Tracking spell

A tracking spell is a spell that identifies the location of a target. There are several types of tracking spells and their methods differ from each other. Tracking spells are mostly performed by witches, although hunters like Bobby have performed tracking spells to great effect. Tracking spells could be used to track humans, demons, objects and potentially, other creatures as well.

Bobby's tracking spell
When the Winchesters tried to find out Lilith's location, Bobby used a tracking spell. Bobby's method involved a device that swung like a pendulum. The contraption was placed above a map. Bobby said that as long as he had the name and the corresponding ritual, he would be able to find the target’s location, accurate to the very street. Bobby then recited in Latin, causing the pointer to move. Once completed, the pointer swung and held its position to the location of the target.

Ruby's tracking spell
Ruby performed a tracking spell to locate Dean Winchester, who was taken by the angels to torture Alastair. Her spell involved setting a map on fire. The fire was magical in nature and consumed the entire map save for the portion that contained Dean's whereabouts.

Angel tracking spells
When looking for Anna Milton, Castiel performed a tracking spell that located her even from the past in 1978. This spell did not manifest visibly in anyway, but seemed to indicate the location into Castiel's mind.

Castiel performed another tracking spell for angels when he wanted to locate Balthazar. He drew a sigil on a table, and put a bowl on top of the sigil. He put three pieces of myrrh on the bowl and required a human's blood, in this case, Dean's. He then poured holy water on the bowl while chanting in Enochian. The incantation was the following: Zod ah mah rah na ee es lah gee roh sah".

The bowl gave off a faint smoke after it located the target. Like the previous tracking spell for the angel Anna, this one provided the location only to the caster in a discreet way, as there were no maps or any other visual indicator that was observed.

The Men of Letters discovered another tracking spell for an angel that worked by extracting some of the grace they left behind in a former vessel and adding it to a group of unknown ingredients to an unknown effect that would give the caster the angel's location. However, this required a significant amount of grace and trying to extract the needed amount of Gadreel's from Sam Winchester nearly killed him. Sam and Castiel still tried the spell, but the amount of grace proved insufficient. This tracking spell has been filed by James Haggerty in his compilation On the Inner Workings of Angels.

Bavarian tracking spell
This was one of the tracking spells mentioned by Sam Winchester when he asked Nora to find her son and Dean's location. Sam indicated that the spell used the flesh of a dismembered body part to locate the rest of the body.

Egyptian tracking spell
This was one of the tracking spells mentioned by Sam Winchester when he asked Nora to find her son and Dean's location. Sam indicated that the spell used the flesh of a dismembered body part to locate the rest of the body.

First Blade locating spell
After gathering information from demons about the Knights of Hell and the First Blade, Tara attempted to seek the weapon. However, after years of fruitless searching, she was only able to find this spell and gathered all but one of the ingredients, essence of Kraken. However, when Dean and Crowley arrived, Crowley was able to get the final ingredient and they performed the spell to locate the blade. However, the spell actually tracked the source of the Blade's power, which was the Mark of Cain, as the Blade itself was thrown into the ocean. This spell was similar to Ruby's tracking spell as it involved setting a map on fire. The unburnt portion of the map pointed the location of the Mark of Cain, and therefore, Cain himself.

Scrying spell
When the Winchesters looking for Rowena to cure Castiel from Attack Dog Spell, they learned about a demonic possession incident in an restaurant and involving her and two Grand Coven grunts. Only one of the grunt survived and arrested by local police, but Rowena escaped. Sam later asked to her to perform a scrying to locate her. The grunt agreed and perform it for them.

The scrying spell needs any reflective medium like crystal, prism, or mirror to be performed. After the medium prepared, the user recite a Latin incantation Ostende mihi, illum quem quaero. After the incantation recited, the medium will be glowing and revealing the target location accurately.

Rowena used this spell and magical ball "Ostende illum mihi quem quaero" to find Lucifer. (Mamma Mia)

Thule tracking spell
The Thules knew of a spell that could locate someone they were targeting. The spell required the target's blood. The spell was performed by Commandant Nauhaus to locate Ellie Grant using her blood. (The One You've Been Waiting For)

Appearances

 * Season 3
 * No Rest For The Wicked


 * Season 4
 * On The Head Of A Pin


 * Season 5
 * The Song Remains the Same


 * ​Season 6
 * The Third Man


 * Season 7
 * Repo Man


 * Season 9
 * First Born


 * Season 11
 * The Bad Seed


 * Season 12
 * The One You've Been Waiting For