Warding & Protection 101

What is warding?

Warding is the practice of shielding or protecting something, someplace, or someone. There are a million and two different types of wards you can create-- in many ways, you are only limited by your own creativity and knowledge.

Why/when should I use a ward?

I always recommend having, at minimum, a protective ward for yourself and your living space if you practice witchcraft (or something adjacent to witchcraft). What a ward does is dependent on what it was created to do. Different people have different needs, and wards are not one-size fits all. Wards can be generic or specific, but my personal preference is a well-defined ward. By well-defined, I mean "clear in what it will and will not do".

Basics

In order to figure out what sort of ward you may need, ask yourself these questions:

What does my practice focus on?

Where might I be vulnerable?

What are my strengths and weaknesses when it comes to witchcraft?

Who and what am I comfortable with having in my space?

When and where am I comfortable with having others in my space?

What do I need to keep out, and what do I need to keep in?

What existing practices/habits may affect my wards? (e.g. cleansing, banishment, rituals, etc.)

Do I have an energy source for a ward? How do I intend to upkeep my wards?

Do my wards need to be moveable or changeable?

What resources are available to me? Are there people or entities that are willing to help me?

What, in my mundane life, do I need help with? What do I need to protect?

What actions am I taking, in my mundane life, to protect myself? (e.g. driving safely, practicing good fire safety habits, etc.)

How to make a ward

As previously stated, there are a million and two different types of wards-- and a million and two different ways to create them. Best practice is generally to lean on your personal strengths and resources to make one. Here are some more specific examples:

Herbalism: A witch who works primarily with herbs could create a protective sachet or jar that is filled with protective herbs.

Kitchen Witchcraft: Someone who practices kitchen witchcraft could cook protective foods, or incorporate small actions into their regular cooking that add protective qualities into their food (i.e. stirring a certain way, routinely using certain ingredients, etc.)

Storm Witchcraft: A witch who works with storms could use the energy of storms to protect their home. They could call on fearsome breezes to blow away harm, rainfall to wash it away, darkness to hide their home, etc.

Glamour witchcraft: A glamour witch can work on how they are perceived. Don't want someone approaching you? Make them afraid of you. Have a fearsome appearance to those who would wish you harm. Make them hesitate. Or hide yourself altogether, as if you were never there.

Deity witchcraft: Ask your gods to guide your hand, to show you how to protect yourself. Ask them to protect you, and clarify what you need protection from.

Green Witchcraft: Grow a plant with the intention of having it take the blow for you, if anything negative gets sent your way. Or have it purify your space.

Divination Wards: Use the energy of specific tarot cards to protect yourself. Write protective runes on things you care about.

Music Witchcraft: Play empowering music. Belt out a song about how nothing can harm you. Hum a tune to make things go away.

Energy Witchcraft: Envision great shields and walls, fortresses and moats. Whatever screams "protection" to you.

Etc.

Types of Wards/Ideas for Wards

Keep in mind that any ward can be for both the magical and mundane (though, always act with common sense, and act as if your wards do not exist. A ward will not make you immortal, and they can be counteracted and/or destroyed. They are there for when shit hits the fan-- but they are not a free pass to start throwing shit AT the fan!)

Transmutative wards: Tranform harmful energy sent your way into something positive and useful. (e.g. negative rumors -> increased opportunities, bad intentions -> abundance)

Baneful wards: If someone hits you, hit them back. Reflect whatever they sent to you back on them, and thensome.

Banishment Wards: If something steps into your space, kick it back out.

Hiding Wards: Hide something from prying eyes. Make it invisible, or make it appear boring/uninteresting.

Reflective wards: Reflect something's image back at them, let them see what they expect to see, or let them see themselves.

Healing wards: Protect your health, or force healing upon those who brush up against them (e.g. if someone lashes out at you because they have not been working on themselves, a healing ward can be just as painful as an outright baneful one.)

Scrambling/maze Wards: Scramble any information someone/something gets, or make them lose their way. Commonly used for unsolicited divination.

Protective wards/wall wards: Stop anything from getting in or out. Stop or prevent harm

Alarm bell wards: Warn you about things coming your way.

Comfort wards: Keep comforting/soothing energy around you.

Examples of Useful Wards

Name/Reputation wards

Household/common places wards

Wards for safe travels

Wards to keep specified spirits/entities out

Wards for malicious intent

Wards for curses/hexes

Wards for natural disasters

Wards for misfortunes

Please feel free to ask any specific questions you may have, this is only a very brief overview to introduce the topic.

SPELL JAR FOR LUCK

Hello all,

It has been a very long time since I posted anything but I am back to practicing as of recently! I hope to continue posting more of my grimoire for you all to see. To ease myself back into the craft, I decided to do a spell jar as I am moving house soon and I need as much luck around money and prosperity and abundance as possible.

What you’ll need:

Nutmeg - money, prosperity, protection, good luck

Cinnamon - success, healing, protection, luck, money

Poppy seeds - good luck

Thyme - good luck

Mint - wealth, prosperity

Dandelion flower - hope, wishing

Salt - protection, good luck

Honey - prosperity, abundance

Buttercup - luck, money

Hair and saliva (optional) - I wanted this to be as specific to me as possible, and I felt sacrificing some of my hair would be sacrificial to boost the power of the spell.

Steps:

Cleanse the utensils you are going to use such as the jar and any measuring equiptment.

Write on a piece of paper what you need luck towards - are you moving house? Do you need luck with an exam or a job? Try to be specific, but not overly so to allow room for adjustment. (Optional: write this in yellow, green or gold pen as these colours are associated with wealth or luck. You can also include a sigil of your choosing).

Put the piece of paper in the jar alongside the rest of your ingredients.

Once the lid or stopper is fitted, light a candle and seal the jar with yellow, green or gold wax (I used yellow).

Once you have done this, hold the jar in your hands for a few seconds and think of what this luck will grant you. Imagine yourself in the position you'd like to be in if this luck is granted to you. Blow out the candle you used to seal the jar and watch as the smoke dissapears.

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kansas-sun-witch

7 months ago

I just really love this little cameo. There’s no electricity due to Magneto’s EMP, but surgery can’t stop so Stephen’s performing surgery under CANDLELIGHT. That’s insane, ohmygod. Plus he can’t even perform surgery normally due to his hands so he’s doing it with magic but he still has to do it because he’s, first and foremost, a doctor.

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kansas-sun-witch

1 month ago

Uhhhhhhhh that seems bad

cbsnews.com

RFK Jr.'s autism study to amass medical records of many Americans

The autism study is planning to link confidential data "with broad coverage in the U.S. population" in one place for the first time.

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kansas-sun-witch

5 months ago

I finally got my house cleaned up and my space is remotely organized. I feel pretty good about it so far. I still have to catch up on last night's dishes, but that's not much. Also, throw my clothes in the dryer, and I still need to take a shower. I have to do the last two things because Dollar Tree frowns upon nudity, and I can't stand my hair being greasy.

But also I saw some where you can make the tteok (rice cakes) like in tteokbokki at home with rice paper. It will give it a similar effect. The nearest place to get the actual thing is Wichita, so that's not happening today. But I'm just going to see if it works out.

Developing your senses over time.

I was once reading a post about clairaudience and it absolutely changed my perspective early on about thinking I was making up hearing our gods. It went along the lines of how it feels to have a conversation with yourself in your head. Answering your own sentences and questions. But then comparing it to the feeling of having something or someone else answer your question. Changed my way of thinking completely. As well as Helios once or twice going “make me talk.”

I tried. It felt really strange, unnatural and awkward. Then he actually answered me.

I trusted myself a lot more from then on.

I don’t talk to other people with clairaudience so I’m unsure how it works for others, but for me, it was a gradual thing and by the time I realized I did have highly developed psychic senses, for a good minute I was under the impression I had some level of psychosis lol.

At first it was just singular words, then tiny phrases, and then I could have closer to full on conversations. I still have some days where it’s “off” and I don’t get anything. But on most I’m able to fully tune in, focus on a god or entity’s energy and what they’re trying to tell me. Giving channeled messages has been so fucking rewarding, especially when I think about how all this started for me.

When Lord Hermes encouraged me to start giving readings and messages I was unsure if I'd do well. But after doing this for a few weeks I know this is what I was meant to do. This is my path. I love it so much and I thank the gods everyday (and then some) for working with me in this way and how much they’ve encouraged me in my life.

Sensing someone in my room is enough, to be honest. Since I’ll head over to my decks immediately to see what’s up. And sometimes while I’m pulling I’ll get phrases, songs, and full sentences. But I don’t need it anymore, not always. It’s good for clarity, though.

I have lots of funny stories from a few months ago of some gods finding it quite funny that I was in such disbelief about my abilities. I doubted myself a LOT, so much. I constantly prayed to Dionysus for help on quieting my mind. That ended in many conversations about differing the voices of gods to voices that may genuinely come from my head.

And this is just about clairaudience, not any of the other senses I’ve developed that have absolutely spooked the hell out of me. Smelling things, seeings our gods in my minds eye, tastes that are usually unpleasant, and touches that feel like rubbing your socks on a carpet and then touching a doorknob ☠️

It’s opened me up to an entire world I can’t wait to indulge myself in and explore. And I can’t wait to be able to help others do the same too. I hope I can find friends that are like me sometime soon. I know they’re around here somewhere. 🩶

May the gods bless all who stumble upon this and feel a little seen. 💞

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kansas-sun-witch

2 months ago