Ambergris: Lust, sex Anemone - health, protection, healing
Angelica: Protection, exorcism, remove curses and hexes, healing, visions, wards off negativity when sprinkled around the house, increases life energy bringing warmth of Fire element, wards off negativity when sprinkled around the house
Anise: Divination, psychic awareness, joy, dreams, luck, love, enthusiasm, Winter Solstice, entices the spirits to aid in spells
Apple: Love, healing, garden blessing, buried in the garden on Samhain as food for the departing spirits, to be shared with one you love, immortality, happiness, luck, broken heart, spirit food, the goddess
Betony: Love, healing, burn at Litha for purification, protection; place under pillow to be rid of nightmares; sprinkle around doors to ward off despair, psychic awareness
Burdock: Protection, healing, wards off negativity, purifies, protects (washing floors or dried root on red string around the neck), happy home, clears space & holds the space safe, spirit of north
Comfrey: (TOXIC) Money, root or leaves for healing, carry for safe travel, protection, stress management, safe Journeys (Worldly or through Meditation) , Winter Solstice
Copal: Love, purification, exorcism, protection, spirituality, earth element, sets sacred space, allows guides and guidance to come
Dill: Love, lust, seeds draw money, leaves for protection, flowers for love
Dittany of Crete: Manifestations, astral projection
Dock: Money, healing, fertility
Dodder: Love divination, knot magic
Dogbane: Love
Dogwood: Protection, wishes
Dong Quai, Slices: Health, vitality, fire element rituals
Dragons Blood: Power, protection, exorcism, potency, love, courage, fortune, catalyst, magick power, strength, purification, stimulates action of other herbs in incense blend, stimulates movement of energy
Dulse: Harmony, lust
Dutchman's Breeches: Love
E
Ebony: Protection, power
Echinacea: Strengthening spells, health, strength, wards off negativity or undesirable energies
Edelweiss: Invisibility, bullet-proofing
Elder: (CAUTION: SEEDS ARE POISONOUS, TOXIC) Money, wishes, theft protection, exorcism, healing, prosperity, sleep, wards negative thoughts when used as wind chimes, blessings, do not burn the wood of elder for it is sacred to Hecate, see fairies in the trees at Litha, flowers used as an alter offering, berries for esbat wine, flowers added to candle spells directed at hecate during the new moon, cleansing, offering
Foxglove: (CAUTION: POISONOUS, TOXIC) Faeries and elves, lust, grow in garden for protection of the house and yard
Fragrant Bedstraw: Love
Frankincense: Exorcism, purification, protection, spirituality, power, meditation, blessing, concentration, banishing, courage, divination, healing, love, purification, consecration, sets sacred space, sets safe space for guides to come in, spirit of east or north
Fumitory: Money, exorcism
Furz/egorse: Burn at Ostara for protection and as a preparation for any conflict
Ginger: Love, money, success, power, aphrodisiac, psychic ability, apathy, lust, good health, magickal power, fire element rituals, brings into existence, bringer of the manifestation, 3rd chakra vitality, inner strength, stimulates flow of energy, spirit of south
Ginseng: Longevity, sexual potency, protection, healing, love, lust, wishes, beauty, vitality, fertility, desire, encourages a long lasting affect, strength
Goat's Rue: Healing, health
Goldenrod: Prosperity, money, divination, luck
Goldenseal: Money, healing
Gorse: Protection, money
Gotu Kola: Meditation
Gourd: Protection
Grain: Protection
Grains of Paradise: Love, lust, luck, money, wishes
Hawthorne Berries: 4th chakra strength and vitality, love, contentment
Hazel: Luck, fertility, protection, wishes, nuts strung on cord in house or ritual room to invite the help of plant fairies, used for wands, healing, anti-lightning, love, aphrodisiac, wisdom, divination, mental powers, intelligence, inspiration
Heather: Luck, protection, red to start or end an affair, white for protection, purple for spiritual development, use at samhain to invite spirits to visit, rain making, spirituality
Hops: Healing, sleep, stress management, opens the channel in and out of the body in relationship with the universe
Horehound: Exorcism, healing, purification, protection, mental clarity, balance, banishing, opens air element within body & in the world, opens channel for clear communication
Juniper: Protection, love, exorcism, health, anti-theft, banishing, peace, wishes, aphrodisiacs, sets sacred space, spirit of north
K
Kava Kava: Lust, protection while traveling, astral projection, visions, luck, visions, protection, love, opens one to receiving guidance and guides
Kelp: Wind spells, psychic powers, protection, connection to divine source through the physical and spiritual, unity, life-force strengthening, spirit of center
Knotweed: Health, binding spells, protection
L
Lady's Mantle: Love, self control
Lady's Slipper: Protection
Larch: Protection, anti-theft
Larkspur: Protection, health
Lavender: Protection, call in good spirits, love, sleep, longevity, happiness, peace, healing, burn for purification, peace, use in bath for purification, burn at Litha as an offering, psychic awareness, chastity, liberation, menopause, childbirth, grief or loss, youthful vigor, stress management, travel, anger management, attracts elves
Magnolia: Fidelity, past lives, peace, sex, broken heart, beauty, wisdom
Mahogany, Mountain: Anti-lightning
Maidenhair: Beauty, love
Male Fern: Luck, love
Mallow: Love, protection, exorcism
Mandrake: (TOXIC) potency, exorcism, protection, fertility, money, love, health, protection, catalyst, prosperity, divination, increase psychic powers, aphrodisiacs, cursing enemies, building, banishing, protection in the subconscious, unconscious and underworld,
Maple: Money, longevity, love
Marigold: Prophetic dreams, protection, legal matters, marriage spells, enhanced psychic powers, pick in full sun, business and legal matters, clairvoyant dreams, mixed with water and rubbed on the eyelids to see fairies
Motherwort: Balances within, self empowerment, 2nd chakra
Mugwort: Astral projection, strength, psychic powers, protection, prophetic dreams, healing, divination, rub fresh herb on crystal balls and magick mirrors to increase their strength, pick on full moon night, clairvoyance, purification, sex, renewal, fertility, clearing, sleep, visions, opens one to the teachings of the subconscious and unconscious self, 6th and 7th chakras
Mulberry: Protection, strength
Mullein: Exorcism, health, protection, courage, love divination, calling spirits, dreams, opens life energy flow through the body
Persimmon: Healing, luck, changing sex, insight into others
Petitgrain: Protection
Pilot Weed: Protection
Pimento: Love
Pimpernel: Protection, health
Pine: (TOXIC) Protection, exorcism, money, healing, fertility, brush outdoor ritual area with a branch to purify and sanctify, burn for cleansing, needles in money spells, spirituality, gambling, dreams, cleansing, banishing, purification, prosperity, employment, birth, rebirth, strength, life and immortality
Rowan: Protection, success, psychic powers, healing, power, wands and amulets for knowledge, incense of leaves and berries for divination, fires to call upon spirits for help, grow for protection of the home, inspiration, wisdom, enhances magic, attracts faeries
Rue: Exorcism, protection, purification, break hexes, health, mental clarity, healing, blessing, consecration, use in altar oil, love, money and wealth, gossip management
St. John's Wort: (TOXIC) Exorcism, protection, courage, strength, happiness, health, love divination, burn at Litha to send away negativity, wear for invincibility, willpower, gathered at Litha, power, stress management
Star Anise: Psychic powers, luck, good fortune, spiritual powers
Stephanotis: Lust
Stillengia: Psychic powers
Straw: Luck, attracts fairies, do not burn magik infused straw, it will bring ill-fortune, used as an image to protect an area, image magick, fertility
Strawberry: Love, luck, joy, broken heart
Sugar Cane: Love, lust, prosperity, sympathy
Sumbul: Psychic powers, love, luck, health
Summer Savory: Mental clarity and strength, mental powers
Woodruff: Protection, money, victory, add to Beltane wine to clear away barriers, success, changes, psychic awareness, prosperity
Wormwood: (CAUTION: POISONOUS, BURN IN WELL VENTILATED AREA, PREFERABLY OUTDOORS TOXIC) Exorcism, protection, love, psychic powers, calling spirits, protection while traveling, evocation, divination, scrying (stronger when combined with Mugwort) at Samhain, sacred to the moon, good luck, clairvoyance, divination, safety in cars
Y
Yarrow: Hhealing, divination, exorcism, protection, courage, love, psychic powers, happy marriage (wedding bouquet), wards negativity, defense, protection, gather at Litha, happiness, fidelity, broken heart, prophetic dreams, spirit of south, clears, stimulates movement
Warding is one of the most important skills that one can learn when starting spirit work, if not the most important. There are spirits all around us, no matter where we are, and not all of them have our best intentions at heart. Most will leave humans alone who aren't aware of them, but when the door cracks open, it becomes a possibility for them to see you as a target.
It can seem difficult at first, but there are many different and easy ways to build wards that will last a long time. Once you get into a good rhythm, it's easy to make it part of your regular routine. They can be as simple as asking a deity you worship to help protect you, or as complicated as an involved crystal grid for which the research and building of can take months.
One of the most important things to remember is that you should never settle for just one ward. There are many different kinds of energy, and many different forms of attack. Having only one layer of protections leaves you vulnerable. There is almost always going to be someone stronger than you, more powerful, more involved. If they can pop your single protection, or find a loophole in it, you're completely exposed.
The hardest part of setting wards is writing out your intentions, and anchoring them in an external energy source. Some of your wards can build on your own energy, but you don't want all, or even most, of your protections to rely solely on you. If your energy drops for any reason, your wards will be compromised, and if they're wiped out at once, it will leave you exhausted and completely unable to defend yourself. However, having them rooted in your own energy can also protect them from being manipulated if the outside energy is affected. Having the wards that rely solely on your energy closest to your skin and personal body can be a great way to balance the pros and cons of this.
There are a lot of things to consider when setting wards:
How does it work? How does it protect you?
Is it purely defensive or offensive?
If it attacks back when threatened, what mechanism does it attack by?
Is it sentient?
Are there energetic constructs attached to it
How is it set?
How is it cleansed or charged?
What does it protect you from? How do you define "harm?" Is a malicious blessing the same thing as a curse?
What energetic (or physical) layers is it active on?
How is it shaped? Does it surround you in a sphere, or just on the ground layer?
What do you allow inside your wards?
Where are the loopholes in your wording so far, and how do you close them?
It might sound overwhelming, but keep in mind that not every ward you place needs to do everything.
Specific intentions are stronger than general ones, and can keep you from being locked out of forming friendly connections.
Ward setting can be a lot like the story of Goldilocks. Too strong, and nothing can come in or out and you can't sense anything outside of the wards. Too weak, and you're vulnerable. Figuring out this balance can take trial and error.
There are many ways you can set wards:
Ask a deity, spiritual companion, or spiritual guide to add some wards. You can ask them to add as many as you'd like, provided you trust them enough. Don't rely solely on them, but they can be an important layer
Create energetic constructs as guards, or ask your deities or companions to give you guards that walk around your territory
Connect them to sigils and hide the sigils all over your house or wear them on your person
Charge jewelry or witch bags with your intentions. There is an instruction for an easy DIY warded bracelet at the end of this post, and Death Witch Envy has a wonderful blog post on this topic here.
Charge gemstones and/or statues and place these at regular points around your home or person in a crystal grid
Weave protections using bones, herbs, what have you into a macramé tapestry
Anchor protections into plants you've placed on your property
Create energetic bubbles around yourself
Do monthly spell rituals to refresh, at times during specific phases of the moon/astrological times, and so on. You can include candles, oils, sigils, etc. Having a specific way to carve and dress your candles with oil for these rituals can help amplify your intention
Use cultural symbols from your path to call protections upon yourself
These are just some suggestions, but really the sky is the limit.
Using sigils in gifs or images, or even charging a VPN is a way you can use wards to protect your technology as well!
If you're new to warding, I encourage you to try at little bit of everything, and see what works best.
While you're getting set up, learning, and experimenting with wards, there's no shame in relying heavily on your deities and companions to help you with your basic protections. While I don't recommend this as a long term strategy, we all have to start somewhere, and it can help your peace of mind to know that someone has your back as you build on your own abilities.
Start small, and build from there. If you don't get it right the first time, keep trying!
Learn. Build. Grow.
It's how we all begin.
If you're overwhelmed and don't even know how to start, I've included instructions for a basic warded bracelet below. The gemstones listed are not an exhaustive list, but rather stones that are both associated in some way with different kinds of protection, and also easy to get. Feel free to use whatever other materials you're called to.
Happy Warding!
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Instructions on a DIY warded bracelet:
Get some elastic. Elastic will break eventually but until then it's strong and easy to get. Clear elastic will work fine, but there's also the colored sort that is made of many different strands. That kind will fray before it snaps, so you'll have a warning. Either will work, as it's not the elastic itself that's important.
Make sure you make it a few inches longer than it takes for you to tie it around your wrist before you trim it. Make sure you have glue.
Get some beads of the following sorts (I recommend 4mm so you can string more on):
- rainbow moonstone
- black tourmaline
- Amethyst
- Smoky Quartz
- Clear quartz
- Tigers eye (tiger iron also works)
- obsidian
- And another stone you feel called to that will represent you. Can be anything.
This is not a definitive list. If you want to make it most of one but not another, or want to add more kinds of gemstones, then do so. Whatever you feel called to.
String them on the elastic until its a comfortable length. Tie it off and glue the knot before trimming the ends.
Cleanse by lighting a candle and trailing the bracelet above it enough that the fire doesn't touch it.
Pull the bracelet close to you, holding in both hands. Concentrate on the fire of the candle, and keep your intention for the bracelet (in this case, protecting you physically and mentally from spiritual entities and magic) at the forefront of your mind. Feel the energy of the candle, and envision it surrounding the bracelet and charging it with your intentions. Keep in mind that specific intentions are more likely to be stronger.
If this is all too complicated to keep in your mind at one time, you can write down a list of what you want the bracelet to do, and how. You can include the names of deities or companions you want to help strengthen it. When it's written down, put it under the candle before you burn it. You can also use flash or wish paper, which is made to be burned, and then waft the bracelet through the smoke.
(Note: paper is usually full of chemicals, and so is ink. Be mindful of what materials you use when you intend to burn a piece of spellwork. Make sure that you are in a well ventilated area, and do not set off any fire alarms, or choke on the smoke. Do not leave an open flame unattended. Have a glass or bucket of water nearby in case things get out of control).
When you feel you are done, blow out the candle. Put the bracelet on. Leave it on as much as possible, unless cleansing or recharging it.
Withering Woods is an 18+ Spirit Conjuring, Divination, and Devotional Jewelry shop. We focus on connection and the many ways that manifests in our lives.
Fill the snail shell with salt, cascarilla powder, and anything else that symbolizes home or protection for you. Light the candle and seal the opening of the snail shell with wax. Keep the charm on your altar or over your front door frame.
If you would like to summon helpful spirits you can do so with a special magical recipe. To create "helpful spirit incense" you will need 1 tbsp Opoponax Resin, 1 tbsp Frankincense Resin, 1 tbsp Cats Claw Bark, 5 drops Rosemary essential oil and 1 tbsp dried Althaea. Mix and crush up the ingredients with a mortar and pestle. Place the mixture in a small glass or ceramic bowl on your altar and say the following prayer over it 7 times-
"Joyful Spirits, Come To Me, Ancestral Spirits, Come To Me, Helpful Spirits, Come To Me."
Anytime you wish to summon friendly spirits burn about 1/2 tsp-1 tsp of the incense on activated charcoal. Make sure that you have offerings ready such as cups of water or coffee, fresh flowers, alcohol, candy, tobacco or homemade bread. Don't eat or drink the offerings unless the spirit insists that you do so, otherwise leave them at a crossroads when the spirit is done enjoying them (I suggest leaving the offerings on the Altar for at least 7 days).- (Image from Unsplash.com)
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