Iron for protection? I have my doubts...

[Kristen]

Hi all,

For some time I've been wondering why people think iron is protective against so called "evil" spirits. As far as I know, there are spirits who some would consider evil who actually have correspondences with iron as an element/metal. I have heard that churches used iron in the past and that the fae are repelled by iron. Thing is, I really don't think this is so. There are plenty of spirits who you'd think would be repelled by iron that just don't seem to be. For example, the Morrigan, being one of the Tuatha de Danann, she uses metal weapons and I'm pretty sure the swords are made from iron (or were back in the day). She doesn't seem to be averse to iron. If you think of certain beings as relating to war, for example, they have (often) a Martian/Martial energy, which is very much related to iron, this I am sure of as I am very much ruled by Mars (being a triple Aries).

So, what do others think? Also, the troll cross is iron but who knows if that works either?!

[Gauche]

I don't think it means a literal sense. This may seem a bit far fetched,but it some metals or some stones i feel am energy from them. Its entirely possible certain metals may have a certain vibration innately that may either highly resonate and match or highly resonate and repel certain other vibrations. Maybe being in tune or using said metals would help you match those innate vibrations. This is purely speculation on my part though.

I think of it like this: most people will use salt and cast a circle with it--and that is accepted to claim a safe space. I used to have regular contact with.. well I dont rightly know who she was,what she was,demon or otherwise, but i trusted her. She would have me actually take a little salt and mix it with purified water and drink it to purify and "claim myself as my own space". It actually helped me feel more tuned. It was an unusual thought,but opened my mind. It may not be the thing but how you use the thing.

[Kristen]

Thanks Gauche. I think I know what your mean. It is an energetic thing. I guess not all entities find the energy of iron to be compatible with their energies.

Thanks, makes sense.

[Conium]

IIRC, iron's association with repelling certain entities and races comes from Irish Mythology and is carried into Appalachian Folk Magick's tradition of hanging a horseshoe in front of your house to protect it from evil.

Specifically, it's related to "cold iron" or wrought iron. Typically the kind that church fences were made of. This comes from the spread of Christianity and moving away from more pagan traditions and beliefs, however, it was more of a merger of the two. Pagan beliefs merging with Christian teachings. Consecrated land being able to keep out the devil and all that. So the tradition states that fae are repelled by cold iron (from holy land, so it kind of migrated to iron in general).

There's also the tradition of keeping iron from ritual spaces and workings because it grounds the energy that is being raised and causing it to fail. So there's a long tradition of iron being "bad for magick and beings of magick."

I'm also going to make the note here about my use of theory and tradition because I haven't personally tried or implemented any of this in my own practice, save for the use of the horseshoe, but generally only for luck and good fortune works.

[Gauche]

IIRC, iron's association with repelling certain entities and races comes from Irish Mythology and is carried into Appalachian Folk Magick's tradition of hanging a horseshoe in front of your house to protect it from evil.

Specifically, it's related to "cold iron" or wrought iron. Typically the kind that church fences were made of. This comes from the spread of Christianity and moving away from more pagan traditions and beliefs, however, it was more of a merger of the two. Pagan beliefs merging with Christian teachings. Consecrated land being able to keep out the devil and all that. So the tradition states that fae are repelled by cold iron (from holy land, so it kind of migrated to iron in general).

There's also the tradition of keeping iron from ritual spaces and workings because it grounds the energy that is being raised and causing it to fail. So there's a long tradition of iron being "bad for magick and beings of magick."

I'm also going to make the note here about my use of theory and tradition because I haven't personally tried or implemented any of this in my own practice, save for the use of the horseshoe, but generally only for luck and good fortune works.

Some of this I wasn't aware of and makes more sense. Thanks for this post

[Darth Moronius]

also mythe of iron from heaven too. in egypt, tibet

[Kristen]

Oooh, yes, the iron from heaven - meteroites! King Tutankhamen's dagger (buried with him) is said to be iron from heaven (meterorite), hence of extraterrestrial origin. It does make me wonder if the myths of visitors from "out of space" did kick start this planet and help man evolve. It could be that demons, gods, etc are ETs? Not sure, interesting thought and some very strange ancient carvings that seem to show UFOs. That's slightly OT but I am trying to link it to iron. I would understand iron being grounding also, it is a "heavy" metal. Also, iron is so abundant, not just on Earth but in the solar system also, hello Mars!

[Cult]

Hi all,

For some time I've been wondering why people think iron is protective against so called "evil" spirits. As far as I know, there are spirits who some would consider evil who actually have correspondences with iron as an element/metal. I have heard that churches used iron in the past and that the fae are repelled by iron. Thing is, I really don't think this is so. There are plenty of spirits who you'd think would be repelled by iron that just don't seem to be. For example, the Morrigan, being one of the Tuatha de Danann, she uses metal weapons and I'm pretty sure the swords are made from iron (or were back in the day). She doesn't seem to be averse to iron. If you think of certain beings as relating to war, for example, they have (often) a Martian/Martial energy, which is very much related to iron, this I am sure of as I am very much ruled by Mars (being a triple Aries).

So, what do others think? Also, the troll cross is iron but who knows if that works either?!

Correspondences aren't the end-all-be-all of a spirit. Iron is mortality (it gives life in the blood - whatever has a life also has a death) and decay (it rusts). So it weighs and corrodes. Cold iron is life that has run dry - cold blood, dead. That's why it does what it does.

IIRC, iron's association with repelling certain entities and races comes from Irish Mythology and is carried into Appalachian Folk Magick's tradition of hanging a horseshoe in front of your house to protect it from evil.

It's hardly limited to Irish and Appalachian folklore. A fuck load of folk traditions know about the protective power of iron, including other American traditions. Balkan, Welsh, Scottish, and English traditions share similar beliefs about it. It's extremely widespread.

[NYTHRA]

I had such a good laugh at this. Had no clue that Iron is used for repeling evil spirits. ~ with culture and all.

Fun fact :

God is powerless against iron chariots.

And the Lord was with Judah; and he drave out the inhabitants of the mountain; but could not drive out the inhabitants of the valley, because they had chariots of iron. Judges 1:19