Kamden Cornell is an author, apothecarist, and wortcunner, who runs a shop called Heart & Vine Apothecary. Their latest release (which is actually a re-release) is called On Pins and Needles: A Witch’s Book of Poppetry & Figure Magic.
In this episode, Kamden returns to M3 to discuss everything related to poppets, which is actually a much larger and more ancient practice than most people would first imagine. How do they work? What can we do with them? Well… watch the episode and see.
Or in this case, read on and catch some highlights. I know, I know… I’m kind of behind in these posts—like by two months. Life has been busy, okay?
No more time to waste! Let’s get to it!
Behind the Scenes
Kamden chuckles a little when I ask the opening questions. It’s not that they’re funny questions or anything—it’s just not the first time I had to ask them. We hit a bunch of technical difficulties during this episode, which meant that Kamden had to answer everything over again the second time I hit the record button. Come to think of it, it might have actually been three times. Was Mercury in retrograde? Maybe… but in the life of a podcast, this sort of thing is bound to happen every now and then, regardless of planetary alignments. I really appreciate people like Kamden who can approach it with humor rather than frustration.
This is Kamden’s second appearance on M3. Their previous chat was all about weeds and invasive plants, which was an entirely fascinating discussion in its own right. If you haven’t seen that yet, head on back to Season 3 and check it out!
On Pins and Needles
If you’ve ever been curious to try poppet magick, On Pins and Needles needs to be in your reading pile. Kamden Cornell skillfully guides you around the world and through the practice’s historical roots, from the kollosoi of Ancient Egypt to the modern day—and that’s just the introduction.
The rest of the book tells you everything you ever wanted to know about actually doing the work with tools, materials, correspondences, rituals, and more. I’ll admit, there were certainly some things in here that I had never personally considered, like stuffing a poppet with meat. Honestly, that sounds kind of gross, but as Kamden points out in a short disclaimer, “Witchcraft can be messy and, at times, disgusting. If it was easy, everyone would do it.”
Don’t worry, you’ll find all the necessary information on the standard fabric and poly-fill poppets as well, but the book goes deeper with somewhat advanced rituals on awakening, enlivening, and ensouling your creations.
I did make a video review, so you can go check that out and see me flip through it.
The Laws
So how do poppets work? As Kamden explains, it’s all about two laws: Sympathy and Contagion.
Sympathy is your basic idea that “like affects like.” It also tells us that if one thing reminds us enough of another thing, we can (for all magickal intents and purposes, anyway) treat it as if it actually was the other thing. This is why poppets are so frequently made in shapes that vaguely resemble humans. And it’s also why the finer points of my sewing skills don’t really matter… because they’re good enough.
Contagion gives us the direct link. Many people use DNA or personal concerns: fingernail clippings, hair, blood, the list goes on. But you might also find a “vector of contagion” (to use a Kamden term) in the dust from someone’s footprint. If someone was ever in contact with something, then they can remain connected to it regardless of physical proximity.
Put those two things together and you’ve got poppet magick. Take a human-shaped doll, add your vectors of contagion, and you can directly influence a target.
I’m going to have to watch where I step… I’ve been leaving footprint dust all over the place.
Kamden’s Favorite Poppet Style
The practice of poppetry isn’t limited to needle and thread. I mean, I’m sure that fabric dolls do account for a huge number of poppets in the world, but there are other options available like wax, dough, wood, and paper. Kamden’s favorite happens to be clay.
In the interview, we spent a bit of time talking about the symbolism of clay, why it’s tied to myth, and why it’s almost innately magickal in and of itself. If you’re picking and choosing which parts of the episode to listen to, this is one you don’t want to miss.
The beauty of clay is that it’s also incredibly practical. All of the ingredients can be thrown together quickly and easily shaped into a figure. Remember kids, poppets don’t have to take up all your time with a next-level crafting process. In other words, they don’t have to look exactly like a person. Tying it all back to the Law of Sympathy, they just have to remind us enough of someone in order to be effective. So yeah, maybe that oddly-shaped lump of clay does look like Aunt Betsey (Side Note: We might never know for sure exactly what Aunt Betsey did to Kamden, but suffice it to say, we should stay on their good side.)
Personally, I stick to needle and thread for most poppet magick. I venture to other materials, like wax or clay, when something feels like it needs extra oomph. Different strokes for different folks!
Finding Kamden Online
If you’re trying to connect with Kamden Cornell online, here’s where you can start.
- Instagram: @heart_n_vine_apothecary
- Website: heartandvineapothecary.com
If you haven’t already, be sure to check out Kamden’s other book, The Tameless Path. And for some other new books from them in the near future. One will be a release of their first book, Ars Granorum, and the other will feature a Tarot method you’ve probably never read about before!
Music
Want to hear about Kamden’s favorite musical memory? Well, you’ll have to listen to the interview for that. But here’s a hint: it involves a drum circle.
Conclusion
It was great to speak with Kamden again. I’m always happy when people have a fun time and return to my show for another round of interrogations. I also hope to have them back again for their upcoming releases!
All-in-all, I took quite a few things from this conversation and from Kamden’s book that I will be adding to my own practice in the future. It’s always good to have options.
Shoutout to Crossed Crow for sending me a copy of Kamden’s book! And you know what? They publish my book, too.
Please subscribe to my YouTube channel and give this video a watch. Stay tuned for more fun episodes coming out this season soon!
Ah, finally, the fine print. Well, my friends, here ye shall find the disclaimers, provisos, and quid pro quos. Actually, all I have to tell you is that there are referral links on this page. If you use one of those links to make a purchase, Amazon will pay me a small commission.
Aerik Arkadian 
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