Protection Magick - Warding

Hey, Wilderness Witches!

Today, I am continuing with a little bit of theory about warding.

The way I like to think of warding, when in relation to your home, is like locking your doors to keep out any intruders. And, for a witch who practices magick regularly, there are quite a few things that are better off “locked” out of your home. I’m talking things that can interfere with your craft, as well as your life in general, and some of these things can easily go unnoticed.

However, there is no need to panic or be scared. As I previously mentioned, warding your home can be a very simple process, and it doesn’t take much to set up a protective ward, that will guard against unwanted energies and / or entities.

Also, please do not think of warding as necessary because people are “after you” or “out to hurt you” (this is highly unlikely, for many reasons), rather think of it as a form of magickal housekeeping that offers copious opportunities to practice your witchy skills on a regular basis.

What to ward against, specifically, can vary from witch to witch and will depend on their type of practice, the location of their home and whom they share it with. It can also be dependent on what is, or is not, naturally attracted to that particular witch.

That being said, generally, the three main things that a home can be, and is most often, warded against are:

· Disruptive energies

· Transient spirits

· Intrusion

Disruptive energies

Disruptive energy is all energy that you have not intentionally invited into your home or living space. It can accumulate as a result of activity within the home or that close by. Simply due to their location, certain homes can be more at risk of experiencing disruptive energy. Homes that are in close proximity to crossroads, busy roads or frequently used public spaces are particularly susceptible to disruptive energies. Additionally, buildings of multiple occupancy and converted buildings are also more subject to these energies.

While not directly aimed at you, this type of energy can, and does, affect you, your family or other inhabitants of your home and your spellcasting.

Transient Spirits

Ever experienced a feeling of general unease in your home? Short tempers? Lack of sleep? These could all be down to the presence of a transient spirit.

Similar to disruptive energy, these spirits find their way into your home. While they generally leave of their own accord, if they find you of particular interest, they may decide to stick around for a while. More often than not, you will be completely unaware of these spirits, as their passing through is quick. However, on occasion, there will be a spirit who makes its presence known, causing disruption to you and your life.

Intrusion

Unlike disruptive energy, which does not have a specific aim, intrusion is consciously directed energy or attention from another. It usually falls under the category of psychic spying, a curse or unwanted magick, blessings etc.

Psychic spying can be applied in numerous forms, but the end result is always the same; psychic abilities have been used to forge a link and gain information about you. This information can be something mundane such as how you are feeling, to something much more subversive such as identifying your weak points or testing your level of magickal protection.

Curses are a far more bold and blatant way to intrude on someone’s life. They are consciously directed, unwanted energies that have been sent with the sole purpose of causing mayhem in your life.

Unwanted magick or blessing are those occasions where seemingly innocent energy is consciously directed at you without your permission. A routine blessing or lighting of a candle are examples of this type of intrusion. While the intentions may be good, to someone who actively tries to control the energy in their life as much as possible, these acts are intrusive, unwanted and just another thing that has to be dealt with and dispersed.

When considering the types of things that you may want to ward your home against, it is important to identify what will be most effective in providing that protection. Generally speaking, magickal methods are more effective against magickal threats, while physical methods are better at protecting against physical threats. It is not enough to take action that merely solves the problem, the action has to make sense for the goal and that is not going to happen unless your goal is clear.

This is why blanket protection is unlikely to be successful. The focus is too broad, so the energy is thin, resulting in ineffective protection against something that it would otherwise be very effective against.

For this reason, it is vital that when warding your home, multiple wards are used and not just one. There is a lot to be guarded against and homes have more than one entry point. As wards are also likely to run out or need recharging or replacing, having multiple wards in place affords continuous protection should a ward become compromised, giving you time to recharge or replace without leaving yourself exposed.

In my next post we will be preparing to get our hands dirty and looking at how to create some simple wards and the types of materials that can be used.

Until next time.

Amy