Salt as Protection

In the past, I’ve talked about the tradition of using salt to repel or block angry and malicious spirits.

Several people have asked me about this.
I’ve only used salt a couple of times, because I regard it as an extreme remedy.  However, I know people who rely on it regularly.
You’ve probably heard the saying, “sow the ground with salt.”  The roots of that concept seem mixed.  In some cases — according to Wikipedia, anyway –  the salt was supposed to curse the location.
When I was growing up, I heard that salt was used to bless the ground.
So, those are two opposing views of salt.
According to folklore from my childhood — as told to me by people I trusted — evil spirits can’t cross a line of salt.
When psychics and paranormal researchers use salt, that’s usually the intent: To create a physical barrier between the entity and the people it’s affecting.
(I don’t think salt is strong enough to block something at the demon level, or I’m sure more exorcists would be using it.)
In addition, I’ve heard rave results when I’ve recommended placing a bowl of salt near a bed where ghosts have been troublesome.  That’s had 100% success over the past ten years.
In my research, I see many salt references in the Bible.

And he went forth unto the spring of the waters, and cast the salt in there, and said, Thus saith the Lord, I have healed these waters; there shall not be from thence any more death or barren land.
2 Kings 2:21 (KJV)

That’s clearly a healing reference, not a curse.  Similarly, I see Bible references to a covenant of salt in 2 Chron 13:5 (KJV).
In Bible references, I see similar connections between salt and blessings:

There are frequent allusions to this practice (Jer 34:18). Such alliances were called “covenants of salt” (Num 18:19; 2Ch 13:5), salt being the symbol of perpetuity.—Easton’s Illustrated Dictionary

Salt was used when a baby was born, as well:

As soon as a child was born it was washed, and rubbed with salt (Ezek 16:4) —Easton’s Illustrated Dictionary

In other words, the connections between salt and spirituality are ancient, and therefore difficult to trace to a single source.
Which salt to use?
According to tradition, sea salt will work better than plain table salt… but from readers’ reports, table salt can be good enough for use in a haunted bedroom.
I’ve never done a comparative study of the effectiveness of different salts.  Generally, I prefer to carry sea salt; it’s only slightly more expensive at the grocery store.
For extreme cases, blessed salt is supposed to be more powerful than salt that’s simply bought at the store and used immediately.
(That said, if the problem is significant and urgent, I’d use any salt that I could get my hands on, and not worry about a blessing.)
Blessed salt
Salt can be blessed in a variety of ways.  Mostly, it depends on your spirituality.
You’ll start with salt you’ve purchased at the grocery store or similar retailer.
If you’re working with a Christian context, you can bless the salt yourself; using holy water during the blessing is optional.  Most people seem to gesture in the sign of the cross and use words that announce that they’re blessing the salt in the name of Deity.
You could also have the salt blessed by a priest or minister.  This usually takes about 30 seconds; a token donation for the blessing is nice but not usually required.
If you’re working with an earth-based spiritual context, the tradition is to place a bowl of salt in the window so the light of the full moon shines on it for three consecutive nights.
If your beliefs are related to Voodoo, Vodun, or Yoruba-based spirituality, you may also add a small amount of black salt.  However, only do this if you are completely aware of what black salt does. (That’s imperative.)  If you’re not sure, leave the black salt out of the mix.  (Frankly, if that’s your spiritual foundation, several floor washes may provide better protection than the salt, anyway.)
Of course, these concepts are based in folklore and in spiritual traditions.  I can’t promise that salt will work if you don’t believe in it… or even if you do.
However, for the rare situations in which I’m concerned about safety, I like to have salt in my investigation kit.
Even if all it does is act as a placebo — making me feel a little safer around something that troubles me — it’s worth having on hand.
Article copyright (c) 2010 by Fiona Broome for HollowHill.com.