Warding While Watched - A Secret Witch’s Guide
Warding can be a wonderful tool, especially if you work with spirits or just want a good protection system. The idea of warding is simple: an object made with intent to protect you from outside forces (particularly malevolent or unwanted ones) whether tangible or intangible. However, the keeping and creating of wards while residing in a house where you keep your practice secret isn’t so simple.
Whatever your reason for staying secret and practicing in private, warding most likely could be of some use to you. Even if all you are trying to ward off is an annoying neighbour or solicitors. Here are my tips and ideas for warding while watched, coming from me, a secret witch with around 5 or 6 years of experience at this point.
Keep random objects that you make wards. Not only does this save your hide, but also your bank account. Use what you’ve got. Everything has potential to be magical in some way.
Snowglobes can act similar to witch’s balls (a suspended clear or translucent ball that catches energy and traps it for you to release somewhere else)
Windchimes make good “alarms” as long as you position them where there aren’t any drafts. If you enchant them, they can potentially work as a trespasser warning. If touched by a spirit or energy, they may chime.
Mobiles or other suspended objects (at one point I made a weird three dimensional decagon in math class that I used as a ward) can be enchanted to act as wards.
Mirrors, when pointed outwards in a window, can reflect the energy back to the sender. Some believe that they can be portals for spirits, so you can enchant it to be a one way portal to the other side, that way things can go in, but not out into your home.
A slightly less inconspicuous option involving mirrors is the mirror-lined box (called the devil’s toybox, if I recall it correctly). Basically, mirrors are placed all along the walls of a box, where they point towards the inside. When kept, it is thought that any spirit passing by can be caught inside and taken elsewhere to be released. This is because of the confusing nature of the mirrors. However, if you believe that the mirrors are portals, it may just be an inescapable hallway leading to the doorway of a portal. Again, enchanting it to be a one way deal is a good idea, in my opinion. If you wanted to disguise it, you could pass it off as a neat toy or storage solution for things… Decorate the outside rather mundanely to not only distract any suspicion, but also to lead the intruding spirit to believe it is just a box to hide in or explore. Be sure to warn any spirits you welcome into your home about this to ensure they don’t get stuck.
Hanging ornaments are great, especially during the holiday season if you tend to be festive anyway. Place them on a tree, or hang them from your ceiling if it seems easy enough. Throughout the rest of the year, you can try other warding systems, or incorporate these into something else… Or keep them up. You do you.
Have a necklace? Enchant it. Not only will this ward off any unpleasantries while you are out and about, but it will also do so at home or wherever else. Hang it up somewhere such as a necklace tree or hook on your wall. It can be made of anything. I used to do this with a really cool Edward Scissorhands necklace I got forever ago at Hot Topic. It just screams ward to me. I need to find it again haha
Artwork can be used, especially if you incorporate a sigil or protective phrase. Painting over it completely works, too.
Pillows can protect you while you sleep. Enchant them. If you have decor pillows, you can do the same thing!
Decorate your ceiling fan or blind’s pulley system with enchanted charms, or just charge those that are already there.
I am going to list some other things that you can also enchant for the sake of the length and repetiveness of this post:
Doormats, Wreaths, door knockers, door knobs (drawer knobs, too), windows/curtains, random decor objects, garden statues, light bulbs (as they heat, they can intensify the intent you added), belts, pens, backpacks… You get the idea!
This is one of my favourite tactics. All you have to do is place small wards above the sight level of the people you are hiding them from. Sounds weird, I know. But it works, and you can avoid a ton of clutter and save a lot of space.
On the ledge of a doorway, put enchanted pennies or other coins. Tape slips of paper up there after you charge the sigil on it. Put a string of thread or yarn from edge to edge on the ledge, and enchant it to disarm any negative or unwelcome energies that pass through it.
Bookshelves that are tall and deep make perfect spots for thin objects. They are hard to see from the front, and easily forgotten when seen from the side. You can even stack things on top if you have room between the top of the shelf and your ceiling. If not, this is an even better option, as it will be less likely to be searched for any reason.
Have any hanging decor? Is a part of it out of sight near the top? Place wards there, if you want. Sigils work good in my experience.
Vents. I know, it sounds strange, a tad silly. But if you have vents in high places, you can slip a few enchanted pennies or stones into them… Just be cautious, as this can become a bit bulky and suspicious if you don’t clean it out every once in a while.
Curtains are great for hiding wards that you can stick onto things. Enchant something like a sticker, maybe one of those 3D ones so it holds more energy. Stick it on the back of your curtain near the top, between a fold. I doubt anyone will find it, and if they do… “Well, how did that get there?”
Simple enough, and more easily accessible than hiding things above your head.
Beneath the carpet, near the edges, you can slip things under it. Base boards usually have a little space that you can slip things underneath, too. Rugs are similar, I just suggest keeping your ward soft, and sticky so it stays under the rug.
Under your bed, you might have a few slats that keep it stable and supported. Between those and the box spring, wards/sigils can be placed and hidden.
Shoeboxes in your closet are good on their own, but so are the shoes within them. Underneath the sole is a good spot for soft, thin wards. And if you decorate them with things, those can be enchanted too.
Drawers have a ceiling of sorts, whether that be the drawer above them or the counter it sits under. Place wards there too.
Similar to the drawers, the underside of a couch (especially farther in) works well. Other chairs may work as well.
Keep Them in Different Places
Switch up where you put things. Move around the objects so as not to cause suspicion. Ex: why is this water bottle that’s full never used, nor moved? Create a simple rotation system and change it once in a while. This makes it more natural, as most people move decor and such around as seasons or taste changes. However, if you don’t, maybe skip this tip.
I hope this helps some of you!!
