Conjure Item O' The Week: Salt

First in a weekly series.  Every Monday, we will start off the week talking about an herb, mineral or other item that can be used in conjure.  Yes, I know that Salt isn't an herb.  But boy howdy, is it useful. 

SCIENTIFIC NAME: Sodium chloride

WHERE CAN YOU GET IT: Probably your kitchen table.  Lots of workers use Kosher salt, due to the holy connotation of being produced under rabbinical supervision.  Other variations of salt used in conjure are pickling salt, ice cream salt, and Epsom salt.

WHAT'S IT GOOD FOR?: What *isn't* it good for?  According to Conjure lore, salt "does what you tell it to do".  Here's just a few uses:

• Spiritual cleansing: You can dissolve three kinds of Salt in some hot water (such as plain table salt, Kosher salt, and Epsom salt), add this dissolved liquid to a tub of warm water, get in and pour the water over yourself from head to toe, praying that all evil conditions be removed from you.  Voila!  Instant spiritual cleaning!  You can then take a bit of your used bath water and add it to a bucket of warm water and use that to mop your floors for spiritual cleansing.
• Protection: Take some Kosher salt and hold it in the palm of your left hand.  With your right hand, make the sign of the Cross over the salt and say "Salt, I command you to protect my house from all evil and bad people, Amen."  Then sprinkle this salt in an unbroken line across your front door threshold.  Put a pinch of salt in the corners of your bedroom if you've been having nightmares; the bogeyman will go somewhere else!
• Cursing, hexing and banishing.  You can sweep a bit of salt after a person has left your home, and tell them never to come back (do it quietly, I mean.  I am not responsible for you getting arrested because you threw the Morton salt box at your loudmouth brother-in-law.)

CHEAP JOKE OF THE WEEK:  Would the above be considered....a-salt?


Um, sorry.

Seriously, you can also mix some salt with red pepper and black pepper and pray over the mixture to get rid of an enemy, and sprinkle it in the enemy's path where they will step on it or put it in their shoes. 

Salt is a great cleanser of tools you can't wash in water.  If you want to cleanse a crystal or stone, you can bury it in a bowl of salt for a few days until it feels "clean" to you.  If the object is something delicate, put a ring of salt around it and ask the salt to cleanse it from all evil. 

If you want to keep food in your house always and ensure you never run out of what you need, get a box of salt and keep it in a cupboard somewhere; don't use it.  Folklore says that you will always be lucky if you never run out of salt (and if that box of salt is never used, then you technically never run out of salt).

That's all I have for today.  If you have more ideas about tricks, spells and more that can be done with salt, put them in the comments!