Let’s just start a series of crash courses in witchcraft, since sometimes we need to learn things the quick and dirty way. Today, let’s talk about wards.
What are wards? Wards are protective energy barriers. They keep things out. You can place them around your home, certain rooms, even on certain objects. With practice and clear intentions, you can focus the wards to block out everything or only certain things. We’ll get to that in a bit.
Why should I ward my space and my things? Wards can keep out all sorts of things you don’t want in your home. They can block out negative entities, wayward spirits, mischievous entities, demons, and (if you’re really good at what you’re doing) even gods. Some people ward their divination tools so they know there are no spirits tampering with the results.
So what do I need to do first? Cleanse. This is very important. Wards are kind of like walls, or perhaps more accurately, bubbles. If you don’t clean the space first, you might trap things inside your ward bubble. You do not want that. There are lots of methods of cleansing, from burning sage to spritzing oil-infused water. Find a method you’re comfortable with and cleanse everything you’re going to be warding.
I’ve cleansed my home/item. Now what? Now we ward. I’m going to give you a couple methods. Let’s start with my favorite, incense warding.
Incense warding can also be done with spritzes of water/essential oil blends orherb-infused water if you can’t have smoke in your space. Whichever you’re using, you want to have a blend of protective herbs. Bay leaves, cinnamon, ginger, mustard seed, and salt are some great options that you can find in the grocery store, no fancy witch shop necessary. If you’re using incense, make sure you’re using natural incense and not super cheap stuff that’s artificially scented. The magic is in the herbs, and you won’t get that from fake scents.
How to Incense/Spritz Ward an Item
Smoke or spray item.
Visualize the smoke or spray clinging to the item and wrapping around it like a tight blanket, protecting it from anything that would cause harm (or interference, etc.).
How to Incense/Spritz Ward Your Space
Pick a place to start. I always start at my altar, but it’s up to you. If you’re doing multiple floors, start either at the top or bottom floor.
Moving continuously to your right, smoke or spray along the walls and door frames. As you go, imagine a barrier being formed around the walls, ceiling, and floor, pushing outwards to fill the room. Visualize the smoke or spray forming the barrier to keep out anything that will do you harm. [If you have a hard time with visualization, you can simply focus on the intent of the smoke or spray keeping things out.]
Keep moving right, following the layout of your home, making sure you get all the closet spaces. You basically want to outline the entire area you’re protecting, whether it’s you’re room or your whole house.
For multiple floors, repeat on each level.
For big layouts where there are rooms in the middle, go around those rooms as well.
I like to reinforce the wards over outside doors, windows, and mirrors. These are all passages of sorts, and when I reach them, I use the incense to draw a pentagram in the air over them. This is entirely up to you.
You’re done when you’ve reached the point where you began.
So why do we go to the right? Is that important? Kind of. Going to the right is like going clockwise. It’s about making things and progression, where going to the left or counter-clockwise is about deconstruction or reversal. [I read this idea in a witchy book a long time ago and will try to find a source when I can. If you honestly don’t feel it makes a difference, do whatever you’re comfortable with.]
Can I place wards that keep out certain things but not others? Sure. When you’re going around your space/warding your item, your intent is what’s important. I like to ward out entities that mean harm - it’s nice and general and doesn’t keep the fae out. Some people might want certain spirits and not others. Have your intentions clear in your mind as you place your wards.
That’s neat and all, but what are some other ways to ward? Let’s list a few.
Symbol/Sigil Wards
Choose (or make) a symbol or sigil that has protective properties. I’ve done this with Pluto’s astrological symbol because I worship him and it’s my way of being like, “Hey, Pluto. Please protect me, kthanxbai.” Pentagrams are nice and basic witchy/pagan symbols if you like them.
Draw the symbol over doors and windows. You do not literally have to draw it. It can be in water, incense smoke, or just your finger against the surface if you want.
As you’re drawing, make sure you have your intentions in mind - that nothing harmful can pass through this door, that the windows remain closed against entities, etc.
Energy Bubbles (if you have control over your energy)
Pick an item - any item.
Get your warding intentions in mind.
Channel lots of energy into the item. Visualize it emanating from the item in a bubble to fill your space.
If you’ve got mad skillz, you can form the bubble to the walls and be super exact with where its barriers are.
Vocal Wards
If you like spoken (or thought) spells, come up with a small chant to protect your space.
You can repeat this chant as you focus on your item being protected or as you walk around your home, protecting every room.
This is really great to incorporate into basically any other form of warding and gives your magic an extra bit of oomph.
I’ve heard wards can “fade” over time. True or false? Wards are just energy. Like all energies, they can disperse and weaken over time, or if something particularly nasty puts effort into destroying them. Redo your wards every so often (I do mine every few months, but it’s up to you), and especially before spiritual interactions. I also like to do mine after I’ve had lots of company, to kind of clear out family’s lingering energies and reinforce what I don’t want in my house.
In general, the intent of your wards is the most important part. Know what you want to keep out. This concludes our crash course on warding. Now go forth and protect some stuff!
This evening I set up a ward around my new home by taking four quartz pieces and pounding them into the four corners of the yard with my hammer whilst asking Thor to guard and protect my home.
Might have been spotted by one of the neighbors… But he just said hi and I said hi back and he went inside and I continued my process (this was just as I had finished the second stone).
Been thinking it might be nice to be known as the neighborhood witch, though, so, it’s all good.
Let’s just start a series of crash courses in witchcraft, since sometimes we need to learn things the quick and dirty way. Today, let’s talk about wards.
What are wards? Wards are protective energy barriers. They keep things out. You can place them around your home, certain rooms, even on certain objects. With practice and clear intentions, you can focus the wards to block out everything or only certain things. We’ll get to that in a bit.
Why should I ward my space and my things? Wards can keep out all sorts of things you don’t want in your home. They can block out negative entities, wayward spirits, mischievous entities, demons, and (if you’re really good at what you’re doing) even gods. Some people ward their divination tools so they know there are no spirits tampering with the results.
So what do I need to do first? Cleanse. This is very important. Wards are kind of like walls, or perhaps more accurately, bubbles. If you don’t clean the space first, you might trap things inside your ward bubble. You do not want that. There are lots of methods of cleansing, from burning sage to spritzing oil-infused water. Find a method you’re comfortable with and cleanse everything you’re going to be warding.
I’ve cleansed my home/item. Now what? Now we ward. I’m going to give you a couple methods. Let’s start with my favorite, incense warding.
Incense warding can also be done with spritzes of water/essential oil blends orherb-infused water if you can’t have smoke in your space. Whichever you’re using, you want to have a blend of protective herbs. Bay leaves, cinnamon, ginger, mustard seed, and salt are some great options that you can find in the grocery store, no fancy witch shop necessary. If you’re using incense, make sure you’re using natural incense and not super cheap stuff that’s artificially scented. The magic is in the herbs, and you won’t get that from fake scents.
How to Incense/Spritz Ward an Item
Smoke or spray item.
Visualize the smoke or spray clinging to the item and wrapping around it like a tight blanket, protecting it from anything that would cause harm (or interference, etc.).
How to Incense/Spritz Ward Your Space
Pick a place to start. I always start at my altar, but it’s up to you. If you’re doing multiple floors, start either at the top or bottom floor.
Moving continuously to your right, smoke or spray along the walls and door frames. As you go, imagine a barrier being formed around the walls, ceiling, and floor, pushing outwards to fill the room. Visualize the smoke or spray forming the barrier to keep out anything that will do you harm. [If you have a hard time with visualization, you can simply focus on the intent of the smoke or spray keeping things out.]
Keep moving right, following the layout of your home, making sure you get all the closet spaces. You basically want to outline the entire area you’re protecting, whether it’s you’re room or your whole house.
For multiple floors, repeat on each level.
For big layouts where there are rooms in the middle, go around those rooms as well.
I like to reinforce the wards over outside doors, windows, and mirrors. These are all passages of sorts, and when I reach them, I use the incense to draw a pentagram in the air over them. This is entirely up to you.
You’re done when you’ve reached the point where you began.
So why do we go to the right? Is that important? Kind of. Going to the right is like going clockwise. It’s about making things and progression, where going to the left or counter-clockwise is about deconstruction or reversal. [I read this idea in a witchy book a long time ago and will try to find a source when I can. If you honestly don’t feel it makes a difference, do whatever you’re comfortable with.]
Can I place wards that keep out certain things but not others? Sure. When you’re going around your space/warding your item, your intent is what’s important. I like to ward out entities that mean harm - it’s nice and general and doesn’t keep the fae out. Some people might want certain spirits and not others. Have your intentions clear in your mind as you place your wards.
That’s neat and all, but what are some other ways to ward? Let’s list a few.
Symbol/Sigil Wards
Choose (or make) a symbol or sigil that has protective properties. I’ve done this with Pluto’s astrological symbol because I worship him and it’s my way of being like, “Hey, Pluto. Please protect me, kthanxbai.” Pentagrams are nice and basic witchy/pagan symbols if you like them.
Draw the symbol over doors and windows. You do not literally have to draw it. It can be in water, incense smoke, or just your finger against the surface if you want.
As you’re drawing, make sure you have your intentions in mind - that nothing harmful can pass through this door, that the windows remain closed against entities, etc.
Energy Bubbles (if you have control over your energy)
Pick an item - any item.
Get your warding intentions in mind.
Channel lots of energy into the item. Visualize it emanating from the item in a bubble to fill your space.
If you’ve got mad skillz, you can form the bubble to the walls and be super exact with where its barriers are.
Vocal Wards
If you like spoken (or thought) spells, come up with a small chant to protect your space.
You can repeat this chant as you focus on your item being protected or as you walk around your home, protecting every room.
This is really great to incorporate into basically any other form of warding and gives your magic an extra bit of oomph.
I’ve heard wards can “fade” over time. True or false? Wards are just energy. Like all energies, they can disperse and weaken over time, or if something particularly nasty puts effort into destroying them. Redo your wards every so often (I do mine every few months, but it’s up to you), and especially before spiritual interactions. I also like to do mine after I’ve had lots of company, to kind of clear out family’s lingering energies and reinforce what I don’t want in my house.
In general, the intent of your wards is the most important part. Know what you want to keep out. This concludes our crash course on warding. Now go forth and protect some stuff!
After seeing this postby@lunaesteria i realised i needed to be more careful about the personal information i post while trying to share what i’m learning with you all.
This is because information such as your natal chart, birthplace and time, and pictures of you, can be used as a taglock in curses against you.
A while ago, i posted my natal chart in a post where i explained how to read one and since then, i’ve taken down and reuploaded a version of it that’s warded.
So, i’m going to teach you two quick way to ward posts on social media before you upload them, without anyone knowing! (Keep in mind, you should still remove personal information like your name and where you live, regardless of warding)
Sigil Warding
What you need:
A photo editing program which allows you to manipulate layers (eg. photoshop, youdoodle)
Pen and paper
What to do:
Cleanse yourself with a method of your choice (crystals, incense etc)
Create a sigil of intent using a phrase of your choice (eg. This image is protected from being used as a taglock/this photo cannot be used as a taglock/this information is not successfully used as a taglock/this photo is bound from being used as a taglock) OR find a warding sigil online
Insert the photo on a background layer
Create a new foreground
Draw the sigil on a transparent background on the foreground layer
Set the transparency of the sigil layer to 1% OR use the eraser tool on 99% and erase the sigil
Export the warded photo out of the editing program and post it
Ritual Warding
What you need:
A usb
Incense
Protective herbs
What to do:
Cleanse yourself AND your room with a method of your choice (crystals, incense etc)
Transfer the photo onto your usb (make sure only content you want to ward is on the usb)
Place the usb on a shallow bowl or plate
Cover the usb any protective herbs such as:
Bay leaves
Cinnamon sticks
Rosemary branches
Mint leaves
Basil leaves
Thyme branches
Whole black pepper
5. Light incense and draw a pentagram or a sigil with the smoke over the bowl with your intent in mind (refer to step 1 of Sigil Warding)
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Here’s the explanation of warding for fellow baby witches
There really wasn’t anything online about this subject before but i took major inspiration from Molly Soda’s virtual spells from New Hive including her usb “get more likes on social media” spell, as well as normal warding techniques using sigils.
Warding is the act of creating a protective energetic barrier around what you direct your energy towards. This makes it difficult for unwanted energies, spirits or people to use these warded object against you.
Usually, methods of warding shouldn’t be shared, because knowing how they’re done means you may be able to break them. On the other hand, if there’s no information about how to ward, people can just curse you anyway.
A taglock is something like DNA, a name, or a photo, which represents a person and creates a link to them that can be used in spellwork.
A natal chart is an astrological chart of the positions of the planets and zodiac signs based on the exact time, date and place of your birth. As you can see, this is the type of information that can be used as a taglock.
A Disclaimer: I am one person and my opinions (which I have in abundance) may not reflect the opinions of other witches, in general, or other people who call themselves hearth witches. In fact, they probably won’t, because I’m an asshole. I have a bizarre sense of humor that doesn’t convey well in text and I rant about shit I don’t like. A lot. If you don’t think you can handle that, maybe don’t read anything I write. Ever.
Protecting the Home, Protecting the Family
Let me preface this post by saying, I am exhausted, so probably nothing I write here is going to make sense to anyone but me. Also, that has just been my luck lately, but we’ll see how it goes anyway.
If you read my blog, you’ll know that I do a lot of stuff to protect my railroad cottage. Not just because I live here, but because I literally use my house as a symbol of my household and family. So, in a witchcraft sense, protecting my home is protecting my family. And, because that’s the witchcraft I write about most on my blog, that’s what I get a lot of questions about (spirit work aside, because that’s what I get the most questions about).
So, this post is going to be about various ways to protect your home and (hopefully) prevent nasties from creeping inside.
Rule Number One: Keep a Clean House
I know that sounds really boring. I know you’re like, “Emma, that is not witchcraft. Those are chores and I hate you. Did my mom put you up to this?” But, actually, there are two good reasons that’s Rule No. 1:
It’s not easy to cleanse a house that isn’t clean. Part of protecting your home is being prepared to go into battle for it. Now, witchcraft is known to make a house a little cluttered. If you’ve got ribbons falling out of your sewing box and stockpiles of tea on your counter. Don’t worry. You’re normal. But it’s possible for a house to be both cluttered and clean.
Cleaning a house regularly is a fantastic way to magically take ownership of the property—which I’ve discussed here.
Obviously, I’m not saying you’re house has to look like something from Good Housekeeping. My own cottage has four rooms and is home to more than four people. It’ll never be as neat as we want it to be. But’s it’s clean. And that’s what matters.
Rule Number Two: Good Fences Make Good Neighbors
I’m not talking about real fences—but those too. I’m talking more about magical boundaries. Like a witch fence. This can be set up in or outside of ritual, using a real fence, other objects, or using visualization.
So, let’s talk about putting up this fence, huh? The method I use is, of course, the “Gross Method”—and, by gross, I mean no one wants to do it or talk to me they’ve found out I’ve done it. It uses a pre-existing fence to create the boundary, which means that what you’re actually doing with this method is enchanting or reinforcing your standing fence. It’s supa supa easy. Like really, children could do if you let them. Only probably don’t let them because it’s probably a health hazard.
For this method, you will need 1) a fence, 2) something to mark your stake-points with, 3) some bodily fluids—i.e. menstrual blood, piss, spit, sexual fluids, etc., 4) your bad ol’ self
Step One: Walk around your property and decide where you want your stake-points to be. I refer to them as stake-points because what you’re actually doing is kind of like putting up a magical tent rather than a fence. These are the strength points of your enchanted fence. You’ll want at least one in every corner of the existing fence. Mark these places. You can do this by scratching or painting on the fence, tying something to the fence, or sticking something in the ground there. In my case, I used the support posts for my pre-existing fence as my stake points, so I didn’t have to mark them because I knew where they were.
Step Two: Collect fluids. (Unless you’re using spit, which you have.) You can water any of these fluids down if you need to—except probably spit.
Step Three: Using a paintbrush, herbs, your hands, a spray bottle, or whatever, apply the fluid to the INSIDE of your fence where your neighbors won’t be touching. As you do, visualize the stake-points linking together as they’re placed. I tend to visualize something like a barbed-wire fence going up between my stake-points, but white light works too if you’re into that. **If you’re going to forget, mark where you started.
Step Four: When you’ve completed the fence and connected your last stake-point to your starting point, visualize the tent going up. In my visualization this is something like a deer-skin version of a Circus tent, but I am a legit freak of nature, so your probably wont be.
Now, you can be done here, or you can write something to say to tweak the spell to your style. If you have Property Spirits that you work with, you may also want to ask them to guard the fence at this point.
Rule Number Three: Gardening = Ammo
While we’re still outdoors, let’s talk about ‘defensive gardening’. One of my favorite things to do with my garden is to reinforce my boundaries by planting protective herbs. Not only does it add punch to your enchanted fence, but it provides ammunition should you need to banish something later.
This can be done directly in the ground, in hanging planters at/on your stake-points, in windowboxes, in planters by the door, etc.
Some good protective herbs to start are:
Aloe
Rosemary
Roses (thorny for offensive magic, rosehips for defensive magic)
Mint
Lavender
You may also want to include banishing plants
Garlic
Sage
Sweeatgrass
Thyme
As well as flowers, trees, and shrubs to the same effect (like holly, cedar, etc).
Rule Number Four: Wards/Wardings Aren’t As Hard As They Sound
Come with me to the porch and let’s talk about wards! *runs to the porch, points at wards* Wards are awesome! There are so many different kinds and they can range anywhere from decorative to practical to invisible!
When you’re warding your doorway, like a lot of witchcraft, intent is super important. Really, it doesn’t matter what kind of ward you use as long as you have the intent. And, with the bucket load of types of warding, you should be able to find one to fit your needs.
My favorite way to ward a door or window is with a decorative ward, which was something we did in my family for years and then I finally saw it outside of our house in an Ellen Dugan book (which I bought JUST for that reason). This one isn’t mine, but it’s a good example of one:
These hang above doors and windows to ward off evil, ill will, etc. and can be made out of dried flowers and herbs (like above), fabric (such as a warding banner), carved into the wood above a door, or any other way you prefer.
I usually go with the pictured method. Typically I
Start with a base. For year-round wards I like to use wheat and dried grass (which you can find at a craft store—but not Hobby Lobby, because they areevil).
I face half of my base one way and half the opposite way—so that the cut ends are together and you have the awesome wheat/grass/evergreen ends facing out. Over lap the two halves a few inches and tie them together. (I usually use twine for that, but you can use whatever you like.
Next, go you your second layer, which is the actual warding part. For this, my favorite things to use are lavender (which grows wild in the neighborhood I work in), and rosemary. But there are plenty of other possibilities, too—sunflowers, rose, baby’s breath, holly, pine, mint, etc. These can be tucked into the tie you’ve already made, glued on, or tied on separately.
To finish mine off, I usually add a bell, to symbolize a signal, which sort of makes the ward into an alarm. Sometimes, when trouble is around, I’ll hear a bell even though it’s not ringing. Sometimes it actually rings.
The ward can go above your door, window, fireplace, or anywhere else you feel you want to hang it.
Of course, there are a lot of other ways to ward your doors and windows.
With energy and visualization.
With water or oil (drawing protective symbols on them with the water/oil)
Warding Wreaths
Other hangings (like photographs of deities or saints, Brigid’s crosses, horseshoes, strings or bells)
Salt lines and brickdust (I tend to mix these together)
Hanging herbs by or above the door (I typically dry my herbs next to the door so I never have a shortage of door-based protection)
Whatever
The most important thing is that you make your intent clear. Whether you want to ward off evil spirits or unwelcome mortal visitors, make your intent clear. If you need to do this by putting your warding into a big ritual, do so. If you need to activate your wards out loud, go ahead.
Rule Number Five: Everything You Need to Strengthen Your Protection is On/In You
Spit
Urine
Menstrual Blood
Sexual Fluids
Sweat
and so on
These are all totally useful supplies for witchcraft in general and for protection in specific. A touch of one of these on a window, door, doorknob, etc is fantastic for strengthening a boundary and clearly marking your territory to anyone who might wander inside. Surface cleaning with remove germs, but not the intent or the warning.
Rule Number Six: Never Let an Outsider Make Your Forget Whose House This Is
The conviction of ownership is pretty important to home protection. Don’t let an intruder scare you into believing that they own your home. They don’t. It’s yours. The people inside it are yours.
here is a link to sun’s witch academy database, where you can find information on a variety of topics as they are posted!
warding
warding is a method used to protect yourself, your space, or others, depending on how you make your ward. there are three different ways to make a ward:
physical using physical items, such as an amulet/charm, jar or knot spell, or even an item of clothing to bring protection
energetic using visualization, energy work, and intent to build a protective field, wall, etc around yourself or the space you want to ward
astral* similar to energetic wards, except these prevent anyone from getting into your space/ attacking your person astrally, rather than physically
*if you don’t know what the astral is yet, that’s okay. even if you can’t astral travel or project, you can still make astral wards. all you have to do is envision them existing in the astral rather than the physical.
with each different type of ward, you should also have different layers. ideally, you would have more than three, but there are three basic types you should be sure to have, for each physical, energetic, and astral.
reflective
ensures that no one can find your space. they can’t get in if they don’t know where it is/that it exists, right?
offensive
if someone does end up finding your space, this will ensure that they become injured/weakened on their way in - maybe even enough to deter them or stop them altogether.
defensive
the final barrier. that someone has been weakened by the offensive barriers and now will have a much harder time breaking through your defensive walls.
exercises
jar spell these spells are my specialty. i’ve created my own recipe for a jar spell to bring warding, found here. once you make the jar, you charge it with energy to make it work. remember to program your jar spell to the specifications you need: tell it if you want it to protect your room, your house, or if it’s mobile, the area within “however many feet” of it in all directions.
knot spell this spell is similar to a jar spell in function, but not in shape. all you need is a piece of string, ribbon, or yarn. tie several knots in the string. each knot you tie strengthens the protection, so feel free to tie as many as you feel to be necessary. remember to tell it what you want it to protect, as well. this would also be easy to make into a bracelet or necklace!
clothing spell pick an article of clothing. this ward is more specific to a person, as you will have to be wearing the clothing in order for it to protect you. envision it filling up with strong, powerful energy. this cloth is no longer soft and flimsy. it is like armor. nothing can touch you while you wear it (not literally of course, but it will help protect you).
energy/astral (basic) envision a glowing wall surrounding what you want to protect. it is made of the strongest metal, the most invisible mirror. no one wants to pass through it, and no one can. now extend this energy inside, all throughout the area you want to protect, like a gaseous substance. this area is just as strong and impenetrable. nothing wants to be in this space, and nothing can be there without express permission from you.
a note
there are many different kinds of wards, these are just some of the basics. many wards are much more complex. when warding, the more you can have, the better. don’t settle for just a couple. i know people who have hundreds, even thousands of wards. it may take you a while to build up to that level, but believe me: you can never have enough wards.
make sure to check up on your wards every once in a while too, to make sure they’re not broken or fading! if you don’t know how, ask another spirit worker you trust to do it for you!
So this is something I did to test my first homemade wand and I based it off that fun thing you can do with a rainbow parachute! It’s a circular cloth that kids all hold the edges of, and they lift it up to catch the air and bring it down to create a large, colorful bubble. This spell is kinda big, so make sure you have at least an hour or more to do it, and that no one will bother you during casting. I recommend using this spell if there’s lots of nasty energy stuck in places that are hard to get rid of, or if something majorly bad happened in or near the home recently.
Things you’ll need: 1. Your best cleansing tools. This could be a sage stick, rosemary bundle, cleansing spray, or whatever you use to cleanse with. But your best one! 2. Your best protection wand. If you don’t have one specific for that purpose, any wand will do. You can also use your finger, or your whole body! 3. Vervain and salt. 4. At least 1 hour or more; you may need more or less time to perform this depending on the size of your home.
Instructions: (Make sure you cleanse yourself before you start, and before you re-enter your house.)
1. Start inside the house, and cleanse from the back door to the front door. Making sure the front door is last, cleanse every nook and cranny, and each possible entry way. This means windows, garage doors, and fireplaces too. Open drawers, closets, anywhere you suspect negativity to be hiding. You may pray or chant cleaning/banishing spells while doing so. Don’t forget attics and basements too! 2. After cleansing each doorway, window and fire place lay down a line of salt to protect and keep out unwanted negative energies and entities. If you have little helpers created/set up already, make sure to include them in your spells/prayers to let them pass through. Otherwise you’ll be keeping out your own magical buddies! D: (If you don’t want the salt to be noticeable, you can use salt water instead, but beware that it could peel paints or furnishing if you’re not careful.) 3. Time to go outside! When you finished cleansing indoors and reached the front door, take note of the corner of your place that’s outside to the right. That’s where you start. First make sure you cleanse the front entry way. 4. Take your vervain (a finger-fold is enough) and bury it in the ground, at that corner of the house. You can recite your protective spells or prayers if you wish. Ask the vervain to keep your house safe, and keep out all unwanted things or people. Continue this at each corner going clockwise. 5. Once you’ve finished, go back inside and sit in the center of the house. Have your wand ready. If you’re using your finger or your whole body, stand instead. 6. Close your eyes and visualize a physical manifestation of your work. Imagine all the cleansing and warding has left little ribbons floating skyward, up past the roof of your house. See ribbons coming up from all salted entry ways, from each corner of vervain. 7. Once you’ve got a solid visual, take your want and point it at the ceiling. Extend your wand with your energy right through the ceiling, just like all the ribbons. Move your wand clockwise in circles, imaging catching all those ribbons and winding it around your house. 8. Once you’ve wrapped your house with energy ribbons, bring your wand and ribbons wrapped around it straight down to the floor. Tie it off in the earth below. 9. As you do so, visualize the air catching those ribbons and poofing the energy of your ward up, much like the air would poof up a parachute when you pull the edges down to the ground. *This is the bubble part of the ward. It is not necessary for the spell to work, however I find it can help contain and protect even the air above your house if you do right.
Your house should be sufficiently cleansed and protected from pretty much anything now. But you can always beef it up or tone it down by using a different herbs instead of vervain. I just like it because it’s pretty strong.
Note: For those living in flats/apartments, instead of burying the vervain outside, you can hang up/place little sachets of the herb in each corner of your home. Sprinkling salt in each corner would work as well, but not as strongly.
Disclaimer: Please do not use salt OUTSIDE as this could get into the soil and prevent any plant growth. I also recommend using anything but White Sage as it may not be actually endangered at this time, but it is being extremely overused.
I’ve covered warding recently in my protection post. But here I will go into more detail on what warding is, the most popular ways to ward and how to create them as well as when to know when a ward is no longer useful or has been broken. I will also go into baneful warding and what it is.
What is warding?
Warding is a form of defensive magick which acts as your first line of defense against negativity. Be this baneful magick from another practitioner or negative entities and general negative energy. There are multiple ways to ward with each practitioner warding differently to the other. Wards come in all shapes and forms, and there is no limit as to how much warding you should do, you protect yourself as you see fit.
What is baneful warding?
Baneful warding is a form of warding in which the negative that hits a ward gets sent back to its source. Baneful warding is seen as a more “advanced” form of magick, however not too advanced for a novice to do with the appropriate amount of research. Baneful warding can come in the same forms as normal warding would.
Warding jars
Perhaps one of the most common wardings on this post, warding jats usually contain ingredients charged with the intention of warding. These ingredients usually range from herbs to bodily fluids such as saliva or blood. These jars are either buried on the practitioners property, left above entryway, left on an altar, or are carried with the practitioner when they want protection on the go.
A warding jar might contain: ashes of a warding sigil, bodily fluids, herbs and plants, crystals, bones, warding or protection oils, spices, metals, glass shards etc. These jars are then sealed with black or white wax (or are sealed in any other way, with glue, tape or simply just with intention).
When a warding jar is broken, you might find the contents of the jar to become moldy, the jar shatters, the seal might break or the contents of the jar to go off, you also might feel that the jar no longer has its power. When this happens, if the jar is intact, break the seal and empty the contents into the bin/trash or return them back to the earth. You can then cleanse the jar with your preferred method of cleansing and reuse the jar for another ward or spell.
Talismans and symbols
Talismans are objects which are charged with the intention fo protection or warding. A well known example would be the Nazar, known to ward off the evil eye.
Symbols are used to represent something or represent an intention example would be the pentacle/pentagram, a well known protection symbol. Another example could by the Eye of Horus, a symbol used by the Ancient Egyptians for protection, health and restoration.
You can create your own talismans and symbols to aid in warding. These might be used to ward against a specific thing, or can be used as a general ward to all negativity.
A talisman or symbol might break or feel like they’re no longer useful once theyve done thier job. If this time comes, you can simply dispose of the old one and create a new one.
Sigils
Sigils are created and can be programmed with any purpose necessary. May this be warding ot cursing, they can be used for almost any working.
Sigils can be burnt to activate them, with the ashes being used in spells to add extra power. Sigils can be put up around your house or around your room for warding. These sigils can look like anything, simply draw them with the intention of warding.
Crystals
Crystals can be placed above entryways or in windows to act as a ward. Crystals can also be added to spells to give a desired effect or worn as jewellery to act as warding or protection on the go.
Some examples are: black obsidian, black tourmaline, clear quartz, amethyst, hematite.
When a crystal ward has been broken, the crystal might shatter, or go missing. Or you may feel the crystals energy feels different than usual. With crystals you cam simply cleanse and recharge the crystals to be used again!
Spells
Warding spells can be as simple as a dressed candle, or can be a complex ritual. Warding spells differ from practitioner to practitioner. Similar to warding jars, these spells might include the use of herbs, bodily fluids, crystals, plants etc. The methods of creating a warding spell vary, as there is no one way to create one.
When a ward breaks down, you might feel the ward break, or if it does what is intended, you might feel something bounce off the ward. Depending on the negativity sent your way, the ways in which you might feel a warding spell break down vary, this could range from feeling sluggish or nauseous to downright feeling psychic attack. (Whenever this happens, please consult a doctor, mundane before magical. What you may feel is a magical occurrence could be explained by illness, so please consult a doctor of you feel this way constantly)
Warding is a great form of protection which is used very often in a persons practice. While not all practitioners use warding, this is just to inform you of the ways you can ward to keep yourself safe in your practice!
