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آرشیو فصلنامه ریاضی برهان (شماره 31 تا 42) انتشارات مدرسه حمیدرضا امیری, احمد قندهاری, محمدهاشم رستمی, سیدمحمدرضا هاشمی موسوی, غلامرضا یاسی پور, پرویز شهریاری, میرشهرام صدر, هوشنگ شرقی سال: 1378 زبان: persian فائل: PDF, 23.53 MB 0 / 0

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The Art of Foreplay: Foreplay Ideas That Would Drive Any Woman Wild Ekanem Anthony سال: 2019 زبان: english فائل: EPUB, 110 KB 0 / 0

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This one is for the Liberal Stitches, who defend, protect, and fight for what’s right. Thank you for being the excellent women you are and for being there to support and celebrate me when I need it. Although the Coven of Let’s Hang Out Sometime is spread across several continents, you are always close to my heart.





CONTENTS


INTRODUCTION


PART 1: SPELLCRAFTING

Chapter 1: An Introduction to Spellcrafting


PART 2: SPELLS

Chapter 2: Body and Spirit

Chapter 3: House and Home

Chapter 4: Family and Friends

Chapter 5: Out and About


PART 3: RITUALS AND PROTECTIVE OBJECTS

Chapter 6: Rituals

Chapter 7: Protective Objects


ABOUT THE AUTHOR


BIBLIOGRAPHY


INDEX





INTRODUCTION


Whether you are seeking to protect your emotional well-being, reinforce your confidence, or find some comfort in a stressful world, protection spells can help. Feeling unsafe puts a strain on your emotional state and robs you of energy, but the spells in this book can strengthen your comfort and security and heal your body and mind.

Spellcrafting can help you feel more secure, protect your positive energy, and bring the kind of comfort that allows you to relax and live your life to its full potential. It can also help you extend the same to your family, friends, and possessions.

If taking charge of defending yourself, both your energy and your physical body, interests you, then spellcrafting can help. If you’ve never done spellwork before, don’t worry; Protection Spells is designed to introduce you to the concept and the practice. Many of these s; pells don’t require anything other than you yourself and a bit of creative visualization. You don’t need to be an established, experienced practitioner of spellcraft in order to use this book! The spells are simple, and the book is designed to give you the knowledge and tools you need to put together a simple spell of your own. For example:

• Part 1 looks at spellcrafting in the modern world. It explores what a spell is, how spells work, and some of the basics surrounding spellcraft that are useful to know when starting out.

• Part 2 is a collection of spells focusing on defense and protection divided into various categories. They’re designed to be quick, relatively easy to perform, and accessible to as many people as possible.

• Part 3 provides three full-length protection rituals for you to explore: one for protecting a home, one for protecting an object, and one for protecting a person. You’ll also find sections for ingredients or components you might want to draw on in creating your own protection spells, such as crystals and stones, herbs, and symbology, as well as different ways in which these can be used.

Protection Spells is at its heart a quick reference guide to doing protection and defensive magic. There are a lot of ready-made spells available in its pages, but my true hope is that you’ll take these spells and use them as the basis for your own spells, created by you with your own goals, your own associations, and your own supplies and ingredients. With your own life and those of your loved ones well protected with your spells, you can live with more freedom, comfort, and joy. So let’s get started!





CHAPTER 1:


AN INTRODUCTION TO SPELLCRAFTING


What is spellcraft? It’s the art of using energy to help regulate your world, to attune yourself to the energies around you, and to work with those energies for a beneficial outcome. It’s important to note that a spell is not a religious act. Rather, spellcrafting is a method of using energy to power some sort of change. Using spells to protect and defend yourself, the people you care about, and various areas of your life can be part of supporting healthy living. Working protection magic can help reduce the amount of stress you have to deal with on a daily basis, and magical maintenance of your energy can help your emotional and physical well-being. Spellcraft can assist you with all this and more.





WHAT IS A SPELL?


A spell is something you do with intent and awareness to create change on some level, and works on the principle that everything is connected by energy. Spells are done by performing a sequence of symbolic actions in the physical world to activate change on a different level. A spell looks to affect a situation by introducing a new kind of energy or by redistributing the energy that is already present.

When casting a spell, you function as an agent of change; you actively call upon resources to gather and direct energy. When you cast a spell, you acknowledge that your actions are the ones responsible for creating change. Initializing change is your intention, and whatever consequences follow are also your responsibility. (More on that in the sections on ethics.)





CAUTION: WORK AHEAD


Spellwork is designed to make your life easier. However, if you’re looking to use spells to avoid work, you are in for a rude awakening. Spellcraft requires effort, thought, energy, and focus. You can’t snap your fingers and expect instant change to check off whatever goals you’re working toward. Spellcraft is a transformative process that touches you as the spellcaster as well as your goals and the environment that contains them. Energy and effort on your part must be put into the equation in order for the outcome to manifest. So you still have to do work in order to achieve your goal, but you’re more in control of what happens and how.





HOW DO SPELLS WORK?


Everything in the world possesses energy of some kind, including situations. All those energies reach out to connect with one another, creating a weblike connection. When you seek to influence a situation with a spell, you tweak the energy in one location. That tweak sends shivers all through the web, and every energy field ripples a bit as your spell’s energy travels to the point it seeks to modify. The world is covered with these strands of energy connecting everyone and everything, and this is what enables you to send out certain energies toward a goal or pull certain energies toward you.

YOU ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF A SPELL

What makes a spell go? What differentiates spells from chemistry and cooking is the inclusion of you, your will, and your intention. You are an agent of change. Your action stimulates the energy. Your will determines the movement of the energy. Your intention directs it to execute the changes you wish to see.



Does it work immediately? No. What you need to do once you’ve cast a spell is be confident that the transformation you desire has already begun and will resolve soon. Then watch for and be aware of change. When that change may come is variable. It may creep in bit by bit until one day something’s different, and you’re not quite sure when it started; it’s just the new normal. Rarely are changes staggeringly obvious and dramatic.





PROTECTION MAGIC


After a decade or so of quiet, there’s a resurgence of interest in the metaphysical these days. With an increasing load of stress deriving from the ongoing barrage of news and information coming at them every minute, people look for ways to set their minds at rest and feel like they have a hand in protecting and defending what they consider good and right in the world. Protection magic is one way for you to do that.

WHY USE PROTECTION MAGIC?

In general, people seek help keeping themselves and those they love safe throughout all the odd things life can throw at them. Working in the area of protection and defensive magic may also appeal to social activists looking to protect disenfranchised groups or address environmental problems.





DEFENSE AGAINST THE DARK ARTS?


As dramatic as defending yourself against monsters and dark magic sounds, you actually don’t run into a lot of it on a daily basis. It is extremely rare that someone will actively use aggressive magic aimed at you or engage in deliberate psychic attack.

However, there is a bunch of negative energy out there in the world. Hatred, fear, anger—it’s inescapable. And if you’re sensitive to energy, it can really affect you. It can go so far as to adversely impact your physical health, making you ill. Even if you’re not sensitive to energy, it can affect you, sapping your energy so you’re tired, snappish, and generally exhausted for no clear reason.

Protection has several facets to it. You can protect something from general negativity. You can protect something or someone from a specific danger. You can defend against an attack, deliberate or environmental. You can protect someone, somewhere, or something from negativity by maintaining a field of positive energy around it. And perhaps most importantly, you can maintain a level of defense at all times because prevention is the best medicine.





WHEN DO YOU NEED PROTECTION?


Everyone could use more protection; safety is so important. But there are times when you feel particularly vulnerable and may want to increase your defenses.

Are you experiencing what feels like a run of bad luck? Are you becoming overwhelmed by sensations or discomfort that you can’t clearly identify, or are you having particularly vivid or disturbing dreams? These can all be signs that there’s negativity cluttering up your personal energy or the spaces in which you operate.

It’s also not uncommon to start being more aware of different energies as you start to work with spells. After all, spellwork is about working with energy, and the more you do it, the better you get at sensing, reading, and moving energy. Your new awareness can make you feel like your senses are set to maximum reception, and it can be overwhelming. Don’t assume you’re under some sort of attack; you’re just sorting through all the new information you’re picking up.

Here are some techniques to help you acclimate to this new sensitivity of awareness:

• Practice centering and grounding (see Chapter 2).

• Spend some time outdoors.

• Engage in physical activity to help you focus on your body to balance out the new energy awareness.

• Take care of yourself. Eat right, drink enough water, get enough sleep, meditate.

• Journal. Write down everything you’re experiencing and keep track of the spellwork you’re doing to see if there’s any sort of correlation.

• Do regular magical rituals to cleanse yourself and your living space to reduce the amount of energy interference.

• Be patient with yourself and the process.





BE AWARE


Spellcraft affects the person doing it, just as it affects whatever he or she is casting at. Working with spells gives you a heightened sense of energy and awareness that boosts your everyday alertness.

Sometimes spellwork is just a heightened awareness of potential danger; that mindfulness allows you to tap into the energy of your environment and pay attention so you notice problems before they become significant. This is key in protection: becoming aware of a problem before it becomes a problem, while it’s still in the developmental stage. It’s easier to deal with a developing problem than one that has grown into a massive issue.

Your best defense in your day-to-day life is to be aware of situations, your environment, and people’s energies. Heightened awareness can alert you to a potentially bad situation before it actually starts so you can get out or invoke major protection before the negative energy comes down.





INTUITION


Sometimes you just get an odd feeling, as if something’s not quite right. Or perhaps you feel prompted to go a different way to work for no reason that you can clearly point to. That’s your intuition at work.

Intuition is an instinctive prompting that arises from your mind or body picking up information that you may not be consciously aware of. Remember that web of energy mentioned earlier? Energy carries information, which is how you can use spells to affect a situation elsewhere. The reverse is also true: information in the form of energy can come to you as well. Your conscious mind is usually taken up with focusing on a zillion other things, so reading this energy is often left to your subconscious.

Trust your intuition. It can help keep you safe. It’s another level of awareness that can benefit by association when you work with spells. Remember, a lot of protection is rooted in prevention. Listening to and trusting your intuition can help you avoid situations in which your safety might be threatened.





ETHICS


One of the most critical elements to take into account during spellcraft is ethics—specifically the ethics of whom your magic focuses on. In general, the person to affect is you. You are the person you have the most control over. You are also the person for whom you have given yourself permission to do magic.

If you are doing spellwork to improve a situation that involves a problematic individual, you work to change the situation, not the person. What about using magic to enhance the protection of your spouse who works in a dangerous job? Again, you could work to improve the situation, but what if you specifically want to protect the person?

You don’t get to do magic on or for other people without their permission. Ask! It’s a simple matter of respect. You wouldn’t walk up to someone and suit them up in plate armor or hockey gear without asking first, right? Same goes for magic. If you’re feeling awkward, a simple, “Hey, I’m worried about you in [specific situation]. Do you mind if I do a little something spiritually to help keep you safe?” If they’re open, you could even discuss a method. Would they like a charged stone to carry with them, for example?

What do you do if they say no? You can elaborate; they may need a clearer explanation in order to understand what you’re proposing. If they still say no, you have a very difficult decision to make. You can either comply with their wishes . . . or go ahead with your magic.

This is a huge issue, and not a decision to be taken lightly. If you opt to do magic on or for someone who has not agreed to it, then you accept responsibility not only for any outcome of that magic, but also for your decision to work against your friend’s wishes. That’s a heavy karmic burden.

You must weigh the situation very, very carefully. Are you afraid for your friend’s life? Is the situation serious enough to merit you proceeding anyway? If not, then you probably have no business doing it.

TRY ANOTHER APPROACH

Instead of doing magic on one specific individual, use a blanket spell that doesn’t necessarily focus on one individual but protects all your friends and family. Or work on yourself: do a spell to help you be the best friend you can be to support those in need.



What if you’re doing spellwork on an area, such as a room? Area magic can be an ethically gray area. If it’s your room, you’re fine. Whoever walks through it will interact with it on a personal level, but since the magic isn’t specifically aimed at them, you should be okay. What if you need or want to do magic on a common area, like a conference room at work? First of all, examine your motivation carefully. Doing spellwork to influence people in a meeting to support you is not cool. Instead, charge and carry a stone to increase your likeability, improve your communication skills, and help you deliver your arguments clearly. That way, you’re working on yourself; you’re the target or subject. Alternatively, you may want to cast an area spell for positivity and efficiency to help the meeting run smoothly and in a focused manner. Again, you’re not performing magic on individuals without their permission; you’re inviting universally beneficial, supportive energy into the space.





EXCEPTIONS


There are exceptions to this ethical rule: your kids and pets. Even then, there are still ethical aspects to consider. As a parent, you are the responsible legal guardian for your children. You make the decisions regarding how to keep them safe and how to care for them. That said, it’s polite and respectful to ask their permission if they’re old enough. Better yet, work protection magic together!

SPELLCASTING WITH KIDS

It’s interesting to design new spells with children; they come up with fascinating parallels and connections that work very well for them. A lot of the spells in this book can be adapted for kids. The key is to simplify! For kid-focused spells, see Chapter 4.



What about pets? As with your kids, you are the person legally responsible for your animals, and you make decisions regarding their safety and care. They are sentient beings, however, and you can ask them if they are open to magic. You might receive the impression that they’re fine with it. If they seem uncomfortable or clearly against the idea, you can choose to respect their wishes or go ahead if you deem it the best course of action.





SPELLCRAFT PRIMER


There are some basic things to know before you start casting spells. This section will examine workspaces and environments, planned versus spontaneous spellcasting, protecting yourself (do you need a circle or not?), and other associated things.





WHAT’S A CIRCLE, AND DO YOU NEED ONE?


In magical work, a circle serves as a container for keeping the energy sympathetic to your goal inside and other energies outside. The circle also serves a mental function for you. By taking the time to create a circle, you are emphasizing in your mind that your working area is being set apart from everyday life. Inside the circle, you and your spell connect the current reality with your desired reality. A circle can help you focus on your goal and bring you closer to it.

When should you cast a circle? Ask yourself the following questions:

• Am I in an unfamiliar place?

• Am I likely to be distracted?

• Is my spell complicated?

• Is my spell going to take a long time?

If you answer yes to two or more of these questions, it’s probably a good idea to create a circle before you cast your spell.





BASIC CIRCLE CAST


In some spiritual paths, a circle sets apart a sacred space in which to do devotional worship. However, a circle is also an energy container, keeping what you’re focusing on clear of distraction or interference from unwanted energy. This second point is why using a circle in spellcraft can be beneficial.

CIRCLE PROTECTION

A basic circle can also be a protective shield for yourself, an item, an object, or a space. See Part 2 for spells using this concept.



If it helps you, you can make a physical circle around your chosen space with a long cord or set a line of objects such as shells or rocks around you. Different people like different-sized circles; if you’re alone and not planning on moving around very much, a circle approximately 6 feet in diameter should be fine. Hold your arms out to the sides, fingers extended, to get a sense of how wide your basic circle can be. Plan to create your energy barrier slightly beyond your reach if it makes you more comfortable. If you’re going to be moving around the room, try casting the circle right to the walls.

Building this circle uses the energies of the four cardinal directions and their associated elements. It asks that you envision the four classical elements—earth, water, air, and fire—but if you like, you can also have physical representations of them in the form of a stone, a small dish of water, a feather or incense, and a small candle with you. Place each at the associated cardinal point—the stone for north, the feather or incense for east, the candle for south, the water for west—or set them up at your workspace.

ELEMENTAL REPRESENTATIONS

If you want all four elements represented in your circle but only want a minimal number of items, put a pinch of salt in a small dish of water for earth and water, and use a lighted stick or cone of incense to represent both air and fire.



Basic Circle Cast

Before you begin, use a compass or a compass app on your phone to determine which way is north.

1. Center and ground (see Chapter 2).

2. Stand facing east. Say, “Energies of the east, of new light and stirring air, I call upon you to help create my circle of protection.”

3. Turn to the south, imagining a line of energy traveling from the east to the south. Face the south and say, “Energies of the south, of passion and bright flame, I call upon you to help create my circle of protection.”

4. Turn to the west, imagining a line of energy traveling from the south to the west. Face west and say, “Energies of the west, of transformation and flowing water, I call upon you to help create my circle of protection.”

5. Turn to the north, imagining the line of energy continuing from the west to the north. Face north and say, “Energies of the north, of stability and rich earth, I call upon you to help create my circle of protection.”

6. Turn to the east again, imagining the line of energy traveling from the north to meet the beginning of the line, forming a complete circle. Visualize the energy growing upward from that line encircling you to meet above you in a dome, then imagine the same thing happening beneath you until you are surrounded by a sphere of energy.

7. Say, “The circle is cast; by the powers of earth, air, fire, and water, I am protected.”

8. Once your circle is cast, you can go ahead and do whatever you need to do: spellwork, meditation, anything.

9. When you are done, stand in the center of your sphere again and raise your hands above your head. Slowly lower them, visualizing the energy dome above you opening and lowering down to the line again. Visualize the half sphere beneath you melting away likewise. Say, “Earth, air, fire, water, thank you for your protection and your help today.”

Can’t have an open flame where you’re working? Use something else that represents fire, like a photo, a drawing, or a small LED candle.



What do you do if you have to cross the circle for some reason during the spell? Take a moment to imagine an archway growing in the energy wall of the circle, through which you can step for a moment. When you return, imagine the archway shrinking away until all that’s left is the smooth unmarred energy wall again. Note that this isn’t ideal for extended absences; if you have a two-part spell where the second part doesn’t immediately follow the first, do the first part, take down the circle, then cast a new circle for the second part at a later time.





WORKING WITHOUT A CIRCLE


You won’t always have the time or opportunity to create a circle before you do spellwork; sometimes you need to act immediately in a dangerous or time-sensitive situation. Other times, when you’re in a safe, familiar place, you won’t need to set up any kind of defense or protection. In situations such as this, or when you don’t feel that you need a full-blown circle, you can invoke protection for your work by saying something like this short charm:

World above, world below,

Energy come, energy flow,

Protective light circles round me,

Mountains and sky, flame and sea.

An alternate method is simply to visualize a circle of light around you.





WHAT’S AN ALTAR, AND DO YOU NEED ONE?


An altar is just a dedicated workspace. In a religious context, it’s used during worship. In this book, the spells are designed to be performed anywhere; you don’t need a blessed, dedicated space to work magic.

That said, if you do want a dedicated workspace, go ahead and make a little shelf or space on a side table on which to set out your magical working. Some people like to have a dedicated cloth that can be spread out to make a workspace wherever they like.

The key is to be comfortable. Some people like to have a magical frame of mind triggered by working in the same place each time, in the same surroundings. They may go so far as to wear the same clothing or burn the same incense. Experiment and find out what works for you.





CASTING


Here are some basic things to remember while casting:

• It’s important to perform each action with intent and visualize your goal while you’re doing it. This reinforces the energy you’re pulling together and codes it for your specific goal. Remember, spells don’t work because you put together two herbs and a stone; they work because you’re using those objects associated with your goal to help energize your will and intention.

• Make sure you have all your necessary supplies with you before you begin. Nothing derails magic and focus like having to get up and go fetch a lighter or a pair of scissors in the middle of a spell. If that happens, just stop and start all over again a bit later.

• Turn off your phone and close your door to minimize distraction. If there’s ambient noise that you can’t shut out, try putting on headphones and listening to soft music that gets you into the headspace you need to be in for whatever spellwork you’re doing.

• Decide if you need a defined circle or if you can work your spell without one.





TYPES OF SPELLS


In this book you’ll encounter a variety of spellwork styles. Here’s a brief overview of the different methods you’ll encounter so you’ll be familiar with them as they show up.





AMULETS


An amulet is a passive object that you carry or wear that extends its power to you to ward or protect you. If you feel uncomfortable or exposed when you aren’t wearing a favorite bracelet, necklace, pendant, or ring, that piece of jewelry is already a sort of amulet: it defines part of your energy, and you associate it with your sense of self.

The previous example is an amulet that has evolved into being simply by virtue of the fact that you’re carrying it or wearing it often and it has become a part of you. When consciously creating an amulet, you can make choices based on the object’s symbol or traditional associations, your personal associations with it, the shape and color, and the material from which it’s made.





CHARM BAGS


Charm bags are small pouches of objects or ingredients gathered and charged for a purpose. These are also called talisman bags, gris-gris bags, conjure bags, and mojo bags, among other names. A Native American medicine pouch serves a similar purpose. A variety of objects are carried in the pouch; these reflect the individual’s own personal medicine or energy, or serve to redress an imbalance or weakness in his or her energy at that time.

A charm bag can either be a general thing, designed to support your energy overall, or tailored to a specific use, such as good health, defense from bad luck, and so forth. Unlike an amulet, which wards, charm bags and talismans actively draw things toward you.





CORD AND KNOT MAGIC


Once upon a time, sailors carried knotted cords that witches had made for them. To summon wind when they needed it, they would untie a knot, releasing the magic held within. Knots are a great way to do magic in advance and hold it ready to be released when it’s needed. Knots can also bind something, keeping it from roaming free and harming others.

Cotton, silk, wool, and linen are ideal fibers to use. Try to avoid nylon and acrylic. The material you use doesn’t have to be cord at all, of course; you can do knot spells with yarn, embroidery floss, tapestry wool, and strips of material. Any kind of crafting with string can be classified as cord magic, so if you knit, crochet, needlepoint, or weave, you can apply those skills to cord magic.





CANDLE MAGIC


Candle magic is one of the most popular types of spellcraft out there, and it’s no wonder. Candles are easy to get and easy to use. Candle magic is very flexible, adapting to your needs. As a candle burns down, you can imagine an obstacle melting away or imagine the energy you’ve imbued it with being released to do its work. Alternatively, you can see it as your goal being drawn toward you as the wax melts away.

Any kind of candle can be used. Tea lights and birthday candles are ideal, as they burn quickly. Take a new candle that hasn’t previously been used for a specific purpose, hold it in your hands, think very hard about your desire or need, then light it. Make sure you have a clearly defined goal or outcome in mind; don’t think in circles around the issue. The more clearly you visualize the goal, the more effective it will be. For added support, choose a candle color you associate with the positive outcome of the spell. (See Chapter 7 for a reference list of colors and their associated energies.)

CHARGING AND EMPOWERING

Charging and empowering refer to programming an object or ingredient for your spell. Essentially, it means taking your clearly defined goal and imprinting it into the item, using your personal energy directed by your willpower. In the candle magic example, you are empowering the candle with your need or command.





SYMPATHETIC MAGIC


Sympathetic magic isn’t a technique so much as a classification. Sympathetic magic dictates that whatever happens to a thing representing someone or something else will also happen to the thing or person being represented. A voodoo doll is a classic example of sympathetic magic. It’s also referred to as imitative magic and is based on the idea of correspondence between the situation being represented and the representation itself. In protection spells, the thing or person you’re working to protect will be the subject of your representation.





CONTAGIOUS MAGIC


Contagious magic is another classification. Contagious magic is exemplified by someone or something touching a charged or enchanted object in order to absorb its qualities. It also works the other way; anything that was in contact with a person or item can hold traces of its energy and can be used thereafter in magic to influence it. Something like a footprint or a piece of clothing falls into this category; likewise, the age-old idea of using someone’s hair or nail clippings is an example of contagious magic. When separated, things once united or paired can be used as a connection between them. If you’ve seen BFF necklaces—a pendant is snapped in two, and each friend wears half—that’s another form of contagious magic. The two people become connected by the halves of the pendant, just as they are connected by friendship.





WORD MAGIC AND AFFIRMATIONS


Word magic is a very direct way to do spellwork. The easiest way to use word magic is to speak aloud, phrasing your magic in an active way, stating your desired reality as already achieved. For example, instead of saying, “I will be brave,” say, “I am brave.”

Affirmations can be a powerful form of word magic. Repeating something is a method of constructing a new reality. They’re particularly useful in altering an attitude toward something.

Affirmations are ideal for working to protect prosperity and financial situations; for self-esteem and confidence issues; for expanding awareness; and for enhancing your intuition, all of which contribute to better self-defense.

Like other word magic, an affirmation should always be phrased in the present tense and spoken in positive terms. “I am safe” signifies to your subconscious mind that you are protected right now and you have only to realize it, whereas “I will be safe” sends the message that your protection will always lie sometime in the future, never now. “I’m not scared” doesn’t work as well as “I am courageous,” mainly because your mind grabs onto the key concept of fear rather than the negative that accompanies it.

Another aspect of word magic is the written form. Written magic is easy to do. Take a piece of new paper of whatever size you like and write out your desire or statement. You can fold it and put it under a candle, burn it, roll it up and tie a thread around it and carry it as a talisman, or fold it up and tuck it into a locket. Use colored paper to add another level of energy or use colored inks or patterned paper from a craft store in a motif that supports your spell’s goal. The possibilities are endless.

Writing something out over and over is another physical reinforcement of the energy of a thought, like speaking something aloud. Both use physical action to underscore a concept that exists in your mind. Written magic can be carving words on a candle, writing key words on a slip of paper to carry as a talisman or amulet, or creating a piece of magical art to display in your home. (The Himmelsbrief in Chapter 3 is a terrific example of this.)

AFFIRM THE POSITIVE

Affirmations are positive statements, but the point about creating a new reality is also valid for negative statements. If you constantly make negative remarks about yourself or believe the negative things others say about you, that works to create a reality that you really don’t want. The very word affirmation reflects the positive nature of this technique. You affirm, or support, the new reality that you desire to manifest.





KEEPING RECORDS


It’s all well and good to toss spells around. But what makes you an effective and successful spellcaster is paying attention to what works and what doesn’t work. If something doesn’t work, examine the potential reasons it might have failed. Keep notes regarding what day of the week or time of day you cast the spell. (Maybe lunchtime spellwork always fizzles.) What components/supplies did you use? (Perhaps rosemary is a no-go herb for you because its energy and yours don’t get along.) There is no point in wasting time and energy on a spell that isn’t going to work, and the only way to figure out how to save time is by keeping track of your successes and failures.

Grab a notebook and start noting the date and time, the weather, the ingredients/supplies/elements you used, the phase of the moon, your mood, your health—anything and everything you can think of. Write down how you felt while casting the spell and how you felt after you were done, and make sure to note any effects that manifest later, such as odd dreams, unexpected fatigue, or amped-up energy levels. Leave space to note results, if any, when you notice them. All this information provides you with a body of knowledge to review for insight into the strengths and weaknesses in your spellcasting.





CHAPTER 2:


BODY AND SPIRIT


Responsibility for protection starts with yourself. In today’s society, people are under a constant barrage of negative energy, besieged physically, mentally, and emotionally by environmental drains, social stress, and having to keep up with life’s demands. The first step toward dealing with it all is to protect yourself from the onslaught.

It’s no secret that mental and emotional exhaustion can affect you physically. These three areas are irrevocably intertwined. As a result, a lot of the areas these spells are designed to focus on can overlap. For example, if you have a high-maintenance associate, he or she may draw on you mentally and emotionally, which can negatively impact your physical energy. Until you are more experienced in spellcasting, address these issues separately at first to help you really focus on the defined goal. Later, you can fold them all into a single spell.





MAGIC HELPS THOSE WHO HELP THEMSELVES


Magic isn’t the sole answer to a problem. You can’t use spellcraft to protect your home and then go out leaving all your windows open and the door unlocked. You need to work to support it outside the spell as well. That means keeping certain things about protecting yourself in mind:

• Use common sense. Stay away from dangerous areas. Know where you’re going at all times and familiarize yourself with the layout or directions ahead of time. Let someone know where you’re going and what time you expect to be back and make sure you have contact numbers for people in case of an emergency.

• If you know certain people tire you out physically or energy-wise, limit the time you spend with them. These people have an energy imbalance and absorb energy from wherever they can, and they often don’t know they’re doing it. Sometimes you can have the opposite problem and feel overwhelmed by an outgoing person who forcefully projects energy. He or she may not be doing it aggressively; he or she might just be exuberant or really like you! However, these people can be tiring too.

• Remain calm in a situation that scares you. If you start to panic, you will get tangled up in your own fear and make protecting yourself harder.

• Remember that a deliberate psychic attack is very, very rare. Self-jinxing is actually the most common affliction, far more common than someone else dedicated to investing all that energy into ruining your life. Don’t fool yourself into thinking you’re under psychic attack or being dogged by bad luck. It’s a self-fulfilling prophecy, and you’ll start attracting negativity, perpetuating the cycle. Break it with magic instead.

TRY THIS EXERCISE

Learn what frazzles or drains you. Make a list of at least five things. Think about ways you can work to deal with those situations as they arise, magically or otherwise. You can also work out ways to avoid those situations.





GENERAL SELF-PROTECTION


This section begins with the most basic of protection techniques. If a vicious dog is racing at you, the safest thing to do is to slam a door shut between you, with you inside and the dog outside. The magical equivalent of this is raising a shield around yourself, a protective sphere or container of energy to keep danger on the outside and you on the inside. Where does this energy come from? Inside you and around you.

The first few spells in this book are the equivalent of learning how to boil water before venturing into making pasta or hard-boiled eggs. They’re basic techniques that should be the first things you do before leaving your house or even leaving your bed if you live in a place where you feel unsafe somehow.

CENTERING AND GROUNDING

Centering refers to finding your core and calmly focusing on your own energy within yourself; it’s a form of mindfulness. Grounding refers to connecting that core to the earth’s energy, enabling you to balance out your energy levels. Centering and grounding are both very common practices also found in meditation and martial arts.



Centering and Grounding

A sure way to exhaust yourself is to use all your own energy to do magic. By connecting to a larger energy source, you can allow that energy to flow through you, nourishing your own energy levels as well as powering what you’re doing magically. This technique is also essential any time you feel frightened or panicked. It secures you and reinforces your stability, allowing you to face whatever’s happening with balance and equanimity.

What to Do:

1. Sit or stand comfortably and close your eyes. Take three deep breaths.

2. Visualize a glowing light in the core of your body. You can locate it wherever feels right; most people instinctively visualize it at the heart or abdominal level.

3. Visualize this glowing light extending a tendril down toward the earth, passing through the ground and deep into the earth’s core. See it meet and join with the energy of the earth.

4. Visualize the energy of the earth traveling up the tendril to re-energize your own core. Feel the energy suffusing you, nourishing your energy levels, redressing any energy imbalances you are suffering, and stabilizing you. You are connected to the earth.

5. Maintain this connection for as long as you wish, enjoying the communication of energy. When it is time, thank the earth for sharing its energy and reduce the flow of energy but don’t completely close off the energy conduit between the earth and your core. Allow it to remain a thread connecting you so you can draw up energy at will or shunt off excess energy if you need to.

TIP

• If it helps, imagine your own energy as one color and the earth’s energy as another. When you draw the earth’s energy up to ground yourself, imagine the color of that earth energy mingling with the color of your own energy.

You can also perform this in reverse if you feel as if you have too much energy. Follow the visualization through to the connection with the energy at the earth’s core. Instead of drawing earth energy up, however, visualize the excess energy in you flowing down.



Basic Shield

Once you know how to center and ground, you can use the earth’s energy to form a shield around yourself. This is very similar to the Basic Circle Cast in Chapter 1. You can extend the shield as far as you like; just be aware that the bigger you make it, the harder it may be to maintain. For a personal shield, start with a bubble that you could touch with the tips of your fingers if you held your arms out to your sides.

What to Do:

1. Center and ground. Draw the earth’s energy up into your core.

2. Visualize the energy in your core expanding outward past your physical body like a soap bubble. Expand it to the desired diameter.

3. To help secure your visualization, you can speak a key phrase, such as, “I invoke my personal shield. No danger or ill befalls me, safe within its protection.”

TIPS

• You’ll find that a personal energy shield will naturally degrade as the day goes on. Check it often, extending your awareness to sense if there are any weak spots. If there are, simply draw up more earth energy and reinforce the entire shield.

• It may seem like a good idea to make a permanent shield, but it isn’t. A shield can rust in place, making it difficult for you to pass energy you want to access in and out of it. Lower your shield regularly and make a new one so you can lower it at a moment’s notice if you need to.

Advanced Personal Shield

Once you have mastered erecting a basic personal shield, you can experiment with various tweaks to find a shield that really resonates with you and your needs. Try this mirrored variation.

What to Do:

Once you have shaped your personal shield, imagine the soap bubble–like surface turning into a mirror, reflective side out. This will bounce negativity away from you.

Experiment with other surfaces to your shield. Why not try a net of vines woven around your shield? What happens if you visualize it as a sphere of ice? Sunlight? Flowing water? Find what works best for you. (And that may change from day to day or according to what kind of environment you find yourself in.)



Waxing Moon Spell

Traditionally, the first half of the moon cycle, when the moon waxes from dark to full, is associated with drawing things toward you. This is an ideal time to work on inviting positive energy into your life: healthy body, healthy mind, happy heart, strong financial situation, focus, resilience . . . whatever you think you need. This version focuses on general protection.

What You Need:

Small white candle, such as a tea light or birthday candle

Candleholder (a lump of putty works for the birthday candle)

Matches or lighter

What to Do:

1. Center and ground.

2. Place the candle in the holder and light it. Say, “Waxing moon, bring me protection from all that seeks to harm me. Thank you for your many blessings.”

3. Allow the candle to burn down.

TIP

• You can use this as a basis for a specific spell targeting protection from a specific issue. Just identify it in place of saying, “from all that seeks to harm me.”

Waning Moon Spell

The second half of the moon phase is when the moon wanes from full to dark. This is the time traditionally associated with banishing, reversing, or getting rid of things. It’s easy to tweak the previous spell to be performed in the waning phase just by rephrasing your wish.

What You Need:

Small white candle, such as a tea light or birthday candle

Candleholder (a lump of putty works for the birthday candle)

Matches or lighter

What to Do:

1. Center and ground.

2. Place the candle in the holder and light it. Say, “Waning moon, banish from my life all that seeks to harm me. Thank you for your many blessings.”

3. Allow the candle to burn down.

TIP

• White candles are multipurpose. If you prefer to use a black candle and can find a small one, go ahead and use that for the banishing version. Or use any other color that you associate with banishing.





PROTECTING YOURSELF PHYSICALLY


While most of the spells in this chapter are designed around protecting you, these spells focus specifically on protecting your physical body, be it from physical harm or a physical effect of negative energy.

Poppet Spell

A poppet is a small doll or figure of a human used as a focus for magic. In this spell, it’s meant to represent your physical body, and serves as the focus for your energy. In the past, poppets were carved from wood, sewn from scraps of material, and even made of roots or rope twisted together. This spell uses felt. You can use a color of your choice; choose either your favorite or a color associated with protection, such as red, black, or blue. If you have a gingerbread man (or woman!) cookie cutter, you can use that as a template for the shape. Otherwise, freehand a simple human shape. The second part of the spell creates a box to store the poppet in.

What You Need:

2 squares of felt, approximately 6 inches × 6 inches

Sharpie marker

Straight pins

Scissors

Needle and thread

Yarn, scraps of clothing (optional)

6–12 cotton balls

Penny or other coin from your birth year

Pinch of salt

Pinch of rosemary

Pinch of rue

Red jasper

What to Do:

1. Stack the two pieces of felt one on top of the other and draw the outline of a human shape with the Sharpie. Pin the pieces of felt together, then cut out the shape.

2. Stitch the two pieces together around the edges, leaving the head open.

3. Use the Sharpie to draw features and physical characteristics on the shape. If you have a scar or a birthmark or always wear a specific piece of jewelry, draw it. The idea is to make the poppet look like you by using key identifying elements. Add yarn for hair if you like or stitch on clothes from scraps of your own old clothing.

4. Tease out the cotton balls a bit, then start slipping them into the poppet. When you are halfway done, add the penny, pinches of salt, rosemary, and rue, then the red jasper. Finish stuffing the poppet with the remaining cotton balls. Pin the head shut and stitch it closed.

5. Center and ground. Hold the poppet in your hands and draw energy up to the ground, filling your core. Let your energy trickle down your arms to the poppet in your hands. Say, “This poppet is me; as it is kept safe, so am I kept safe.”

TIPS

• If you’re drawing your poppet freehand, don’t get too detailed or make the arms and legs too long or narrow; they’ll be hard to stuff. Keep it a generic outline. Think gingerbread man, and you’ll be on the right track.

• If you like, you can add a strand or two of your hair or a couple of nail clippings into the poppet as you insert the other ingredients.

Poppet Box

This spell creates a safe place for your poppet to be stored.

What You Need:

Wooden box with lid, large enough to hold the poppet

Black paint

Paintbrush

White cloth, large enough to wrap the poppet

What to Do:

1. Paint the inside of the box with the black paint. Don’t forget the inside of the lid. Allow to dry.

2. Wrap the poppet in the white cloth and set it inside the box. Close the lid. Repeat, “As this poppet is safe, so am I kept safe.”

3. Put the box in a safe place.

The poppet box project can also make an excellent general spell box. Many of the spells in this book call for something to be kept in a safe place. A spell box is a great idea to house these objects. Make a general spell box to keep them safe.



TIP

• You can stain or paint the outside of the poppet box as well if you choose or decorate it however you like. Consider gluing a mirror to the top of the box, programmed to reflect negative energy away from the poppet (and therefore you).

Protection Amulet

The wearing of protective symbols keyed to your beliefs is an age-old practice. Choose a piece of jewelry that you already wear or get a new one that you can dedicate to this specific purpose. Either way, cleanse the jewelry by passing it through incense smoke before performing the spell in order to remove foreign energy and any energy buildup before programming it with this new purpose.

What You Need:

Stick or cone of incense (sandalwood or frankincense) and censer or incense boat

Matches or lighter

Item of jewelry

What to Do:

1. Center and ground.

2. Light the incense. Pass the item of jewelry through the smoke, saying, “By the power of this purifying incense, you are cleansed of all prior negative energy.”

3. Hold the item in your hands. Close your eyes and draw energy up from the earth, feeling it flow down your arms. Direct the energy into the item, saying, “I charge you, [item], to be for me a shield, a defense against injury and danger.”

4. Wear the item as often as possible—certainly every time you go out.

TIP

• Before you put the item of jewelry on, take a purifying bath or shower or do another of the energy-cleansing spells in this chapter to start with a clean slate.

If you don’t have a symbol that you associate with protection or don’t feel comfortable wearing it publicly, choose a plain piece of jewelry that you will be able to wear. Don’t stress too much about your choice; you can deconsecrate the amulet and make a new one as your taste evolves. On the other hand, an amulet can collect more power as it is worn and used, and the point of using jewelry is that it isn’t disposable.



Lemon Cleanse

You wash your face every night and your hands regularly . . . why not do a regular wipe down of any negative energy that has accumulated too? You can do this in the shower or anytime as a quick reset. Lemon is a traditional antidote to negative energy.

What You Need:

Lemon slice

What to Do:

1. Envision any negative energy clinging to your body or aura collecting at the back of your neck. Visualize it as black or a murky brown, if that helps. (This may feel uncomfortable. Don’t worry. You’re about to get rid of it.)

2. Wipe the slice of lemon over the back of your neck, allowing it to absorb all the negative energy. Wipe for as long as you feel necessary.

3. Toss the lemon slice in the compost where it will decompose, and the energy it removed from you will be transformed.

TIP

• If the feeling of negative energy at the back of your neck is too disturbing, call it to collect in the palm of one of your hands, then use the lemon to wipe it off.

Purifying Bath

Sometimes you need more than a quick fix. A purifying bath can help you relax. The blend of salt, rosemary, and sandalwood will help remove any negative energy clinging to you and reset your energy.

What You Need:

1 cup Epsom salt

1 teaspoon rosemary

3 drops sandalwood essential oil

What to Do:

1. Mix all the ingredients in a small bowl.

2. Draw a bath at a comfortable temperature. Sprinkle the Epsom salt blend under the running water.

3. Soak in the bath for as long as you like.

Smudging

Smudging is a traditional method of purification used in several cultures. A bundle of dried herbs is lit and the flame extinguished, leaving the herbal matter to smoke. Sage is one of the traditional purifying herbs and the most common kind of smudge stick you’ll find.

What You Need:

Smudge stick

Matches or lighter

Heatproof bowl

What to Do:

1. Light the end of the smudge stick. Gently blow out the flame once the dried herbal matter has caught. You may hold the smudge stick in your hand for this, lay it in the heatproof dish and hold the dish itself, or place the dish on a table next to you. Whatever is easiest!

2. Gently waft the smoke up and down your body. Cup your hand and use a washing motion, spreading the smoke along your arms and legs. As you do, visualize the smoke dissolving any unwanted energy clinging to you.

You don’t have to use an entire smudge stick. When you’ve finished purifying the space or energy, extinguish the stick by tamping it out in a heatproof bowl or sand. When it’s cool, wrap it in foil and keep it till the next time you need it.



Sunlight Spell

Never underestimate the power of sunlight! This is a quick, easy, and direct spell to use when you’re in a difficult situation. It’s easiest to perform on a sunny day, but even on an overcast day, the sun is up there, just behind the clouds.

What to Do:

1. If you feel anxious, threatened, or unsafe in some way, make your way outside to stand in the fresh air.

2. Lift your face to the sun and close your eyes. Say, “Sun, banish this negative energy. Break its hold upon me.”

3. Feel the warmth of the sun on your face and body. Breathe slowly and deeply, imagining the sunlight flowing into your body with every inhalation.

4. Say, “I am free. Thank you, sun.”

5. Return to your situation and carry on with your day. If you ended your involvement and excused yourself, you can move on to another location.

TIP

• It’s best to do this outside, but in a pinch, you can walk to a window and stand facing it, pulling in the energy of the sunlight through the glass.

Do you have to speak the words of a spell aloud? It helps, because talking is a physical act that can help underscore your intent, but if you’re in a situation in which you have to remain silent, then go ahead and speak the words inside your mind. Or you can subvocalize them, moving your lips and your vocal cords without actually producing sound.



Large Witches’ Ladder

A witches’ ladder is a spell technique that involves knot magic. This ladder focuses on protecting the place in which it is hung or the person for whom it is made. This version makes a larger braid that can be hung on a wall or tucked in a drawer.

What You Need:

3 (3-foot) lengths of cord, yarn, string, wool, or embroidery thread

Beads, feathers, small pendant charms associated with protection

Needle and thread (optional; see instructions)

What to Do:

1. Tie the three lengths of cord together at one end.

2. Visualizing your goal, slowly begin to braid the three cords together.

3. Whenever you feel it is right, pause in the braiding to slip a bead over one of the cords or slide a small charm over one of the threads. If your cords are too thick to slide through the beads and charms, finish braiding the entire lengths of cord and tie them off. Then, using the needle and thread, sew the beads and charms to the braid at various intervals. Weave the feathers into the braid or sew them on.

4. Hang the witches’ ladder in the area you wish protected. You may loop it and tie the ends together to make a circle and hang it like a wreath or hang it vertically by one of the knots. Alternatively, you can fold or coil it up and slip it into a small space.

TIPS

• Check Chapter 7 to look up colors and symbols associated with protection in various settings to help you choose things to weave into the braid. Symbols of shields, weapons, or animals you associate with defense are all good ideas too.

• It may help to hold the tied end of the cords down with something heavy before you start braiding or to tape them to a table. You could also pin the knot to a pillow or sofa cushion.

Knot magic uses the act of tying or twisting cord together to secure magic and energy in the knots.



Mini Witches’ Ladder

This is a small personal-sized witches’ ladder that you can carry in a pocket or purse. It’s best to use lighter cord, yarn, or string for this version. As in the previous spell, if your cord is too thick for the beads or charms, sew them on in the places indicated instead.

What You Need:

3 (1-foot) lengths of cord, yarn, string, wool, or embroidery thread

3 beads or small pendant charms associated with protection

What to Do:

1. Tie the three lengths of cord together at one end.

2. Slip a bead or charm on the center cord right underneath the knot.

3. Visualizing your goal, slowly begin to braid the three cords together.

4. Just before the halfway point, slip another charm or bead onto a cord. Continue braiding.

5. About an inch before the end, slip the final bead or charm onto a cord. Knot the ends together.

6. Carry the witches’ ladder with you. You may loop it and tie the ends together to make a circle, coil it up, or just tuck it into a small space.

TIP

• These mini ladders make great protective charms for luggage when you travel. Tuck one inside your suitcase the next time you take a trip!

Trap Negativity

If you’re out and about and you start feeling unnerved or uncomfortable or you start a spiral of negative thinking, try this quick spell. You can use the end of a shoelace, the loose end of a strap on a backpack, or anything at all. In a pinch you can even use a shirttail, a scarf, or a purse strap.

What You Need:

1 cord, any length

What to Do:

1. When you feel anger or fear rising inside or sense something not quite right around you, visualize that negative energy fusing into a ball in front of you. Hold the length of cord taut between your fingers and say, “I command you to halt; I bind you where you are. You cannot harm me.”

2. Tie the cord into a simple slipknot, visualizing the cord being tied around the ball of negative energy in front of you. Holding the cord taut, inhale deeply, then exhale and let the tension leave your body. Release the cord to dangle freely again.

3. When you have moved on to a safe place, untie the knot and allow the energy to disperse.





PROTECTING YOUR HEALTH


Health is a key area to support with magic. This is a different issue than the basic protection or physical protection covered earlier, in that this section focuses on maintaining health or specifically addressing health issues. Health is part of the overall puzzle that contributes to well-being. By protecting your health, you’re helping protect everything else in your life as well.

Medical Bureaucracy

Part of maintaining health is dealing with the medical establishment, and sometimes there is red tape. Nothing is more distressing than having to struggle with bureaucracy when you are already worried about illness, well-being, and financial security, either your own or that of a family member. Here’s a spell to help untangle that red tape and smooth out the paperwork.

What You Need:

Blank paper, approximately 4 inches × 4 inches

Pen or pencil

Red yarn, 8–10 inches long

Scissors

What to Do:

1. Center and ground.

2. On the paper, write the medical procedure that you need performed or the bill you need to claim on your insurance. Fold up the paper and tie the red yarn around it as many times as you can.

3. Say, “From out of the maze of red tape, from the black hole of bureaucracy, into the light of success: obstacles are no more!”

4. Cut the red yarn into pieces small enough that you can’t tie them in knots anymore. Unfold the paper and say, “Communication flows, success is mine.”

5. Dispose of the shredded yarn in the trash. Keep the paper until the procedure is scheduled or the insurance payment is secured, then burn it and scatter the ashes outside.

TIP

• You may have to do this spell more than once, as new obstacles may arise in the process. Use new red yarn each time but refold the original paper until the entire situation is definitely past.

Citrus and Clove Spell for Better Health

This may be a familiar craft from your childhood, often practiced around the Christmas season. Here it invokes the associations citrus has with health and the association cloves have with anesthetic and purification.

What You Need:

Small orange or lemon

Jar of whole cloves

Plate

Thin skewer or pushpin (optional; see instructions)

Small dish

What to Do:

1. Center and ground.

2. Hold the fruit in your hands and say, “[Fruit], I call upon your healing and strengthening energy.”

3. Working over the plate to catch any juice that runs, begin pushing whole cloves into the peel of the fruit, one by one. If the peel is too hard or the cloves too dull, use the skewer or pushpin to make small guide holes first.

4. Cover as much of the surface of the fruit as you can with the cloves. When you are done, hold the fruit in your hands and say, “Protect my health, citrus and cloves.”

5. Place the fruit in the small dish and put it in a place with good airflow. Turn it every day to allow it to dry evenly. If it starts to mold instead, compost it and create another one. (Don’t worry; this has nothing to do with the state of your health and everything to do with how damp or dry your climate is.)

6. Once it has dried, keep the clove-studded orange in the dish for as long as you feel it is required. Do check it regularly to make sure it’s still all right; if it discolors, molds, or otherwise goes bad, compost it and create a new one. If you keep it in a place of high-energy traffic, you might consider making a new one every three to four months.

TIPS

• You can create designs on the orange with the cloves instead of covering it completely, if you wish. Bear in mind that the fewer cloves there are, the shorter the lifespan of the orange.

• You can hang the orange up after it has dried; make a loop with a piece of ribbon and use a couple of sewing pins to attach it to the orange.

Salt Spell to Draw Out Illness or Infection

Salt draws away negative energy. This spell can be performed when you are ill to help draw the illness out of your body.

What You Need:

Salt

Small bowl

What to Do:

1. Center and ground.

2. Place the salt in the bowl and place the bowl on the region or part of the body that is afflicted by the illness or damage. Allow it to stay there for at least 3 minutes, preferably longer, to absorb the negative energy that is collected there. Visualize the infection or damage as dark, murky energy rising up through your body and being drawn into the salt.

3. Alternatively, if you have a virus or general infection, hold the bowl in front of your mouth and exhale completely into it. Do this three times, visualizing the illness in your body as a murky cloud leaving your body via your breath and being directed into the salt.

4. Dispose of the salt by flushing it down the toilet.

TIP

• If a bowl is awkward, pour salt into a small disposable/compostable tea bag and use that instead.

Salt Spell to Cleanse a Sickroom

Are you bedbound because you’re sick? This is an easy spell to help cleanse the unhealthy energy from your sickroom.

What You Need:

Salt

Small bowl

What to Do:

1. Place the salt in the bowl. Say, “Salt, I call upon you to absorb illness and negative energy from this room.”

2. Place the bowl of salt under your bed. Replace it daily, disposing of the used salt by flushing it down the toilet.

Sun Spell for Health and Healing

Bask in the sun! Sometimes you lack the energy to do something more active. This spell is a terrific way to use the sun’s energy to support your healing or to maintain good health. This can be performed inside sitting by a sunny window or outside if the temperature is agreeable.

What You Need:

Sunny day

What to Do:

1. Position yourself in the sun. If possible, orient the part of your body that needs the healing energy toward the warmth of the sun; otherwise, just sit in the sunlight.

2. Say aloud (or in your head): “Sun, I call upon your healing energy to aid me.” If you have a specific ailment you wish the sun to help with, name it here.

3. With your eyes closed, breathe deeply and evenly. Feel the warmth of the sun on your skin. Visualize the sunlight melting into your body. Imagine it seeping into your cells, traveling from one to the next, glowing with health. Sit there as long as you wish or feel you need to.

TIP

• If you fall asleep during this spell, don’t worry. Sleep brings healing too.

Protecting Yourself from Physical Exhaustion

Physical exhaustion is a common problem in contemporary society. People push and push and push, trying to meet the needs of family, job, running the house, and lastly, their own self-care. Often, you don’t have time—or, sadly, the energy available—to recharge. This spell can help manage your energy levels and keep you from physical exhaustion.

What You Need:

1 teaspoon light oil (such as almond or sunflower)

Pinch of dried lavender

Pinch of ground cinnamon

Brown jasper

Clear quartz crystal

Black pouch or bag

What to Do:

1. Center and ground.

2. Add the dried herbs to the oil and swirl to combine.

3. Hold the stones in your hands and say, “Stamina, endurance, fortitude: I am protected from depletion and exhaustion. I always have enough energy. Brown jasper defends my stamina; clear quartz ensures I always have energy to draw on. It is so!”

4. Dip your finger in the herbed oil and anoint each stone. Slip them into the black bag and close it.

5. Carry the bag with you.

TIPS

• To renew the spell, repeat it monthly with the same words. You can repeat the anointing or not as you choose.

• Add a pinch of dried lavender and ground cinnamon to the bag with the stones if you like.

Defending Your Energy from Being Drained

When your energy is being siphoned off, the first signs are usually physical. Fatigue, slowing down, and a general dull feeling can all suggest a loss of essential energy, either to others leeching it or by the energy leaking in general. This spell can help you guard your energy from interference and loss.

What You Need:

Quartz crystal

What to Do:

1. Cleanse the stone according to your preferred method from Chapter 7.

2. Center and ground.

3. Hold the stone. Draw energy up from the ground and let it flow down your arms to the stone in your hands. Say, “Quartz, with your endless power and energy, support my energy; defend it from being stolen or lost.”

4. Carry the stone with you.

TIP

• Quartz jewelry is easy to find. A quartz pendant could be slipped onto your keychain or used as a zipper pull on your purse or backpack—whatever you carry with you.

Charm Bag Against Fatigue

Mugwort is a traditional herb to use against fatigue. This quick and easy charm bag calls on its energy to help fight weariness and lethargy.

What You Need:

Mugwort

Small black pouch

What to Do:

1. Ground and center.

2. Hold your hand over the mugwort and say, “Creature of earth, I charge you to defend me from exhaustion, to ensure my energy is always high, to guard against fatigue.”

3. Put the mugwort into the black pouch and tie it shut.

4. Carry the pouch of mugwort with you.

For an extra zing, combine the mugwort spell with the quartz spell and create a charm bag to defend your energy and ward off exhaustion. This is a terrific combo for draining work environments.



Safe Medical Procedure

Sometimes, as much as you may trust a doctor, it’s reassuring to work some magic to safeguard a medical procedure, such as surgery or childbirth. This spell uses runes drawn on your body with salt water. (For more information about runes, see Chapter 7.)

What You Need:

Small dish

1/4 cup water

1 teaspoon salt

What to Do:

1. Pour the water into the dish. Stir the salt into the water with your finger. Draw a spiral in it starting from the outside of the dish and spiraling clockwise to the inside, then lift your finger straight out. Repeat this twice more, for a total of three times.

2. On each spiral, say one of these statements:

My surgeon/doctor is secure.

My procedure is successful.

My recovery is assured.

3. With a wet finger, draw Ansuz, the rune of success, on your forehead, over your heart, and on your abdomen, dipping your finger into the water again each time.



4. Dip your finger one more time into the salt water, then draw Thurisaz, the rune of protection and overcoming obstacles, on the part of your body that will be the focus of the procedure. Say, “My body is blessed; white light shines about me. I am protected; my safety is defended.”



TIP

• A good companion spell to this one is the creation of an amulet for health (see earlier in this chapter). Bring the amulet into the hospital with you. You won’t be able to wear or carry it into your procedure, but you can place it under or next to a photograph of you in your hospital room.

Protection from Miscarriage

Knot magic is particularly efficient at binding something, and it’s an excellent technique to use to help support a pregnancy. You can perform this spell yourself if you are pregnant or for someone else. If you can’t be with them, have a photo of them on hand.

Important! If you perform this spell, you must remember to perform the last part to unknot the cord and remove any obstacle to the birth. Don’t just tuck the cord away and forget about it, or it may present complications during labor!

What You Need:

White cord, approximately 6–10 inches long

Small red pouch

What to Do:

1. Ground and center.

2. Hold the cord to your belly or against the photo of the mother-to-be. Then tie a knot in the cord, visualizing the knot tying the pregnancy in place, keeping the baby safe and healthy.

3. Say, “Be safe; hold fast. Let the womb guard you till the time has come to be brought safely into this world.”

4. Tuck the cord into the red pouch and keep it safe. If there are complications during the pregnancy, you can use this as a focus for further protective magic.

5. A couple of weeks before the due date (or whenever the decision is made to bring the child to birth), fetch the pouch. Ground and center, then remove the cord from the pouch. Untie the knot, saying, “Your time draws near; be free to come safely to our loving arms, in full health.”

TIP

• For extra protection, slip a cowrie shell or two into the red pouch along with the cord. Cowrie shells are associated with women in general and fertility and pregnancy specifically.

Sometimes a pregnancy goes wrong despite all possible support. If the pregnancy terminates, undo the knot so the mother doesn’t suffer anymore emotional pain or physical trauma than she has to. Thank the child’s spirit and bury the cord with reverence.



Banishing Illness

If you feel yourself coming down with something or have an illness that has been dragging on, this is a good spell to use to kick it to the curb.

What to Do:

1. Stand if you can; otherwise, sit up in bed.

2. Center and ground.

3. Through your connection with the energy of the earth, draw up energy from the ground and collect it in your hands.

4. Start stroking your hands over your body, about an inch or two away from the skin, visualizing illness being washed away by the energy. As you do, say, “Away, [illness], this is not your abode. Away to the depths of the sea, away to the highest of mountains; away.”

5. When you are done, kneel down and place your hands on the floor. Allow the energy to drain away. Draw up new energy from the ground to redress any imbalance that may have come about during your spell.

6. Wash your hands or just hold them under running water at the sink to help clear away the last parts of the energy work you did.

Running water is a great way to shake negativity in a pinch. Place your hands under a stream of water from a faucet and visualize any negativity flowing away.





PROTECTING YOUR MENTAL HEALTH


Humans are fragile creatures, and our thought processes can be worn down by fear, stress, and low self-confidence. Spellwork can help reinforce your clarity of thought, your self-esteem, and your ability to trust yourself in the minefield of today’s negative environments.

IMPORTANT!

Spellwork is not a replacement for medical treatment. It can support medical attention, but it is in no way a substitute for proper medical care. If you require medication or therapy, please pursue or continue with it.



Affirmations

Affirmations are positive statements used to reinforce a reality or to strengthen an area of weakness. Here is a list of affirmations you can use to protect your self-esteem, or you can write your own.

• I am strong and worthy of respect.

• I am centered and balanced. I am in harmony with my surroundings.

• I deserve to be heard.

What to Do:

1. Stand or sit squarely. Relax, but don’t flop. Your affirmation is going to address strength; hold yourself confidently, but don’t hold onto tension.

2. Center and ground.

3. Close your eyes and take three slow, deep breaths, exhaling steadily after each.

4. Speak your chosen affirmation, preferably aloud. If you are in a group of people, subvocalize or think the affirmation firmly. Speak confidently. Say the affirmation at least three times.

5. Feel yourself surrounded by a feeling of confidence and strength that increases with each repetition of your affirmation.

6. Open your eyes and return to your situation.

Clarity of Thought

If you find yourself muddled and unable to think through a problem, this spell will help encourage clear thinking. It can help cut through the fog and protect your ability to think clearly.

What You Need:

Yellow candle and candleholder

Lemon oil

Matches or lighter

Citrine

What to Do:

1. Center and ground.

2. Hold the candle in your hands and say, “Yellow candle, be the light that clears the fog.” Dab it with the lemon oil and say, “Lemon bright, cut through the darkness.” Place the candle in the holder and light it.

3. Take the citrine and hold it between your hands. Visualize yourself confidently handling a problem, working through a challenging project, being complimented on your productivity. Rub a drop of lemon oil over the citrine, saying, “Yellow stone, lemon bright, be my insight.”

4. Place the citrine at the base of the candle and allow the candle to burn down.

5. Carry the stone with you to benefit from its energy.

Saying No

Saying no to something or someone can be incredibly difficult. Sometimes you genuinely want to help, but you have to refuse because of other commitments. Other times you want to refuse but feel guilty and as if you have to say yes. Either way, not saying no means you end up with too much on your plate or handling something you don’t want to be involved with. This spell can strengthen your resolve and help you say no with kindness and confidence. You don’t owe anyone an explanation beyond, “I’m sorry, I just can’t take that on right now.”

What You Need:

Silver candle with holder

Matches or lighter

Rose quartz

Jasper (color your choice; green or red recommended)

Black tourmaline

1 teaspoon honey

What to Do:

1. Center and ground.

2. Light the candle, saying, “My time has value. My life balance has value. My energy has value.”

3. Set the stones in a triangle around the candle. Place the rose quartz in front and the other two stones to either side behind the candle.

4. Dip your finger into the honey and touch the rose quartz, saying, “I deserve to live guilt-free about my choices. I am my own person with the right to make my own decisions.”

5. Dip your finger in the honey again and touch the jasper, saying, “I balance my activities to the best of my ability. Each area of my life deserves its own space and attention. I will not rob time or energy from any of them to satisfy someone else’s expectations.”

6. Dip your finger in the honey a third time and touch the black tourmaline, saying, “My energy is my own. It belongs to no one but the people I choose to give it to. It is protected from those who would steal it or abuse it.”

7. Allow the candle to burn down.

TIP

• You can carry these stones in a pouch to have their energy with you to help support your resolution. You may want to wrap them in a small scrap of white or blue cloth first so the sticky honey doesn’t gum up the inside of the pouch.

Green jasper is a good stone to use when working for balance between different areas of your life. Red jasper also helps with balance and with strengthening boundaries. Use one or both in this spell.



Trusting Yourself

Gaslighting, negging (insults disguised as backhanded compliments intended to attack your self-confidence), and other constant external attacks on your self-worth can make trusting yourself a challenge. If you’re in a situation where someone is manipulating you like this, deliberately or otherwise, use this spell to strengthen your sense of self and remind yourself that you’re worthy of positive recognition. You can use any size plate; just adjust the number of tea lights.

What You Need:

Plate

Tea light candles (enough to form a circle around the inside edge of the plate)

Matches or lighter

Rose quartz

Tiger’s eye

Obsidian

Black pouch

What to Do:

1. Set the tea light candles up on the plate, forming a circle around the inside edge. Place the three stones in the middle.

2. Light the candles.

3. Say, “I am a calm, rational person with valid concerns. I know my truth, and I speak it.”

4. Leave the stones in the circle of candles until the candles have burned out. Then slip them into the black pouch and carry it with you.

Tiger’s eye is a stone that reinforces courage and strength. It’s ideal to use in a spell like this.





PROTECTING YOURSELF FROM MENTAL EXHAUSTION


Mental burnout is no fun. And often you can’t see that it’s happening until you’re well on your way to being wrecked. Overstudying, having to take in too much information in a short span of time, and burnout are all situations that you can use spellwork to cope with. Try some of these spells to protect yourself from overdoing it.

Defending Against Decision Paralysis

Decision paralysis is the inability to make a decision due to anxiety, fatigue, or overthinking the situation. Being afraid that you will make the incorrect choice can trap you into freezing up, making you unable to move forward. This spell helps you own your personal power to make your choices—any choices.

What You Need:

White candle

Bamboo skewer, long nail, or ice pick

Candleholder

Matches or lighter

What to Do:

1. Center and ground.

2. Take the candle in your hand. With the skewer, nail, or ice pick, starting at the bottom of the candle, scratch or carve the phrase “My choices are mine to make” into the candle.

3. Set the candle in the candleholder and light it. Say, “I am grounded. My choices are mine. One choice does not negate all the others. Perfection is not the goal. What matters is that I step forward.”

4. Watch the candle for a time, breathing deeply and feeling your energy pulsing in your core. Imagine yourself making a choice with confidence and things unfolding in a positive fashion. Daydream about being confident in your decisions. When you are ready, repeat, “Perfection is not the goal. What matters is that I step forward.”

5. Allow the candle to burn out.

TIP

• If it helps, write out the affirmation from Step 3 on a small paper or blank business card and carry it with you. Read it often. If you find yourself paralyzed by decisions, close your eyes, repeat the words to yourself either aloud or in your head, and remember that the choice doesn’t have to be perfect; it just has to be made so you can move forward.

Protection from Oversaturation

When studying or otherwise taking in a lot of information, you can easily get overwhelmed. Use this spell to help strengthen your ability to survive the onslaught of information and even retain the important parts. Studying too much or researching too much can lead to information overload. This spell can help you reinforce your ability to process and retain the material you need to. Brown jasper is associated with strength and long-term endurance, which is just the kind of energy you want helping you in situations like this.

What You Need:

Brown jasper

What to Do:

1. Center and ground.

2. Hold the brown jasper between your hands. Say, “Brown jasper, strengthen my ability to keep up, enhance my endurance, and grant me the ability to absorb and retain the necessary information required for success and release the rest.”

3. Keep the stone with you during study sessions, when working overtime, and in other situations in which you can be overwhelmed by information.

Defense Against Social Media Overload

Social media is a blessing in that it helps you stay in touch with friends and meet people from all over the world, but the flip side is that you are exposed to a constant barrage of disturbing news, arguments, hatred, and causes. Apart from reducing your social media use or limiting the kinds of accounts you follow, try this spell to help protect yourself from the onslaught of emotion that comes with social media use.

What You Need:

Pale blue candle and candleholder

Matches or lighter

Quartz crystal

What to Do:

1. Center and ground.

2. Light the blue candle. Gaze at it and feel the color fill you with calm.

3. Hold up the quartz and unfocus your eyes, gazing at the candle through the stone.

4. Say, “Quartz, help me sift through the emotion that vibrates in social media. Help me to safely identify what to devote my time and attention to, so that I can safely navigate the Internet without drowning in fear, anger, and pain. Help me resist clickbait, trolling, and guilt trips.”

5. Place the quartz at the base of the candle and let it burn down. Carry the quartz with you or leave it next to wherever you check social media most often.

Defense Against Burnout

Burnout is the physical, mental, or emotional collapse from overwork. It can bring apathy, lack of connection, and a loss of joy in things you used to like doing. Healing from burnout is difficult. Why not use spellwork to help protect yourself against it happening in the first place? This spell uses the symbolism of water to help you go with the flow instead of fighting to hold your ground, which can drain you.

What You Need:

Water

Small bowl or wineglass

Floating tea light candle

Matches or lighter

What to Do:

1. Fill the bowl or wineglass about 2/3 with water.

2. Gently place the floating candle into the water and light it.

3. Say, “I stay strong. I am balanced. I flow with the tide. My flame burns brightly as I ride the waves. I will not be worn down.”

4. Allow the candle to burn out. Dispose of the remains of the candle and pour out the water outdoors.

See also the Saying No spell in this chapter. Using it can reinforce your ability to handle your schedule by turning down certain tasks.





PROTECTING YOURSELF EMOTIONALLY


Emotional health is just as important as physical health. The term heartsick isn’t just poetic affectation. Your emotions can have impact on your physical and mental health. Protecting your emotional energy from being drained is an essential part of magical hygiene. Defending your emotional energy from being leeched or drained by others is also important. The more you defend your own energy, the better able you are to help others when they need it.

Protection from the Past

Your past defines you, whether you like it or not. Things that happened to you as a child, as a young adult, even yesterday have an effect on the choices you make and the person you are today. However, some of those things that affect you are unhealthy and hold you back. Living in the shadow of your past can hobble you and render you incapable of fully living in the present. Release these negative things with this spell and start clearing away the unhealthy ties that bind you and prevent you from fully living your life today.

What You Need:

String, about 10 inches long

Scissors

Blue lace agate

What to Do:

1. Center and ground.

2. Hold the string by the ends, stretching it out taut in front of you. Say, “I am not bound by the negativity in my past. I free myself of its constraints.”

3. Release one end of the string so that it hangs down. Use the scissors to cut the string in half.

4. Pick up the blue lace agate stone. Hold it first against your forehead, then against your heart. Say, “I release you, weights that drag me down. I release you, fears and sadness. I release you, past. I move forward freely.”

5. Bury the string outside. Carry the blue lace agate with you or keep it somewhere safe.

Healthy Heart

Self-love is extremely important. Your heart is worthy of protection!

What You Need:

Rose quartz

Dried rose petals

Small wooden box

What to Do:

1. Cleanse the rose quartz according to your preferred technique from Chapter 7.

2. Center and ground.

3. Hold the rose quartz between your hands. Clasp it to your heart. Say, “This rose quartz is my heart.”

4. Place the rose petals in the wooden box. Place the rose quartz on the rose petals. Say, “My heart is my own; it is safe from attack, safe from pain, safe from abuse.”

5. Keep the wooden box in a safe place.

Sometimes you can find heart-shaped rose quartz stones. One of those would be ideal to use for this spell.



Protected Heart

Defend your heart’s energy from being drained by other people. Even if you allow someone into your heart, letting them drain your heart’s energy is detrimental to your relationship. You need to be able to function healthily in order to participate in an equal relationship. Of course there will be times when one of you has to be the strong one and give to the one in pain, but if your partner drains you without thought to your well-being and does it frequently, then you need to take action to defend yourself.

What You Need:

Quartz crystal point

Silver chain, such as for a necklace

What to Do:

1. Center and ground.

2. Hold the crystal in your hands, saying, “This quartz is my heart, this quartz is my spirit. It holds infinite energy. It is my reservoir, a source of energy from which to replenish myself when I require.”

3. Wrap the silver chain around the quartz, tying it in place. Say, “Thus do I secure my energy, my spirit. It is mine; no one may take it without my permission. At no time will anyone drain me; the quartz is a deep pool of energy. It is always available to me. No one else may take its energy.”

4. Keep the chain-wrapped quartz somewhere safe in your house or room.

A quartz crystal point is a longish piece of quartz rather than a tumbled stone, usually with a rough point on one end. You can use a crystal rod as well for this spell if that’s easier to find. The chain doesn’t have to be pure silver; it’s just symbolic.



After a Breakup

Be it a romantic breakup or the loss of a friend after an argument, magic can help you soothe a troubled heart and release pain. Allowing the relationship to be released allows you to move on. This spell can be performed during the separation process or afterward.

What You Need:

Handful of salt

What to Do:

1. Go to a moving body of water: for example, a lake, a pond, a stream, or a river.

2. Center and ground.

3. Hold the salt in your hand. Pour your emotions about the situation into the salt: disappointment, anger, sadness, confusion. Send whatever energy you wish to release concerning the relationship into the salt as well.

4. Say, “I release you,” and toss the salt into the water.

General Emotional Negativity Defense

This is a very simple spell that can be performed daily. It absorbs the emotional negativity around you and reduces the amount that gets past it to affect you.

What You Need:

White cotton thread or lightweight yarn

Scissors

Heatproof dish

Matches or lighter

What to Do:

1. Center and ground.

2. Cut a length of the cotton yarn about 10 inches long. Tie it into a loop and slip it over your wrist.

3. Say, “White cotton, absorb the general negativity around me so that my emotional balance remains unaffected.”

4. Wear the loop bracelet all day. At night, slip it off and coil it in the heatproof dish. Say, “Thank you for protecting my emotional well-being.” Light it and let it and the emotional negativity it has collected burn away.

TIP

• You can use thread for this instead of a lightweight yarn; just make sure it’s pure cotton so it will burn properly.





CHAPTER 3:


HOUSE AND HOME


The spiritual identity of your home is formed of its own energies (building, colors, furniture placement, and so forth), the energies of all those living in it (including animals such as pets), the energies of the land it’s on, and the surrounding neighborhood energies. Keeping these as positive as possible just makes sense. The house is your safe space. Or it should be! So work to make it as pure and nourishing as possible.





PROTECTING YOUR HOME


Why do you defend a house? To stop break-ins, sure, but also because negative energy gets stuck to things. That negative energy can function like oxidation—rust settling on the bright, shiny parts of the energy of your home. Scrub off that rust. Better yet, wipe down the shiny parts regularly, and the rust won’t form, leaving the energy of your home supportive, clean, and positive for everyone in it.

To purify (or sometimes to cleanse) something means to remove or transform the negative or undesired energy from it. Cleansing is more often used to describe the physical level of transformation, while purification can refer to the energy state; they are used interchangeably here unless specified because the physical state impacts the energy of an object or space. (A cluttered room often has a very different energy than the tidy version, for example.) Cleansing and blessing are at the heart of all magical maintenance for protective purposes. Once the negative or undesired energy has been cleared, the next step is to fill it intentionally with a specified energy. This is often called a blessing, in which positive energy is requested to surround the object or space. Otherwise, nature abhors a vacuum, and any kind of energy will move in to take its place. By being in control of what kind of energy goes into it, you can fine-tune your home’s energy to your needs or desires.





ISSUES TO CONSIDER


When working to protect a home, there are a few specific things to keep in mind, and most of them have to do with ethics.

There are ethical boundaries to consider when you work to defend a home. You do have to consider your own safety and wellness, but often, there are other people living in that home with you. As you’ve seen by working through the earlier parts of this book, everything is connected by energy, and if you tweak the energy of one element, that change is going to ripple and impact all the other energies in the area. Namely, your housemates.

In Part 1, the responsibilities of parents and pet owners were raised. Essentially, as a parent or guardian, you are legally responsible for the minors in your care and therefore make decisions regarding their welfare. The decisions you make about protecting your house and magical maintenance of its energy will impact them. Ideally, everything you do will be to benefit the household.

Ethically, it’s also important to remember that your actions will have an effect on housemates as well. You don’t have the same sort of responsibility for other adults; in fact, making decisions for others is generally considered infringing on their rights to free will and self-determination. Altering the energy of a home will affect them and how they live in it. Keep that in mind as you work to magically cleanse and protect your home and remember that you’re striving to have a safe, balanced, harmonious home.

BE CONSIDERATE OF YOUR HOUSEMATES

Since your primary purpose is removing negativity so that more doesn’t come calling, similar to using a mop to clean the floor, your spellwork should generally benefit the household. If you’re doing something more substantial that is going to drastically change the energy, it’s thoughtful to mention it to your housemates or even to ask their opinions in advance. It can be as simple as saying, “Hey, I’m going to do a little something to deal with that part of the house none of us like to go into because it creeps us out. You okay with that?” You could even ask if they want to help.





GOOD NEIGHBORS


A good neighbor tries not to interfere with or inconvenience those who live nearby. However, there’s also a saying that good fences make for good neighbors. When you do magic on your property, make sure it stops at your boundaries. Your neighbors’ property is their own, and you have no right to interfere with it.

Unfortunately, some neighbors don’t follow the same rules or are not as considerate. Noise, negativity, and other irritants can drift over to your property from theirs. Remember, you have no right to use magic to stop them; what you do have is the right to defend yourself from being impacted by them. Raise those magical fences!

LEARN MORE

For more information on sensing energy and working with it, please see my book Power Spellcraft for Life.





MAGICAL MAINTENANCE


The more familiar you are with the baseline energy of your home, the easier keeping it healthy will be. Being tuned in to minor changes will help you head off problems before they become critical. To do that, you need to become adept at evaluating the energy of your home. How do you do that?

Sensing energy is different for everyone, but looking at the most common method(s) will help if you’ve never worked at something like this before. Sensing is a good word for it because it doesn’t prescribe what sense you use to perceive or interact with the energy. If asked, most people would say they “feel” energy, which again doesn’t prescribe or limit what sense is being used.

Here’s a simple exercise to practice sensing energy.

Sensing Energy Exercise

This exercise helps you explore your own methods of sensing energy, an invaluable skill to have when you are working to protect a home. Have a notebook and pen or pencil on hand to make notes as you go; this is part of recording your spellwork as addressed in Chapter 1.

In most of the spells in this book, you can choose to cast a circle or not, as per your personal preference. In this exercise, however, do cast one; it will help block out distracting energy while you focus on sensing the energies of the items you’re working with.



What You Need:

Small dish of salt

Notebook and pen/pencil

Small dish of water

Tea light candle

Matches or lighter

Twig

Small potted plant or flower

Clear quartz stone

Rose quartz stone

What to Do:

1. Wash and dry your hands.

2. Cast a protective circle (see Chapter 1).

3. Center and ground.

4. Shake your hands as if shaking water off them. Take three deep breaths.

5. Gently hold your hands above the dish of salt. Imagine the energy that flows through your body reaching out to touch the energy of the salt. How does it feel? Does it create a physical sensation? Does it remind you of anything or trigger a memory? Does it alter your emotional state? Do you just feel different in an undefinable way? Is it better or worse?

6. After giving yourself time to explore the energy of the salt with the energy of your hands, gently lower your hands so your fingers physically touch the salt. Does your sense of the salt’s energy change at all?

7. After exploring the salt’s energy, remove your hands, brush them off lightly, and shake your hands again to help rest and refresh them and rid them of any clinging energy. Take a moment to write down your impressions of the salt’s energy.

8. Repeat these steps with the water, the candle (hold your hands to either side of it instead of above it and don’t touch the flame), the twig, the potted plant or flower, the clear quartz, and the rose quartz. Make notes each time and shake out your hands. If you need to take a break at any time, do so. Remember that you have a circle up, though, and don’t wander through it. If you need to, separate the energy of the circle as if you’re opening curtains, step through, then let it fall shut behind you again. Repeat to reenter the circle.

9. When you have finished your exercise, take a moment to center and ground again. Bring down the circle, then stretch to settle yourself firmly in the physical world again. Have a drink of water or eat something.

The two kinds of quartz are there to experiment with how your sensing might differentiate between two similar stones. These are the two most common quartzes used in protection magic and magical maintenance.



Surveying the Energy of Your Home

In this exercise, you’re going to visit each room of your house and note what you sense. In this way, you’ll familiarize yourself with how things are currently, and when you check later, you can refer to your notes and verify if anything has changed that might need to be addressed. This can be a long exercise if you have a large home; take breaks as you need to, to sip some water or munch some fruit before going on. This can be a tiring task if you’re not used to focusing on energy, so don’t push yourself too hard.

What You Need:

Notebook or magical journal

Pen or pencil

What to Do:

1. Choose a place to begin. The front door (or whichever door is most frequently used) is a good place to start. Start a new page in your magical journal and date it, then jot a few words down about the exercise’s intention. Note the time, the weather, and anything else you want to keep track of. (Is there anyone else in the house? That might be a good thing to note.)

2. Center and ground. If you currently have a personal basic shield up, lower it. If you are concerned about lowering it completely, reduce the density.

3. Extend some of your personal energy out into the room you are in. Open yourself to impressions received from it. How does the room make you feel? Does it have an emotional impact? A mental impact? A physical effect of some kind? Does it remind you of something or somewhere else? Note it in your journal.

4. Move around in the room. Does the energy change at all? Is there more of something in one place, less of it in others? Is there an area of the room that feels particularly comfortable or makes you uneasy? Make notes in your journal. Don’t forget to look up toward the ceiling and down into corners.

5. Is there something missing from the room? Does it feel unbalanced somehow? What do you think might help redress that imbalance? Write those ideas down as well.

6. Move to the next room and repeat the process, writing everything down. Continue throughout the house in this way. Don’t forget the bathroom, attic and/or basement, storage rooms, and any other rooms you may not frequent on a regular basis.

7. If you have large hallways or corridors, treat those as separate rooms.

8. When you are done, center and ground again, then stretch. Make yourself a cup of tea or drink something cold and eat something to help reseat yourself in the physical world. Then review your notes. Underline or highlight key words in them, a few for each room, as you come across them.

9. This research will be your base reference material for any alternations in your home’s energy.

TIPS

• Drawing a map of the room and labeling it with different energy zones might be useful. You could draw a floor plan of the entire house and do the same.

• Study these notes to get a sense of the personality or character of each room. This can also reveal things you hadn’t noticed before, like a tendency to lean toward certain kinds of elemental energy (fire energy, for example, can be great for creativity, but it can also trigger confrontations and clashes) that you might want to work to balance out. (See later in this chapter.)

• This is an excellent exercise to do in order to prepare before a full house cleansing/blessing, to determine if you need to focus more on certain areas in the cleansing/purification process. Once the ritual is done, wait a day or so for the energies to settle in place, then redo this exercise to get a feel for the new normal. Doing a house cleansing and blessing is like washing a blackboard clean, starting from scratch at an energy level.

While the earlier exercise on sensing energy had you cast a circle around yourself, that’s not going to be as easy in this exercise since you’re walking around. You can generally work through this exercise without a shield. However, if you live in a place that has a lot of negative energy, review the Basic Shield exercise in Chapter 2. Remember that you’re not trying to block out all energy in this instance because you’ll be sensing the ambient energy in the room; just imagine the shield you create to be permeable to the extent that you can “taste” the energy around you but not be wholly swamped by it. Dial down the density of the shield, in other words.



Enchant Cleaning Supplies for Protection

Just like taking your car in for an annual inspection and tune-up is important, regular magical cleansing is a responsible way to maintain the integrity of your home’s energy. A home that has good energy hygiene will attract fewer problems, and an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Magically programming your cleaning supplies is one of the easiest ways to support the magical maintenance of your home. You houseclean on a regular basis anyway, so why not tie magical cleansing into the physical part?

What You Need:

Cleaning supplies (sprays, cleansers, scrub brushes, detergent, rags, and so on)

What to Do:

1. Center and ground.

2. Hold the item in your hands or hold your hands over it. Say, “[Item], be for me a beacon of brightness, a glow of goodness. Banish any trace of negativity or evil and protect this space. Let it be done!”

3. Use the item as per the manufacturer’s directions.

TIPS

• If you’re a fan of making your own cleaning supplies, you can empower them as soon as you mix them.

• You can empower new cleaning supplies as soon as you bring them home and have them ready for use.

• You can refresh this empowerment a few times a year or every time you use the cleaning product. It’s up to you. Whatever you feel works best!

Maintenance Survey

This is an exercise to check if you need to renew or beef up your current protections and defenses. “Regular” magical cleansing means different things to everyone. If your home sees a lot of interaction or strangers or tends toward a heavy energy due to its location or the personalities of the residents, then you’re going to want to touch up or recharge your protections more often. You can set regular times to purify, or you can do it on an as-needed basis. This exercise will help you figure out if it’s time.

What You Ne