Witch Tips - Tumblr Posts
Might as well save people some time.
The difference between pentagram and pentacle is this
- a pentagram is a five pointed star - from the root word Pent meaning 5.
- a pentacle is a talisman, often with a pentagram on it. From the root word Pend meaning “to hang”
Now there is a lot to look at in history and uses but that’s the core difference in the words.
All About: House Spirits
Well, it's about time I brought them up once again, in their own post. This guide may be on the lengthy side, but it's here to explain what they are and how to begin working with them.
What the hell is a house spirit?
House spirits come from all different cultures and folklore. Known as, you guessed it, guardians of the home. They protect the house itself, the land around it (they get along with the land spirit(s) most of the time), and they also protect the family if treated right. A home certainly doesn't feel like one without these presiding spirits helping. In fact it gives the home a life of it's own.
What do they look like? Are there types?
Across many cultures, there are these spirits and the folklore varies for each. In my tribe, we consider them to usually be little dwarves or goblins that must be appeased, otherwise they will cause bad luck or even resort to curses. Regular offerings are required. Then there are the land spirits, which is a whole other topic. If given regular offerings and respect, we believe that they will not only generate good luck and events for us, but protect us and help with our daily lives. For the witches of the tribe, they will often assist in rituals and spells. That all being said, this has carried over into my personal beliefs. Many cultures describe house spirits assisting with the same things and if they are displeased, bad occurrences following. As far as looks go, it depends on the folklore surrounding your area and your cultural background(s). You may believe in one or two types or an entire spectrum of house spirits from the realm of the fair folk. You could have one house spirit or twelve. It's entirely up to your home. In some cultures, there are door spirits (yes, that guard the doors) and ones that work in the kitchen, among others for different functions of the home.
Okay so, I live in an apartment building. Can I still work with them?
Yes. When I used to live in apartments, I found it was an either/or situation regarding how many were there. Some buildings have only a few that roam around, sometimes only one that protects the entire building, or there may be multiple hanging out in one apartment. Most complexes have multiple however. And then for the lucky buildings that have one for each apartment...those are nice. I've included a short offering ritual at the end of this post, which you can use to ask questions about whatever you wish to know, including how many there are in the building.
What kind of offerings do they like?
Milk, honey, bread, and herbs are a safe bet. They especially like bread baked by you, as they see it as a labor of love and that your energy is in there. Taking time to tend to the garden and taking care of your property & home in general are things they like to see. Don't leave the house a huge mess, as many prefer a tidy atmosphere. Not an offering per say, but important to mention nonetheless.
What should I put on their altar?
I keep my altar for them in the kitchen, as it is in a place that is undisturbed and can't be torn up by my land shark (aka, my dog). I also feel that most of the house spirits I have worked with in my life enjoy hanging out in this area of the home. They seem to like assisting in kitchen magic and cooking in general and the warmth of the stove. You may also want to include a small area near the front door if you believe that there are separate spirits for there. I'd recommend a shelf, as it won't take up as much space in the entryway.
Okay, back on track. Plants (if the space gets enough light), a cauldron, candles, offering bowls, a chalice, glass, or mug of some sort. A special spoon to stir the drinks or potions with. Decorative pieces from nature. Things you craft by hand.
How can I begin working with them?
Anytime, in reality. However, you do have to develop an actual relationship with them. This can take time and the more you speak to them, give offerings, and invite them in as you cook or clean, the more they will be willing to help with your spellwork, wards, and healing. Try the introduction ritual I've included. See what happens. Document it. Try again another time the following week. And just...keep going. Make sure that they know you haven't forgotten about them by leaving a small nightly glass of milk out before you head to bed. It doesn't have to be filled to the rim (hey, cost of living is ridiculous right now). It can be a splash with a squirt of honey added. Or a sprinkle of herbs on their bowl. Or maybe a small helping of what you whipped up for dinner. Point is to show them that you acknowledge and respect their presence. That will be the biggest component. Do the ritual once a week until you start seeing signs of contact. Once you do, make your own ritual with them. Incorporate them into your daily life. Ask them to help with blessing your cooking. Ask them to make sure your wards are in tact. Ask the door spirit to purify the energy of anyone that walks in & make bad people resist coming by. Start seeing if they'd like to sit in on a ritual, if you feel comfortable with that idea. Ask for a blessing when you clean the house & to assist you in removing all the bad energy.
Brief introductory ritual
To introduce yourself to your house spirits, I recommend sitting in your kitchen. If you consider your hearth to be the living room, you can choose to do it there. Make sure to bring offerings with that you feel will be applicable. Freshly baked bread (from your own hands) and some milk with honey stirred in would make a wonderful first treat. I usually introduce myself in a new home by bringing these treats to the location of choice, and start by speaking my intention aloud which goes something like:
"Spirits of the home,
Guardians and Protectors of this dwelling,
Please come sit with me and enjoy these offerings.
I wish to have a working relationship where we can honor, respect, and help each other."
I usually spend about ten-twenty minutes meditating after this is spoken aloud. Sometimes you will feel a strong presence. This is the time I take to set up my kitchen altar as well. If there is a place that I am able to create a mini-altar by the front door, I do so there for the door spirits. The land spirits get their own little thing out in the backyard. I've found in the many places I've lived, they almost always work together and some house spirits spend quite some time out there too!
From here on out, you'll develop your relationship with regular offerings and take it from there!
I am a witch who's trying to get back into witchcraft after an immense amount of burn out. The burn out wasn't due to the witchcraft, it was due to things piling on my brain in general. What sort of things do you suggest to ease myself back into it? If you don't have an answer that's okay, just thought to ask
I've been dealing with this myself and i actually just made a video on it that I really like not too long ago, so I think I can help you!
How to Come Back to the Craft After Burn Out (+ A Guide to doing Witchcraft with Low Spoons)
I was burnt out in general and because of the craft, particularly because of the way I was filtering my personal practice through social media. I realized a lot of my burnout was tied to pushing myself, and shame. I feel like maybe this is common. This is a mix of both personal and witchy advice, and I may be projecting, but I think you have to focus first and foremost on not rushing back in and getting overwhelmed by adding a bunch of stuff to your routine at once and trying to do everything right or perfect. A good practice or routine is sustainable, not perfect. Perfect is the enemy of good, and also the enemy of done. I've had to focus on this a lot recently.
With this in mind, you might be wondering where you should even begin when it comes to actually practicing again. Remember to go slow. I’d suggest thinking about what you were doing and interested in before and start practicing and researching whatever sounds the most fun when you’re ready. You could also go over any notes you had about your practice before, if you had a blog or something look at that, etc. You get the idea! It will help you remember and might inspire you. If you really enjoyed tarot for example, you could do that when you feel inspired to. Starting slow is important. if you want go slower you could just do whatever practices you were doing before, or like now, whenever you feel like it. You could also try working witchcraft into your routine. Routine is hard for a lot of people but it doesn’t have to be intense. It can just be adding one thing. That’s all it needs to be. It could be something you do once a month, once a week, when you wake up, after you brush your teeth, only some days or whatever you think will make you feel the best.
Of course I don’t know anything about your practice but to inspire you and others, here’s some ways you can easily introduce magic into your life.
Daily divination A tarot card every morning is what I like to do but you could use any kind of divination you like!
Meditation Meditate for a few minutes every morning/evening. Even 2 minutes makes a difference. Also, despite popular belief meditation does not have to be emptying your mind.
Dream interpretation Interpret or just journal about your dreams! Honestly journaling in general I think is great for witches.
Witchy items of the day Pick out some items to carry on you for the day. This could be crystals or herbs you want the properties of, a hag stone, or other items with properties you want to draw to you or use in your practice.
Intention in drinks & food! If you have coffee or tea every morning or day you can stir intention into it. Clockwise for things you want in, counterclockwise for things you want to banish. Or that’s the typical belief/way people suggest doing it. You can also stir sigils into it or add items to your drinks/food with or by intention.
Enchanting personal care Another way you can bring magic in your everyday life is enchanting personal care products. I’d do this for added layers of warding but you could get super creative with this and do whatever intention you like.
Sigils sigils sigils Sigils are fun to make. You can use them for a ton of other things on this list. Stir them into your drinks. Draw a sigil on your skin using lotion. Write them on your walls for warding. Sigils, sigils, ... sigils!
Spritz cleansing If you have a hard time cleansing or not a lot of energy right now when you DO have energy you can put together a mixture for cleansing using a spritz bottle and then you have it done and ready to go ahead of time for many cleansing sessions. Beware of herbs and things you add if you have any allergies/pets. Actually just research any plants you handle anyway.
Layering your wards If you’re struggling with burn out right now you probably don’t have a lot of energy so this is a tip I like for when this happens and just the long term overall. Always add small layers using different methods to your personal and spacial wards. An example of this I love is some of the above, carrying an item with strong protective properties or writing sigils on the bottom of your shoes/sewing them into your clothes/etc are some other ideas I love. Customize as needed! Be creative!
Basically just think of things you do everyday and try to make it witchy! Or think of practices you want to do more, like maybe cleansing, and figure out how to make it easier.
Also I did mention research. I think in addition to picking a practice to try again or add to your routine, picking a topic to research that sparks interest may help too. Here are some ideas for that!
Intention
Cleansing
Charging
Grounding
Warding
Circle casting
Consecration
Visualization
Meditation methods
Divination types (some are listed below)
Tarot
Oracle cards
Lenormand
Pendulums
Runes
Scrying
Astrology
Palmistry
Dream interpretation
Spell types & spell construction
Taglocks
Sigils
Other symbols & what they mean
The Theban alphabet
Color magic
Moon phases
The Elements
Correspondences of days, times, etc
Crystals
Moon water
Black salt
Plants, herbs, and spices in witchcraft
Local plants
Local history & folklore
Pantheons & their deities
Deity work
Spirit work
Astral projection
Hope this helps 💕
Credit: Soulpreneur Life™
Let's Talk About Hagstones
Hagstones are rocks with naturally occurring holes in them. These rocks are usually found by bodies of water, and the hole is created by erosion from the water. I personally also consider shells with holes in them hagstones.
Editing bc someone mentioned this: the holes in shells are not caused by erosion but actually by creatures burrowing holes into shells. I know this and still consider them hagstones because they both involve holes and water, but that's just what I do in my craft personally.
Hagstones are considered to be good luck, to help with fertility, protection, healing, and seeing and communicating with spirits.
Some claim the only way to use a hagstone at "full" power is by finding it yourself or if it was given to you as a gift. Some people even say it has no power if you buy it yourself. "It only works if you find it yourself." I honestly think that's some superstitious (and slightly ablist) bs because mine were purchased and work just fine. Don't let superstition stop you from buying a pretty rock.
Anyways, here are some other superstitions regarding hagstones:
It is said that hagstones can ward off or attract the fae, as well as see through glamours. if you wish to attract some, you can pour morning dew through a Hag Stone hole and anoint yourself with it.
It's said that if you find a large hagstone, big enough to walk through, if you walk through with your partner you'll be blessed with a baby.
To have a good dream and calm mind tie one to your bedpost.
Nailing a hagstone to a boat will disperse oncoming storms
To make a wish come true place a hagstone in your left hand and rub it clockwise while thinking about your wish.
Tie them to something you want to protect to protect it.
Some say if you hold a hagstone you can't lie.
I personally keep one infront of my scrying mirror to keep spirits from leaving the mirror. I haven't anointed my stone with morning dew or seen much but looking through it definitely gives me a strange feeling. It definitely feels like a film infront of the world has been stripped away when you look through it.
Either way it's a pretty and cool rock
Sneaky Witchcraft!
Using songs as spells. (Singing it for extra charge)
Intention behind simple tasks (chapstick blessing to keep the lips soft and the words persuasive, lotion to keep the skin smooth and repel buggies etc)
Booping a child's nose and using that intention to dispel fear and/or bless the child in question. (Now a favorite past time for my itty bitty nephew.)
Blasting music to break up icky vibes throughout the house
Diffuser or incense certain scents work as offerings, cleansing, or just good way to bring luck into the home.
Beginner witch tip: You don't need to rush into deity work, much less commit yourself to a deity right away - if ever! The notion that you should is very much a product of cultural Christianity. It's okay to take your time when it comes to deities.
Emotional Healing Bath
I recommend doing this in tandem with Shadow Work & Trauma release exercises. I saw a great thread on twitter that I'll link. I am NOT a professional- please be sure to do your own research and you can always use different herbs in this spell! Edit it to your liking, I made this a few nights ago for someone special. So I thought I'd share it with you guys.
What you'll need? - draw this sigil on a piece of paper to put into your jar or beneath your candle, if you are doing a bath you can always put this sigil in your satchet and trace it into the bath while stating your intentions. The usages of the sigil are explained in the linked post. I personally used colored pencils & took a page from my favorite notebook to draw it <3. I used Yellow for happiness & pink for love and then on the back in orange wrote my intentions for the sigil.
For those interested in a Spell Jar, you'll of course need a Jar and a Green candle to represent growth which you will seal the jar with. If you're able to I recommend carving the sigil linked above lightly into the candlewax. If you're interested in a spell candle, you can do one or multiple candles. I recommend any of the following colors: White for purification and renewal. Green for Personal growth & healing Orange for Mood Improvement & self confidence Yellow for Happiness and Confidence in Self Expression. Focus on what you are looking to get from this reading when you're choosing candle color <3 If you feel drawn to a different color for a different reason then go with your intuition.
A/N: Obviously these herbs have way more spiritual correspondences, but to keep it simple we're going to focus on the intention of the herbs for this specific spell. Witch Hazel Planet: Sun Element: Fire Gender: Masculine Moving on, releasing Grief, Mending broken heart, find inner balance. Amaranth Gender: feminine Planet: Saturn Element: fire Mending a broken Heart
Chamomile Gender: Masculine Planet: Sun Element: Water Peace & Calmness Chrysanthemum Gender: Masculine Planet: Sun Element: Fire Happiness & Elevated mood! Ashwaghanda Planet: Moon & Mars? Apparently also the Sun. Mental Power & Enhancing Mental Health! Hyssop Masculine Jupiter Fire Relieving Depression & for a more positive outlook on life salt FOR THOSE WHO DO A BATH. U can use the salt to ground the stagnant energy that is causing blockages and when u drain the tub it's like removing those blockages from ur life!!
I really recommend making a playlist for your bath that consists of comforting and emotionally relieving songs. For those who are taking a spellbath with this recipe, the goal is to release so that the spell can do it's job to heal. The salt is really a big help for this reason, so don't be afraid to cry.
i keep seeing posts floating around the witchcraft tags saying “you don’t have to know everything in order to be a witch”, “you can just do what feels right to you”, “don’t be afraid to mess up”, etc.
i just wanted to add to that by saying if you have trouble remembering tiny details, correspondences, sigils, whatever else, when it comes to actually doing spell work, you can look things up.
hell i look things up in the middle of doing spells all the time. i’ll be halfway through a candle burning ritual then stop to look up color correspondences to make sure i chose the right candle color. i’ll be throwing random shit into jars then checking what the herbs are used for right before i seal the jar. it’s nothing to be ashamed of.
keeping notes helps but it’s not guaranteed that you’ll remember everything you write down. googling something in the middle of a working isn’t going to ruin the entire thing.
reminder to those who do shadow work:
shadow work is not a replacement for therapy. if you feel like you need therapy or already go to therapy, don’t rely purely on shadow work alone!! shadow work is a wonderful tool to help assist in therapy, but if therapy is not easily accessible to you, that’s a different story.
Witches who have a hard time with visualization: You can speak what you wish to visualize.
Say out loud. Speak with confidence and authority. Describe in detail what it is that you wish to bring about.
"I picture a moat filled with gators surrounding me to shield me from outside forces."
"A circle of rainbow shall now surround my friends so that no negative energy may get to them."
Your words have power, and your words carry your power.
No matter how experienced/advanced you are, going back to basics and revisiting your foundation is crucial in maintaining your practice and keeping your craft solid.
I am a witch who's trying to get back into witchcraft after an immense amount of burn out. The burn out wasn't due to the witchcraft, it was due to things piling on my brain in general. What sort of things do you suggest to ease myself back into it? If you don't have an answer that's okay, just thought to ask
I've been dealing with this myself and I actually just made a video on it that I really like not too long ago, so I think I can help you!
How to Come Back to the Craft After Burn Out (+ A Guide to doing Witchcraft with Low Spoons)
I was burnt out in general and because of the craft, particularly because of the way I was filtering my personal practice through social media. I realized a lot of my burnout was tied to pushing myself, and shame. I feel like maybe this is common. This is a mix of both personal and witchy advice, and I may be projecting, but I think you have to focus first and foremost on not rushing back in and getting overwhelmed by adding a bunch of stuff to your routine at once and trying to do everything right or perfect. A good practice or routine is sustainable, not perfect. Perfect is the enemy of good, and also the enemy of done. I've had to focus on this a lot recently.
With this in mind, you might be wondering where you should even begin when it comes to actually practicing again. Remember to go slow. I’d suggest thinking about what you were doing and interested in before and start practicing and researching whatever sounds the most fun when you’re ready. You could also go over any notes you had about your practice before, if you had a blog or something look at that, etc. You get the idea! It will help you remember and might inspire you. If you really enjoyed tarot for example, you could do that when you feel inspired to. Starting slow is important. if you want go slower you could just do whatever practices you were doing before, or like now, whenever you feel like it. You could also try working witchcraft into your routine. Routine is hard for a lot of people but it doesn’t have to be intense. It can just be adding one thing. That’s all it needs to be. It could be something you do once a month, once a week, when you wake up, after you brush your teeth, only some days or whatever you think will make you feel the best.
Of course I don’t know anything about your practice but to inspire you and others, here’s some ways you can easily introduce magic into your life.
Daily divination A tarot card every morning is what I like to do but you could use any kind of divination you like!
Meditation Meditate for a few minutes every morning/evening. Even 2 minutes makes a difference. Also, despite popular belief meditation does not have to be emptying your mind.
Dream interpretation Interpret or just journal about your dreams! Honestly journaling in general I think is great for witches.
Witchy items of the day Pick out some items to carry on you for the day. This could be crystals or herbs you want the properties of, a hag stone, or other items with properties you want to draw to you or use in your practice.
Intention in drinks & food! If you have coffee or tea every morning or day you can stir intention into it. Clockwise for things you want in, counterclockwise for things you want to banish. Or that’s the typical belief/way people suggest doing it. You can also stir sigils into it or add items to your drinks/food with or by intention.
Enchanting personal care Another way you can bring magic in your everyday life is enchanting personal care products. I’d do this for added layers of warding but you could get super creative with this and do whatever intention you like.
Sigils sigils sigils Sigils are fun to make. You can use them for a ton of other things on this list. Stir them into your drinks. Draw a sigil on your skin using lotion. Write them on your walls for warding. Sigils, sigils, ... sigils!
Spritz cleansing If you have a hard time cleansing or not a lot of energy right now when you DO have energy you can put together a mixture for cleansing using a spritz bottle and then you have it done and ready to go ahead of time for many cleansing sessions. Beware of herbs and things you add if you have any allergies/pets. Actually just research any plants you handle anyway.
Layering your wards If you’re struggling with burn out right now you probably don’t have a lot of energy so this is a tip I like for when this happens and just the long term overall. Always add small layers using different methods to your personal and spacial wards. An example of this I love is some of the above, carrying an item with strong protective properties or writing sigils on the bottom of your shoes/sewing them into your clothes/etc are some other ideas I love. Customize as needed! Be creative!
Basically just think of things you do everyday and try to make it witchy! Or think of practices you want to do more, like maybe cleansing, and figure out how to make it easier.
Also I did mention research. I think in addition to picking a practice to try again or add to your routine, picking a topic to research that sparks interest may help too. Here are some ideas for that!
Intention
Cleansing
Charging
Grounding
Warding
Circle casting
Consecration
Visualization
Meditation methods
Divination types (some are listed below)
Tarot
Oracle cards
Lenormand
Pendulums
Runes
Scrying
Astrology
Palmistry
Dream interpretation
Spell types & spell construction
Taglocks
Sigils
Other symbols & what they mean
The Theban alphabet
Color magic
Moon phases
The Elements
Correspondences of days, times, etc
Crystals
Moon water
Black salt
Plants, herbs, and spices in witchcraft
Local plants
Local history & folklore
Pantheons & their deities
Deity work
Spirit work
Astral projection
Hope this helps 💕
Neuro-Divergent Practitioners
Some tips for your craft
Meditation doesn't always require sitting still and silent. Try dancing meditation, drumming, rocking, or walking meditation.
Keep a book of chaos or little notebook on you to capture those ideas or thoughts you might forget later on.
You don't need to have everything you see in your grimoire, only study what you find useful and fun for your practice.
Keep rituals and spell work short and effective.
Try not to fixate on astrology alignments, moon cycles, or esoteric correspondences for spell work. They may help but they aren't essential.
While visualization and gnosis are great for spell work, the aren't always a viable option, don't feel like you need to do them.
Always write down what was done directly after spell work to prevent forgetting any details.
Taking breaks is okay, you don't need to be practicing all the time to be a practitioner.
Organize your tools and supplies in a way where they are easily visible and labeled if necessary.
Background noise or music during rituals perfectly okay.
If you tend to forget to blow out candles try switching to electric ones or a salt lamp, candles aren't required for workings.
Try making recipes for oils, teas, incense, etc. in bulk.
Keep calming tea or bath salts on hand for those difficult days.
Try using different colored pens or highlighters to organize information in your BOS/grimoire.
Try keeping recipe cards for food, oils, teas, incense, incantations, or even short rituals in a box at your altar for quick referencing.
Try sticking to offerings that won't easily spoil or wilt, like stones, candles, statues, oil, and incense.
as a city witch, I can tell you that throwing something in a gas station trash receptacle works the same as burying at a crossroads. don’t stress over shit.
something i personally had to come to terms with early on that i think some practitioners on here could benefit from: you don't have to do a big spell every single day, week, month, etc.
most practitioners aren't practicing fancy spells every single day. some of us don't practice ANYTHING every single day. it's all valid magic.
Banishing Entities
Clean and cleanse your space. Open doors and windows while you cleanse. As you get to every door, cleanse in a counterclockwise direction and state "I banish all negative energies and entities. Anything that does not serve my highest good (and the good of my family) leave now! (You can add an angry "get the fuck out" here if you wish ;) !)" In a clockwise direction state "I welcome positivity, light, love, healing, cleansing, happiness, abundance, prosperity, (good things etc.) and the protection of Diana (or whomever, you can choose elements, a deity, the universe...)." You can call the corners /elements to assist you as you cleanse the home. Make the sign of a pentagram after you state your intentions to lock the protections in.
Clean and cleanse your mirrors and do the same, but move your cleanser in a clockwise direction to banish and counter clockwise to welcome protection. You can draw pentacles with water and black salt or charcoal powder on all your mirrors and windows.
Make a simmer pot with vinegar and protective herbs/spices (bay leaf, mustard seeds, salt, lemon, black pepper, fennel, rosemary, clove...whatever you have on hand really). If it won't damage your floors, you can strain this mixture and wash your floors with it (dilute with water & add a bit more vinegar). You can make a separate floor wash with just vinegar & water + essential oils as well. You can wipe down your door frames and window sills with this too. Remember to salt the outside areas of your home after cleansing.
Cut a lemon and put slices surrounded in salt on a plate in every room, especially under beds (don't salt the lemons, just let them sit atop the salt!). If the lemons rot, the entity is still in the home. If the lemons dry without molding, your home is cleansed.
Take a nice long shower or ritual bath after you cleanse your home to avoid any residual energies sticking onto you. You can even smoke cleanse yourself if you feel it will help.
You can repeat this process as many times as necessary. Attrition warfare works if entities refuse to leave. They get weaker with every act of cleansing and banishing until they disappear completely. Of course, if you feel that this is not up to snuff for your particular situation, please find outside help!
Protection Magic: Some Important Concepts
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Long post based on my experience and research. Meant to be informative. I don't claim to know the absolute truth.
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Protection magic is any type of work meant to protect A from B, and there are many ways that this can be done: prayers, charms, talismans, tokens, casting circles, setting up wards, visualization. The list can go on and on because it can be done in many different ways and combining many different methods.
But methods are not the topic of this post today. No, today I would like to talk about some key concepts to keep in mind before getting started on making protections and keeping them effective.
The Importance of Cleansing
Before doing any protection work I like to do a cleansing. Imagine you have an open water bottle, and because it was open, a lot of dirt has found its way into it over time. You decide to seal the bottle so no dirt comes in, but you don't pour out the old water, so you end up sealing it in. Yes, you'll keep more dirt from coming in, but the muck is still there.
It is easier to see this being applied to a physical location, but I personally also apply this to personal protective tokens. I feel they work better when you are taking care of your energies by doing regular cleanses and managing internal negativity.
Important Definitions
Protection ≠ Banishing ≠ Cleansing
I feel a lot of people are under the impression that these are all the same. I think they all work together towards a similar goal, but their jobs are different.
Protection: protecting something from something
Banishing: driving out entities
Cleansing: clearing out energy
You can do cleansing, banishing, and protection at the same time, but that doesn't mean they are the same. You can do a ritual including all of them, but you can also just do a cleansing or just do warding (which is a form of protection).
Note: cleansing is not restricted to “negative energy”. You can cleanse any kind of energy. Exemple: a friend of yours decides tarot is not for them and hands down their deck to you. If you wanna work with that deck it is highly advisable that you do a thorough cleansing of it and then infuse it/consecrate it with the energies you want. It's not that your friend has “bad” energy, it's just that you might not want to work with the same energies they have, or use a tool that has someone else's energy in it.
Not Necessarily a Lazy Job
One important thing with protection magic is that no matter how strong or how successful are at doing it is that it is not failproof. I have yet to see protection work that lasts forever, and there may be a few reasons for it.
Negativity also comes from within
Imagine you have a fish inside an open fish tank. Just like the bottle example earlier, you decide to put a lid on so you prevent leaves from falling into the tank and polluting the water. However, there's a fish, a living being in there, and it produces waste. It is impossible for the fish to live without producing waste. If you don’t regularly clean the water, ammonia and fecal matter will build up.
In this analogy, you are the fish. I am the fish. Humans literally cannot live without ever having a negative thought or feeling, it is part of our existence and we have to live with it. No one lives in constant bliss.
That doesn't mean we have to live in the muck though. That's why cleansing yourself is important.
No one is immune to the environment
Here I have another analogy for you. Imagine you're facing a harsh winter, but you are safe in the security and warmth of your house. Your house is protected from the cold so you don't even mind it. However, you have to go outside. You dress up, go out and you feel very, very cold. You could perhaps wear something warmer, but it will never feel the same as home. Yet it is better than going outside naked, no?
Same thing for energies. You can have protection, but depending on how strong the energy in the environment is you are sure to feel it to at least some degree. However it's best to have some protection than no protection at all.
And there is a difference between Feeling an energy and dwelling in it vs Feeling an energy and not letting it latch onto you.
Energy can wear off, and new energy can build up
Energy is ever changing, ever moving. If you do a strong protection spell once, it can last for a long while, but if you forget about it it will likely lose a lot of its strength over time. Some of what you put out there might wear off and be substituted by something else. The energy can also grow stale, which means it becomes less effective.
But if you do a strong spell every month you will not only make your protections stronger, but also constantly renew the energies and not let them stagnate.
So keep doing cleanses and every now and then give a boost to your protections so they are refreshed and recharged.
Note on "Negative Energy"
One of the main reasons someone might choose to do a protection ritual and a cleansing is to ward off negative energy. But is that really needed? What is "negative energy"?
Negative energy might feel like a sense of heaviness, dread, pain, sadness, feeling ill, angry, sad or anxious. Emotions produce and attract what we can call "negative energy", the same way it can make us feel those things.
And while I personally think nobody wants to feel them, we must understand they are not always bad at their core.
The uncomfortable feelings they can cause may also be a gateway for healing and transformation. Pain tells us there is something that needs to be worked on, that needs change.
If you are feeling negative, ask yourself why. Why does this bother me? What makes me feel this way? What can I learn from this pain?
If you happen to feel negative energy, it is good to cleanse and protect. But I advise you to always look for the source to see what can be done about it or what you can learn from it. Don't just try to use spellcasting to run away from your shit. Own your shit. Deal with it.
Otherwise, it will keep coming back no matter how much protection you have.
Conclusion
It is impossible to always be free from “negative energy” all the time, no matter how strong your protections are. But protections can absorb some of the blows that you would otherwise take and ease the ones you were going to take no matter what.
Protection magic alone will not solve all your problems. It is a great tool to help you keep your center and remain grounded, but it is not usually something you do once and forget. It is a continuous, ever evolving work, meant to be used in conjunction with other types of spellwork.
And most importantly, it can give you some comfort through the many trials of life.
Thank you for reading, and good luck on your path! ♡