Brass Hanging Bell

Bells have been used in religious and spiritual practice across many cultures — from temple ceremonies in ancient India and East Asia to Christian church bells in medieval Europe, where they were rung to ward off evil and mark sacred time. In folk magic traditions across Africa and the African diaspora, sound has long been used as a tool for spiritual protection and communication.

In contemporary Wicca, bells are used to open and close ritual circles, cleanse spaces, invoke spirits, and call upon deities. In Hoodoo, they are used to protect the home and repel unwanted spiritual influences. In witchcraft and folk magic more broadly, the bell's tone is understood to cut through negative energy, signal transitions between the mundane and the sacred, and serve as a direct line of communication with the spirit world.