Beyond physical weapons, hunters employ a range of rituals, spells, and magical practices drawn from various folk magic traditions. These are not catch-all solutions — each ritual is designed for a specific purpose and requires precise execution to work.
Exorcism
The Latin exorcism rite ("Exorcizamus te, omnis immundus spiritus...") forces a demon out of its human host and back to Hell. The full ritual takes several minutes to recite, during which the demon will fight violently to stop the speaker. Demons can be held in place during an exorcism using devil's traps, restraints, or salt lines. Exorcism does not kill the demon — it merely banishes it back to Hell, from where it can potentially escape again.
Summoning Rituals
Various entities can be summoned using specific rituals: crossroads demons (burying a box containing specific items at a crossroads at midnight), angels (specific Enochian prayers), and various other creatures. Summoning is dangerous — the summoned entity is not automatically bound or controlled unless additional measures (devil's traps, binding circles) are in place.
Hex Bags
Hex bags are small cloth pouches containing specific ingredients (herbs, bones, coins, personal items) that produce a magical effect. Protective hex bags can hide a person from supernatural detection — Sam and Dean used hex bags to hide from angels and demons simultaneously. Offensive hex bags can cause illness, bad luck, or death. The composition varies depending on the magical tradition and the desired effect.