Tag: protection spell

Protection from Spirits Spell (Spell Saturday #29)

There’s plenty of protection spells out there. Most are general. They protect from everything but it’s a good idea to have protection spells for specific reasons. Protection spells of this nature not only allow you to tailor the spell to specific desires (like a fire protection spell when you regularly run the fireplace or a fire pit) but it also allows you to remove that protection as needed. Like if you want to invite spirits into your home on Samhain but you don’t want to deal with them on your average Tuesday.

This spell is designed to work for a most spirits. It doesn’t work as well against the fae or spirits with a gift for illusion and glamour. It hampers them but doesn’t work as well against them. Still, the spell’s great for most entities and worth having.

What you’ll need:

  • Basil
  • Thyme
  • Sage
  • Salt or sea salt
  • Rue (not Syrian rue)
  • Large nails or spikes (see notes)
  • Sun water (see notes)

Take your sun water and wash the large nails/spikes in it. Let dry in direct sunlight. Avoid letting night or big shadows touch them. (Putting them outside is a good idea but setting them in a window works well too.) Keep them wrapped until you’re ready for the next step.

Powder the herbs and salt together. Set aside until you’re ready.

On a sunny day, step outside. Sprinkle the powder over your nails/spikes. Go to each door, ground level window, and gate, touching the nails to them and sprinkling the powder in a line across the ground or windowsill. You’re creating a line that can’t be crossed. Take the nail or spike and drive them into the ground at the edge of your property. This should all be done before the sun sets.

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Notes:

  • To get large nails or spikes, check either a hardware store or online. Railroad spikes are the best option but I’ve gone to a hardware store and picked up a foot and a half long aluminium-steel nail for less than $1 so do what works best for you. This works no matter what kind of nail or spike you use.
  • Sun water is water that’s been left in the sunlight. It can also refer to rain water collected on a sunny day (when it rains while it’s still sunny).
  • You can drive the nails as deep as you like into the ground. I’ve put them underground before and I’ve left them sticking halfway out of the ground. Remember that you’ll probably need to mow the lawn or walk near that space so keep that in mind with your placement. Replacing lawn mowers can be very expensive and tripping over your own protection spell is embarrassing.

Happy casting!

7 Ways to Conquer Tiredness of the Soul

We’ve all felt it. A draining of the spirit. An exhaustion that never leaves no matter how much sleep you get. A tiredness of the soul.

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Let’s be clear right off the bat. I’m not talking about depression. Although soul tiredness can definitely be a combination or symptom of soul tiredness, it’s not what we’re discussing here.

Soul tiredness is when your very spirit and soul is just tired. Your spirit needs a nap. It needs to recharge, reset, and reboot. Here’s seven ways you can do it.

1: Meditate

Meditation is definitely one of those things that either you love or you’re ambivalent towards. Honestly, I’m rather ambivalent towards meditation as a whole. I don’t do it everyday but I find it a great source of comfort when I’m just so fuzzy brained that making coffee seems like a complicated task.

I use meditation as a exercise in escapism. I put on an ocean soundscape, bundle up in fuzzy blankets, and escape to a mental image of the beach with the Atlantic lapping on the shore. It’s a good way of allowing the body and mind to settle and relax.

It’s far more common for me to use meditation as a moment where I will do nothing else but sit and contemplate any and all thoughts that cross my mind. Sometimes I’ll have a specific goal in mind, such as sorting through a situation emotionally, sometimes not. That kind of introspection can really help you narrow down some of the internal struggles you may be having.

2: Quench Your Wanderlust

90% of the time, my soul tiredness is because I’m restless. I’m a wanderer. I like to travel and I like to travel alone. I like to be able to stop whenever I want or go as fast as I want in order to reach whatever destination I have in mind.

If I haven’t traveled anywhere in over a year, I get restless, lethargic, and simply unwilling to deal with the day-to-day monotony. (And I don’t even have a day-to-day monotony!)

I combat this by taking trips with friends and family. Usually it’s a road trip somewhere or maybe even a day trip somewhere. Sometimes I take the train up to Boston and spend the day meandering libraries and museums. Other times I pack a bag and head off to a campground to unplug and recharge.

Travel can be really expensive but once I start noticing the restlessness, I squirrel away some pocket change. I can usually pull off a day trip for less than $50 if I plan accordingly, take advantage of discounts, pack food, and take public transport.

3: Monotony Begone!

Soul tiredness often comes along when your life is so much part of the daily doldrums that everything kind of slides together. The best way to shake this is to literally shake up your routine.

Grabbing coffee with an old friend, trying a new restaurant, repainting your walls a fresh color, buying new bedding, or rearranging furniture.are great ways to change up your life in little ways that have a huge impact on your life.

Don’t forget the details when you’re shaking up the monotony. It’s the details that matter the most. Try a new candle scent for your bedroom or a new scent for your body wash. Spend a few minutes dressing nicely for an outing, even if you’re only running to the grocery store and stick some fresh fruit on your counter or table. It’s tiny things but it helps swap out boring habits with new, fun ones.

4: Divination

Divination is useful for seeing the future but it’s just as useful when determining what’s happening now.

There are so many spreads out there to figure out what’s going on with you internally. You can pretty much pick your favorite reader and they’ll almost certainly have something in their repertoire to take a deep look inside of your spirit.

Focus on what things you can change to shake the tiredness and start bringing those new elements and changes in your life.

I usually recommend Heal Your Heartache, Elemental Shift, and Explorer as good readings to overcome soul tiredness.

5: Cleansing & Cleaning

Cleansing yourself, your home, your car, your work, and your favorite places to go can really help you shake any weirdness.

I’m of a mind that one should always combine cleaning with cleansing. You can spiritually cleanse a place but if there’s a week full of dishes in the sink, you’re still going to have this thing in your way and in your sight.

So, spend an afternoon or even twenty minutes clearing off surfaces and doing some dishes or laundry. Then go about and cleanse the place. It’ll feel much better and tackling those annoying chores will take a few things off the mental checklist.

Definitely make sure that you wash all of your bedding and sweep under the bed. It will be a momentous chore with a lot of laundry. Rotate your mattress and reassemble your bed with a single simple change – a new pillow, a different set of sheets, swapping out a throw blanket, etc. We spend a lot of time in our bedrooms and in our beds. Making sure that your bed is a relaxing, inviting, and clean place is important. There’s nothing like settling down into a freshly made bed to make you say ahh.

6: Unplug Your Life

This is probably the most commonly found tip right next to meditation. It is absolutely the hardest one to accomplish on the entire list.

I’ll be honest. I’m never far from my phone. I live on social media (but is oddly ironic because I’m a recluse). As a writer, I an probably never more than five inches from a keyboard. I adore gadgets and I’m exactly the kind of person who wishes wifi dead spots on people when they annoy me.

But once a year I take three days to completely remove myself from communication. I don’t use social media, I don’t email, I don’t call, and I don’t text. I won’t even talk unless asked a direct question. I call it the Silence Festival and it is glorious. I do allow use of technology during the Silence Festival but it has to be something like writing, playing a single-player video game, etc. But that’s me.

You can bring that kind of electronic rest into your life right now. It’s simple. Turn off technology ten minutes before going to bed. Or don’t use technology within the first five minutes of waking up. Either one works and it can make a big difference. Instead, read for ten minutes before going to sleep or wake up and do some simple stretches.

It’s one of those things that you think “that’ll never make a difference” but it really does.

7: Crystal & Element Recharge

If you’re into crystal healing, then this won’t be new information. It’s akin to meditation but not quite the same thing.

Sometimes we need to forcibly reset yourself, this is one of the ways to do it. A simple quartz crystal can allow you to cycle through your energy but you can also use an element. For example, if you best association with air, maybe sitting in front of an open window, windy park bench, or even a fan will work. Amethyst, citrine, or any other stone you’re preferable to will also work. It’s really about personal resonance more than anything else.

Close your eyes and allow yourself to sit. Try to keep your mind empty and push away any intrusive thoughts. Eventually, you’ll acclimate to the crystal or element. Once this happens and you feel completely comfortable and aware at the same time, you can start the recharge.

Pull the energy from the element or crystal into yourself. This might require some energy manipulation, affirmations, or visualization. You might feel oddly cooled or warmed, depending on what you’re working with.

You can do this as long as you want but I usually do it until I feel a lightness of the spirit and want to sigh in happiness or relief. Then I open up my eyes, thank whatever I was working with, and set it aside to recharge by the sun or moon, depending on the element.

Remember to make sure your tiredness doesn’t have some other source. It could be hiding a medical symptom so make sure that you’re covering your bases.

And, sometimes, you really do just need a nap and some self-care. Cater to yourself and you’ll find yourself needing a full restore less often.

Soul tiredness is definitely an issue for mystics and practitioners so it’s always good to know a few ways to overcome it. Shake off those doldrums and get back to your center once again.

Be Brave (Spell Saturday #24)

Sometimes, you just need to be brave. Gathering your courage to go and do A Thing can be hard. (Although, it’s usually gathering motivation that’s harder but shh).

Here’s a spell for when you need to stop being a wimp and Do The Thing.

 

Take a deep breath. Hold your hands about a foot apart from one another in front of you and say,

“Fire around me, burning bright, passionate and true,

Water beside me, flowing free, understanding and calm,

Earth under me, steadying strong, patient and grounding

Air above me, pushing past, darting and knowing”

Now imagine the energies of all four elements to be in between your hands. If you’re god an energy manipulation, you can pull energy from the elements around you.

Take a deep breath once again. Condense the energy and move your hands closer together. Press your hands and energy into your chest. Say,

“Become with me

Grant me your courage and strength

To get me through this day.”

Now breathe out and go about your day.

Note:

  • Doing this in front of a mirror sometimes helps.
  • Doing this in front of an altar can be helpful but it isn’t required. There’s usually enough elements in the area that you don’t need to.
  • Bathrooms are great places to cast this spell. There’s water and fire (lights or electricity or even candles) on hand. Kitchens are also good places.
  • You can adapt the spell to your elemental system

Happy casting!

How to Deal with a Cursed Object

If you wind up with an object that’s cursed/hexed, things can turn ugly pretty quick. Not sure you’re cursed? Here’s a list of common things that happen when you’re cursed.

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How to handle a cursed object varies on culture and your specific practice but here’s some tips:

  • Don’t touch the object. Put gloves on, wrap something around the object, etc.
  • Remove the object from your space. I recommend taking it to a crossroad and finishing the hex breaking there but that might not be possible.
  • Don’t bring it inside. This is much like the above but if you catch the cursed object before bringing it indoors you can save yourself a lot of trouble.

How to break the curse on an object depends on what you’re willing to do with the object itself. Some will be appropriate and others not so much. Be sure to pick a technique that is best suited for your objects. Also keep in mind that there’s some tradition in setting up a failsafe in curses that trigger when the cursed object is broken without the hex being broken first. You’ll have to guess or divine which method is the best one for you.

  • Dip, wash, boil, or fry the object in cleansing water. Purified or water from a living source (river, ocean, etc) is ideal. You can also infuse cleansing herbs or stones in the water as well.
  • Fry, wash, boil, or dip in oil. Typically infusing the oil with herbs is ideal. Hot oil is good for destroying the object but be careful for burns.
  • Toss it in a fire
  • Toss it in a living body of water.
  • Abandon it at a crossroad
  • Give it to someone else
  • Urinate on it
  • Bury it
  • Pour salt on it
  • Circle the object three times in salt or pour salt into your hand and pass over the object three times. Toss the salt in a fire in either case.
  • Pour cleansing herbs on it
  • Let a stone absorb it’s curse and toss the stone away
  • Perform a hex breaking spell

As always, do what works best for you and your practice and be careful. There’s no need to do something illegal or hurt yourself trying to end a curse.

Originally posted here.

Invisibility Glamour (Spell Saturday #22)

A glamour is a spell that is a field of illusion magic that concentrates on altering how the target is perceived.Glamours come in all shapes and sizes but they’re incredibly useful all around. They’re almost always temporary. They can also be cast unintentionally so you might have been using a glamour spell for years without even knowing it.

I adore glamours. They’re among my top five fav spell categories. And invisibility glamours are my jam. I was super shy as a kid (still am, actually) so being able to move through school or a crowd without being noticed made me feel so much better.

An invisibility glamour doesn’t mean that you’ll suddenly become invisible but rather that a glamour allows someone to not pay attention to you. Their attention is diverted elsewhere or they simply don’t notice you. It’s a neat trick but it’s not Harry Potter’s cloak. People will see you they just won’t notice you.

To cast an invisibility glamour, you’ll need to duck into a corner, darkened hallway, or off to the side of a room. That’s really rather optional but I find it makes it easier to gather your thoughts and set the illusion properly. You’ll want to remain still and calm during the spell casting.

Now think or whisper very clearly “I am unseen. No one sees me. I am invisible. Don’t notice me. I’m not here. Look elsewhere. I’m not worth looking at. You don’t see me.” It doesn’t have to be that exactly but similar phrasing said or thought very quickly and very passionately will set your intent.

Now while saying all of that, pull your energy around you, like pulling a blanket over your head. The room might seem a little dimmer or quieter, like muffled. (It might not, but that’s OK. It’s not a consistent experience.) Keep that energy set around you and go about your business. You may wish to keep muttering to yourself about not being seen as you pass through crowds but you shouldn’t need to.

With practice,  you can set a glamour and anchor it around you, keeping the energy up but without having to deal with the active thinking involved.

To release the glamour, you’ll just release the cloak of energy and allow the energy to slid off you, like shedding a coat. Shake off any excess energy and go about your day.

Notes:

  • Glamours do not universally work this way. Most glamours are a cast once and done sort of deal. They don’t need to be fed continuously. A “don’t notice me” glamour works exactly like above but it’s not fed the way this glamour is. By feeding it continually energy, you’re making the spell rather powerful.
  • If you’re not use to powering continually spells, you’ll be tired after using it. This is true for even if you are use to feeding spells like this. Practice makes it far easier and it’s a good skill to master.
  • Smoky quartz helps with this sort of magic, in my experience.
  • Cats are naturally gifted at this sort of magic so if it helps, think of how a cat moves through a room.

Happy casting!

Fire Guardian (Spell Saturday #21)

This is one method of creating a magical guardian construct from fire. This is a permanent spell with a secondary activation for the construct summoning. Essentially, you can the spell now and you’ll cast a second spell to summon them to your side.

A magical construct is a somewhat sentient being created through your magic and energy. You forge it, pouring your energy into a clear image in your mind, creating it from yourself. You can read more about magical constructs and servitors here.

You can use this for any kind of fire construct but we’re aiming for a guardian and protection construct here.

You’ll need:

  • Fire
  • A comfortable place to sit

Ahead of time, you’ll want to think of what kind of guardian you want. Do you want a lion made of lion that will guard you and keep you warm at night? A fire wolf? A phoenix? Even a simple ball of fire works well. Use your imagination or look up pictures online for inspiration. Even if you’re unsure of what you want them to appear like, that’s OK. You can still cast the spell. Be sure to read the whole spell through. There’s more questions you’ll need to answer during the spell.

Get yourself a fire. A fire pit or fire place is a great option but a large candle will work just as well. Sit somewhere comfortable  with the fire within reach. You should be close enough to feel the heat but not so close you’ll burn yourself.

Now stare at the fire until you focus only on that. Let your mind go blank and only start at the fire. Now, with the fire solely in your mind and burned (metaphorically) in your vision, close your eyes.

Very clearly think of the physical form you want the construct to take. If you haven’t decided, then let some images come to you. Push your energy out to the fire (not the candle or wood the fire is on but the fire itself) and pull the fire’s energy towards you. Use that fire, in your mind, to make the construct.

If you’re not much for envisioning, you can speak out loud what you want your guardian to look like. Tell the fire to come to you and try to push towards the fire without moving.

spells and herbs

Once you have the construct’s image very clear in your mind and you’re happy with it’s appearance, now tell it what it’s job is. Tell the construct that it’s job is to protect you, to come when you call. Tell it to guard you home, to watch over you when you sleep, to keep you safe from spirits and other practitioners. You may want to tell it that it will serve only you or protect your loved ones. What you tell it is up to you. This is your formation process so be sure to tell it firmly, in detail, what you want of it.

Now tell it how it powers itself. Is the power derived from you? Does its power from from fire itself? This decision matters when considering the activation spell. If fire it the power source, the construct will be more self-aware and independent but will need fire to surge into being and be able to use it’s abilities. If it’s derived from you, you’ll have more control but you’ll be exhausted after summoning them. You can do a mesh of both, if you like. The construct lives in fire though so don’t be surprised if they appear at random when working with fire.

Be sure to include the activation spell. The secondary spell should be something that you create yourself. Maybe you need to light a candle or flick on a lighter to give the entity power to manifest. A couplet is usually easier and more on the go but probably will only be useful if you’re construct derives power from you. A combination is also possible. It’s up to you to decide. Make sure that the activation spell is something that you can remember. A couplet like “[Name], being forged of fire, come to my side and protect me” is a good basic couplet.

Now that you’ve told the construct it’s job, how it feeds itself (powers itself), and how you’ll summon it, you’ll need to give it a name. This is something that’s private, personal, between the two of you. I give my constructs two names – their true one which only I know of and a nickname which I use when speaking to them around others. Their true name is the one to focus on. You can use their true name to force them to do something, which is especially useful to avoid rampancy or them attacking the wrong people.

That’s it! You’ve created a fire guardian. I highly recommend you write down or drawn you fire guardian so you can always refer to the impressions and images you have of them. Constructs are largely mutable, especially when they don’t have a physical host like the fire guardian, so don’t be surprised if they appear somewhat different every time you summon them.

 

Alternative version:

This spell can also be used, with slight variations as a spirit guide meeting spell. A spirit guide has many definitions but, largely, is a spirit who want to help you in some capacity, whether to offer advice, hope, or education. A spirit guide is a useful spirit friend to have.

If you’re looking to meet a spirit guide, think or say clearly “I want to meet a spirit of fire willing to help and guide me”. Repeat this every few minutes until you get an impression or sense that someone else is with you. In all likelihoods, this is a spirit of fire willing to help you. Ask it questions and see if you can strike up a partnership.

Notes:

  • This spell is slightly dangerous. Not just because of the magical construct and spirit contact but because of the proximity of the fire. Be safe and give this a miss if you’re unsure you can pull it off. Don’t hurt yourself.
  • Use fire-safety. Keep fire-killing items around you during this spell in case things go wild.
  • Do NOT do this spell when you’re tired. Do it only when you’re awake and have a lot of energy. You don’t want to fall asleep with the fire going.

Happy casting!

Cleansing Bell

I love bells. I have a lot of them of all different kinds. It’s a thing. I get a new ones every year and I wear them daily.

Bells have been used in magical practices for a long time and, generally speaking, the tone of a ringing bell is used to cleanse a room. I find bells to be more multi-purpose than that so I use them for protection, warnings, summonings… the list goes on. But today we’re talking about cleansing.

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My favorite way to use bells is to wear them!

 

There’s a ton of ways to set up a cleansing bell and there’s a lot of rituals out there that can show you how to do this or how to use a bell to cleanse. In various practices, there’s specific steps to using them. But, since I don’t follow any of those practices, I’ll talk about how I use them and how to make one for yourself.

First, get yourself a bell. Any bell will do. For cleansing, it’s the tone and sound of the bell that’s important so pick a bell that sounds good. It should have a tone that is pleasing to the ear to you and yet has a clear tone that radiates energy and light to you.

To test the bell’s sound and energy, close your eyes, take a deep breath and release it. Then ring the bell. Pay attention to how you feel and how it sounds. Do you feel more relaxed? Does the sound make you smile?

The bell can be in any shape, size, color, material, or even come in a set. You could even use cowbells if you want! I recommend Irona Works to buy handmade bells. If you’re more inclined towards DIY you can give this simple clay bell tutorial a whirl.

 

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Irona Works’ Oh So Tiny and Cute Mixed Windchimes. https://www.etsy.com/listing/97450188/sale-oh-so-tiny-and-cute-mixed

Once you’ve picked a bell,  it’s time to wash it. Since most bells are made of metal, you can give it a wipe down with some holy, blessed, or magical water. Moon water collected during a full or new moon will work as well. Salt water may also work, depending on the metal type (some metals may have chemical reactions so double check first!)

If your bell cannot be washed, such as in the case of very old bells with beautiful patinas or clay bells, then you might want to try leaving the bell in a place where it can get as much moonlight or sunlight as possible for a full 24-hour period. (Although, if your bell is painted, you may wish to avoid direct sunlight so it doesn’t fade.)

You can also use a blast of energy to overwhelm and reset the bell’s energy. However, this should only be done on days you’re feeling centered and balanced, so you don’t accidentally send out negative energy in the process.

It should be noted that not all bells will need cleansing! I once picked up an antique bell that had the perfect energy. Resetting that bell’s energy would have been a terrible shame. On the other hand, I once was given a bell that had some weird nastiness to it and it needed resetting and cleansing three times before I was happy with it. It will really depend on the bell and you to determine what’s best.

Stair Bells

My favorite way to use bells is to wear them!

 

Now that the bell’s cleansed and reset, it’s time to get cozy with it. On a day that you’re in a good mood and at peace, sit with the bell nearby you. You can do anything you want during that time, but the bell should be within reach. Just sitting near it will give the bell your energy. You can also meditate with the bell and focus on passing on peace and serenity. (Or whatever you want your home to feel like when cleansed).

Time for cleansing! Now walk around the space you want to cleanse and ring the bell! That’s all you need to do. You can walk in a particular direction, such as clockwise, to invoke certain energies or counter clock-wise if you want to banish energies. (Or you can walk in the pattern of a sigil or any direction you want.) I recommend cracking a window or door just a bit so any entities that want to flee can do so.

You can say anything you want during this time or add anything to the cleansing. I like to put on a fun playlist that embodies the energy I want in my home. I sometimes cleanse the space with incense and follow up with the bell. But sometimes I just pick up a bell and ring it.

Hanging Bell

My favorite way to use bells is to wear them!

 

 

That’s it. That’s all there is to bell cleansing. This is a great technique for your repertoire and can work beautifully for stealth practitioners or someone who wants to always have a cleansing method on-hand. Besides, it’s always fun to pull out a little bell from wherever and give it a ring.

Safety in Love Spell (Spell Saturday #15)

Being single and looking has its dangers. There’s always the chance of some creep not taking “no” for an answer. There’s always a chance of putting yourself in danger.

There’s also always the risk that someone else is using a love spell on you. If you suspect a spell against you of any kind, immediately do curse-breaking and cleansing spells. But preventive measures will help too.

A spell to protect someone from love spells and other dating dangers.

You’ll need:

  • Shells of nuts (almond, acorn, pistachio, etc.)
  • Dried fruit (strawberries, mango, raisins, etc.)
  • Onion, dried
  • Parsley, dried
  • Garlic, dried
  • Peppers or paprika, dried
  • Salt
  • Rice
  • Rue, dried
  • Sandalwood (optional)
  • Ashes from your fireplace in your home (see notes)

Collect your ingredients and grind them into a fine powder. As you do this, concentrate on you going out, having a good time, and being safe. Think of love spells being absorbed by the charm. Think of returning home happy and healthy. Once they’re powdered as much as possible, place them in a silk bag and carry this with you.

Making a second or additional copy of the charm during the same time using the same ingredients could be extremely useful so you can leave one at work, home, in your car, or what-have-you.

Notes:

While ashes from a fireplace in your home is ideal, you can just as easily use ashes from an incense stick or a bit of wax collected from a burned candle. It simply has to be from a fire that was burned then extinguished in your house. That bit is the important part.

A silk bag is recommended but definitely not necessary. You can easily omit the bag and sprinkle the powder in an unused pocket, at the bottom of your shoes, or even keep it in a ziploc bag or bottle.

Sandalwood can be omitted. It’s not integral to the spell but rather is used to keep spirits at bay.

Powdering nut shells can be difficult. Use a food processor or buy powdered from the flour and baking section of a grocery store. You can leave any of the ingredients whole, if you like but powder is easier to keep around.

Happy casting and stay safe!

How to Tell If You’ve Been Cursed

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Being cursed is one of the the most fearful things for a practitioner or superstitious person. I’ll be honest with you: I’m pro-curse and I’ve been cursed in the past at least a dozen times. It’s a thing, it has a history, and people kind of need to get over hating on those people who do decide to curse.

I am passionate about education. And I feel that even if you’re not going to curse someone ever you still need to know how curses work so you can create effective protections. Knowing how you can be hurt is one of the best ways to prevent being hurt, after all.

Plus, even if you’re not going to curse someone that doesn’t mean someone else won’t curse you. It’s a two way street after all.

What is a curse?

A curse is a prayer, utterance, or spell with the intent to cause harm, trouble, or ill luck to befall another. The word hex has an Pennsylvania origin, from what I can tell, and it meant from meaning simply ‘witch’ or ‘to practice witchcraft’ to ‘to cast a spell on’ and now it has a darker meaning. That probably comes from the ill-reputation that magic workers had for a long time, if I had to hazard a guess. I personally define hex as a short-term spell meant to cause mischief and trouble. Like a casual curse or minor vengeance. But it is regional speech so you’re probably better off just using the word curse and calling it a day.

So what are the symptoms of a curse?

Curses can be really casual such as spilling coffee on yourself. An extreme example would be someone who spills coffee on themselves, has a car break down, has the tow truck driver drop the tow bar ON THE CAR crushing it, is late for work, finds out they’re being laid off, and has a lover break up with them on the same day.

Other things to look for:

  • Nightmares
  • Trouble sleeping
  • Loss of energy (physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and so on)
  • Sudden legal troubles
  • Sudden relationship troubles
  • Sudden medical issues
  • Sudden financial issues
  • Random pain and aches
  • Scattered mind and unable to gather your thoughts, confusion, disorientation
  • Bad luck

Generally, it’s a culmination of several of these things at once. Please, please, please, check with doctors when you’re feeling aches, pain, or medical issues. Whether something medical is induce via a curse doesn’t mean that the curse breaking will actually REMOVE those issues. Same goes for any other issues that crop up. You’ll still have to deal with that shit. Removing the curse or hex means that nothing additional should crop up (beyond the normal “shit happens, that’s life” kind of deal)

How to tell if you’re cursed

The above symptoms should occur consistently and suddenly. They are persistent. You don’t ever catch a break. There are curses that last years and years but they are very rare. Most end up fading out over time. By and large, you can counter a curse simply by changing your lifestyle or behavior (but not always).

I’m going to be honest. There are some curses or hexes that won’t register because they’ve been designed to avoid detection. If you think this might be the case, simply move onto hex breaking and curse removal methods, followed by cleansing and protection.

However, there are some methods to determine if you’ve been cursed. Divination is the easiest way to go about it. Tarot cards, oracle cards, pendulums – you pick whatever method works best for you.

For a deity and/or spirit workers, I would ask for a sign of some kind within the next three days to confirm that there’s a curse. And then pray for help with the removal.

If you’re unsure still or want to be extra sure, just skip right onto the curse breaking and hex removing methods. Remember, don’t panic. You are your own worse enemy when you panic. (I know that’s nearly impossible for some folks with paranoia or anxiety but it’s something to keep in mind)

spells and herbs

How much do I have to worry about curses? Really?

You probably aren’t cursed. It’s just bad luck which happens to everyone. If you’re not a practitioner, then it’s even more likely that you’re not cursed. Sometimes bad shit just happens. But, when you deal with other practitioners, don’t be surprised to find that you’ve annoyed one of them and they fired back at you. I’m not saying that curses or hexes never happen, they absolutely do, but they’re not super common either.

But if you want to take some preventative measures, it can’t hurt either, right?

 

Adapted from my original post here.

Sources:

Crown’s “Fuck All The Things!” Cleansing and Banishment [tumblr repost] (Spell Saturday #14)

Sometimes you just have to get mad.

There’s actually two versions of this spell split up but they really work best together. So here you go.

So you’ve some nasty creepers hanging around. A ghost is rattling their chain and banging on walls. What a rude fucker. What do you do?

  1. Summon your courage. Buck the fuck up. Look, ghosts are just dead people. Spirits might not be human but they’re still people. They might be assholes or they might be sweethearts. Don’t lump all ghosts and spirits together. I’m not saying don’t be scared because, fuck that, there’s invisible people in your house. That’s nightmare fuel. But you can be scared and still be brave.
  2. Get pissed. No, really. Get fucking angry. This sort of behavior isn’t acceptable. Think of alllllllllll the reasons you want them gone. Channel your inner Hulk if you have to.
  3. Open ALL the doors and windows as much as you can. Make sure you can get to every single window and door in all the rooms plus the basement and attic if you have one. Even the closets, crawlspaces, cupboards, etc. ALL OF THEM. I’m not saying fling open the doors that don’t or can’t be opened or let Spot the Housecat get outside but even cracking it the tiniest bit will help. Clean the hallways and pathways as you’ll need to move as quickly as you can. Locking up said pets in their carriers, crate, cages, etc. during this is helpful too. You might want to chase out other people too. I find exorcising shit works best when I’m alone or with another woo~ person or two is helpful. You can get kids involved too, as I’ll explain in point 7.
  4. Give a warning. I tend to ask politely first and, if the behavior continues after I’ve requested it a few days later, I step up to the swearing and cursing. Tell those dead intruders to get the fuck out. Threaten their ass with an exorcism and banishing.
  5. Now get the chalk, salt, holy / blessed water, and rosemary herb stick. FYI, neither salt nor holy water works all the time but it works most of the time. For an herb stick get a bunch of rosemary and dry it together in a bundle. Ta-da. Pour some salt in your water to dissolve it. I find sticking the water in a squirt bottle or water gun works well. Figure out a system that works well so you can carry the herb stick, water, salt, and chalk. I find using a small salt pouch clipped to my pants by a carabiner works remarkably well.
  6. Prep your protection shit. Get that shit ready to go. I tend to use rosemary, salt water, salt, chalk, and bay. Whatever works for you. Put it all in the same room you start in if you can’t carry it with you.
  7. Chase it the fuck out. Yell and move as quickly as you can. Tell it to get the fuck out. It’s not welcome here and it needs to fucking go. Tell it all sorts of lies like if it comes back you’ll eat it or sic your familiars on it. Just be as scary as possible. Start in the lowest portion of the house and work your way up. As you go, toss a light coating of salt at the windows, doors, closets, cupboards, etc. Spritz water in the same place as you’re throwing salt but also include the corners of the rooms and mirrors too. Slam door, window, cupboard, etc. shut. Now mark it with an ‘X’ in chalk. You could put a protection or banishing symbol up too. I just find the X easier. It should be clearly visible. If it isn’t, go back over it with the water. Do that with each and every room all the way up to the highest point of the house. It’s easier with more people and kids will have fun yelling at ghosts and throwing salt, squirting water, and slamming the windows and doors. If you’re lucky and have a third person available, they can come along behind you and lay on the protection right afterwards.
  8. Make your home a fortress. Lock that shit up. Coat the glass, mirrors, faucets, etc with protection oil or water. Wash the floor in a protection floor was. Go ahead and wash the walls and doors too. As you clean and protect each room, feel free to wipe off any of those chalk ‘X’s you run across. Make sure you bolster those defenses every so often to keep shit out.

You want to be subtle about it? Fine. Steep rosemary in salt water for 10-15 minutes. Pour that in a drinking glass and open one single window or door. Now go from each room as subtly as you can in step seven. Skip the yelling but just dab or flick the water. Be sure to get all the windows, doors, mirrors, and corner.

Now this second part can be used along as a cleansing of the self or to get rid of the feel of someone that’s in your life or if you’re just feeling gross.

  1. Open the windows and doors and clean the place up. Put shit back to where it’s suppose to be. Run laundry and do the dishes. It’ll take ten minutes top to clean the surfaces. Add some cleansing ingredients into the laundry if you feel it necessary. (I tossed in some salt and peppermint in a dark clothing load. Don’t put herbs in with your white or light color clothing. You’ll stain them. No, seriously, don’t.)
  2. Throw salt. No, I’m not kidding. Throw salt. At mirrors, at windows, at doors, at the floor, at the computers (watch those keyboards!), at the faucets, on the floor, and on the stripped bed.
  3. Incense the the place. This generally means you walk around with incense and let the smoke drift to all corners of the room. This step varies for me. Sometimes I’ll use incense, other times herbal sticks, or asperging. It all depends on what materials I have on hand. Make sure you get all the rooms and entrances (including faucets, mirrors, computers, windows, doors, archways, and corners).
  4. Wash the floors, doors, windows, and maybe even the walls. I use a mix of water + salt + lemon + whatever ingredients I think need to be use (for prosperity, I’ll do a floor wash with different things than I would for a floor wash for protection.)
  5. Pour a drink. Usually I drink vodka. Sometimes I have homemade lemonade. Depends on my mood. Whatever. Toss some delicious fucking food in a pan/oven/microwave. It could even be a sandwich. Make that food and drink and put it aside.
  6. Take that drink with you and hop in the bath and/or shower. Use those bath products you accumulate and forget to use. If you don’t have any “borrow” some from a housemate. Or don’t. Whatever the works for you. Pamper yourself. Put on music, drink your drink, and cleanse yourself. I tend to imagine the water taking all the shit and washing it down the drain.
  7. Eat that delicious food, sit your ass down and watch TV. Or read a book. Play a game. Take a nap. Pet the cat/dog/turtle/plushie. Surf the web (but avoid social media. You don’t need that shit right now. You really don’t.) Do something for just you for an hour or two. And ignore all the other shit for a while.

There. Congrats. You’ve cleansed yourself and you’ve given yourself the break you need.

(For those eyeing this and saying “but I don’t actually need to clean the place, do I?” Yeah, yeah you do. Unless your home is from the pages of a catalog, you need to clean off what catches the eye. Counters, a simple sweep, dishes, and obvious “that’s not suppose to be there” should be sorted. It helps hugely. It’s a physical manifestation of the shit you need to deal with and going around cleansing the place and yourself but not cleaning the house at least on the surface is useless. Really. If you don’t believe me try it yourself. One day cleanse the house/room and don’t clean. A few days later do it again but clean first this time. You’ll notice the difference. Promise.)

Now a lot of you will look at that and think “that’s not magic”. It CAN be magic – depends on the intent or spells you use during the process – but the simple act of doing mundane things and taking some time for the self can be immensely restorative. Having a clean home actually does calm the mind and helps you think. There’s less “ugh” feeling.

That’s it! Happy casting!

Originally posted on tumblr here and here.