Thanks to Sojourner, I recently read an article written by Jenavira, a Wiccan questioning the use of salt as an altar fixture. Personally, as a Reconstructionist, I don’t keep a bowl of salt on my shrine, but I do use it as an offering from time to time. I had some of the same questions she did, especially the disposing of it.

I couldn’t just throw it in the trash; it had been on my altar, and it deserved better than that. I couldn’t bury it, as I did the other bits and pieces which wouldn’t be coming with me; salted soil is barren, and that’s hardly what I intended to leave behind.

Her ultimate solution is to replace salt with plain earth. I think that works to the extent salt is a symbol of earth, but I think it is much more than that. Her article impelled me to do some further research.

The Magic of the Horseshoe by Robert Lawrence, discusses many folklore magical uses of salt. In general, salt is a symbol of protection, purity, and hospitality. It is vital to life. It’s a component of holy water in Catholicism and other religions and used in various purification and protection rituals the world around.

So, if it is used or offered, how should it be disposed of? Just how dangerous is it to plant life? One source says that soil has to reach a level of 0.5 - 1.0 percent to kill plants. Another suggests it takes about a pound per square foot. This suggests to me that the amounts we typically use, if scattered over a wide area, would not pose a threat to vegetation. I would also consider dumping it in a river or bog along with other offerings as a Celtic Recon.

I’m glad Jenavira wrote her article. The use and disposal of salt and understanding its meaning, as with all ritual items and symbols, is well worth careful consideration. I would love to hear other thoughts and comments on this subject.