lend your energy to the cause.”

A Cooperative Spell for Social Change from wanderingwomanwandering
“This spell can be as simple or complex as you please.  Please keep the intent, sigil, and chant as presented.”

Runic Candle Spell for BLM by Brian Solomon Whiterose
“I also thought of sharing the spell that I composed for anyone else who works with the Runes and wants to similarly aid the demonstrators. If you have any better ideas, feel free to tweak this spell accordingly. I included my own circle-casting because I’m still figuring out my personal means of protection.”

Videos

A Ritual & Magic Spell Jar For Justice – Witchcraft for Social Justice – Magical Crafting by Magical Crafting
“This spellwork was created to combat the hate and injustice in my country.”

The Charge of the New Aradia by Laura Tempest Zakroff
“The Charge was written in January of 2017 shortly after the #WeAreAradia hashtag came into being.”

#WitchesforBLM | Justice Spell by Noah Tempestarii

#WitchesforBLM | Water Magick by Noah Tempestarii

When we share our resources, it helps all of us be stronger.
When we share our resources, it helps all of us be stronger. Image by truthseeker08 from Pixabay

Other Resources

Six Books For The Activist Witch by Mat Auryn
“I have selected six of my favorite books which I feel are useful for magickal activism. My criteria was that the book must be politically relevant for our times, focused just as much on magickal approaches to activism as well as mundane approaches or thoughts, that they were easily accessible for purchase in most occult or new age bookstores (or major online sellers), and that I’ve read the book and thought that it was indeed beneficial books for this topic.”

When The World is Burning, Keep Doing Your Work by Lisa Wagoner
“This is not the time to feel helpless. The news is relentless, and social media keeps us distracted and off-kilter. Now is not the time to falter. There is a time for crying, and a time for rest. A time for fear, and a time for determination. While the world is burning, keep doing your work.”

Confronting The Collective Shadow by Mat Auryn
“Systematic racism within this country and others isn’t new. It’s always been here. The more we ignore it, choose to look the other way, and avoid it the worse it will keep getting. Bear witness to the pain caused by it, let it express its anger and rage caused by injustice, hold space for it, listen.”

Deities and Spirits

There are a great many deities and spirits who are sympathetic to the oppressed and downtrodden.  If you are interested in appealing to one them as part of your magical work, and you have never worked with them before, I highly recommend reading up on them first. This will give you have a better understanding of them, what aspects of your work they have the greatest affinity for, and how to work with them.  Whether you are most interested in simple prayers, offerings, or a more in-depth relationship, take the time to introduce yourself before you bring them into deeper workings.

If you already have an established relationship with a deity or spirit, check to see if they are willing to help, even if they don’t have “champion of the oppressed” as a major designation in their traits.  Deities are complex beings, and are sometimes happy to help with things that are not typically considered to be within their realm of influence, especially when it is very important to their devotees.