Warding 101
Warding 101
So first we're going to start by covering what a ward is and what it is not.
A ward is an intense protection that is designated for a specific job and is created to last for a substantial amount of time.
To relate it to something mundane and easier to understand; protection is being inside of a house with a roof, 4 walls, a floor and windows and doors. Wards are locks on the windows and doors, security alarms or cameras, and any extended measures in order to keep you protected & safe within your home. Make sense?
The intention of warding is to keep out anything that may intrude on, inhibit, or disrupt your magic and workings. Wards keep out unwanted energies, entities, and enemies. Warding is a part of our spiritual hygiene. If we let strangers into our home uninvited at any time they willed, our home would be a mess, and feel invaded, and things would probably start to turn up broken or missing. So in order to keep our home safe and clean, we lock it up, just like locking down our energy with a ward. Now, this doesn't mean you can set a ward and then leave your cleansing, banishing, or spiritual hygiene unattended to, it's still your job to keep the house swept, bed made, and laundry cleaned. (okay, enough with the analogies lol. Am I making since thus far, though? good!).
So let's cover what wards can keep us protected from -
Jinxes, hexes, curses, disruptive energy, ill-intent, entities/spirits/transient spirits (think all hallow's eve), malocchio/evil eye, psychic attack, energy vampires, psychic spying, both intentional and unintentional intrusive energy sent by others, unwanted/uninvited blessings/prayers/magic, pretty much any form of intrusive energy.
Now let's talk about what wards can NOT protect us from -
Energy or entities that have already been invited into your home. You must first banish or remove them, and then you can create a ward designated to specifically keeping them/it out. Miasma, which is the spiritual version of dust. It happens because you exist, or in this case because you're a magical practitioner. By doing energy work or spells or magic of any form, you are constantly raising and releasing energy, this leftover and unspent energy is miasma. Another form of miasma is from just existing, or from "karma". It exists, because we exist, and this is why spiritual hygiene and regular cleansing (dusting/vacuuming/sweeping/bathing) is important! Wards can not protect against celestial beings or energies, deities, saints, angels, etc. They can intervene, come & go as they please.. yano they are the ALL being, and they can transcend our physical world, because they are not of it.
So why should we ward?
Not only does it protect us in the chance of a baneful attack or intrusion. But it helps us keep up with our space's energetic hygiene. It gives us safety to relax and take breaks. It regulates the energy coming and going through our space, to assist us in keeping our home/space's energy in better alignment with our personal will and focus.
Wards are something you want to work with one at a time, don't just go creating a ton of them. It's important that you learn how to detect their energy in the sense of are they full, dead, compromised, or weakened? By being able to detect these things, we are better able to understand and upkeep our wards.
Another important thing to remember is not all wards are baneful. That is an intentional additive. You can have a ward specifically for defense and just to protect your home, like a fence. But you can CHOOSE to make it baneful by adding flare, like nails, broken glass, or in mundane terms - a barbed wire fence.
Now that we've covered what a ward is & why we use them, let's elaborate on the different types of wards & places you should keep them!
Wards are designed to have a designated purpose & to be sturdier in strength (energy wise) then basic protections.
Let's quick refresh on the things we want to ward against - Different forms of attack that you want to ward against would include; Intrusion - this is energy intentionally directed at you from another that was uninvited or unwelcome. Disruptive energy is that which is Unintentionally sent by another. Psychic spying is another form of energy that is important to ward against, this is when someone creates an energetic bond between you & themselves in order to gain psychic awareness/insights on you & your life, that they would not otherwise have access to. Jinxes, Hexes, & Curses, which are malicious attacks with the intention to inflict harm (these are less common than one might think). Unwanted magic or blessings, for example when someone takes it upon themselves to "pray for you" or "sending blessings", that you did not ask for or invite. Another form of unwanted magic is someone casting on you in ways of love spells, domination workings, or even forced healings/growth spells. Something that is intended for their benefit, or even for yours, but again was uninvited, and not asked for. This is something that is much more common than jinxes/hexes/curses and people often confuse or misdiagnose the two. Malocchio or evil eye, which in Italian folk & many other cultures is considered a curse, as it is sent either by dishonesty (like in-genuine compliments), or because they want what you have (jealousy or envy), and it can cause bad luck, illness, or misfortune. Energy vampires, which is someone who drains your energy through their own misery or self-neglect/pity. Transient spirits, this is much like the one's we experience when the veil is thinner of Samhain and we light jack-o-lanterns & such in order to protect our homes from them, or if you live near a cemetery/graveyard, a haunted home, or something of the likes. They can also be picked up by going to other places & taking them home with you either by negligence, or lack of personal protective boundaries.
Different ways you can ward your home -
Water wards - This is the use of water to absorb any ill intent sent to you (you can also make spiritual hygiene water bowls for miasma) Water is an energy conductor, meaning it can transmute energy. Thus by taking in negative energy it is able to dismantle and release it back after cleansing it (this is technically a form of transmutation, but it works Wonderfull for warding as well, especially if you add salt). These are best placed near the entrances of homes, or in windowsills. Extremely efficient in warding your family & yourself as water is linked to our emotions & relationships. Also excellent in warding against malocchio, & used to detect psychic attacks or jinxes/hexes/curses.
Charms - Much like the charm bags I craft & are found in many other cultures & practices. By using herbs, crystals, curios, roots, & botanicals, you are able to craft a charm that is a blend of properties designated towards your warding intent. Through the act of animism, you can bring the spirits of these plants & objects to life & invoke them to protect your home from specific energies/attacks. It is important to remember that charm bags are named as such, because a spoken charm is bound upon them to seal & designate their energy. So you can also take simple items such as selenite & "charm" them with a spoken incantation & then use them to ward. Excellent for warding against Malocchio/evil eye, disruptive energy & intrusive energy.
Powders - Y'all already know I love my powders. They're extremely easy to hide, making them harder for other practitioners to break. They can also be made up of damn near anything & have so many components, that again, it's nearly impossible for another to break. They're also easy to lay and very versatile. Efficient in warding against transient spirits & intrusion, sprinkle along the outside of home, under door mats, outside entryways, crossroads of road to driveway, at mailbox, and within windowsills.
Spell Jars or Witches bottles - These are used to trap & conceal energy. You can make them baneful to add in an extra measure of offensive magic, or you can create them just for the purpose of trapping energy so that it can not affect you, your home, family, or other magical workings. Especially useful in guarding against transient spirits or psychic attack.
Chimes & mobiles - These are used to catch & entangle energy. As an added measure, the sound made by them is used as a deterrent & are known for dispelling unwanted energies or entities. They're especially useful in warding against nightmares or subconscious attacks, as they use the element of air which is linked to our mind & thoughts.
Metal - In Italian folk it is common to hang iron horseshoes above our doorways in order to ward off bad luck, & touch iron or carry it in our left pocket to ward off malocchio & for personal defense. Italian witches also drive railroad spikes into the 4 corners of our property & by our mailbox to ward our home against all forms of magic, witchcraft, and evil. Metal is used across many practices as warding & for protection. It is much like a lightning rod, used to attract and gather the energy sent at us & to direct it elsewhere, where it can not affect nor harm us. We also often hear about rusty nails, coffin nails, screws, and bits or iron, again, all for this same purpose. Extremely efficient for warding against pretty much anything & everything.
Plants - One of my absolute favorites. Once you've established a healthy relationship with a plant & they're established & healthy in your home, they can be assigned to specific jobs. They're easy to ward with because you can visibly see when they've been attacked or caught bad energy, as they will unusually wilt, mold, mildew, dry up, or die. However, plants require added amounts of energy and effort to invoke as a ward. Plants are pretty efficient at warding against anything & everything, however you don't want to overtask them, only give each individual plant a very specific job.
Sculptures & Statues - Another practice that is very common in folk practices. They can be used externally or internally within the home. You can use one that is representative of a protector in your practice (example, I work with Lady Morrigan), or you can use any sculpture or statue you found at goodwill (example - a frog). You can invoke the spirit of whom they represent, name them (don't tell anyone), and give them specific duties. This is much more advanced because it requires consistent interactions & acknowledgments, but it is extremely effective in all forms of warding.
Poppets - Can be created & binded to a specific person in order to protect them, or to ward against them. Excellent in warding against misfortune, intrusion, psychic attack, & malocchio.
Candles - Used to cast a shield of protection & reinforced every time they're relit. Excellent for warding against transient spirits, ill-intent, psychic attack, & evil eye.
Sigils & symbols - Very versatile & can be incorporated in other workings like almost all of the ones listed above, used to reinforce a working & to create more specific boundaries. Very secretive & harder to break. Effective in any & all forms of warding.
Spirits - Another favorite of mine, though also considered an advanced practice. Spirits can be invoked or commanded to fulfill a specific duty. This could be the spirit of the tree outside your home (I've talked about this on TikTok), or it can be spirits that already reside within your home, spirits of passed-on pets, guardian angels, or even spirits of the land. Please do your research, be diligent & respectful. This is one of the most effective forms of warding as you are tethering the working to something that has an endless battery supply (energy source) as they're living/"alive".
Crystals - Rocks, stones, crystals are much like working with statues or charms. You can invoke their energy & designate them to a specific duty & then stash them away somewhere inconspicuous. Effective in warding against malocchio, psychic spying, & disruptive energy.
Some places you want to consider warding -
Your mailbox
Your house
Your car
yourself
your pets
your altar
your entranceways
your windows/thresholds
your shoes
your jewelry
your hair
doorways within the home (like your bedroom)
mirrors
chimney/fireplace (if ya have one)
Stairs
basements/attics
bathroom thresholds
ceiling/walls/floors if you live in a multi-family home or apartment.
These are not the only places to ward, nor the only ways to ward. Just some of my favorites!
