Warding and Shielding are some of the most basic magical methods every witch should know. Surprisingly, todays younger witches tend to skip this step and straight for the hexing and cursing because, well, thats the "cool" thing to do.
The problem here is that they will not be fully prepared for any blow back or return to senders or defensive magic sent to them from another witch.
We know that the goal of a ward is protection; to keep away physical or magical harm, ill will, misfortune and bad luck. Whether it is protection for a person, place, item, animal, or another thing there are many different ways of warding, from bottles and jars, to visualisation techniques, charms and crafts, and more.
Wards and Shields can also have additional non-protective purposes, as well, but in this post we will focus predominantly on their protective uses .
It is important to recognise, however, that protections do have both metaphysical and physical limitations. In terms of the physical, the protective element of the spell is often simply just another barrier to discourage or lessen the chance or ability of something getting through. But it doesn't always prevent it.
Having that additional mundane barrier in place certainly helps and I believe that a magical protection should not take the place of physical precautions except in the event that there are no mundane options which are available or practical. So in other words, make sure your home still has an alarm system, security doors etc.
Two examples which come to mind are Storm Wards and Door Wards, both for the protection of a house from damage or loss in different way. A ward against storm damage does not wholly prevent any and all damage from occurring and it should also not mean that you no longer take the preventative measures available in order to decrease the opportunity for damage to occur (such as moving the trashcans to a safe location, and other measures).
Likewise, warding your door in no way means that there is no longer a reason to continue locking it. You should still continue to lock your door despite having a ward in place.
Now, when it comes to metaphysical limitations, though, these limitations are usually on how many hits that your spell can take before fizzling out. If you find that your protection charms or jars have burst or broken, particularly after you notice a lot of narrow escapes, it may be that the charm has reached the end of its effectiveness.
Ultimately it does pay to make protection charms as strong as possible, but that doesn’t mean that they don’t have limits and shelf lives. When bags or jars for protection spells break, it generally means that they’ve reached their limit and will need to be remade, especially if they’re going to be doing high-capacity work.
Never assume that if your charm is broken that it was just one hit, if so, then I recommend having a look and doing some serious foundation work on your chosen spells.
So lets take a look at a simple way to create a home guardian. Keeping in mind that this guardian should never take the place of any physical mundane things you have in place.
Ideal Timing: 3rd night of a full moon when the moon is neither full nor new.
Materials Needed:
- Glass Bottle or Jar,
- Bent or Rusty Pins (at least 10)
- Cats Fur or Claws. If you wish to attract a guardian of the non cat variety, you can use hair and claws/bone from another creature.
- Housing for your guardian (statue that has a hollow inside where the bottle can be placed, you can even create one yourself from clay)
- Herbs: Juniper Berries, Red Peppercorns, Cumin, Dried Hot Pepper of Choice – these are the protection herbal elements all with specific Anti theft properties.
Now a little warning, this spell is designed to summon a guardian spirit to look after your home. You will need to feed and keep it to a certain extent, as you would with any other creature sharing your living space. A simple saucer of milk and slice of bread left out once a month should do the trick. These offerings should be left out overnight, then quietly disposed of in the morning. It will also be important to notify the guardian spirit of anyone who is allowed to be in the home when you're not there, such as friends or family or housesitters, otherwise the spirit may take any interloper as a potential threat and try to drive them out.
In a glass bottle or small jar combine a pinch of cumin, a spoonful of red peppercorn, a palmful of juniper berries, and the seeds of any red pepper of choice. Add the pins, and cat fur or claw; if a real cat is not available for donations of fur or claw, a simple picture of a cat can be placed into the container. Something ferocious-looking would be appropriate.
Take the jar around the house and touch it to all the exterior doorjambs and windowsills.
As you do, speak softly to it: I summon thee, spirit with eyes aflame, a burning pyre, Let unbidden intruders feel your wrath and ire. Claws of steel, sharp and hard, I beckon you near, If disrespect they bear, with tooth and claw, defend our haven, dear. With might and power, in that crucial hour, Subdue and shield, protect our home with your magical power.
If you are using a vessel to house your guardian, you can say "Our dwelling is now your sacred ground, to share and defend, Until the moment your wrath is needed, undisturbed you may attend. Come and go as you please, this vessel is your bestowed keep, Earned through respect, in our haven, watch over and sleep."
Leave the jar/vessel where it won't be disturbed, or bury it beside your doorstep. A planter pot may be employed for the burial if desired.
To reiterate, this spell should not replace the need to lock your doors or set your alarm.
Now this is just one way to create a guardian for your home. There are many different ways and we will explore all of them over the next few weeks.