Spiritworker's Guide to Crafting an Enchanted Amulet
[SEE A REAL EXAMPLE OF THIS SPELL HERE]
There is one way of creating a protective amulet. This method involves taking powers and energies and adding them on to a “blank” object. This method works well and I have used it many times before.
However, many of us in spirit work are not really interested in witchcraft-based spellwork. I would like to present a new method of creating a protective amulet, by awaking the spirit within the amulet itself, and getting it to agree to protect whoever wears or holds the amulet.
DIFFICULTY LEVEL: Beginner
First, though, a few words on protection.
I generally expect certain nature spirits to be nice guys. Never met a vicious crystal (a few grumpy and mean ones, but never an evil rock). A few plant spirits have attacked me but I stray far from home. I do not think anyone carrying out these exercises of talking to basic, friendly spirits is going to be at risk. There are however a few notes I do have:
DO NOT work with any materials that make you feel uncomfortable, nervous, or worried. Such feelings are not indicative that the material has a lot of power; it means the material is WRONG for this project.
Stick with my recommended materials list coming up if you really want to focus on spirits that are known to be friendly towards humans.
It is up to you to adjust the contents of this post as you see fit, experiment, and try new magic. Once you leave the beaten trail, you need to start working within your own system of protections.
PROCESS
You will be using a rock or crystal, a natural object like a pine cone, or a collection of herbs bound in a sachet. It is vital you choose an object which you believe contains a protective spirit. If you associate bluebirds with flowers and clouds, don’t use a bluebird feather for this project.
Certain materials are more traditional because people have had success with them over and over again. I will list my recommended amulet materials next.
You will “awaken” this spirit, talk to it, get to know it, and secure its service as a protector. You can then empower the spirit and learn how to take care of it, feed it, and cleanse it.
In the end, you should have an awoken and empowered spirit vessel working as a powerful protector on your behalf.
MATERIALS
Spirit worker 101: “Protection” doesn’t work the same way with every spirit. An onyx spirit may produce an astral warrior to fight your enemies, while a cinnamon spirit may produce a wall to protect you. Which would better serve you? Choose your allies wisely; talk to many potential allies before you choose the one you really want to work with. Even better, secure several allies who can all work together to help you in powerful ways.
Here are my recommended materials:
Any black crystal or rock, or any crystal or rock known for its powers of protection. Examples are onyx, tourmaline, and hematite. Also, hag stones make excellent natural protective amulets.
A piece of wood from any holy tree (perhaps from a pagan tradition you follow), or a tree with traditional protective properties in your culture. Examples where I live are oak and pine. Dried and preserved leaves/needles, bark, acorns, or pine cones, will also work well.
Rosemary, mullein, cinnamon, cloves, basil, or bay leaf are my top six herbal allies for defense and protection. Put them in a tiny necklace jar or in a small cloth sachet.
FIRST STEPS - tl;dr: Cleanse the vessel and cast a circle.
There is one basic safety measure everyone can take when approaching a potential new spirit. You can thoroughly cleanse and purify the vessel. A harsh cleansing is not necessary; something gentle and thorough will suffice. Choose a method that will not damage the physical material you have chosen.
Incense Take some purifying incense. If you can manage it, burn or singe some bay leaf. Hold your object in the incense smoke and vividly imagine that the smoke goes not only over the object but inside of it! Imagine the gentle cleansing incense purifies the object and takes away every negative energy and ill-intent, leaving it purified and connected to Nature.
Water Place your object underneath running water (the sink or tub will do; natural is great if you can manage it). Imagine that the water streams inside of and through the object, rinsing away every negative and unwanted energy.
Earth Bury the object in natural soil for 24 hours, or three days for a very serious case. Expose the soil to sunlight and moonlight to improve the process.
Light Using your favorite energy work technique, create a ball of purifying and cleansing energies. Immerse your object inside of this sphere of energy and let it be cleansed. Draw the energy inside of your object so it is thoroughly cleansed.
After you cleanse you will want to follow a basic protective measure. This is possibly the simplest thing you can do to protect yourself at this stage. Cast a circle intended to keep spirits out.
When your object is cleansed and ready to become an amulet, go to where you would like to talk to the spirit (I usually choose my bedroom because all my magical stuff is in there). Face east. Point at the ground and envision a blue flame spring from the ground. Turn around in a clockwise motion, repeating this phrase:
“This ground be purified, protected, and blessed, in the name of my highest Powers; this circle keep all spirits out except the one I invite.”
(Alter this to refer to your higher powers by name, or reference your own power).
Once you finish the circle and return to the east, imagine the blue flame springs up in a glorious sphere that completely surrounds you, keeping out all spirits except the one you invite.
Now you are ready to begin!
TALKING TO THE SPIRIT FOR THE FIRST TIME - tl;dr: Focus on the spirit, talk to it. Ask it if it will help you make an amulet; if it says no, move on. If it says yes, continue talking and making friends.
Spirit communication is the easiest thing in the world. Don’t psyche yourself out about it. Hold your object or place it on a nice, clean surface. It should now be purified and you should be inside a protective circle (why a circle? When you call for a spirit and not in a properly warded space, any spirit may arrive. Always ward before you call spirits!).
Focus on the object. Consider what may be inside of it, what spirit may rest there.
Touch the object if you feel like it. Hold it close, put it on your forehead like me if you really get in to it. Do whatever feels comfortable. When you are ready, call to the spirit:
“Spirit of this [object], known for its protective powers, will you come greet me today? I need to speak with you.”
While you make this call, visualize or believe that your words reach the soul of the object you are talking to, igniting it and ‘waking it up’ from its slumber.
For me an action like this typically garners immediate response. If you do not receive a response, a few things may be going on: Either the spirit is not interested in speaking with you, or you don’t know how to hear it, or it didn’t hear you the first time.
Try asking one more time, and see what happens. If the spirit still does not reply, put the object down, feed it some energy, and try again later.
If you actually get a response, DO NOT expect a living fae to rise out of the physical stone, dancing in front of you like so many LSD hallucinations. You are going to receive a response within your mind 9 times out of 10. You will receive input in one form or another. Some people experience external emotions, feelings, and sensations which are not their own. Other people hear words, sounds, songs, or other verbal communication. Other people have visions of spirits within their mind. Some people simply “know”, and “know” when the spirit hears them and “know” what the spirit’s response is, without ever having any kind of tangible input. Everyone’s experience is different.
In my typical experience, I would “see” a spirit in my mind’s eye, as well as feel the spirit’s energies and intent, and hear words they speak. You may have a totally different way of communication!
For first contact, introduce yourself. “Hi, my name is Cranberry. I called you because I would love to work with you, and I think we can be of benefit to each other.” State who you are and clearly state your intentions. There is no need to beat around the bush, spirits aren’t usually offended when people seek out their aid.
Then, you wait for the spirit to respond. If you get “no way”, “not my thing,” sensations or feelings, thank the spirit and put it away and choose something else to be your amulet.
Spiritworker 101: You’re a fucking idiot if you force spirits to be your servants and slaves. They’re only eventually going to turn against you, and you’ll eventually gain a permanent spiritual reputation as an asshole that good guys won’t work with any more. There are SO MANY good and helpful spirits that will willingly work for fair pay, which we owe them. I’ve heard the most stupid, idiotic excuses that novices make to defend abuse and slavery. Fuck you if you enslave spirits.
If you get “go ahead,” “I’m interested,” or, “go on….” vibes, continue.
MAKING THE DEAL – tl;dr Be nice to the spirit and ask it to help you.
There is a difference between wild spirits that can fend for themselves, and spirits taken out of their natural environment to come live in my house. A spirit that lives in my unnatural house may not have access to the food and ability to cleanse and care for itself as it otherwise would. So right away I usually ask a spirit that lives in my house if it would like a nice, small offering. A glass of fresh water is more than enough, sometimes a bit of incense is appreciated. Occasionally a spirit will ask for a specific enchanted formula in my room that will give them a good boost.
In general, continue casting your protective circle every time you talk to this spirit. ESPECIALLY if the space you are working in is not fully warded!! If you are working in a fully warded space and you know how to connect with the spirit inside the object, then I wouldn’t worry too much about protective circles unless you really just want to be extra safe :)
Up to this point, the object has been cleansed and we are inside a protective circle. We are assuming I have just made first contact with the spirit and it has given me signals to continue. So here I will offer it a small offering such as a glass of water.
If the spirit is quiet or is not saying much, or if it asks for more info, fill the spirit in. Simply tell the spirit you seek a protective ally, one that can guard you against malicious spirits and negative energies, and protect against the ill-intent of other humans. Say why you have chosen this spirit – did it come highly recommended? Have you had a personal experience with its protective abilities? And state what you will do to pay the spirit back. Try offering a cleansing twice a month and energy feedings once a week, or both whenever necessary.
Many protective spirits I know are warriors and are proud and boastful about their abilities. They often leap at the chance to protect someone and will gladly do it. Other spirits are more cautious or coy and will not agree right away, instead wanting to talk more and get to know you more. If a spirit is not agreeing to protect you, no need to beg or convince it; thank it, put it away, and try another spirit instead. You may find it is just necessary to actually get to know spirits in general more before they agree to work with you, so in that case it is fine to spend however much time you need getting to know the spirit.
Ultimately most spirits I know will have some questions so spend some time answering anything the spirit wants to know. They may want to know if you have any enemies they must defeat, what kind of ailments you have, what energies you are facing, what kind of cleansing they will receive, what kind of food they will receive, and so on. Hash out the details and take notes as needed so you do not forget any part of the agreement being made.
In general you are making a business deal (even if you guys become great friends and allies) and you need to work out some details:
Will the spirit help you only when it is specifically called? Do you need to be aware of danger before it will kick in? Or will the spirit stay vigilant and watch? Should you tell him when to be vigilant? Do you want him always aware? The more active the spirit is, the more feedings it will require. Everything is an exchange. Do you want to be aware of when you are being protected of negative energies, or not? Do you want the spirit to alert you if it senses something nearby? Will it protect an area it is in, or only a human who specifically holds it? Work out all these details. In general, asking the spirit to give you a sense of security when it is “working” is a great idea. It lets you know within a few moments if your spirit ally is able to help you that day.
If you are making a general protective amulet, skip this step. If you know you have specific enemies, whether they be human or spirit, ask the amulet spirit what it can specifically do to protect against your enemies. Depending on how easily you can work with spirits and make amulets such as this one, it may be worth your while to spend the time finding an ally who can help you the most against specific beings you face.
Sooner or later the spirit is either going to agree or disagree. I’ve never gotten a “let me think about it” from a nature spirit before. They pretty much seem to know what they’re going to do. If the spirit disagrees, thank it and return it to where it belongs. If it agrees, you now have secured the services of a protective spirit!
TESTING YOUR AMULET - tl;dr show me what you gotttt
Now a spirit has agreed to be a protector. But in my way of working you don’t just “finish up”. For anyone interested in above-beginner energy work, spirit work, spell work, and astral travel, you need to figure out how this magic is actually literally realistically going to work on your behalf.
Once I am in communion with the spirit and they have agreed to help me, I ask to see an example of how their protective powers work against a specific enemy. For example, you can ask, “how would your charms help me against another spirit seeking to harm me?” Then wait and see what input you get.
I will get visions of how thinks “work” according to my understanding of the astral. No matter what you should gain at least a slightly better understanding of how your enchantment is going to work, even if you only get a feeling such as “security” or an image of a wall.
In general I ask these three questions:
“Can you show me how you will protect me against malicious spirits?” “Can you show me how you will protect me against energies or spells?” “Can you show me how you will protect me against malicious humans?**”
**These amulets are for protection during spiritual encounters, not physical encounters. Do not rely on magic to keep you physically safe.
If I am satisfied that the spirit knows what it is doing (and if you used any of the recommended materials, it should), I thank it for its time. I give it a feeding, a nice offering as thanks for making this deal, and I either “hang up” or spend enjoyable time with this spirit.
MAINTAINING YOUR AMULET AND THE SPIRIT WITHIN – tl;dr uphold your end of the deal, feed the spirit, be nice to it.
Once your deal has been made, try talking to this spirit regularly. This is especially nice if you have no other companions or limited spirit experience. Remember to cast your circle every time if you are working outside of a fully warded space. Try wearing or touching the amulet as you work with it :)
DON’T forget to cleanse and feed the spirit as you have agreed. If you have to “take a break”, low spoon month, etc. – see if you can’t at least say hello to the spirit and explain the situation. Otherwise, I often find these types of protective spirits to be good-natured and not prone to anger (especially rocks).
Wear or hold your amulet whenever you need it. Activate it by whatever word or signal you agreed to if it does not always remain aware.
Use this amulet as protection while doing other spirit work, astral traveling, or simply when you need it daily. Talk to the spirit within the amulet regularly; it is not a mindless spell, it is a real being. Ask it about things that happen to you and seek greater insight. A spirit that follows you around regularly may have great insight in to your life.
A spirit may be empowered in certain ways. Keeping the vessel very thoroughly cleansed and energetically fed makes a huge difference.
To energetically feed a vessel, choose one of the following methods:
Incense Take some vivifying incense, something bright and enjoyable. If you are unsure of what to choose, ask the spirit within or choose a scent you think that individual would like. If you get an unclear response, go with basil and chamomile or any stick incense. Hold the vessel over the smoke and imagine the smoke is drawn within and turns in to a feast for the spirit to enjoy. Imagine the spirit of the vessel feasting on the smoke and enjoying it immensely. If you get feelings of “no” or “stop”, the spirit does not like the incense presented and you should of course stop immediately.
Flame Light a candle of any type. Hold the vessel over the candle flame and imagine the heat and light from the candle arise and go inside the vessel, warming it and giving the spirit pure energy from which it can heal and rest.
Offerings Gather foods, beverages, consumables (such as tobacco), and/or alcohol. Place the offerings next to the vessel and encourage the spirit to come out and enjoy all the physical offerings placed before them.
Light Using your favorite energy work technique, create a ball of energizing and healing energies. Put this energy in to the vessel and encourage the spirit to use it and enjoy it according to their greatest needs and desires.
A spirit may also be empowered by giving it various magical waters, potions, and formulas. A spirit vessel adorned with War Water can give the spirit within special abilities, in my experience UPG alert I guess I’ve never heard anyone else talk about this. I find my spirits greatly enjoy the formula Glory Water, which they request regularly. They also like a custom blend of mine called Snake Water, which is actually just a very simple and highly cleansing formula.
Store your vessel somewhere it is comfortable. I hang mine on the wall usually, you may want to keep yours on your altar or in a nice, special space. If you ever lose the need for this vessel, tell the spirit within that you have lost your need for its services and break the contract.
I HOPE THIS HELPED! MESSAGE ME WITH QUESTIONS :3
