Creating And Enchanting Wards

Iron sword, Scythian, 600-400 BC

from Apollo Galleries

How Are My Wards Doing Spread

A tarot spread to check and see what part of your wards could use some repair. Useful to those who find sensing energy difficult.

Do not repost. Image made using Krita.

🌲🌿🪴🌻🪷🍂🌳

Quelques Lagerthas sont encore disponibles en ligne 🙂 Chrysocolle, Labradorite, Lapis-lazuli et Péristérite ! Je suis pas mal occupée en ce moment avec la mise en place des ateliers, le 1er de la saison a lieu ce soir 😁 Toutes les places sont prises, mais je peux faire un second groupe. N'hésitez pas à m'envoyer un message si cela vous intéresse. Au programme : 2 séances de 3h de Micro-macramé et la conception d'un bracelet et d'une paire de boucles d'oreilles. Du coup, plus beaucoup de temps pour la création, voilà plus d'une semaine que je travaille sur un gros plastron avec 3 pierres sans avoir le temps de le finaliser …. la semaine prochaine, je refais des boucles d'oreilles rondes comme les dernières que jai posté et surtout je me mets sur une somptueuse commande personnalisée d'une parure Agate dendritique et Péristérite 💙 Je vous posterai aussi des photos des ateliers, en attendant, allez faire un tour sur le shop Etsy, pleins d'articles vous y attendent. J'envoie toujours dans les 48h vos commandes … ce matin, un collier est parti pour le Canada 🍁 Merci à vous tous pour votre confiance 🌱 . . . . . . . #macrame #micromacramejewelry #macramenecklace #witchstyle #frenchfashion #bohemia #bohomacrame #moonwitch #goddessjewelry #alternativefashion #altgirl #bohojewelry #macramejewelry #stonejewelry #micromacrame #macramelover #vintagejewellery #vintage #torque #hippiestyle #gypsystyle #stonenecklace #witchjewelry #witchcraft #bijou #bijouxcreateur #hautecouture #besançon #franchecomte #mmejeannette (à Franche-Comte, France) https://www.instagram.com/p/CGH1V_DHh8D/?igshid=1t03ugiftkhcy

A specially customized Pender Ward, created using Lodestone beads and beads shaped from the wood of the client's oath-bound Tree familiar.

Mental & Emotional Health Protection Spell Jar

D’you ever get those days where enough is ENOUGH and you just have to spell jar the shit out of a protection spell (shuddup that totally makes sense)? Well, that was how I felt his morning.

This here is actually my first spell jar, one to protect my mental and emotional health.

My method and ingredients are mainly based off this protection spell bottle by @greekwitchchild​ with a couple of minor changes.

I don’t have oak leaves to hand, so I used chamomile flowers in their place for protection, peace and happiness.

Instead of writing my sigil on a piece of paper, I wrote it on the bay leaf I used in the jar. Full disclosure - the leaf was brittle and did crumble a bit as I inserted it. So, on the fly, I added though the sigil be broken, my intent remains whole into my “spell” (saying out loud the purpose of each ingredient as I added it to the jar).

The partially burned candle and jasmine incense stick were left from a circle casting I did while meditating a couple of days of ago. So I used them again to cast my circle and purify my space while I worked.

I shall be carrying this little beauty with me as I visit my boyfriend for the next 7 days or so. Negativity can fuck right off <3

I’ve been seeing some WASP NEGATIVITY lately so just a reminder that insects are important and interesting whether you find them “cute” or not. Which btw wasps are cute actually but anyways… (also sorry for the US-centrism)

🍎 small batch apple butter recipe 🍎

2 lbs of your apple of choice (about 5/6 medium apples; i used gala and they were perfectly soft for this and not too sweet!) 1/3 c. of water juice of one medium lemon (abt 2 tbsp) ½ c. granulated white sugar

2 tbsp (un)salted butter (i dont think salted vs unsalted matters much but i like my sweets a lil less sweet, so i used salted!) 3 cinnamon sticks (or ¼ tsp of ground cinnamon) 1/8 tsp of cardamom (optional; can sub for ground clove at ¼ tsp) 1/3 c. packed brown sugar ¼ c. maple syrup (optional!) a pinch of salt (1/8-¼ tsp) to taste

Keep reading

Types of Herbal Remedies

I’ve compiled a list of types of herbal remedies, with brief instructions on how to make them. Choose your herbs carefully, as some are poisonous, some will interfere with health problems and medications, and some can cause allergic reactions.

If you are concerned about any health issue you have, or worried about herbs reacting with your medications, go talk to your doctor. This post is not intended as medical advice.

Compress

This is usually cloth that has been soaked in a herbal infusion so that it can be applied topically. Useful for skin issues, muscle pain, joint pain, and general aches.

You can make one by soaking cotton wool in a warm infusion of your choice, wrapping the balls in a piece of clean cloth, and applying to the affected area. Once the cloth cools down you can soak it again in the warm tea and reapply.

Infusion

This is basically the herbalist term for tea. The herbs are usually dried and ground before being steeped in very hot water and then strained out. If you use a bag then you can skip the straining.

Tincture

This is similar to an infusion but much stronger, and with alcohol instead of water, which helps to preserve it.

Put your herbs in a jar. Cover them with alcohol (most people I know use vodka). Put the lid on the jar and shake it daily for a month or so, then strain the herbs out. I tend to keep mine in the little dropper bottles, as you normally don’t need to take much at once.

Decoction

I like to think of these as a stronger infusion. You need four times as much boiling water as dried herb, and you want to simmer the mixture for about half an hour before straining.

Syrup

These are herbs mixed with a sugary substance, which makes them easier to consume and helps to preserve them a little. They’re a good way to get your herbs in if you have a sore throat, as they are often quite soothing.

You’ll need a couple ounces of fresh herb per pint of water. Put them on the stove and heat until about half of the water has evaporated. Then you need to add about five tablespoons of sugar/honey/maple syrup per pint of water you used originally (so if you put two pints in the pan, you need ten tablespoons). Keep stirring for about twenty minutes, then take it off the heat and bottle it up. You need to keep syrups in the fridge, preferably in a dark coloured jar or bottle.

Balm

Essential oils and beeswax, basically. Add about twenty drops of essential oil to a cup of melted beeswax, stick it in a jar, let it cool, and there you go! You can mix in juiced herbs if you like, but that’s optional.

Salve

A salve is basically essential oils mixed with beeswax, oils and herbs. I have seen them made with coconut oil, though if you live in a warmer environment then coconut oil won’t work for you as it melts. You need about fifty/fifty dried herbs and beeswax (if you live somewhere warm) or use a mixture of beeswax and an oil like olive or safflower if you live somewhere colder, just so it’s soft enough to use. Use about twenty drops of oil per cup of beeswax. You’ll need to melt the wax in a double boiler, and let the herbs infuse in the molten wax for about half an hour. Then you add your essential oils, and pour the molten salve into the containers and let it cool.

Ointment

This is basically a liquid balm or salve. Follow the methods above, but use oil instead of beeswax.

Bath

When taking a herbal bath, you are basically making a giant cup of tea! Fill an organza bag with your chosen herbs, and put it in the bath while you run the water, then remove it before you get in. You can reuse the bag of herbs, but they lose potency with each use, so I try to avoid doing this.

Poultice

This is a paste of herbs and sometimes other things that is applied to the skin. Used for infections, splinters, burns, boils etc. They’re pretty simple to make, you just mix some dried herbs with a tiny bit of boiling water to form a paste, put it on the area, and use a piece of cloth or gauze to keep it there. If you want to use fresh herbs you just mash them up.

A Crash Course in Warding

Let’s just start a series of crash courses in witchcraft, since sometimes we need to learn things the quick and dirty way. Today, let’s talk about wards.

What are wards? Wards are protective energy barriers. They keep things out. You can place them around your home, certain rooms, even on certain objects. With practice and clear intentions, you can focus the wards to block out everything or only certain things. We’ll get to that in a bit.

Why should I ward my space and my things? Wards can keep out all sorts of things you don’t want in your home. They can block out negative entities, wayward spirits, mischievous entities, demons, and (if you’re really good at what you’re doing) even gods. Some people ward their divination tools so they know there are no spirits tampering with the results.

So what do I need to do first? Cleanse. This is very important. Wards are kind of like walls, or perhaps more accurately, bubbles. If you don’t clean the space first, you might trap things inside your ward bubble. You do not want that. There are lots of methods of cleansing, from burning sage to spritzing oil-infused water. Find a method you’re comfortable with and cleanse everything you’re going to be warding.

I’ve cleansed my home/item. Now what? Now we ward. I’m going to give you a couple methods. Let’s start with my favorite, incense warding.

Incense warding can also be done with spritzes of water/essential oil blends or herb-infused water if you can’t have smoke in your space. Whichever you’re using, you want to have a blend of protective herbs. Bay leaves, cinnamon, ginger, mustard seed, and salt are some great options that you can find in the grocery store, no fancy witch shop necessary. If you’re using incense, make sure you’re using natural incense and not super cheap stuff that’s artificially scented. The magic is in the herbs, and you won’t get that from fake scents.

How to Incense/Spritz Ward an Item

Smoke or spray item.

Visualize the smoke or spray clinging to the item and wrapping around it like a tight blanket, protecting it from anything that would cause harm (or interference, etc.).

How to Incense/Spritz Ward Your Space

Pick a place to start. I always start at my altar, but it’s up to you. If you’re doing multiple floors, start either at the top or bottom floor.

Moving continuously to your right, smoke or spray along the walls and door frames. As you go, imagine a barrier being formed around the walls, ceiling, and floor, pushing outwards to fill the room. Visualize the smoke or spray forming the barrier to keep out anything that will do you harm. [If you have a hard time with visualization, you can simply focus on the intent of the smoke or spray keeping things out.]

Keep moving right, following the layout of your home, making sure you get all the closet spaces. You basically want to outline the entire area you’re protecting, whether it’s you’re room or your whole house.

For multiple floors, repeat on each level.

For big layouts where there are rooms in the middle, go around those rooms as well.

I like to reinforce the wards over outside doors, windows, and mirrors. These are all passages of sorts, and when I reach them, I use the incense to draw a pentagram in the air over them. This is entirely up to you.

You’re done when you’ve reached the point where you began.

So why do we go to the right? Is that important? Kind of. Going to the right is like going clockwise. It’s about making things and progression, where going to the left or counter-clockwise is about deconstruction or reversal. [I read this idea in a witchy book a long time ago and will try to find a source when I can. If you honestly don’t feel it makes a difference, do whatever you’re comfortable with.]

Can I place wards that keep out certain things but not others? Sure. When you’re going around your space/warding your item, your intent is what’s important. I like to ward out entities that mean harm - it’s nice and general and doesn’t keep the fae out. Some people might want certain spirits and not others. Have your intentions clear in your mind as you place your wards.

That’s neat and all, but what are some other ways to ward? Let’s list a few.

Symbol/Sigil Wards

Choose (or make) a symbol or sigil that has protective properties. I’ve done this with Pluto’s astrological symbol because I worship him and it’s my way of being like, “Hey, Pluto. Please protect me, kthanxbai.” Pentagrams are nice and basic witchy/pagan symbols if you like them.

Draw the symbol over doors and windows. You do not literally have to draw it. It can be in water, incense smoke, or just your finger against the surface if you want.

As you’re drawing, make sure you have your intentions in mind - that nothing harmful can pass through this door, that the windows remain closed against entities, etc.

Energy Bubbles (if you have control over your energy)

Pick an item - any item.

Get your warding intentions in mind.

Channel lots of energy into the item. Visualize it emanating from the item in a bubble to fill your space.

If you’ve got mad skillz, you can form the bubble to the walls and be super exact with where its barriers are.

Vocal Wards

If you like spoken (or thought) spells, come up with a small chant to protect your space.

You can repeat this chant as you focus on your item being protected or as you walk around your home, protecting every room.

This is really great to incorporate into basically any other form of warding and gives your magic an extra bit of oomph.

I’ve heard wards can “fade” over time. True or false? Wards are just energy. Like all energies, they can disperse and weaken over time, or if something particularly nasty puts effort into destroying them. Redo your wards every so often (I do mine every few months, but it’s up to you), and especially before spiritual interactions. I also like to do mine after I’ve had lots of company, to kind of clear out family’s lingering energies and reinforce what I don’t want in my house.

In general, the intent of your wards is the most important part. Know what you want to keep out. This concludes our crash course on warding. Now go forth and protect some stuff!