A poppet is a doll fashioned from cloth or clay to represent a person or persons at whom a spell is directed. The cloth doll is usually stuffed with Spanish moss, to give it form, and herbs that correspond with the primary intention of the spell. When clay is used, small amounts of the primary herbs are crushed and then mixed in with the soft clay. Photographs, hair, nail clippings, and clothing belonging to the person are then added to the doll. The intention is to make the doll resemble the person, so that what is done to the doll will in turn actually happen to the person.
In most cases, poppets are used for love-drawing spells, healing rites, and in some cases to protect an individual from harm. The entire process is based on the first principle of magick, the Law of Similarity (also referred to as homeopathic or imitative magick), which basically states that like produces like, or that an effect may resemble its cause. Simply put, whatever you do to the symbolic representation of a person, place or thing will directly affect that same person, place, or thing.
