Warding and Protection both Physically and Astrally
The knowledge of these two subjects are imperative to have in order to keep both you and your companion safe, as well as 100% needed to apply for any spirit at Lorelei’s. When you get started in spirit work you are walking out into a rainstorm and wards are your umbrella, your jacket, maybe even the car you drive in to stay dry and safe.
Physical wards include salt or any protective crystal or sigil. It could be hopping in a circle in your room while humming a song. Whatever you physically do to make yourself feel safe is a physical ward. Salt, sage, jasper, smoke, hopping around and wearing your blanket as a cape are all physical wards. There are hundreds of tips out there that are for discreet witches. Sigils are easy to hide. Use an oil diffuser with essential oils that correspond with protection. Light candles with corresponding intent. Plants are inconspicuous. So is salt. Carry a salt packet in my phone case. Of course anything helps. Even that old bracelet you found who knows how long ago that just seems to hum protective energy is a physical ward!
Metaphysical wards are wards made of energy. They are set up using your own energy or energy that is borrowed with consent. You do not need to astral travel to set up wards. Visualization is your friend.
Here are two simple methods:
1. Look at your physical room (or wherever you want to set up a ward). Follow the lines of where each wall meets another and visualize white light trailing in the wake of your vision. Follow the lines of one wall first, and once you make a square with your white light (or whatever shape your wall is), visualize the square being colored or filled in with your wards of choice. Continue this procedure until all of the walls, floor, and ceiling is warded. Then, expand your wards out to the rest of your house to keep every room and everyone inside safe. Use your intent to make sure it is impenetrable.
2. Get into a meditative state and feel your own energy. Pull it up into your hands and imagine your energy jumping from hand to hand. Turn this stream into a ball and simply add energy into this ball until it’s the size of your room or space. This can take a while depending on the size of the space you want to ward. While increasing size think what you want this ball of energy to do. “Keep out malicious spirits” or “filter negative energy into positive energy” are two starting points.
Don’t forget that it’s also good to ward your own person! You don’t want to be exposed to danger just because you went to work, or otherwise left your wards! I would also put extra wards on things you don’t want others to touch. I ward my companion’s vessels, my laptop and phone, as well as anything else I would like to make sure stays untouched.
One last tip is to make sure you cover all of your bases. Make sure there’s not a random wall or other gap that isn’t warded. Make sure there’s no loophole that an awful spirit could get in through.
To test wards, you may want to have an experienced friend or person look at them. You could also ram yourself at your own wards to see if they keep out what they are supposed to, but having a second opinion is always great when it comes to protection, especially if you are just starting.
The upkeep of wards is important too. Make sure to check for cracks or breaks in wards, and to add more energy as time goes on. Physical wards, such as crystals, need to be cleansed regularly. I suggest doing a thorough check of all wards at least once every two weeks, but once a week would be best when you’re just starting.
There are seven main types of wards. Notice wards, Offensive wards, Defensive wards, Monitoring and Safety wards, Comfort wards, Variance wards, and Ward Fillers.
Notice Wards
Notice wards are wards that leave a message for others. They don’t stop spirits from passing though but give them information. Either the information can be energetically told to them as they pass through, no reading or language knowing required. Or the ward can act more as a sign post that they have the option to read.
Let passing spirits of closed cultures know that I am not of their culture and that I may not know that. I then have one that doesn’t let closed culture spirits get within 5 feet of my physical body. I don’t want to accidentally be an ass about it.
Let spirits know that I am a spirit worker and that they’re welcome to interact with me. As well as other general information about me, such as my job as a spirit shop owner and knowledge of the ensured safety of my home.
Rules for entering the space.
A polite warning that some spirits may not be allowed further in.
Defensive Wards
Wards whose purpose is to defend you or your space. Usually takes large amounts of energy to make and upkeep. Can be envisioned in many ways depending on your opinions of “safety”. Walls of iron or stone, impenetrable vines, smoke or fog are just a few examples of what you could base your wards on.
To protect and shield against attacks, malicious or otherwise.
Hide the warded area away and unreachable without permission.
Keep others from being able to scry inside of the wards.
Keep parasites out as they often worm their way through many wards unnoticed
Keep spirits of any species you do not want to interact with out
Keep away and dispel curses, hexes, bindings
Offensive Wards
Wards that attack those who cross a line. While defensive wards can keep spirits from entering, what is the point if after some time the spirit can just destroy the defensive ward? Offensive wards keep spirits from reaching that part. Can look and act a variety of ways much like defensive wards.
It is recommended to have many different types. If you have one offensive ward that sets the malicious spirit on fire but a malicious spirit is fire then the ward is next to useless. It is best to have different wards for different types of spirits
Harm malicious spirits that harm another ward
Harm spirits that approach with malicious intent
Teleport malicious spirits far away
Monitoring and Safety Wards (sometimes called Door Wards)
These wards are typically what you think of when you think of wards (aside from maybe defensive wards). They act if something happens. If you have anti-deception or anti-lying wards, then these wards will do something about it when something happens. One may think that these are ward fillers (discussed later) but these wards do not fill up the area. These wards only pay attention to what is happening inside of the ward area. If something happens, they stretch out their own energy to interact with the rule violating spirit and do as directed.
If lying is found, teleport out
If found otherwise deceiving, teleport out
If there is a violent action, teleport out
Comfort Wards (sometimes called Energy Altering Wards)
This type of ward’s job is to keep life inside of the wards easier and more comfortable. These can be very intricate depending on what type of ward you want to make. These types of wards can also be used for many other uses if you get creative with it.
Keep the room a comfortable temperature for all entities inside
Filter stress and transform it into positive energy
Filter negative energy into positive energy
Keep the bathroom unable to peer into if someone is already inside and verbal consent is not given
A small corner that is invisible for people to hide if they don’t want to be seen (though we are aware they are there. Most use it to sneak the last slice of cake, or wrap presents).
Variance Wards
Variance wards themselves are not wards, but rather are wards that affect other wards. They are wards that allow for a grey area between black and white. When making a ward, it can be really easy to say “if malicious, teleport out immediately”, but whose definition of malicious are you using? Malicious means to do harm, but do you mean harmful to you? To anyone within your wards? What if the spirit means to do harm but not to you or anyone else, they are simply a carnivore wanting a meal? Is deadheading a plant enough to kick your own self out as you are doing harm to the plant?
For another strong example is lying. If you have a no-lying ward on it’s own it may kick out anyone who told a made up story, or exaggerated the smallest detail, or is just trying to be sarcastic/funny (i.e. “no my names not fox, why would you think that? honestly, so cruel to forget my own name smh smh”). So whenever the anti-lying ward kicks up, it has to run through a series of checks (variance wards) before it can do anything. “Is the intention to deceive and harm others? Is the lie about something life threatening? Is the lie a story? Does everyone else in the room know that this is a lie?”
You can see how working in pure black and white isn’t the best option. Spirits act differently and have different morals that humans and other spirits, and that’s important to consider when making wards.
When making a variance ward, you yourself need to answer all of these questions and provide the ward enough information about your desires that in situations it can make informed and accurate decisions. You should also make sure to always make sure that you can overrule every decision that the ward makes incase of mistakes.
When weighty decisions must be made (i.e. harming a spirit for X reason)
Is there malicious intent behind decisions - define malicious each time
Allow warning for a spirit if their culture and past make them unaware of what is intended.
Ward Fillers
Though this is at the bottom of the list, ward fillers are arguably one of the most important types of wards. I mention it last because ward fillers can be a subcategory of every other type of ward. Until this point, most wards have been activated when a spirit reaches them as though to pass. But what good are your wards if the spirit is already inside? Or can just teleport in? Ward fillers are wards that fill the space inbetween your wards. They make it so that once within the bounds of your wards, they are still held responsible for their actions and can be kicked out if needed. There can be defensive, offensive,
Any use that any other ward has
Inability to teleport inside
Should a spirit become malicious while inside the wards, teleport them out
Please stay safe out there my friends!! If you have ANY questions at all, please do not hesitate to ask!!
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