Journal of John Winchester (Supernatural)

April 14

SALT

Symbol of permanence incorruptiblity. The word "salvation"

originates from the use of salt in sealing covenants. Jews

in the Temple offered salt, still use it in Sabbath rituals.

Leviticus 2 13: "And every oblation of thy meat offering

shalt thou season with salt neither shalt thou suffer the

salt of the covenant of thy God to be lacking from thy

meat offering: with all thine offerings thou shalt offer

salt." Lot’s wife turns to salt as a reminder of permanence

of errors. In II Kings, Elisha purifies a spring with salt. Jesus

coined the phrase "salt of the earth" for apostles, because

of their commitment. Salt used in some Catholic consecration

rituals. Spilled salt should never be picked up; the bad luck

is balanced by throwng salt over the shouder at the

demons who approach because of the spill. Buddhist tradition

holds that salt repels all evil spirts. Throw salt over your

shouder before entering your house after attending a funeral; will prevent spirts clinging from the funeral from

getting in. Salt used to purfy in Shinto and other traditions

Shinto myth says first landmass, Onogoro Shima, arose

when salt separated from a world ocean. Native American

tribes in the Southwest restricted who could eat salt. Hopi

legends about the preciousness of salt held that locations of

salt deposits—hard to get to, dangerous to work—was a

punishment from the Warrior Twins.

Practical uses: a line of salt is a barrier no spirit can

cross. Mediums use lines to constrain movements of summoned

spirts. In Japanese folklore ghosts are packed in jars full

of salt. A double-barrel load of rock salt will dispel the

ectoplasmic manifestation of a spirit. When destroy

spirit permanently, salt the remains or focus of the haunt

before burning. "The devil loveth no salt in his meat." Scottish

shermen used to throw salt into the ocean to blind

malicious faeries.

In Norse myth, ancestor of the gods was born from a

salt lick.

Dark side of salt: salt the earth after a battle so that

nothing will ever grow, no one will live there. Can be reversed to

a symbol of barrenness.

Myth among Carbbean slaves that Africans—lgbo, in

particular—can fly because they did not eat salt in the

native country.

MUST BE ROCK SALT-IODIZED SALT IMPURE, WILL

NOT WORK.