slo’s SUNDAY 5/15 poll - Gazing Ball

[MIGrandma]

I have a blue one in my flower garden.

 

[Dan Murphy]

We do not have one.

I recall when I was a kid, there was a house in the neighborhood that had a chrome one on the front lawn. We used to just call it 'the chrome ball house'. I was always thinking it was going to get stolen or vandalized, but it never was. It was there for years. Did not know it actually had a name.

 

[nene0182]

We had one for about 5 years but last year someone stole it and I decided not to replace it.

 

[BlueStarryHat]

I just read this when googling it.
I might just have to get one to capture those witches!!


Where is the best place to put a gazing ball?


Place gazing balls in low-traffic areas to avoid breakage. Glass gazing balls should be stored indoors during winter months to prevent cracking and the escape of captured witches.

I have a Witch's Ball. But! It isn't for capturing witches. It was given to me by a Wiccan friend with instructions to hang it by a window. It's made of purple textured glass and inside are glass strands. Supposedly, evil spirits get in and are attracted by the pretty ball and the strands inside. They go into the ball and get caught in the strands and can't get out. It's hanging here in my room, yes, next to a window.

EDITED TO ADD: I just Googled witch's balls for the first time. Apparently, besides evil spirits, they were for catching evil witch spells 300 years ago.

 

[Southernmiss]

Love your Shiny ***story!

We were gifted one that is solar and hangs from our pergola on our deck. It has pin points of light that shine.

 

[NAB]

Think it’s pretty but don’t have one.

I‘m alway afraid some will steal my stuff in the front garden. Had a sign on my front porch that said “Weeds for sale 5 cents pick your own” was there for years one day it went missing.

 

[design_mom]

I do not have one, but I don't have any "yard ornaments."

 

[slo]

I’m glad you all enjoyed my story about Mr, Shiny (I love that name - I’m going to start using that around here). Once I take him out from under his winter covering I’ll post a picture

 

[amcnj]

I have one. A family owned glassworks in my state that started in 1929 used to make them. Unfortunately my glass one eventually did break, and the glassworks shut down their furnace in 1999, so now I have a metal one, I believe stainless steel. So far it hasn’t broken or dented!

 

[amcnj]

duplicate! I often run into problems when trying to attach a photo!

 

[PollyannaMom]

I did know what they are, but don't have one. I do have two smaller solar lights, though:

 

[Babs Johnson]

A gazing ball goes best with other tacky lawn ornaments outside a crappy trailer.

 

[leebee]

I had to look it up to see what the poll is about, so obviously I don't have one!

 

[Mysterian]

I've seen these. My neighbor has one. It looks like some element of wizardry, and I have nothing with huge sleeves. "Remove thee from this lawn, church folk!" Actually this could come in handy.

Then before I could launch into a fake post detailing my using these mystic orbs in concentric locations to summon Cthulhu (or at the very least, Dagon) , @BlueStarryHat introduced the history of this ball, and now I'm intrigued!

 

[Mysterian]

I have a Witch's Ball. But! It isn't for capturing witches. It was given to me by a Wiccan friend with instructions to hang it by a window. It's made of purple textured glass and inside are glass strands. Supposedly, evil spirits get in and are attracted by the pretty ball and the strands inside. They go into the ball and get caught in the strands and can't get out. It's hanging here in my room, yes, next to a window.

EDITED TO ADD: I just Googled witch's balls for the first time. Apparently, besides evil spirits, they were for catching evil witch spells 300 years ago.

I'm avoiding googling "witch balls" in case I end up with pictures of NSFW warlocks.

 

[BrianL]

I had no idea what these were either - it seems that that would have been the winning poll option!

 

[North of Mouse]

Was raised in the deep south in the 50's and 60's and I remember several yards having a gazing ball.