Even if it’s not Yule / Christmas time when you’re reading this, you can still work with Krampus.
Krampus is associated with the Christmas / Yule holiday season as the anthropomorphic horned figure that punishes naughty and misbehaving children.
Krampus arrives to town on the day before St. Nicholas arrives, but did you know you can work with him any time of the year?
You don’t have to wait until December 5 (known as Krampusnacht) to call upon him to get your house in order and your children to behave just before St. Nicholas visits.
In this post, we’ll show how you can work with Krampus in your witchcraft practice to bring peace, control and sanity back to your household.
Working with Krampus
So who exactly is Krampus and what is Krampusnacht?
Krampus is a bipedal half-demon/goat that takes away bad children and torments them, whipping them and placing them in his wicker basket to carry them away on December 5. (How’s that for a children’s bedtime story?)
While St Nicholas (also known as Santa Claus or St. Nick) rewards the remaining children who had behaved all year long, Krampus will carry the naughty, ill-behaved children away.
To know more about Krampus and other Yuletide creatures, check out this post for more details.
Krampusnacht (Krampus Night) has become a holiday originally in Germany that is a night festival for drinking, mischief and dressing up as Krampus or Frau Perchta (his counterpart.)
The night becomes a devilish party of the holiday season in Europe and German-speaking countries, which has become more recognized in America as well.
While many families in North America will warn their children that if they don’t behave “Santa won’t bring them presents”, in the old tradition of German-speaking countries, children were warned if they didn’t behave “Krampus would punish them.”
Although some parents today wouldn’t want to take this approach, it may definitely be more incentive to behave and most definitely may have been so in the past!
Why work with Krampus?
Krampus can be called upon to get children in line and regain order in the household.
If you’ve been struggling to gain control over the household, Krampus will whip everyone into shape to listen.
He can also be called upon to get rowdy, unruly neighbour children to quiet down and behave also.
Basically, if you have children, family or even neighbours (young or old – they don’t necessarily have to be under 18 years old) causing all sorts of noise / headaches, difficulties, arguments, tantrums (you name it) and you want some peace restored, working with Krampus can be a sanity-saver.
Of course, there are always other means that should be done first before stepping up your game to work with magick and someone like Krampus.
If it’s your own children that you want to gain control again or get order back in the household, there’s always techniques and things that can be tried first in addition to magick such as using crystals, meditation, etc.
However, if it has to do with neighbours or other people that you can’t necessarily speak with or have no other recourse or way to influence them, then magick may be an option – especially if what they’re doing is interfering with your enjoyment and livelihood.
Working with Krampus – anytime of Year
While it’s ideal to work with Krampus leading up to the holiday season, he can be worked with any time of year.
As the saying goes, “Santa’s been watching all year” – the same goes for Krampus!
If you feel incline to work with Krampus, don’t feel that you have to wait until the Yule/Christmas holiday season begins in November.
There are a few ways that you can work with Krampus when you need his help the most:
Be Specific with Krampus
The first is to be specific in that you don’t actually wish physical harm on the person – only just to get them to behave and control their unruly behaviour.
This will act as a “warning” to whomever you want to behave for Krampus.
Be specific about what you want Krampus to do and how you want the outcome to be.
Want peace and quiet from your kids or from next door? Tell Krampus.
This is where you have to set your intention in your witchcraft, magick and spells and be specific what your intentions are.
Black or Red Candles
Use black candles in your spell or ritual. If you feel inclined, you can add red candles in addition to the black candles.
Black is the preferred colour for the candle used, but if you don’t have black candles on hand, then red candles can be used when in a pinch.
Krampus Oil
Dress candles with Krampus oil (from The Witchery) – other shops may carry similar oils that are used for Krampus.
Feel free to find a Krampus oil that is available to you.
Vigil Candles
A Krampusnacht vigil candle (from The Witchery) can be burned on Krampusnacht (December 5) to show appreciation for Krampus and can also be burned any time of year if you want to have a longer burning candle for a spell working performed over 7 days.
Cleansing Spray
For a quick cleansing spray to get quick control over a situation (e.g. you have a grumpy, stomping kid or teenager throwing a fit), use the Krampus spray (from The Witchery) to clear the air and call in Krampus to gain control over the situation and help them calm down to regain their composure.
Compensation for Working with Krampus
Remember as a kid when you would leave out milk and cookies for Santa?
Krampus also wants his compensation and payment for his favours.
Food is Krampus’ favourite thing and he will also accept alcoholic drinks (if you have it.)
What he wants in return will depend on what you can readily get and if you have it on hand.
While he’s not very picky about what he gets, he will haggle you on the amount that you offer him.
If you offer him three cookies or biscuits, he’ll ask for four.
The amount that Krampus wants will always be “just one more” than what you give as an offering.
If it’s a shot or glass of a drink, whatever you pour, he’ll want to you pour a little extra in the glass.
Payment for his work can be done at the time of the spell or ritual, but if you don’t have it on hand, you must promise to get it to him the very next day or he will undo his work that he started.
Here’s what you can offer for Krampus as a thank you for his work:
- Gingersnaps
- Gingerbread cookies
- Stollen (German fruitcake)
- Pumpernickel
- Jägermeister
- Peppermint Schnapps
- Goldwasser
- Glühwein
- Glühbier
Leave the offering on your altar and replace it the next day.
Start with more on the first day, then less on the next day.
Continue with less until you have only one to offer him and then finish with no offerings.
This will be a slow weaning of offerings which Krampus will then retreat and his work will be done. This is if you wish to work with Krampus only temporary or for a short period of time.
If you want to work with Krampus for long term or on an ongoing basis, you would then continue to give offerings and ensure that you have what you need on hand (cookies, cakes, drinks, candles, oil, etc.)
To dispose of the previous food offerings, crush the cookies (such as gingersnaps or gingerbread), stollen or pumpernickel and leave outside someplace for the local squirrels or rabbits in your area.
To dispose of the previous alcohol offerings, pour the alcohol outside onto the grass or dirt just off your property but nearby.
And that’s that!
So if you need some order in your household or want to quiet down some bothersome people that are persistently troublesome, it’s recommended to read more about Krampus and work with him as your last resort.
Winter Magick, Spells & Goddesses
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