This post is FULL of my personal anecdotes, references my personal relationships with powers, and is an expression of my personal beliefs. I share it in good faith but YMMV.
This post is all about my personal theories of protection. I hope this provides valuable to anyone who wants to understand more about protection theory and untangling dense lists of correspondences.
Generally, I work with a paradigm of four types of protection.
Next time you find yourself singing with emotion, try channeling your feelings and energy into a spell or a protection bubble or shield and see how it feels.
Part of a series - go to the masterpost to see them all
An aggressive protection will strike back at beings and entities who trigger it. It may cause actual harm. It is often used as a warning system. Historical examples include witch bottles, which were filled with pins, nails, broken glass, and other nasty things to tear at the spirit or witch who tried to cause harm – these bottles were not mere warnings, they were actually believed to kill witches and destroy spirits.
Aggressive protections can blur the line between defense and hexing or malefica. Many non-warding spells can be considered a form of aggressive protection, such as working over a poppet so its target experiences pain until they leave you alone.
Aggressive protection benefits:
They can help drive away an insistent or clueless being (human or otherwise) who isn’t getting the hint.
They can provide a clear warning that you’re not to be f*cked with.
Beings which may be happy to prowl around a brick wall might change their mind if it becomes an electric fence.
When carefully employed, they can quickly evacuate an unwanted presence.
Aggressive protection drawbacks:
People can respond in unexpected ways. When some people feel themselves being pushed or slapped back, they may redouble their efforts or behave even more aggressively.
Aggressive protections can make you, and the people around you, feel like you’re being aggressive, bossy, or mean – even when you’re not.
If you don’t understand who or what is causing you harm, and you poorly construct your ward or make it too broad, you could hurt people you never wanted to hurt. Imagine someone keeps coming into your room and you can’t figure out who it is, so you made a harmful fiery ward, but actually it was your cat who learned to jump up and open the knob, and the ward triggers and harms them. That would suck.
Loosely defined aggressive protections laid all over your property or home can limit the movement of spirits who already live there, or stop the entry of benevolent and desired spirits. This doesn’t bode well for them, and therefore probably not for you, either.
Where and when to employ aggressive protections:
On the outermost layers of your defensive walls, usually on the edge of the property or household.
Generally outside of the boundaries of your home.
When irritating or exacerbating the actions of others is an acceptable risk.
When harming or injuring others is an acceptable risk.
Aggressive protections should usually be triggered by an event, such as an “unwanted” or “uninvited” intrusion.
How to employ aggressive protections:
Construct, bind, or befriend a spirit to patrol an area and strike back at aggressors.
Ask the land itself to aggressively defend against intruders.
Build a witch bottle or jar filled with nasty ingredients to tear at malefica and unwanted spirits.
Infuse a container spell with fiery, Martian, or harmful energies. They will naturally radiate their power into the spell even if you do not program them to be triggered.
Apply aggressive sigils or energies to a personal energy shield (ideally, a fair bit away from your aura, unless you also want to be empowered towards anger).
Bind intense bolts or blasts of energy into stones, jars, or other containers, which will strike out at those who violate a certain trigger.
Aggressive protection correspondences:
Elemental and physical fire, and its esoteric symbols. The direction of fire in your path, most commonly east. Red stones, such as red jasper, carnelian, and garnet. Minerals with iron content, such as hematite (lodestone’s magnetized properties make it typically used in drawing and attractive spells; be careful that it does not draw unwanted attention to your wards). Stones from your property painted red. Plants of a strongly scented or burning nature, such as asafetida, all spicy peppers, garlic, nettle, and basil. Forged metals, especially iron and steel (lead is Saturnine, silver is Lunar), which often come in the form of nails, spikes, pins, fishing hooks, and needles, all of which can be found between hardware stores and general stores. Rust. Territorial and aggressive animals which defend themselves in a violent or offensive manner, such as skunks, bulls, stags, moose, badgers, hummingbirds, hippos, and all great cats. Animals and insects which are venomous or poisonous, or cause great irritation, such as fire ants, wasps, hornets, poisonous frogs; venomous snakes, spiders, and scorpions. Chemicals which erode or cause harm, such as bleach or rodent poisons. Figurines, amulets, names, or sigils representing gods and spirits whom are A) violent protectors, B) open to being approached by a person such as yourself, and C) are known to help if asked (or paid), including Aries, Mars, Archangel Michael, Medusa, fire elementals, gargoyles, and certain deceased soldiers or warriors.
Part of a series - go to the masterpost to see them all
A defensive protection works like a shield, suit of armor, wall, or moat. It is a barrier which stops things from crossing it. In my own personal definitions, a purely defensive protection doesn’t bounce or mirror energy back to the aggressor (this would be aggressive or illusory). I consider examples of defensive protection to include divine blessings which impart an aura of protection on a person, item, or place. Thorny hedges, streams, stone walls, and iron fences are all excellent defensive protections which stop a path of travel forward. Such hedges, streams, and walls can be made metaphysically by a practitioner.
Defensive protection benefits:
When laid across existing physical barriers (such as a fence or the walls of a home or room), defensive protections can be incredibly strong and very difficult to overcome.
There is little or no risk of accidentally harming someone else with over-warding in this manner.
Defensive protections may be less offensive (literally) to local spirits who have no qualms with you, showing that you are a good neighbor.
Defensive protections are powerful and effective when used personally, such as placed around your aura or within jewelry you carry. This is perhaps a necessary technique for empaths and those who need separation between themselves and others.
For all the power of smacking back and illusions, at the end of the day you’re still a safer monarch if you actually build a wall around your castle.
Defensive protection drawbacks:
It is very, very possible to over-ward with purely defensive protections, leaving you cut off from good and desirable energies and spirits. If you suddenly can’t get a friend to come over, or even return your texts, check to see if you didn’t ward yourself into a closed vault.
If an excess of earthen, Saturnine, or stopping energies are employed to create defensive protections, they can impart a depressed, heavy feeling around or within what is warded.
Where and when to employ defensive protections:
As a foundational protection, which you can then supplement with aggressive or illusory techniques.
Near the boundaries of your property or home.
When it is vital that others not come to harm due to your wards.
Around specific rooms in your home or spaces on your property.
Defensive protections with finely-tuned intent, bound into jewelry or something you can carry with you, are wonderful protections against bullshit while you’re out and about.
How to employ defensive protections:
Paint, charge, and/or consecrate sticks, stones, or other objects, with strongly defensive earthen, Saturning, or protective energies. Place them around the boundaries of what you want to be protected.
Draw a representative sigil, or a map, of the property to be protected and include it in a container spell (collect dirt or dust from each corner, if you can).
Pace around the area to be protected with enchanted incense, candles, or other energy-releasing substances and proclaim and define your boundaries (spritzing your own urine works great as well).
Hang up protective charms and symbols which are known to stop influences from crossing them, such as any of the multitude of crosses, horseshoes, statues or figurines of protective figures (including saint medallions), or strings of protective plants or stones.
Bind defensive energies to personal jewelry or an object to be carried. Purely Saturnine energies are not recommended, as they can leave you feeling… deathly. The powers of a more comforting protective power, such as Jesus Christ or Athena, may be preferred.
Hang bottles, spirit traps, or energy traps around an area to capture certain forces and energies, preventing them from moving further.
Defensive protection correspondences:
Elemental and physical earth, and its esoteric symbols. This includes most all stones unless they have a strong correspondence to the contrary. The direction of earth in your path, often north or south (mine’s south, if you’re taking votes). Black (onyx, tourmaline, obsidian, jet), white (howlite, milky quartz), green (moss agate, green aventurine, green jasper), and opaque stones, especially stones taken from your own property. Plants which once rooted are near impossible to remove (especially look to local “weeds”). Most trees, especially oak and pine. Plants, resins, and incenses which are known to impart “high vibrations,” such as rosemary, myrrh, bay laurel, and frankincense (the presence of these “high vibrations'' naturally washes out or pushes away negative, heavy, “low vibration” presences). All varieties of salt, unless it's already been mixed with herbs or minerals for another intent. Lead, which can be cheaply purchased in the form of fishing weights, and which ye shall not lick nor rub in your eyes nor poison yourself with in any way whatsoever. Seeds, eggs, and nuts of nearly every variety, unless they strongly correspond to the contrary (there is a special property about things which hold the potential for life which makes them extremely protective – amulets of human genitals have similar properties). Bones, especially those from aligned animals. These are stout, powerful animals which are hard to roust or trick, such as bears, donkeys and mules, wolves, elephants, rams, armadillos, tortoises and turtles, bison, and whales. Ashes, especially of protective sigils, protective woods and herbs, or copies of protective holy verses.
Figurines, amulets, names, or sigils representing gods and spirits whom are A) protectors and guardians, B) open to being approached by a person such as yourself, and C) are known to help if asked (or paid). This list often includes solar and domestic entities. Sometimes entities are known to prefer to help a certain group of people (such as children, poets, or smiths), but may help others also. As far as I’m aware, all gods have the power to impart protection, and you should not ignore gods you have ongoing relationships with just because they aren’t usually linked to protection. Noteworthy mentions include Diana, Apollo, Athena, Hekate, Brigid, King Arthur, Jesus Christ, a slew of archangels and saints, and earth elementals.
Witchcraft 101: Protection Explained Longform Post
This post is FULL of my personal anecdotes, references my personal relationships with powers, and is an expression of my personal beliefs. I share it in good faith but YMMV.
This post is all about my personal theories of protection. I hope this post is valuable to anyone who wants to understand more about protection theory and untangling dense lists of correspondences.
This is that entire masterpost compressed into one huge long post, as it was originally written :) Everything is after the break
(I originally posted this before I realized it was way too long to subject scrolling fingers to)
This post is FULL of my personal anecdotes, references my personal relationships with powers, and is an expression of my personal beliefs. I share it in good faith but YMMV.
This post is all about my personal theories of protection. I hope this post is valuable to anyone who wants to understand more about protection theory and untangling dense lists of correspondences.
Generally, I work with a paradigm of four types of protection.
They are Aggressive (offensive defense/Martian/fiery/combative), Defensive (purely defensive/Saturnine/earthen/shielding), Illusory (illusions/Lunar/watery/stepping aside), and Neighborly (allied/Mercurial/airy/communally protected).
Aggressive Protections
An aggressive protection will strike back at beings and entities who trigger it. It may cause actual harm. It is often used as a warning system. Historical examples include witch bottles, which were filled with pins, nails, broken glass, and other nasty things to tear at the spirit or witch who tried to cause harm – these bottles were not mere warnings, they were actually believed to kill witches and destroy spirits.
Aggressive protections can blur the line between defense and hexing or malefica. Many non-warding spells can be considered a form of aggressive protection, such as working over a poppet so its target experiences pain until they leave you alone.
Aggressive protection benefits:
They can help drive away an insistent or clueless being (human or otherwise) who isn’t getting the hint.
They can provide a clear warning that you’re not to be f*cked with.
Beings which may be happy to prowl around a brick wall might change their mind if it becomes an electric fence.
When carefully employed, they can quickly evacuate an unwanted presence.
Aggressive protection drawbacks:
People can respond in unexpected ways. When some people feel themselves being pushed or slapped back, they may redouble their efforts or behave even more aggressively.
Aggressive protections can make you, and the people around you, feel like you’re being aggressive, bossy, or mean – even when you’re not.
If you don’t understand who or what is causing you harm, and you poorly construct your ward or make it too broad, you could hurt people you never wanted to hurt. Imagine someone keeps coming into your room and you can’t figure out who it is, so you made a harmful fiery ward, but actually it was your cat who learned to jump up and open the knob, and the ward triggers and harms them. That would suck.
Loosely defined aggressive protections laid all over your property or home can limit the movement of spirits who already live there, or stop the entry of benevolent and desired spirits. This doesn’t bode well for them, and therefore probably not for you, either.
Where and when to employ aggressive protections:
On the outermost layers of your defensive walls, usually on the edge of the property or household.
Generally outside of the boundaries of your home.
When irritating or exacerbating the actions of others is an acceptable risk.
When harming or injuring others is an acceptable risk.
Aggressive protections should usually be triggered by an event, such as an “unwanted” or “uninvited” intrusion.
How to employ aggressive protections:
Construct, bind, or befriend a spirit to patrol an area and strike back at aggressors.
Ask the land itself to aggressively defend against intruders.
Build a witch bottle or jar filled with nasty ingredients to tear at malefica and unwanted spirits.
Infuse a container spell with fiery, Martian, or harmful energies. They will naturally radiate their power into the spell even if you do not program them to be triggered.
Apply aggressive sigils or energies to a personal energy shield (ideally, a fair bit away from your aura, unless you also want to be empowered towards anger).
Bind intense bolts or blasts of energy into stones, jars, or other containers, which will strike out at those who violate a certain trigger.
Aggressive protection correspondences:
Elemental and physical fire, and its esoteric symbols. The direction of
fire in your path, most commonly east. Red stones, such as red jasper, carnelian, and garnet. Minerals with iron content, such as hematite (lodestone’s magnetized properties make it typically used in drawing and attractive spells; be careful that it does not draw unwanted attention to your wards). Stones from your property painted red. Plants of a strongly scented or burning nature, such as asafetida, all spicy peppers, garlic, nettle, and basil. Forged metals, especially iron and steel (lead is Saturnine, silver is Lunar), which often come in the form of nails, spikes, pins, fishing hooks, and needles, all of which can be found between hardware stores and general stores. Rust. Territorial and aggressive animals which defend themselves in a violent or offensive manner, such as skunks, bulls, stags, moose, badgers, hummingbirds, hippos, and all great cats. Animals and insects which are venomous or poisonous, or cause great irritation, such as fire ants, wasps, hornets, poisonous frogs; venomous snakes, spiders, and scorpions. Chemicals which erode or cause harm, such as bleach or rodent poisons. Figurines, amulets, names, or sigils representing gods and spirits whom are A) violent protectors, B) open to being approached by a person such as yourself, and C) are known to help if asked (or paid), including Aries, Mars, Archangel Michael, Medusa, fire elementals, gargoyles, and certain deceased soldiers or warriors.
Defensive Protections
A defensive protection works like a shield, suit of armor, wall, or moat. It is a barrier which stops things from crossing it. In my own personal definitions, a purely defensive protection doesn’t bounce or mirror energy back to the aggressor (this would be aggressive or illusory). I consider examples of defensive protection to include divine blessings which impart an aura of protection on a person, item, or place. Thorny hedges, streams, stone walls, and iron fences are all excellent defensive protections which stop a path of travel forward. Such hedges, streams, and walls can be made metaphysically by a practitioner.
Defensive protection benefits:
When laid across existing physical barriers (such as a fence or the walls of a home or room), defensive protections can be incredibly strong and very difficult to overcome.
There is little or no risk of accidentally harming someone else with over-warding in this manner.
Defensive protections may be less offensive (literally) to local spirits who have no qualms with you, showing that you are a good neighbor.
Defensive protections are powerful and effective when used personally, such as placed around your aura or within jewelry you carry. This is perhaps a necessary technique for empaths and those who need separation between themselves and others.
For all the power of smacking back and illusions, at the end of the day you’re still a safer monarch if you actually build a wall around your castle.
Defensive protection drawbacks:
It is very, very possible to over-ward with purely defensive protections, leaving you cut off from good and desirable energies and spirits. If you suddenly can’t get a friend to come over, or even return your texts, check to see if you didn’t ward yourself into a closed vault.
If an excess of earthen, Saturnine, or stopping energies are employed to create defensive protections, they can impart a depressed, heavy feeling around or within what is warded.
Where and when to employ defensive protections:
As a foundational protection, which you can then supplement with aggressive or illusory techniques.
Near the boundaries of your property or home.
When it is vital that others not come to harm due to your wards.
Around specific rooms in your home or spaces on your property.
Defensive protections with finely-tuned intent, bound into jewelry or something you can carry with you, are wonderful protections against bullshit while you’re out and about.
How to employ defensive protections:
Paint, charge, and/or consecrate sticks, stones, or other objects, with strongly defensive earthen, Saturning, or protective
energies. Place them around the boundaries of what you want to be protected.
Draw a representative sigil, or a map, of the property to be protected and include it in a container spell (collect dirt or dust from each corner, if you can).
Pace around the area to be protected with enchanted incense, candles, or other energy-releasing substances and proclaim and define your boundaries (spritzing your own urine works great as well).
Hang up protective charms and symbols which are known to stop influences from crossing them, such as any of the multitude of crosses, horseshoes, statues or figurines of protective figures (including saint medallions), or strings of protective plants or stones.
Bind defensive energies to personal jewelry or an object to be carried. Purely Saturnine energies are not recommended, as they can leave you feeling… deathly. The powers of a more comforting protective power, such as Jesus Christ or Athena, may be preferred.
Hang bottles, spirit traps, or energy traps around an area to capture certain forces and energies, preventing them from moving further.
Defensive protection correspondences:
Elemental and physical earth, and its esoteric symbols. This includes most all stones unless they have a strong correspondence to the contrary. The direction of earth in your path, often north or south (mine’s south, if you’re taking votes). Black (onyx, tourmaline, obsidian, jet), white (howlite, milky quartz), green (moss agate, green aventurine, green jasper), and opaque stones, especially stones taken from your own property. Plants which once rooted are near impossible to remove (especially look to local “weeds”). Most trees, especially oak and pine. Plants, resins, and incenses which are known to impart “high vibrations,” such as rosemary, myrrh, bay laurel, and frankincense (the presence of these “high vibrations'' naturally washes out or pushes away negative, heavy, “low vibration” presences). All varieties of salt, unless it's already been mixed with herbs or minerals for another intent. Lead, which can be cheaply purchased in the form of fishing weights, and which ye shall not lick nor rub in your eyes nor poison yourself with in any way whatsoever. Seeds, eggs, and nuts of nearly every variety, unless they strongly correspond to the contrary (there is a special property about things which hold the potential for life which makes them extremely protective – amulets of human genitals have similar properties). Bones, especially those from aligned animals. These are stout, powerful animals which are hard to roust or trick, such as bears, donkeys and mules, wolves, elephants, rams, armadillos, tortoises and turtles, bison, and whales. Ashes, especially of protective sigils, protective woods and herbs, or copies of protective holy verses.
Figurines, amulets, names, or sigils representing gods and spirits whom are A) protectors and guardians, B) open to being approached by a person such as yourself, and C) are known to help if asked (or paid). This list often includes solar and domestic entities. Sometimes entities are known to prefer to help a certain group of people (such as children, poets, or smiths), but may help others also. As far as I’m aware, all gods have the power to impart protection, and you should not ignore gods you have ongoing relationships with just because they aren’t usually linked to protection. Noteworthy mentions include Diana, Apollo, Athena, Hekate, Brigid, King Arthur, Jesus Christ, a slew of archangels and saints, and earth elementals.
Illusory Protections
An illusory protection works by shifting perception, so that you or a place becomes hidden or appears to be what it is not; or so that people who think of crossing or approaching the boundary become confused, distracted, or befuddled. Illusory protections are close cousins with glamours, which cloaks a person, place, or thing so that it is perceived differently than it otherwise would be. Perhaps the most common way to use illusory protection is through mirrors, which not only tend to return energies (as with aggressive
protection), but also functions to make whatever is behind it invisible; the aggressor will only see their own reflection.
Illusory protection benefits:
When dealing with a particularly obsessive or dangerous enemy, the best defense is sometimes to just get off their radar.
Your defensive protections need to do far less work if enemies can’t even find their way to your doorstep.
Illusory protections are particularly powerful against humans, and are very valuable for keeping people away from a certain place.
This is perhaps the best method to guard against unwanted divination from other practitioners.
For the ethically-minded, illusory protection created with mirrors is somewhat aggressive, but will only ever send back what was sent to you; this is a form of justice which is less outright offensive than a purely aggressive ward.
Illusory protection drawbacks:
Illusory protections change what other people feel and perceive. You have the chance of harming your personal relationships if you start layering yourselves with perception-warping magic. It can change how people feel about you.
Spells with too broad an intent may cause all manner of problems for you, such as people getting confused when you speak, not understanding your emails, or chronically misinterpreting your writing. People might start talking about you while you’re in the room, forget to send you invitations or calls, lose your homework or application, run into you in hallways - even get into car crashes with you, because they just didn’t see you. Even more seriously, your food delivery driver might not be able to find your front door. I recommend employing long-term illusory spells gently and slowly until you see how they work for you..
Illusory protection will not stop environmental energies (unless mirroring is employed), making it ill-suited for empaths or others who need space from environmental energies.
Illusory magic is a poor filter. Defensive protections are better employed to create barriers which let some things through, but not others.
Illusory protection is ill-suited against spirits and beings who are Lunar or already well-versed in the ways of illusion.
Where and when to employ illusory protections:
As a supplemental layer of your defensive protections, usually on the outside of it.
When you only want some people to be able to see or perceive an entryway or space for what it truly is.
When the best course of action is for all attention to be off of you.
When you need it to be impossible for someone to successfully, coherently interact with you.
To specifically ward against other practitioners performing divination upon you.
When it suits your sense of protection and wellness to be perceived in a certain manner.
How to employ illusory protections:
Enchant mirrors with smoke, water, or Lunar energy to confuse, distract, or veil - respectively. Hang them up pointing outwards, towards whatever force you want to repel away.
As part of normal aura imprinting or shielding, transform your aura or shield to resemble the energies you want others to perceive. This may be cloaking yourself with the energy of a gray stone, a horrific scary monster, mirrors like a disco ball, or swirling oil-on-water that confuses and distracts.
A jar spell which combines water, oil, and dye to create confusing or enchanting swirls may then be further enchanted to distract and confuse.
Smoke, especially derived from Lunar sigils or protective texts, may be wafted around the area needed to be protected. The more smoke, the better.
Stones or other objects can be decorated with the energies or scenes desired to be perceived, enchanted unto that purpose, and carefully placed around a boundary.
A witch’s ladder tied up with correspondences which cause confusion, distraction, or illusions may be hung over a doorway or threshold.
Special illusions can be tied into certain articles of jewelry or other items to be carried. This technique is greatly enjoyed by business people or those who sometimes have to really put a certain foot forward.
Illusory
protection correspondences:
Elemental and physical water, and its esoteric symbols. This includes most waters, especially drawn from a natural source which hypnotizes you with its motion and flow. The direction of water in your path, often west. All semi-opaque stones, especially smoky quartz, moonstone, and obsidian. Stones and plants of a Lunar nature, including willow trees. Plants which cause psychotropic effects, including many plants from the poison path. Cannabis flower, leaves, or extracts are particularly useful in spells of confusion and distraction. Any curious object from nature which fascinates the eye is well-employed as a vessel for illusory magic. Silver in any of its forms works powerfully well in this type of magic. Mirrors of every variety, especially with sigils or symbols added to the non-reflective side. Dazzling, man-made substances, like glittery gel or lava lamps, will also be of service. Symbols which swirl around and lead the eye in a confusing maze or pattern. Animals which protect by trickery and obfuscation, especially by camouflage, such as owls, octopi, cuttlefish, moths and butterflies (and a huge variety of insects), chameleons and geckos, non-venomous snakes, frogs, and lizards (especially consider the liminal, watery power of the toad), hares, squirrels and many other rodents, and fawns. Smoke and feathers work to fill the air with illusions, especially the feathers of a bird which relies on camouflage. The smoke of cannabis in particular, while effective, may be distracting in the completion of the spell itself.
Figurines, amulets, names, or sigils representing gods and spirits whom are A) Lunar, tricksters, hiders, or illusion-makers, B) open to being approached by a person such as yourself, and C) are known to help if asked (or paid). This list includes Hekate, Loki, Hermes, Freya, Selene, and water elementals.
Neighborly Protections
If you are well-liked by the land, your household spirits, local entities, and live in a respectful and harmonious way with the spirit world, a great deal of harm will simply fail to reach you. Just by being neighborly, you can receive significant spiritual support. This includes not only protection, but improved manifestation, increased luck, and a general feeling that the world is on your side.
These protections are not ones you can just cast on demand, because they are not magic under your control. It depends on being a good spiritual citizen and treating the spirit world in such a way that when trouble nears you, spirits choose to help you of their own accord. Is it poor sportsmanship to only be kind to others for the benefits you will receive? Such a conversation is beyond the scope and point of this post. I hazard that spirits will enjoy your respect and gifts regardless.
Neighborly protection benefits:
It feels really good to be in alignment with positive and helpful spiritual forces around you in your everyday life.
You can live your life knowing that it’s not you against the world; that even if you are in conflict with humans, you have gained the friendship and support of spirits.
You will receive an influx of help and support about matters you may have never anticipated.
Although spirits and wights may not totally stop or eliminate malefica or misfortune, you will likely find it to be significantly reduced by the time it reaches you.
Your “intuition” may improve, and various spells increase in power, as the spirits near you provide helpful suggestions or a pinch of support towards your own goals.
You don’t have to be a witch, magician, or practitioner to befriend the spirits around you.
You don’t have to be a seer, or be able to see or hear spirits, in order to build good relationships with them.
By living in harmony with the spirits around you, you can more easily discount “I’ve angered the spirit world” as a possible source of malefica you detect in your life.
Neighborly protection drawbacks:
The wights will be less than pleased if you turn your back on them, forget about them, or make it be known that they are naught but
pawns in your schemes.
This process may take a while, especially if you have lived a life offensive to the spirits and must mend your relationship with them.
While building positive spirit relationships is a good thing to do, it won’t replace learning warding and protection magic.
Where and when to employ neighborly protections:
During your regular visitation or offering time with the wights, you can ask them for help protecting against someone, or providing protection upon a place.
Before you lay down any aggressive, defensive, or illusory protections, ask the wights of the land for their input and advice on protection – you may receive answers you never thought of, or guidance as to how best employ your spells.
Ask the spirits of the land what local stones, plants, trees, or locations provide protective energies.
In times of misfortune or stress, when it seems things are going against you, commune with the wights and ask them for extra assistance or insight to understand what’s going on.
How to employ neighborly protections:
Create suitable spirit homes within and without your residence. Fill them with nice, lovely, comfortable objects. Spiritually cleanse them and invite the local spirits to use the homes as they see fit.
During any meditation or ritual, generally announce to your environment that you want to live in peace and harmony with the spirit world, and introduce yourself to whomever may be listening.
As regularly as possible (weekly or monthly is ideal), provide a general offering to every spirit in the area – including those who might be pissed off at you, have offense against you, or otherwise don’t care for you. Announce your intent to be at peace with all local spirits and offer food, drink, coins, candles, incense, or other objects as reparations and good-faith gifts. During these general offerings, you should always profess your goodwill, and you can also ask for specific help or favors.
Treat the land well; avoid polluting or littering, complement the beauty of the plants, appreciate the weather, tend to plants (especially those on your property), etc. Going as far as to help restore the environment, such as growing local pollinators, rewilding part of your land, and creating safe spaces for migratory animals are all generous gestures.
Neighborly protection correspondences:
Elemental and physical air, and its esoteric symbols (if you associate air with communication and travel, that is) The direction of air in your path, often north or south (north for me, if you wanted my opinion). Stones and plants of a Mercurial nature, which are associated with movement and communication. Crossroads and liminal times and spaces (such as the twilights, noon, and midnight; boundaries between spaces; a hearth or fireplace; the doorway to your home; the banks of a river or stream, etc.) are especially beneficial for contacting spirits. Offerings will be your greatest ally in this operation. Especially research your local area to see if there are any spirits or categories of spirits which like specific offerings (or are offended by specific offerings). Generally, good offerings include: things with strong tastes and smells, foods high in caloric value, milk, honey, all nuts, eggs, and seeds (things which contain the potential for life are very good offerings), fresh oils, all incense (although I prefer real herbs for spellwork, I have no qualms using stick or cone incense for spirit offerings, as it is the released energy and spirit of gift-giving which matters, not herbal powers), candles which should be burned down to release light and heat, fresh water (an especially good offering), coffee, tea, alcohol, juices, all home cooked/baked foods, coins and small, delightful objects, tobacco, cannabis, and your own personal energy released through energy work. If you can’t or don’t want to use special offerings, you can always just offer a glass of water and your own personal energy. Animals which travel long distances or flow freely upon the air may be of assistance to you, including all flying insects but
especially bees, all birds, horses, and all creatures which burrow into the ground, such as moles. Figurines, amulets, names, or sigils representing gods and spirits whom are A) openers of the roads, masters of spirits, or facilitators of communication, B) open to being approached by a person such as yourself, and C) are known to help if asked (or paid). This list includes Hekate, Hermes, Freya, the Green Man, Lady Elfhame, and air elementals.
Part of a series - go to the masterpost to see them all
An illusory protection works by shifting perception, so that you or a place becomes hidden or appears to be what it is not; or so that people who think of crossing or approaching the boundary become confused, distracted, or befuddled. Illusory protections are close cousins with glamours, which cloaks a person, place, or thing so that it is perceived differently than it otherwise would be. Perhaps the most common way to use illusory protection is through mirrors, which not only tend to return energies (as with aggressive protection), but also functions to make whatever is behind it invisible; the aggressor will only see their own reflection.
Illusory protection benefits:
When dealing with a particularly obsessive or dangerous enemy, the best defense is sometimes to just get off their radar.
Your defensive protections need to do far less work if enemies can’t even find their way to your doorstep.
Illusory protections are particularly powerful against humans, and are very valuable for keeping people away from a certain place.
This is perhaps the best method to guard against unwanted divination from other practitioners.
For the ethically-minded, illusory protection created with mirrors is somewhat aggressive, but will only ever send back what was sent to you; this is a form of justice which is less outright offensive than a purely aggressive ward.
Illusory protection drawbacks:
Illusory protections change what other people feel and perceive. You have the chance of harming your personal relationships if you start layering yourselves with perception-warping magic. It can change how people feel about you.
Spells with too broad an intent may cause all manner of problems for you, such as people getting confused when you speak, not understanding your emails, or chronically misinterpreting your writing. People might start talking about you while you’re in the room, forget to send you invitations or calls, lose your homework or application, run into you in hallways - even get into car crashes with you, because they just didn’t see you. Even more seriously, your food delivery driver might not be able to find your front door. I recommend employing long-term illusory spells gently and slowly until you see how they work for you..
Illusory protection will not stop environmental energies (unless mirroring is employed), making it ill-suited for empaths or others who need space from environmental energies.
Illusory magic is a poor filter. Defensive protections are better employed to create barriers which let some things through, but not others.
Illusory protection is ill-suited against spirits and beings who are Lunar or already well-versed in the ways of illusion.
Where and when to employ illusory protections:
As a supplemental layer of your defensive protections, usually on the outside of it.
When you only want some people to be able to see or perceive an entryway or space for what it truly is.
When the best course of action is for all attention to be off of you.
When you need it to be impossible for someone to successfully, coherently interact with you.
To specifically ward against other practitioners performing divination upon you.
When it suits your sense of protection and wellness to be perceived in a certain manner.
How to employ illusory protections:
Enchant mirrors with smoke, water, or Lunar energy to confuse, distract, or veil - respectively. Hang them up pointing outwards, towards whatever force you want to repel away.
As part of normal aura imprinting or shielding, transform your aura or shield to resemble the energies you want others to perceive. This may be cloaking yourself with the energy of a gray stone, a horrific scary monster, mirrors like a disco ball, or swirling oil-on-water that confuses and distracts.
A jar spell which combines water, oil, and dye to create confusing or enchanting swirls may then be further enchanted to distract and confuse.
Smoke, especially derived from Lunar sigils or protective texts, may be wafted around the area needed to be protected. The more smoke, the better.
Stones or other objects can be decorated with the energies or scenes desired to be perceived, enchanted unto that purpose, and carefully placed around a boundary.
A witch’s ladder tied up with correspondences which cause confusion, distraction, or illusions may be hung over a doorway or threshold.
Special illusions can be tied into certain articles of jewelry or other items to be carried. This technique is greatly enjoyed by business people or those who sometimes have to really put a certain foot forward.
Illusory protection correspondences:
Elemental and physical water, and its esoteric symbols. This includes most waters, especially drawn from a natural source which hypnotizes you with its motion and flow. The direction of water in your path, often west. All semi-opaque stones, especially smoky quartz, moonstone, and obsidian. Stones and plants of a Lunar nature, including willow trees. Plants which cause psychotropic effects, including many plants from the poison path. Cannabis flower, leaves, or extracts are particularly useful in spells of confusion and distraction. Any curious object from nature which fascinates the eye is well-employed as a vessel for illusory magic. Silver in any of its forms works powerfully well in this type of magic. Mirrors of every variety, especially with sigils or symbols added to the non-reflective side. Dazzling, man-made substances, like glittery gel or lava lamps, will also be of service. Symbols which swirl around and lead the eye in a confusing maze or pattern. Animals which protect by trickery and obfuscation, especially by camouflage, such as owls, octopi, cuttlefish, moths and butterflies (and a huge variety of insects), chameleons and geckos, non-venomous snakes, frogs, and lizards (especially consider the liminal, watery power of the toad), hares, squirrels and many other rodents, and fawns. Smoke and feathers work to fill the air with illusions, especially the feathers of a bird which relies on camouflage. The smoke of cannabis in particular, while effective, may be distracting in the completion of the spell itself.
Figurines, amulets, names, or sigils representing gods and spirits whom are A) Lunar, tricksters, hiders, or illusion-makers, B) open to being approached by a person such as yourself, and C) are known to help if asked (or paid). This list includes Hekate, Loki, Hermes, Freya, Selene, and water elementals.
Part of a series - go to the masterpost to see them all
If you are well-liked by the land, your household spirits, local entities, and live in a respectful and harmonious way with the spirit world, a great deal of harm will simply fail to reach you. Just by being neighborly, you can receive significant spiritual support. This includes not only protection, but improved manifestation, increased luck, and a general feeling that the world is on your side.
These protections are not ones you can just cast on demand, because they are not magic under your control. It depends on being a good spiritual citizen and treating the spirit world in such a way that when trouble nears you, spirits choose to help you of their own accord. Is it poor sportsmanship to only be kind to others for the benefits you will receive? Such a conversation is beyond the scope and point of this post. I hazard that spirits will enjoy your respect and gifts regardless.
Neighborly protection benefits:
It feels really good to be in alignment with positive and helpful spiritual forces around you in your everyday life.
You can live your life knowing that it’s not you against the world; that even if you are in conflict with humans, you have gained the friendship and support of spirits.
You will receive an influx of help and support about matters you may have never anticipated.
Although spirits and wights may not totally stop or eliminate malefica or misfortune, you will likely find it to be significantly reduced by the time it reaches you.
Your “intuition” may improve, and various spells increase in power, as the spirits near you provide helpful suggestions or a pinch of support towards your own goals.
You don’t have to be a witch, magician, or practitioner to befriend the spirits around you.
You don’t have to be a seer, or be able to see or hear spirits, in order to build good relationships with them.
By living in harmony with the spirits around you, you can more easily discount “I’ve angered the spirit world” as a possible source of malefica you detect in your life.
Neighborly protection drawbacks:
The wights will be less than pleased if you turn your back on them, forget about them, or make it be known that they are naught but pawns in your schemes.
This process may take a while, especially if you have lived a life offensive to the spirits and must mend your relationship with them.
While building positive spirit relationships is a good thing to do, it won’t replace learning warding and protection magic.
Where and when to employ neighborly protections:
During your regular visitation or offering time with the wights, you can ask them for help protecting against someone, or providing protection upon a place.
Before you lay down any aggressive, defensive, or illusory protections, ask the wights of the land for their input and advice on protection – you may receive answers you never thought of, or guidance as to how best employ your spells.
Ask the spirits of the land what local stones, plants, trees, or locations provide protective energies.
In times of misfortune or stress, when it seems things are going against you, commune with the wights and ask them for extra assistance or insight to understand what’s going on.
How to employ neighborly protections:
Create suitable spirit homes within and without your residence. Fill them with nice, lovely, comfortable objects. Spiritually cleanse them and invite the local spirits to use the homes as they see fit.
During any meditation or ritual, generally announce to your environment that you want to live in peace and harmony with the spirit world, and introduce yourself to whomever may be listening.
As regularly as possible (weekly or monthly is ideal), provide a general offering to every spirit in the area – including those who might be pissed off at you, have offense against you, or otherwise don’t care for you. Announce your intent to be at peace with all local spirits and offer food, drink, coins, candles, incense, or other objects as reparations and good-faith gifts. During these general offerings, you should always profess your goodwill, and you can also ask for specific help or favors.
Treat the land well; avoid polluting or littering, complement the beauty of the plants, appreciate the weather, tend to plants (especially those on your property), etc. Going as far as to help restore the environment, such as growing local pollinators, rewilding part of your land, and creating safe spaces for migratory animals are all generous gestures.
Neighborly protection correspondences:
Elemental and physical air, and its esoteric symbols (if you associate air with communication and travel, that is) The direction of air in your path, often north or south (north for me, if you wanted my opinion). Stones and plants of a Mercurial nature, which are associated with movement and communication. Crossroads and liminal times and spaces (such as the twilights, noon, and midnight; boundaries between spaces; a hearth or fireplace; the doorway to your home; the banks of a river or stream, etc.) are especially beneficial for contacting spirits. Offerings will be your greatest ally in this operation. Especially research your local area to see if there are any spirits or categories of spirits which like specific offerings (or are offended by specific offerings). Generally, good offerings include: things with strong tastes and smells, foods high in caloric value, milk, honey, all nuts, eggs, and seeds (things which contain the potential for life are very good offerings), fresh oils, all incense (although I prefer real herbs for spellwork, I have no qualms using stick or cone incense for spirit offerings, as it is the released energy and spirit of gift-giving which matters, not herbal powers), candles which should be burned down to release light and heat, fresh water (an especially good offering), coffee, tea, alcohol, juices, all home cooked/baked foods, coins and small, delightful objects, tobacco, cannabis, and your own personal energy released through energy work. If you can’t or don’t want to use special offerings, you can always just offer a glass of water and your own personal energy. Animals which travel long distances or flow freely upon the air may be of assistance to you, including all flying insects but especially bees, all birds, horses, and all creatures which burrow into the ground, such as moles. Figurines, amulets, names, or sigils representing gods and spirits whom are A) openers of the roads, masters of spirits, or facilitators of communication, B) open to being approached by a person such as yourself, and C) are known to help if asked (or paid). This list includes Hekate, Hermes, Freya, the Green Man, Lady Elfhame, and air elementals.
There seem to be an infinite amount of creative ways to protect oneself, each of us have ways we are most comfortable with, some prefer to create their own, while others enjoy using ways that have been confirmed and used by others. Any which way you choose to protect yourself, I hope this list of some techniques that I have personally created, come across in my work or have been told about by friends from this realm and the next comes to you in the best of fortune.<3
Calling on the God(s)/Goddess(es)/Deities: This is by far one of the most common ways of protection that I have personally seen, many have felt incredibly safer and comforted when they ask for the protective aid of their chosen Deity or Deities. Simply ask, whether out loud or in your mind to be bathed with their holy protection. You can easily ask for this in an elaborate ritual, or just a quick thought if you happen to be in a hurry or somewhere you feel is unsafe.
Calling on Angels: Very similar to the previous technique, at any time and anywhere, you can always ask for the love and protection of the Angels or your personal Angels. Even if you know that your personal Angels are always around, sometimes it helps to allow them more influence on you and your life if you make sure to ask and give permission.
PSI Ball: This technique is taking your protection into your own hands, quite literally actually, as to create a psi ball, you must first relax yourself and enter a meditative state before cupping your hands together in-front of yourself, switching your focus from your breathing to the palms of your hands and gathering energy between them. Slowly form the your pouring energy into a ball. Once satisfied with this, begin to program the ball for protection, this can be for specific or general protection. After you feel confident in the programming, you can choose to leave the ball that size, make it smaller, or make it larger. Some will leave it small and visualize it slowly circling within their energetic field, while others will expand it to encase their physical and spiritual body.
Strengthening Your Aura/Energetic Field: Find a comfortable position, whether laying down or sitting up, take some time to calm yourself and slowly slip into a meditative state. As you quiet your mind by focusing on your breathing, only slightly shift your focus to your aura, just enough to become aware of your personal energy while still engaging your breathing. Imagine and visualize your energetic field breathing with you, expanding as your chest does, and sinking with it as well. Feel the connection between you and your energy becoming stronger, more intricately woven together with your intentions and thoughts. With this practice, simply thinking of your energy becoming basically a shield or your thoughts getting more on the defensive side, your energetic field will respond and protect you at your will.
Sparkling Energy: I personally have been told on multiple occasions by several different spiritual beings that the strongest energy type is ‘sparkly energy’. (This isn’t to say others have been told incorrectly if they’ve been told differently, this is my own personal account of my experiences) This ‘sparkly energy’ almost resembles the night sky, or galaxies, each color of energy possessing thousands of stars within it. Focusing on this kind of energy and wrapping yourself within it can bring, not only immense protection, but for some, a peace of mind that may not always be achievable with other methods. NOTE-Most used colors for protection with this technique is: black, white, red, pink and gold.
Enchanted Jewelry/Objects: Wearing enchanted jewelry or carrying around protective objects is an easy and effective way to keep yourself protected. Some easy ways to enchant or charge something are: Energy, the Sun or Moon, the Elements, Candle Magick, Herbs and Crystals.
Music: Focusing and meditating on music, whether you choose to focus on the tempo, the words, the instruments or everything together, music itself possesses and brings it’s own energy, and by incorporating this energy into your own, you can focus on it becoming a protective energetic shield around you. This method is very useful when out and about, and you remembered to bring headphones.
Candle Magick: Pretty self explanatory. Simply charge a candle of your chosen protective color and allow it to burn in a safe space. You can imagine that it only protects you for as long as it burns,(in this case, best used as you do spells, rituals or even take a call that has you nervous), or you can imagine and allow it to feed this protective energy around you as it burns so that the gathered energy still circles you, even after the candle has either burnt out or been snuffed.
Spells: Most likely one of the most obvious methods to protecting oneself. Protection spells, with the correct knowledge, ingredients and tools can provide you with immense and powerful protections for as long as you wish and specify within the incantation.
Crystals and Crystal Grids: Carrying a crystal that embodies protective vibrations is another wonderfully simple way to protect oneself. Some protection Crystals being: Amber, Citrine, Clear Quartz, Garnet, Jet, Obsidian, and Tiger’s Eye. On the other hand, you can build your own crystal grid in your safe space that constantly feeds protective energies to you at all times.
Mojo Bags or Witch Bags: (NOTE: both of these types of bags are associated with different beliefs and will even call for very different ingredients, this post is just simply trying to be as inclusive as possible) With the right ingredients, crystals, stones, symbols, material and empowerment, both of these techniques can be incredibly powerful protective sachets that are convenient enough to carry around with you.
Witch Jar: This technique, usually calling for things like vinegar, rusty nails and broken glass is actually one of the older known ways to protect. However usually this jar is buried on the grounds of a witch’s home and strictly keeps the land and everything on it protected, but still a highly recommended, amazing and incredibly strong way to protect yourself, your family, land and sacred space.
