A Witch's World of Magick by Melanie Marquis Page A

choosing a decoy that already has a sympathetic connection to the person or place to be protected, much of your work in forging an energetic similarity is already done. For instance, if you’re tall, slender, and bubbly, a Barbie doll who has the same hair color as you could be a ready-made decoy to divert and absorb any spells cast your way. Likewise, if you were aiming to protect an animal, a plush toy that looks similar could be an adequate substitute. Keep in mind that a sympathetic connection doesn’t have to be natural. It can be consciously fashioned and created, just as the ancient Egyptians forged their own sympathetic connection between animal sacrifice and human sacrifice through the simple medium of adorning the animal’s body with an image of the human.

Decoy Magick Spells
    As you can see, decoy magick is as varied and diverse as it is powerful. It can be used for curse breaking, curse prevention, spell diversion, spell recall, general protection, and more. It can work through enticement, confusion, or energetic similarity acquired through handling, sympathetic attributes, or human-derived ingredients. Your decoy object might be as simple as a stone picked up from the ground and held momentarily, or it can be as complex as a carefully designed, handcrafted poppet that looks just like you. Let the urgency and purpose of the decoy guide the design, and keep in mind the difference between substitutes and symbols as you craft your magick—you’ll want a substitute, not a symbol, and to accomplish that you need only to keep front and center in your awareness the fact that you are pulling a trick on the unwanted magick.
    Below are a few techniques to illustrate some of the possible applications of decoy magick. Choose a method according to the general need, and adapt to suit.

Proactive Decoy Magick
    Decoy magick can be used proactively, to divert and thwart spirits, spells, and curses alike before they find their way to your doorstep. Such decoys can be used for general protection, spell diversion, spirit diversion, or curse prevention. Since proactive decoy magick is meant to work in an ongoing and protective fashion, crafting a decoy object that can be kept around for a while is a good choice. Consider incorporating energetic similarity into the design of the decoy, and be sure to empower it with your intentions before use. Envision the decoy doing its work, absorbing the energies it aims to divert. If you like, say something such as, “This is your target. Go here; go here.” Once activated, simply place the decoy object near the person or place to be protected. You might want to keep the decoy someplace hidden, or you might choose to craft a very normal-looking decoy out of an everyday object that you can leave out in plain sight without rousing the slightest suspicion. Check the decoy object every now and then to make sure it’s still intact and that its energies feel fresh and active. If it seems damaged or dull in any way, destroy it and craft a new one.

Decoy Magick for Spell Recall
    To use decoy magick to call back or divert a spell post-cast, you’ll need to first locate the magickal energy you’re aiming to distract. Unless the spell you want to undo is attached to a specific object or location, this part can be a bit tricky. Try to decipher as much as you can about the originally cast magick; if it’s your own spell you’re recalling, you’ve got this one in the bag because you’ll already know everything about it. If it’s another person’s spell, use what you know about their typical methods to make your best guesses. Make use of items, symbols, or ingredients known to have been used or likely to have been used in the original spell. For example, if you suspect the original spellcaster used either plants or stones in their magickal act, refer directly to both the spell “cast with plants” and to the spell “cast with stones” in order to give yourself the best shot at correctly