Safety from magical attack tends to be a polarizing topic. Whereas some practitioners consider it extremely important and live in fear of hexes and demonic attachments, others see defense as boring and over-hyped. Interestingly, the more vulnerable of the two may be the former who lives in fear.

First Line of Defense: Belief

Consider this analogy: Every human being has a presence in the spiritual realm. Imagine this presence as a castle surrounded by dense jungle. As long as someone is not practicing magic or interacting with spirits, their castle remains safely hidden deep in the jungle. When you begin to become more active on the spiritual plane, you light a beacon that makes your castle visible to the spirits around you. If a malicious entity wanted to attack your castle, it would know how to get there, but it would still have miles of jungle to hack through. It’s hard work and likely it will not consider you worth the effort. However, if you believe you are vulnerable to attack, that fear paves a road through the jungle leading straight to your castle (remember, magic follows belief). So who is safer: the practitioner who believes they are safe and who is defended by the jungle that belief sustains? Or the practitioner who has defended their castle well but whose belief is making the castle easy to access?

Thankfully, you can utilize both types of defense to your advantage: you can take common sense precautions to defend your castle AND you can be confident in the unlikelihood of being targeted for an attack. I wanted to explain this concept first because as we discuss ways to defend your castle and dangerous situations to be aware of, the last thing I want to do is to make you feel that these situations are likely or that you should be afraid of them happening. The best thing to do is to treat these exercises and discussions just as you would a fire drill or CPR training. Are you likely to need these? No. Do you need to live in fear of spiritual attack? No. Should you know what to do and take common-sense precautions just in case? Yes!

Second Line of Defense: Discernment

Discernment is the ability to distinguish between friend and foe, truth and lie. You can have all the defenses in the world set up around you, but if you invite a malicious entity into your castle, they will have bypassed all of your shields and wards without having to do a thing. It is due to the presumptive lack of discernment that many seasoned witches suggest new practitioners avoid working with deities.

In my view, building relationships with deities is generally safe and immensely beneficial. Furthermore, I don’t see how discernment can be cultivated at all without interacting with spirits on some level. In fact, when it comes to defense, deities can be our strongest allies and protectors as well as sources of guidance and wisdom. For these reasons it is my belief that any witch interested in working with the gods should begin building kharis (right relationship based on reciprocity) with them as soon as possible.

There are a few things to keep in mind when you are interacting with spiritual beings:

Spirits can lie. Don’t assume you are talking to who you think you are talking to. You are more likely to be talking to the deity you intended to if you were the one to initiate contact. You have a better chance of discerning accurately if you are well-read on the deity you are trying to contact. This includes mythology and other worshipers’ UPG*. After you get to know a deity well, it will be more difficult for that deity to be impersonated by any other entity. Emotions cloud judgement and ruthless self-honesty is an asset. Sex creates attachments and should be reserved only for spirits that you trust completely.

Be aware of the following red flags that should tip you off to possible danger or self-deception:

A spirit tells you everything you want to hear and/or acts how you want it to act. A spirit demands your exclusive attention and worship. A spirit is threatening, pushy, angry, mean, or abusive. A spirit acts out of character according to others’ (or your) past experiences. A spirit initiates contact during a time when you are vulnerable and seeks to exploit that vulnerability. You get a gut feeling that something is wrong or the spirit makes you feel uncomfortable.

You can think of connecting to a deity like trying to talk to someone on the telephone. If you are calling your mom, for example, you know her voice, you know her mannerisms and habits, and you know her phone number. You don’t need to worry about giving your mom your social security number because you trust her and you know that it is her you are talking to. Similarly, if you reach out to a god that you have extensive experience working with you can be relatively certain that you are speaking to who you think you are speaking to.

Lets contrast this with a different scenario. Lets say someone calls you claiming to be your bank. They tell you that there has been suspicious spending activity on your account and they are going to lock you out unless you give them your social security number right now. This has all the hallmarks of a scam. 1) They called you, making their identity less certain. 2) You can’t verify their identity over the phone because you don’t know them personally. 3) They are using emotion (usually fear though sometimes excitement) to cloud your judgement and give a sense of urgency. 4) They are asking you to make yourself vulnerable by providing them with a sensitive piece of personal information. A spiritual scam will have the same red flags.

So what is the spiritual equivalent of giving out your social security number?

Sex (on the spiritual plane)

Having sex with a spiritual entity is not only possible, it’s quite common. This act takes place primarily in the mind and will be indistinguishable from masturbation on the physical plane but in the spiritual dimension it is an intertwining of spirits.

Just like physical sex, spiritual sex can be deeply fulfilling and pleasurable when done with a trusted and loving partner. Many deities are known for their sexual aspects and being in their presence will often inspire sensual sensations and desires. Deities will occasionally move beyond this to initiating sex. There is nothing wrong with this and it is quite normal. A deity will always respect your boundaries and back off if you ask them to.

However, sex is dangerous when done with a stranger or a spirit you do not completely trust. It drops all of your defenses and allows the entity total access to the innermost parts of you. It makes you vulnerable. For this reason, you need to be very careful before allowing any spirit to have sex with you. Treat it like you would giving out your social security number. If a spirit comes to you and initiates sex, especially if they come to you at a time of vulnerability (such as heightened sexual arousal), this is a red flag and you should end the encounter immediately, even if the spirit claims to be a deity you know and trust. Remember, spirits can lie.

Only give this vulnerability to a spirit if you were the one to initiate contact AND you have developed a deep and trusting relationship over a long period of time AND you have verified the identity of the spirit with multiple third parties and third party divinatory readings.

Third Line of Defense: Shields and Circles

Both shields and wards are energy field designed to protect you or your space. The difference between the two is that shields are purely energetic while wards are anchored into a physical object (or objects). This makes shields more portable but also more difficult to create as permanent structures. Wards tend to be more permanent and require less upkeep to maintain, but you also need to worry about being in the location of the ward’s physical anchor in order to benefit from its protection. For this reason, I consider shields more important than wards.

Personal Shields

Personal shields are energetic defenses erected around your own physical and spiritual body. They are a good place to start when it comes to third line defenses because you can keep them with you at all times. There are four steps to creating a personal shield:

Design the blueprint Erect the framework Fill it with energy Connect to an energy source (optional)

Design the blueprint

This is where you choose what your shield will look like and what properties it will have. The possibilities are literally endless. The most basic is the ‘bubble’ shield which is just a basic force-field. These are simple to create and maintain but relatively easy to breech. Other options include elemental shields (a wind shield that looks and acts like a tornado, dispersing energy; a fire shield that consumes and feeds on incoming negative energy, an earth shield that is essentially a huge mountain of energy, etc.). You can add mirrors to your shield to reflect energy back to the sender (an ethical consideration of this is that the sender may be doing so unintentionally). You can also camouflage your shield so that you will not be immediately identified as someone knowledgeable in the magical arts. You do not need to be limited to a single shield but can actually layer shields on top on one another as well. For more information on the types of shields mentioned here, I recommend the book Spiritual Protection by Sophie Reicher.

Erect the framework

After designing your shield you need to actually construct it. The framework of a shield is the scaffolding into which the energy will be placed in the next step. The framework does not require much energy to maintain and it makes the energy step much quicker. This means that if you can at least have the framework in place, you will be able to quickly erect your shield when you need it without having to maintain it in its entirety all the time.

In order to build the framework, imagine all of the elements of your shield around you. Imagine where each piece will go and what it will look and/or feel like when it is constructed. You don’t need to raise any energy at this point, just pre-program the space around you so it knows what to do with the energy when it gets there. You can imagine it as a scaffolding – the bare bones of your shield erected around you, ready to accept the energy and become a solid structure at a moment’s notice.

If you plan on maintaining your shield in this potential state indefinitely, I suggest reinforcing your framework at least once per day in order to keep the framework solid and ready. It can help to have a list of characteristics that you go through in the same order each time. For example, my own shield is a thick, transparent wall that is both slippery and hot to the touch. When I maintain it or erect it, I use the chant: “thick as thieves, clear as glass, slick as ice, red hot to the touch.”

Fill it with energy

Now that your scaffolding is in place, you can turn it into a functioning shield by raising energy to fill it out. To start, ground yourself into the earth and begin moving its energy into the scaffolding. All of the programming has already been done ahead of time in the previous step so all you have to do now is fill it with energy and make it as solid as you can. It can help to say or chant the characteristics of your shield as you fill it with energy to keep you focused.

Connect to an energy source

This step is only necessary if you wish to maintain your shield in the functional “on” state at all times. In their functional state, shields require energy to work and it is easier if that energy source is something other than you. Possible energy sources include:

The earth

The sun

The moon

A planet, star, or constellation

A deity

A powerful local spirit (a river, a mountain, a city, etc.)

An elemental realm or entity

One of the five rivers of the Underworld

Obviously, if connecting to a deity or spirit, you will need to have permission first. I would consider it rude to ask for energy without already being in kharis with that spirit. Likewise, permission should be asked from Hades before connecting to an Underworld energy source, from Zeus before connecting to a heavenly energy source, etc. though I feel a strong relationship is not a necessary prerequisite if you are pulling energy from the deity’s sphere of influence rather than the deity directly.

The earth, as our mother, is generally considered free for our use without needing to ask Gaia’s permission. The core of the earth is a large enough energy source that we don’t need to worry about doing her any harm. However, if we connect to a more local earth energy source (such as a node where two ley lines intersect) then we should be aware that pulling too much energy from it can damage the local ecosystem.

Once you have identified a suitable energy source for your shield (you wouldn’t want to draw on ocean energy for your fire shield) and you have permission to use that energy source (if applicable) simply access the source through visualization or journeying and imagine a cord (like an umbilical cord) connecting your shield to the source. Like an umbilical cord, the energy flow can go both ways if you wish so that energetic attacks or negative energy can be redirected to the source where it can be purified or neutralized.

Even connected to an energy source, a functioning shield will often need to be checked several times an hour until you have trained your subconscious mind to maintain the shield when you aren’t paying attention to it. Check on it and assess it for holes or weaknesses often.

Protecting your Magical Space: Casting a Circle

Probably the most common form of shielding is circle-casting. A circle is cast in order to protect a ritual space and hold in raised energy. It acts as a temporary magical barrier, similar to a personal bubble shield, that should be taken down after a magical working is complete. Before casting a circle, I suggest you center and ground in order to use the earth’s energy to power your shield since this is going to protect your own energy from being drained and because you will probably want to tap into an outside energy source anyways for your spell.

Casting a circle with earth energy

After grounding and centering, start gathering up the earth’s energy, whatever color it is that day, into your chest at the level of your heart. Feel this ball of energy get bigger and bigger as you pull more and more energy to yourself. Expand the ball into a bubble. Feel it grow until it encompasses you and your ritual space entirely. Spend several minutes pulling up energy from the earth and pushing it into the sphere’s walls until they feel strong and solid. Set the intention for this wall of energy keep out harmful energies and influences while letting in friendly entities and forces who will protect you and aid you in your work. Also set the intention that this wall contain any energy you raise so that it remains available to you for use in spell craft.

To close the circle, imagine absorbing all of the energy back into yourself, allowing the excess to return to the earth.

Casting a circle with elemental energy

Rather than pulling up energy from the earth, you can instead call on the elements of the four directions to keep watch over your circle and aid you in your spell work. I would recommend not invoking deities for this role and instead sticking with the spirits of the elements. Since you are calling in external entities for help, I suggest providing them with an offering in return for their aid. You can leave this offering in the middle of the ritual space or, if performing a ritual outside, you can pour a libation or sprinkle a pinch of some offering to each of the four directions.

Starting from East and moving clockwise, walk around the perimeter of your ritual space. At each of the four cardinal directions, call upon the associated element like you do in the Calling of the Elements Ritual with the associated symbolic gesture and visualization. I recommend the following words for the auditory portion:

In the name of thundering Zeus and swift Hermes, I call upon the element of air. I ask that you guard this gate to the East and defend it against any unhelpful influences for the duration of this ritual. Please aid me in my work and help me accomplish (goal). I offer this (offering) in gratitude for your assistance.

In the name of bright Apollo and mighty Hephaestus, I call upon the element of fire. I ask that you guard this gate to the South and defend it against any unhelpful influences for the duration of this ritual. Please aid me in my work and help me accomplish (goal). I offer this (offering) in gratitude for your assistance.

In the name of ground-shaking Poseidon and lovely Aphrodite, I call upon the element of water. I ask that you guard this gate to the West and defend it against any unhelpful influences for the duration of this ritual. Please aid me in my work and help me accomplish (goal). I offer this (offering) in gratitude for your assistance.

In the name of broad-chested Gaia and generous Demeter, I call upon the element of earth. I ask that you guard this gate to the North and defend it against any unhelpful influences for the duration of this ritual. Please aid me in my work and help me accomplish (goal). I offer this (offering) in gratitude for your assistance.

To close the circle, walk counterclockwise starting in the North. Thank each element in turn for it’s help and announce that the ritual is over. Take note of what impressions and messages you get at each gate. If you sense that your helpers are unhappy or unsatisfied, consider asking what they would like you to change about the ritual in the future. For example, perhaps they would have preferred a different sort of offering. Don’t forget to treat the spirits you invite in with respect and hospitality.

Fourth Line of Defense: Wards and Charms

Personal Wards & Charms

Because a ward, by definition, is grounded in a physical object, personal wards will require you to wear or otherwise carry on your person the charm or object that you have enchanted for warding. This might be a piece of jewelry, a stone, a charm bag, a sigil (drawn on the body or made into a charm), a piece of clothing, an accessory (such as a hat), etc.

A charm bag

This is a bag of ingredients enchanted to provide protection. It can be made for a specific occasion or created for general use. It also has the benefit of being able to be given to someone else so they can benefit from its protective properties. To make a charm bag, find and cleanse several ingredients that have protective properties (ideas to follow). Before you add the ingredient to the bag, ask it to do the specific job you would like it to do and then charge it with the energy to do that job. Spell bags will need to be re-charged periodically and/or connected to an energy source (see the section “Connect to an Energy Source” when we discussed shields above). If they include an aspect that absorbs negative energy, such as salt or a black crystal, they may need to be cleansed or renewed periodically as well.

Salt

Shells

Protective crystals such as tourmaline

Protective herbs (rosemary, marjoram, sage, parsley, dill, mint, basil)

Protective spices (pepper, clove, cinnamon, anise)

Plants with thorns (rose, blackberry, holly, etc.)

Protective vegetables (leek, fennel, garlic)

Protective trees (willow, oak, ash, juniper, cedar, birch)

Protective plants (wormwood, purslane, plantain, mugwort, ivy, buckwheat, aloe)

Protective flowers (lavender, violet)

Warding your Home

A home ward can provide you extra protection where a majority of your spiritual practice likely occurs. There are several ways to ward your home which can be used together to provide layers of protection or separately if there is a particular strategy that appeals to you.

Household shrines

In ancient times, the Greeks maintained shrines specifically for household protection in different parts of the home. The following are ideas based on these ancient customs.

Maintain an altar to Hestia in the heart of your home (such as the mantel above the fireplace). She is the primary protector of the home and offerings can be made to her to ask for peace and protection for the house and its inhabitants. This altar should have some sort of flame to represent her, even if it is just an artificial candle or picture of a hearth fire.

Maintain an altar to the agathos daimon, the guardian spirit of the home, who brings luck and protection. Keep a potted plant on it into which you can sprinkle small libations of wine or other drink. The agathos daimon is often portrayed as a snake so a figure or picture of a snake would be appropriate here.

Maintain an altar to Zeus Ktesios (of the property) in order to protect the house from theft and increase wealth. This altar is actually just a jar (traditionally an earthen pot) filled with offerings such as water, olive oil, or fruit and decorated with white and red ribbon, thread, or cloth.

Maintain an outdoor altar to Zeus Herkeios (of the fence) for protection of your yard and property. This can be a simple stone onto which you pour libations.

Protect your home from misfortune, illness, enemies, and malicious entities by keeping one or more doorway shrines to either Hermes, Hekate, or Apollo Agyieus (of the streets). The shrine to Hermes, called a herm, was traditionally a ithyphallic stone pillar with Herme’s head on it (see below). A modern interpretation might be simply a pillar-shaped stone before which you can pour libations or leave offerings of food or coins. Offerings should be made before these doorway shrines monthly or once per moon cycle.

Herms were also used as boundary markers and can be set up at the four corners of your property.

Herm

Create a web

This ward will require a central anchor (located in the heart of your home) with satellite anchors that can be located in each of the major rooms of the house or at the four corners of the house or property. The anchors may be charm bags (made exactly the same way as charm bags made for personal wards), spell jars (like charm bags but in jars), crystals, stones, statues, sigils, house plants, or something else.

Once your wards are in place, tie your central anchor to a major energy source (see “Connect to an Energy Source” above). Then, moving clockwise around your home starting in the East, tie each of your satellite anchors to the central anchor so that they can all feed off of that energy source. Imagine the boundaries of the ward stretching to encompass your entire home (or property).

Soak up the negativity

You can place bowls of salt or vinegar around your home in order to passively absorb excess negative energy. Refresh them once per month.

Protect the portals of entry

Doorways, windows, and mirrors can all act as portals of entry for spiritual energy. Placing wards or sigils around these areas can help to protect your space. You can also wash your thresholds and window sills with infusions of protective herbs.

*Definitions

UPG stands for unverified personal gnosis. This is knowledge or understanding that an individual discovers through personal interaction with a deity. It cannot be found in the mythology or literature. All UPG should be taken with a grain of salt, but it can be useful for developing a more intimate portrait of a deity based on the experiences of their modern worshipers. When multiple people get the same UPG, it becomes VPG – verified personal gnosis.