Contagious Magic
Contagious Magic rests upon the ancient principle that once two things have touched, they remain bound by an invisible thread. This doctrine—echoed in folklore, anthropology, and occult traditions alike—holds that contact leaves a residue, a subtle imprint that can be activated long after the objects part. A lock of hair, a garment worn close to the skin, water drawn from a sacred spring, or soil carried from a threshold all serve as vessels for such lingering connection. Through these links, intention flows, whether for healing, blessing, protection, or banishment.
It is, in essence, the magic of echoes: what was once joined remains joined, and to work upon one is to stir the other.
Within the Coven of the Veiled Moon, contagious magic is often practiced by individuals for personal workings—small acts of care, guardianship, or release. Yet, when the link is especially strong or the working demands great care, the coven itself may act in concert. A scarf belonging to a loved one, for instance, may be laid upon the altar while the circle raises power to shield its wearer across the miles. Or soil taken from a site of unrest may be ritually buried, dispersed, or cleansed, breaking the tether that allows old influence to linger. In these collective rites, the combined focus of many wills strengthens the thread, guiding it toward resolution with clarity and control.
Contagious magic rarely stands alone. It blends easily with sympathetic magic, where the link is amplified through symbolic representation. It often incorporates enchantment, as linked objects are charged with protective or healing intent before being returned to their owners. In banishing or binding work, it provides a direct line of influence, enabling the practitioner to restrict, dissolve, or sever harmful presences. Even healing magic and herbalism find expression here: an anointed cloth, infused with herbs, may be tied to the body—or held in trust when distance separates the healer from the afflicted. In each case, contagious magic is the conduit, the bridge by which energy passes.
Yet this same potency demands vigilance. A connection, once forged, does not easily fade. To work through a link is to accept responsibility for what passes across it. Without careful intention, one may send confusion instead of clarity, harm instead of aid. For this reason, contagious magic is always approached with respect in our tradition, and never wielded lightly.
Examples
- A friend’s scarf tucked into a charm bundle, ritually blessed to guard them during a journey.
- Water drawn from a sacred well used in a rite to strengthen.
- Burying a shard of an unwanted link—such as a token from a broken relationship—in cleansed earth to lay its power to rest.
Note: Contagious magic is both intimate and perilous. To touch is to bind, and to bind is to create a path along which energy flows in both directions. Without discernment, a practitioner may find themselves just as tethered to the target as the target is to them. Ethical clarity and strong boundaries are therefore essential. Consent should be sought wherever possible, and protections must be set to ensure that nothing unwanted rides the connection back.
In careless hands, a thread can become a snare. In wise hands, it becomes a lifeline. The practitioner’s task is to know the difference.
