If you haven’t already, check out my lessons on visualisation for the basic knowledge you’ll need to begin practicing shielding.
So what is shielding?
Shielding is a manipulation of energy, used to create a barrier between yourself and unwanted, usually negative or malicious energies. It’s a basic aspect of spellwork that everyone, beginner or experienced, should use to keep themselves safe.
What can I use shielding for?
Some beginner-level uses for shielding are drawing a circle, or casting a spell. A more experienced individual might use shielding in astral travel or spirit work, where there are a lot more malicious energies involved. Personally, I use shielding as often as possible, for instance when I do tarot readings, spells, spirit work, shadow work, and especially cursing. It gives that extra guarantee that you won't flood your personal space with unwanted energies.
Other uses include shielding against real-life dangers, to a certain degree. I often shield when I am walking through town at night for extra protection. But please remember to take other measures too! Call someone, pretend to be on the phone, plan your route, and even carry pepper spray if it's legal where you are.
An easy shielding method:
The easiest way to explain this is to think of your energy as a physical manifestation. Think how power attacks are shown in anime or cartoons - a streak of colour or light, or an element. Make it personable to you: fire signs (Leo/Aries/Sagittarius) might visualise fire, or a red energy or light etc.
Firstly, some people prefer to cleanse before shielding. I don't think its all that necessary but the choice is yours.
Begin by easing yourself into meditation. Get comfortable, and use whichever technique works for you. I have various methods for this in my visualisation lessons if you are struggling.
Attempt to visualise the energies surrounding you in your mind. It might be a swirling colour of light, almost like a cloud of dust. It could be flames, it could be water. Maybe try to see it held within your hand.
Now, attempt to shape this energy around your entire body. You might want to start with a bubble or a cube surrounding you. Feel this shape surrounding and protecting you. Visualise negative and unwanted energies being held back by it.
You can also layer shields, so if you are working with a particularly malicious energy you might want to have multiple shapes surrounding you, all within each other. You can also work with deities or spirits to ask them to shield you too.
Shielding Incantation
When I am shielding, I recite a spell as well as using visualisation techniques.
The shield of protection, I carry it strong,
No ill wishes or trouble shall come along,
You cannot harm me, or weaken my soul,
My light is my weapon, and peace is my goal.
Try it out for yourself and let me know in the comments how it went! Thank you as always for reading. Please message for requests.
A SLEEPLESS SATURDAY NIGHT IS NOTHING NEW TO ME
BECAUSE, SOMEWHERE IN MY BRAIN,
I KNOW THE NEXT DAY'S COMING
mspaint irreverent girl again. everyday is a feeling of "a god that will love me will also berate me" that i must move on from.
ive never been religious or had any strong relations to it. kairi's story is still one of the most relatable to me, because of her loss of autonomy and learned devotion/conditioning. the song is (a little) scarily accurate to how untrusting of yourself and others, the pillars that built you once you find yourself on the other side of the hole you dug through. i have a lot of paranoia and anxiety about being seen or found. and that my pain would still be "unjust" in the eyes of my abusers (my father) and community. no amount of escaping is beautiful until the end. until you accept its over, that life is forfeit for a better one. its obvious healing is nonlinear but you rarely hear after the fact how much it sucks to rebuild. kairi i love you ..... every tptm song is fire but irreverent girl will always be very special to meee
a shield typically acts as a barrier between you and the outside world - they can be stationary or mobile.
shields are commonly used as personal protective wards, but can be used for so much more - let's get into it.
what can shields be used for?
protection from energy, people, or situations
creating illusions or casting glamours
absorption, destruction, deflection, or transmutation of energy
some examples:
a shield to ward off negative or malicious energy
a shield to alter your appearance and other's perceptions of you
a shield to deflect negative energy and return to sender
a shield that absorbs negative energy and transmutes it into positive energy
a shield that absorbs energy and tethers it to you or an object
a shield that destroys the energy it absorbs from a target
a shield over a location or place you frequent - your vehicle, your home, your workplace, etc.
a shield over a particular object
a shield to make you "invisible" - known as "cloaking" in some circles
when would you use a shield for something other than warding?
just as a shield can be used to protect or deflect, it can also be used like a solar panel to absorb.
to passively sap energy from a target.
to create an illusion of yourself or an object in order to distract and deter unwanted attention or energy - the illusion you create is up to you but the versatility of such makes for a very useful glamour. in the baneful sense, illusions can be used to disorient others.
how do you craft a shield?
typically through visualization and energy manipulation, although you could incorporate physical objects to "tie down" the shield (tie down shields that cover spaces, like your house or your car).
the easiest way to visualize a shield is to think of a bubble or ring that surrounds you, emitting from your person somehow - the best thing about this barrier is that it can look and feel however you want.
layering shields on top of each other is totally a thing.
you can program and store a shield in an object for later use - like a necklace or a sigil on paper that's enchanted with X energy that projects a shield when activated. you could store a shield in a pickle jar if you wanted to. go wild.
you can craft temporary shields to be used during spellwork or rituals (like casting a circle).
how do you craft and charge a shield?
that depends on the energy you're employing to craft the shield - the technique of crafting a shield usually involves visualizing the creation of the shield and then forming and emitting energy from within yourself to charge it, but! it doesn't mean that said energy has to be your own.
for example:
moonlight? harness and charge shields with lunar energy that you previously channeled and stored. alternately, you could channel lunar energy and then remain tethered to keep the shield up and running.
crystals? use that crystal as a talisman to activate a shield in its image.
fire? draw the elemental symbol in red ink on your wrist and press to activate.
home protection? set a protective talisman in your living room and let it do its thing.
i will say, though - having a tether that's connected to an external energy for an extended period of time is probably gonna be pretty hard to maintain. the tether will eventually break once your personal battery becomes so overcharged that it just stops charging altogether. i do not recommend it.
but, there are so many possibilities.
materials and textures
let's say your shield is made of glass - what happens when you break glass? it shatters.
what if it's permeable in some way? this could allow your own energy to seep out while attracting all kinds of nonspecific, outside energies in the process.
maybe it's so solid that it blocks out everything, even the stuff you want to attract (imagine an invisibility shield that accidentally makes you unperceivable to everyone).
what you choose to craft your shield from is entirely preferential, but it should be a reflection of your intent while protecting you, regardless of what you're using the shield for.
speaking of, consider what you'd like the inside to look or feel like. i personally like the interior of my shields to be soft and relaxing. but! if that's not right for you, then you can literally do whatever you want. the possibilities are endless.
some ideas for shields
rose branches with thorns intact - visible but heavily guarded
moss, leaves, other greenery - earthy energy; good for keeping yourself grounded
metal - impenetrable but opaque; good for invisibility glamours
fire - destructive; could impact you negatively if it backfires; may take a lot of maintenance to keep it lit
water - illusionary but permeable and could potentially allow energy to flow freely; not super great for keeping energy in or out of the shield
crystals or diamonds - refractive; alters appearance or personality
holography - refractive and reflective; to distort the way others perceive you or done so in a way that makes you invisible to others; return to sender
rocks - impenetrable but weathers over time
glass - sure but why would you want to? idk
wood - could act as the foundation for a shield or be used to make a shield in its entirety; could potentially be destroyed by fire, water, or air energies
mirrors facing outside - reflective; return to sender
mirrors facing inside - illusionary; distorting imagery to disorient a target
aura - use corresponding colors that align with your intent
fog or haze - illusionary
sunlight - illuminating but also destructive
moonlight - illuminating; good for transmuting energy from negative to positive
black hole - the shield acts as the event horizon of a black hole to absorb and destroy energy
starfield - illuminate and highlight personal traits you want others to notice
cyberspace - neon and glitches, galore; disorient and distract a target when they look your direction
photo filter - to alter your appearance
what could go wrong?
it breaks or malfunctions
it doesn't work at all
it works too well
it won't stay charged
it drains your own energy
if your shield breaks, you can either repair it (like, if it's a solid object) or remake it (mundanely breakable materials that can't easily be put back together).
how will you know if your shield breaks? simply enough, when you notice that it has stopped working OR when it starts to backfire because of the damage. the backfire part is self explanatory, and as for the rest - you might just know that it's falling apart, but if you have trouble sensing energy, you could maybe perform divination to confirm your suspicions. another possibility is that the talisman you used to form and charge the shield ends up damaged in some way. you may also be extremely fatigued once all that energy you gathered disappears or starts working against you.
that's not to say that a shield is always gonna burst into flames spontaneously and immediately - it may break down and lose its integrity over time, but that also means it'll slowly stop working. look at the bright side, at least that would give you some time to repair it if you wanted to.
taking down a shield
do the thing you did to craft the shield but do it backwards. no seriously. visualize the energy slowly dissipating and departing back to whence it came. if you used physical objects to secure the shield, remove and cleanse them. if you asked for help with this one, don't forget to give thanks for the assistance.
do you have to keep using the same shield?
short answer: no!
longer answer: let's say you craft a shield that you want to keep around indefinitely, but only use in certain situations. you could totally store that shield somewhere for safekeeping and bring it out when you need it, recharging it as you see fit.
on the other hand, you can take down and destroy a shield after you use it and then make a new one when you need to.
totally up to you. :)
final thoughts
working with shields can be exhausting, so pls make sure you're eating, staying hydrated, grounding, and getting enough sleep.
: Do you struggle with maintaining your practice? I know I sure do, especially in ways that aren't consuming my time and effort. I know other people struggle with this, so here's a list of simple, low-key and low-effort ways you can maintain your practice everyday!
Today is... Protection magic
+ . Actions
[Shield of positivity and protection]
~ Visualize a shield around you | This plays into energy manipulation, but a simple moment to visualize a protective shield around yourself
~ Wear colors associated with protection | Such as blue, white, black, gray, pretty much any color actually
~ Drink warm tea | Especially teas made with protection herbs or flavored with tastes you associate with protection
~ Counter-clockwise actions | Such as stirring your tea counter-clockwise, drawing circles with a counter-clockwise motion
~ Plant imagery and usage | Many plants are associated with protection, but some are white sage, rosemary, bay leaves, juniper, and black pepper
~ Animal imagery | Some UPG I have is owls, bulls, vultures, crows, fish, horses, peacocks and doves
~ Lights | Colored lights work too, such as LED, fake candles, nightlights, kitchen lights, bedroom lights, etc.
~ Drawing shapes | Any shape works, but shapes you associate with protection works best--or a shield
~ Thanking anyone who has protected you | It doesn't have to be to their face, and it can be mortals or entities
~ Creating a physical barrier | Not exactly physical--making a light, where the light reaches is your shield, or music, and where the sound touches is your ward
~ Listening to songs | Any songs work, but protection-associated songs work. Some UPG I have is 'We'll Be Fine', 'What It Sounds Like' and 'Gladiators'
~ Affirmations | As you exit your house or room, whisper 'I am protected', in the morning, whisper 'no hostility is welcome here'
[ ⊹ ࣪ ﹏𓊝﹏𓂁﹏⊹ ࣪ ˖ ]
: " Khaire to protection--to the Deities of your shield, to the divinity of your sword. This post is dedicated to you, Spirit of protection, shield of your children. "
This week we've got important things to get done, which means we need to be well enough to do them. Put your shields up. Whether it's energetic/magical (sigils, wards, etc.) or more practical (taking your meds and vitamins, self-defense practices, etc.), do what you need to do to protect your wellness. If your wellness isn't protected, the harder it will be to do what needs doing. Protect yourself and you protect the work.
｡+*✧ The Basics of Spiritual Safety & Wellbeing✧*+｡
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When asked the most important place to begin as a newcomer to the craft, to energy work, or even to simply walking a more spiritual path, more experienced practitioners will often share the basics of their magickal tool cabinet, suggest a bouquet of book titles and YouTube channels, or state plainly that the only correct answer is to let your heart and soul guide you. Only occasionally do I see or hear these types of questions answered with the recommendation to familiarize oneself with spiritual safety and wellbeing prior to diving head-first. But matters of protection, I feel, are one of the most important things to study up on when starting out, and today, I’d like to share my own thoughts and advice on the topic.
Cleansing, Purification, & Banishing
As I define them in my practice: To cleanse is to rid a person, place, or thing of stagnant, unwanted, draining, counterproductive, or otherwise negative energies or entities (though positive energies will often accompany them), to purify is to return a person, place, or thing to its original energetic state, and to banish is to cleanse by authoritative expulsion or removal using an outward-pushing energy. You may find others who define these terms differently or use these words interchangeably, but this is how I have come to define them, each offering their own unique function in my workings. If you are looking at correspondences in my digital grimoire, these energetic properties can be found in items marked as cleansing, restoration, and banishment respectively.
A cleansing may be performed when you find that energies are stagnant, stuffy, or negative. Unpleasant energies like these can be responsible for inviting in equally unpleasant entities, hindering the results of energetic workings, creating a state of mental or emotional discomfort, brewing a heavy tension in the air, or even causing feelings of sickness in those who are particularly sensitive. As such, it is usually recommended that cleansings be performed on a regular basis – especially if you live in a space that is regularly exposed to more negative energies. Some common methods of cleansing utilize the smoke of cleansing herbs (alternatively, a spray), water infused with cleansing herbs, or simply a visualization of brilliant white light – and this is just barely scratching the surface. As with many rituals, there are hundreds of methods of cleansing out there for you to explore, and it is paramount to choose one – or even create one – that works for you. Let your intention – your goal – be your guiding force. As a general rule, if you are putting your intention into it and you are going about it in a way that feels intuitively compatible, you will more than likely see the results you are looking for.
Often, cleansing – similarly to banishing – will result in a feeling of emptiness. You are essentially scrubbing the present energies “clean”, including energies that may be more positive. On the other hand, you may wish to perform a purification, or restoration, of a person, place, or thing if the goal is to reverse any energetic damage that may have been done while still retaining those unique individual energies. For this, you would utilize restorative herbs instead of cleansing ones and focus your intention accordingly. It seems it is common for practitioners to opt for cleansing over purification – and even more common for the terms to be defined as one and the same – but I enjoy having this as a separate option when it is needed. In my practice, this process typically comes into play when I want to remove any absorbed energies from a crystal, charm, or tool but would like to preserve its core energies as much as possible.
Finally, banishment is used when you want to push an energy or entity out of a particular space, and in this case, the original energies seem to remain wholly unchanged. For this reason, some practitioners choose to also perform a cleansing beforehand. Like cleansing, there are many methods of banishment out there that you can give a try, though the most commonly passed-around is the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram (or LBRP) of ceremonial magick, sometimes given different flavors for different systems.
Enchanting & Blessing
The emptiness of a cleansing or banishing can feel pleasant enough, but I find that this sometimes allows unwanted energies to creep back in more easily. A blank slate becomes anyone’s game, so to speak. To mitigate this, you may choose to preemptively imbue the space with more intentionally – and typically positive – energies. For this, we use enchantment or blessings. To enchant is to fill a person, place, or thing with intentional (but not necessarily positive) energies, and to bless is to enchant with fresh, positive, and often divine energies.
Enchantment is one of those foundational things that is pretty crucial to get the hang of when first starting out in a magickal practice, and all it entails is focusing on an intention and willing the energy of that intention to fill the person, place, or thing being enchanted. To a beginner, this can be more difficult, which is why it is also important to learn what these subtle energies can feel like to you. Skipping this step can sometimes deter people away from magick altogether. Lady Gravedancer, one of my favorite witches on YouTube, has an excellent video on learning to work with and sense these subtle energies. If this is all new to you, I highly recommend it.
Typically, though, a blessing is more what we’re looking for post-cleansing – positive, even divine, energies that inspire a sense of wellbeing. If you work with deities, you may also like to ask them to bestow their own blessings in your stead or beside you. Otherwise, it’s just enchantment with a wholly positive intention, but if the idea of a blessing feels too religious for your comfort, stick with “enchantment” and don’t let semantics bog you down.
Warding, Shielding, & Cloaking
In all cases, I tend to feel that the energies we’re working through are not being totally destroyed, but are rather either transmuted, deterred, or even just fragmented. In my opinion, it is usually a good idea to follow up your cleansings or banishments with the re-energizing of your wards. To ward is to create an energetic protective barrier around a person, place, or thing as a semi-passive and long-term protective measure, to shield is to create a more short-term ward that surrounds a personal, place, or thing entirely and is envisioned as a bubble, and to cloak is to make a person, place, or thing energetically “invisible” or “irrelevant” to wandering energies or entities so that interests are directed elsewhere. You can find relevant correspondences in my digital grimoire marked as protection, security, and invisibility.
Warding can be thought of as the closing and locking of your spiritual entryway, though it is often done with the intention to protect from more than just matters of the spiritual. I’ve known people to create physical barriers around properties using salt and/or eggshells with protective herbs as a base and visualizing their wards rising from that barrier. You might also like to bury protective crystals at the four corners of the property for that additional kick. But once again, there are so many methods out there that it really comes down to personal preference.
I tend to think of shielding – or bubbling, as some call it – as a more short-term and active form of warding. Shielding is especially useful as an emergency layer of protection when out and about or as an additional layer over your personal wards in outings that you suspect will be energetically taxing. Where wards are thought of as great and powerful walls, shields are typically thought of as entire bubbles surrounding a person, place, or thing on all sides. If you’re an empath like me – which is a sometimes-misrepresented term I’ll get into in a future article – shielding is a good practice to have in your pocket for going out into crowded environments, whether that crowd is physical, as in a theme park, or spiritual, as in a hospital. Whatever visualization you choose to use for warding, your shielding process can tend to be similar, and much of it, again, comes down to the intention. It is often the case, though, that this process takes more energy to conduct, and thus, if you choose to keep up a more permanent shield, it may require more care and more frequent energetic charging than your wards do.
Cloaking is something I don’t see discussed very often, but it can be very useful to consider when you are trying to be energetically off the radar. And obviously, I am not suggesting you go about doing sneaky, unsavory things. Instead, cloaking may be more beneficial for avoiding unnecessary conflict with nosy neighbors, finding peace to work in a coffee shop, or subduing the attention that can come from large-scale energetic workings. And as always, you may choose to hand-pick some herbs, crystals, or other mystical tools for this purpose, but the recommended visualization varies a bit from that typical bright light you may be used to working with. In the case of invisibility, you may choose to envision the person, place, or thing fading out of view or to mentally play the situation at hand out exactly as you wish it to transpire.
Safety Tips for Spirit Work
Certainly, if you plan to do spirit work – a line of spiritual work in which will regularly involve energies and entities completely independent of you – these concepts may be more important to familiarize yourself with than with someone whose only spiritual endeavor is manifesting a little extra spending money every once in a while. Aspiring spirit worker, the following tips are for you:
• As per the point of this article, it’s a good idea to have your preferred protective methods at the ready prior to actively working with spirits. This, of course, does not mean that your methods cannot change over time – but when starting out, you should find a method that is compatible with you and gets you the results you need. Once chosen, try to become familiar enough with it that you can cast it off-book in the event of some sort of spiritual emergency.
• As a spirit worker, you’ll want to cleanse your tools, your space, and yourself very regularly. My preference in my practice is at least once a month and more frequently if I feel it is necessary. Even if you aren’t involved with spirit work, regular cleansings are a good habit to get into, but it is especially important for those inviting a large number of outside influences into their home.
• Get to know your spirit guide(s), and keep them close during any sort of spirit work. I’ve heard from many people who feel that the connection you have with your guide(s) has a sort of solidity to it that can override other communications the moment you ask for it, and I myself have not yet seen evidence to the contrary. If you ever feel uneasy about a communication and are in need of a second opinion on who or what you may be speaking to, ask your guide(s) to come through and communicate with you. Still, as we communicate between realms, discernment is a necessary skill to develop, and having protections in place is always a good idea, regardless of whether you choose to involve your guide(s) or work on your own. If you are completely new to the idea of spirit guides, I do plan to write an article on the topic in the future – but in the meantime, if you’re interested in meeting yours, Lady Gravedancer also has a wonderful video featuring a ritual for communicating with your guides for the first time.
• You may also want to look into the idea of casting a circle (another topic I’ll likely be discussing here in the future). While an entire ritual may not be in the cards for your practice, it may help you to develop some alternative ideas for shielding the space around you during active spirit work. In doing so, you maintain greater control over what is permitted to enter. Afterwards, be sure to say your goodbyes and to close up your circle and any portals you may have opened to avoid uninvited visitors outside of working hours. If you are someone who chooses to always leave your space open to visitation – and some people do – be aware that anything can enter and be prepared for the circumstances that could stem from this.
• If you are someone who allows certain spirits to reside in your home – what I refer to as my “spirit family” – I think it is a hospitable gesture to let those spirits know when you are going to be performing a cleansing or banishing. I can’t imagine that having your energy forcefully transmuted or shoved out the door would be a terribly comfortable thing to experience, so I think of it as a sort of courtesy that exhibits the respect I have for them. This will give them a chance to temporarily leave the space of their own volition while you go through your routine. Alternatively, if you have a special space set up for your spirit family like I do, you may choose to shield that space with the intention for their energies to remain unaffected by the cleansing. I’m not sure that it’s the most perfect method, but it’s one that I’ve found to work well for my spirit family thus far. In both cases, there are those who would argue that this gives unwanted entities a chance to temporarily leave or take shelter within the shield, as well, but I tend to feel that my spirit family would act accordingly to keep our home safe. It is their home, too, after all.
Despite popular Hollywood tropes, working with spirits doesn’t necessarily equate to “terrifying and dangerous” – but this does not mean it is without its risks. And just as you wouldn’t find your way into a dark alley in the middle of the night without some pepper spray, it’s likely not a good idea to invite spirits into your home without compatible defense measures in place.
Safety Tips for Energy Work
Energy work, in general, tends to have the odd side effect of making you a sort of beacon in the realm of the spiritual – and the more you do, the more your energy builds, the more your awareness expands, and the brighter your whole being shines. No matter the level you find yourself at spiritually, the following tips are for you (though feel absolutely free to read through the previous section, as well; the additional knowledge can only benefit you):
• Whether it be through tarot, runes, pendulums, spirit boards, prayer, or some other form of divination you find useful, it is wonderfully wise to seek guidance regarding any workings you do. This practice can help you to avoid unwanted outcomes, to avoid manifesting something you may not truly want, and to uncover exactly what it is you need to add or take away from your workings to bring you the results that you are looking for.
• Keep a journal of what works and what doesn’t in your practice and of any intuitive insights you receive that you feel may be important. Your spiritual path is a deeply personal one, and one person’s experience will likely never be perfectly identical to another’s. There is an abundance of wonderful advice out there. There are many methods out there that work very well for many as-is. But at the end of the day, you must discover what works best for you, even if that is different from the teachings of the majority. Be sure to keep track of it.
• Be mindful of loopholes, especially in manifestation workings. Being too specific can sometimes be ineffective, but not being specific enough has the potential to cause even bigger issues. Manifestation, I find, tends to take the path of least resistance, so when putting your energies out there, you want to be sure your intentions don’t put anyone in harm’s way. Again, divination can be a wonderful source of guidance prior to your workings.
• If you are going to be working with negative intentions of any kind – which is something I don’t advise for a number of reasons, and especially not for beginners – be sure to deep-cleanse yourself and the space the spell or ritual took place in. In addition, it’s generally a good idea to not keep any items used in the working on or near your property. Also know that there are other options, like justice workings, that can be done in place of this. Sometimes when we feel very upset or very angry, we speak or act irrationally and come to regret it later. This can also be true for spellwork, but the results can sometimes be a lot more devastating. Ultimately, I cannot stop you from doing what you feel you must, but at the very least, I hope you’ll think things through.
• Finally, this may seem like common-sense, but don’t let your spiritual practice throw off balance in your life. The realm of the physical has its own value and importance, and that certainly includes your health and wellbeing. If you find yourself neglecting your health, your hygiene, your friends and family, your responsibilities, or your other hobbies, it may be necessary to take a break or dial it back until you’re able to find a good balance.
A Regular Cleansing Practice
You may have already seen this in my article on making the home more magickal, but I thought it would be good to include, here as well. The following are my two most often-used cleansing rituals – one which I perform monthly, and the other as-needed:
My Monthly Cleansing Ritual: I perform this ritual on the first of each month. Any cleansing tools to be charged on the altar should be set at least a day before performing the cleansing. The morning of, weather permitting, open windows and play uplifting music or cleansing affirmations, frequencies, or subliminals of choice. Take a cleansing shower. Clean the home as you normally would. When physical cleaning is complete, use a smoke or spray cleansing blend of choice, walking with intention from room-to-room. Pay special mind to corners and doorways. I like to use sound cleansing – bells, drums, or even snapping your fingers will do – in these spaces to really ensure the breaking up of any “stuck” energies. If you are someone who performs banishing rituals, you may choose to do so now. At this point, I also take a moment to cleanse myself, particularly as an empath. I then tend to my wards by first taking a blessed salt blend around the perimeter of the property, followed by sitting at the center of the property and funneling my own energy into the ward. If you would prefer to instead bless first and ward after, feel free to do so. It is your ritual, after all. Regardless of which order you perform the ritual in, the blessing process may be a deeply personal one, so this is a step I suggest thinking on a bit rather than following to the letter. In my ritual, I use a spray with positive energy-promoting herbs (as well as herbs that may promote the intention I wish to set for the month) and follow up with prayer to my deities. If you’re interested in a more in-depth look at my Monthly Cleansing Ritual, I do have detailed instructions available on my Monthly Blessings Patreon.
My As-Needed Cleansing Ritual: This is essentially a truncated version of my monthly ritual. If the energies are something I’ve tracked in or absorbed too much of, I will take a cleansing shower first. Following this, perform your usual smoke or spray cleansing, focusing especially on any room(s) that may be the most abundant in the energy that brought about this need for an emergency cleanse. You may also like to perform a shorter version of your regular blessing ritual. Unless the situation is really dire, I will generally stick to my spray in this case.
Just to reiterate, all of the information, including these rituals, are from my own practice and my own experience. You must do what works for you if you want to get the absolute best results and the most fulfilling experience. Take what serves you, and leave the rest. Much love and many blessings to you on your journey. Take care of yourself.
Puella Magi Madoka Magia Side Story: Magia Record introduces the idea of Adjustment: a procedure performed by a Coordinator or Adjuster that can be done to ‘enhance’ a magical girl’s Soul Gem. This enhancement can come in the form of removing impurities or unlocking further magical potential. Adjustment is also necessary when a magical hero uses their Doppel to avoid succumbing to despair.
Adjustment, as it is portrayed in Puella Magi Madoka Magia Side Story: Magia Record, is not a replacement for professional and personal therapeutic practices or experienced Shadow Work. I would strongly advise any magical hero to have a strong foundation in grounding and shielding practices before engaging in any serious work. If you’d like, imagine that your therapist, social worker, or other professional therapeutic practitioner is your Coordinator—they are there to provide you as a magical hero an essential service.
Grounding, on the other hand, is something any magical hero can do and is a foundational technique for any practicing magician. To put it simply, grounding is a way of eliminating excess energy and tempering high emotions that you may have stored up during a ritual or a working.
If you have practiced centering as an energy technique, the fundamentals of grounding are simple: remember how you learned to manipulate energy when you learned to center? That's what you'll do to ground, only instead of drawing that energy inside you, you'll push it out—whether that is into the void, into an object, or to be carried off by the elements. Strong visualizations certainly help with grounding but also try something physical or tangible to strengthen its effects; try using your hands or your feet to push out that extra energy and feel it drain into the earth. You can also engage other senses in your grounding like by using cleansing herbs as an incense or spray, or by eating a comforting and antioxidant rich food like dark chocolate.
I often shield as well as part of my grounding practice. This helps protect my magical and physical body that may have become raw from high energy and emotions. Shielding is a way of protecting yourself from psychic, mental, or magical attack by creating an energy barrier around yourself that others cannot penetrate. When shielding, I do not completely close myself out from the world and others around me—I’m simply fortifying my defenses while I am recuperating.
This is my first post in a series of Magi Praxis writings I have planned. If you have any suggestions for future topics, please send me a message! I am always happy to go back and provide further explanation as well. ☆
