Along the Gulf of Mexico, there are eerie “witch bottles” showing up at the beaches, and researchers are uncovering what is behind these bottles.
A mystical mystery is unfolding along the Gulf of Mexico as “witch bottles,” designed to imprison malevolent spirits, are surfacing on Texas beaches. Beachcombers, particularly along a 60-mile stretch near Corpus Christi, have encountered eight of these peculiar artifacts since 2017. The bottles, traditionally associated with warding off witches in the UK during the 16th and 17th centuries, are known to contain a variety of items, from hair and herbs to nails and bodily fluids.
Jace Tunnell, a researcher from the Harte Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies, has been monitoring these eerie discoveries. He recently found a bottle filled with vegetation, adorned with gooseneck barnacles, emphasizing its prolonged oceanic journey. While Tunnell doesn’t shy away from displaying these occult finds on his fence, he refuses to open them, acknowledging their supposed spell contents.
“I don’t get creeped out by them, but I’m also not going to open them,” “I mean, they’re supposed to have spells and stuff in them – why take the chance?” Tunnell told Fox News Digital.
The history of “witch bottles” involves reflecting and countering spells believed to cause illness. In the UK, around 200 such bottles have been unearthed, hidden in walls or buried underground. The practice involved trapping the spell in the bottle, tormenting the witch until the spell was removed, allowing the victim to recover.
The appearance of these bottles in the U.S., especially along the Gulf of Mexico, remains rare. Tunnell speculates that some spell casters may toss these bottles into the ocean, but their origin and the intent behind their marine journey remain mysterious. As part of the Harte Institute’s beachcombing initiative, which aims to raise awareness about debris washing ashore, Tunnell highlights the importance of environmental consciousness.
While the witch bottles add an element of intrigue to the Gulf’s coastline, researchers like Tunnell emphasize the broader issue of marine debris and the need for collective efforts to preserve the ocean ecosystem