This warding spell for spiritual cleansing and protection can be used for any physical space, but is especially important for your home. I recommend regular energetic hygiene practices of some sort for everyone. Beyond the basics of smudging, this provides permanent protection wards that are powered by allies from the Spirit, plant, animal, and mineral realms. Warding can be dialed up or down to be as simple or complex as you choose, and customized to your particular practice.
Psychic and sensitive folks appreciate the sanctuary that a warded temple provides. The beauty of a magickal ward, is that you can charge it to perform in any way you desire. Much like programming a security system, you can choose who gets in, when and how they are invited to enter, and what sort of behavior is welcome during their stay.
This ritual spell-work will use four main components:
Clearing, and consecration by the four classical elements
Use of banishing pentagrams
Evocation of protective Spiritual Beings; Archangels, Gods/Goddesses, Animals, Ancestors, etc.
Creating spell-bottles for the four corners of the property as the anchoring ward.
Banishing Pentagrams:
Bouncing the Trouble Makers, then Locking the Door
The pentagram is a five-pointed star that is an ancient symbol of balance, power and protection. Each point represents an element: earth, air, fire, water, and Spirit, perfectly interwoven. A common usage of this symbol in magick includes its drawing in a specific pattern, called a “banishing pentagram.” The “all-purpose” banishing pentagram we’ll use for the clearing and protection of the home from unwanted spirits, is the one for the element of Earth, as that is most related to the physical safety of our bodies and buildings.
To draw the banishing pentagram, you begin in the lower left corner, at the Earth point, then draw upward to the Spirit point, and then on around in a clockwise fashion until the star is complete. Think of it as pointing down to everything here in the material plane that you want to banish, then flinging it back “up” to the Spirit realms where they belong. When I draw the banishing pentagram during protection work, I think of it as bouncing the trouble-makers, by putting the key in the lock between dimensions, and locking the door behind them. The banishing pentagram is like turning the key in that lock.
Preparations and Acquisitions
Step 1: Get your house in order.
Begin with a physical cleaning and organization of your home. Chaos and filth in the material world mirrors into chaos and filth in the spiritual world. As above, so below; As below, so above. Think about it this way: In the material world, if you leave your dirty dishes laying around, and garbage everywhere, you invite the cockroaches, rats and parasites to move right in and have a feast. The nasty bottom-feeders of the world will just looooove to hang around your house.
Step 2: Get your Spirit in order.
The same is true of the spiritual realms. There are energetic equivalents of cockroaches, rats and parasites. When you live in an energetic miasma of your own mental and emotional funk – baneful self-loathing, guilty, shame-y, fearful, hateful, violent and angry turmoil – you make yourself delicious to the nasty bottom-feeders and parasites of the spiritual realm. They, too, will looooove to feast upon YOU. The entirety of Witchcraft is there to help you get your head on straight, and become the terrifyingly effective, well-balanced, and powerful bad-ass that simply will not abide any exploitation.
To paraphrase the Rede: What you seek is within you… if you don’t find it there first, you will never find it in the outer world. So get to witchin’!
Step 3: Planning and Acquisition
You have some decisions to make about whose aid you will call into these wards, and what materials you will need as an anchor, amplifier and conduit to that power.
Materials:
4 glass jars with lids – one for each corner of your home.
Paint pens in the four elemental colors, or other decorations on the lids to signify which quarter of your home they will anchor.
Now, what to put in your jars? In the end you will need 9 ingredients that fit in each jar.
This is the part that is highly customized to your personal practice. You know how ceremonial magicians will call upon “The Watchtowers” of the four quarters? See these four ward jars to be a physical watchtower that you are building, and imbuing with powers from the three realms – Upperworld (or heavens,) middle world of the elements, and underworld.
Each ward jar will need:
1 stone or metal to amplify the upperworld Deity or Archangel of your choice.
1 stone or fetish to amplify the underworld animal spirit or ancestor of your choice.
1 stone for Air – with mental and communication nuances.
1 stone for Fire – with active, defensive, motivational nuances.
1 stone for Water – with emotional and relationship enhancing nuances.
1 stone for Earth – with protective, grounding, material nuances.
3 varieties of dried plant material – with any properties you’d like to bring to the party.
Upperworld Powers
Deities: You may choose to call on “Great Spirit” with a single ingredient – like a quartz crystal. Or choose something for two jars to be held by the Great Goddess (perhaps jet) and two for the Great God (perhaps amber,) if that is your style.
For a more polytheist approach, consider choosing a God and Goddess of the Upperworlds, and a God and Goddess of the underworld. In this case, research specific stones or items that are sacred to each of those Deities. You would then assign each Deity to one of the corners (and one ward.) Make sure that you also work out an appropriate offering or exchange in service in gratitude for their aid.
Archangels: OR – You may choose to work with the four archangels associated with the watchtowers in ceremonial magick. Choose either an individual stone for each angel, there are many to chose from that are sacred to each, or four of a single stone. Angelite, Celestite, or Selenite stones are my favorites for connecting to Angelic forces in a more general way.
Gabriel – Water – Copper
Michael-Fire – Sugilite, or an agate
Raphael – Air – Emerald or Malachite
Uriel – Earth – Amber
Animal Fetishes of dolomite and pewter – Heron Michelle
Underworld Powers
Spirit Animals: If you don’t already have a few Underworld Deities on the team, you may choose to work with four animals spirits: If you can ethically and legally obtain a fetish from the animals of your choice, do that. (tooth, claw, bone, shed, bit of fur or hair, feather, etc) Seek consent to work with any part of an animal. Or you may substitute an emblem to represent their powers in the working – one animal and item per jar, in the quarter you think they best relate. Here are a few examples:
Air – Birds; Hawk, Crow, Raven, Wren, Owl
Fire – Lion, Red Fox, Ram, Horse
Water – All fish; Salmon, Dolphin, Crab, Snake, Eagle
Earth – Bull, Stag, Goat, Bear, Beetle
Ancestors: OR you may choose four of your ancestors, or mighty dead, and ask if they will aid in guarding your home with you. Include a photo, a slip of paper with their name, or an object that will draw them near in their jar. Make sure that you also plan to make an appropriate offering in exchange for their aid.
Middle World Allies from the Four Elemental Planes
Choose a stone to amplify each element – you’ll need to acquire four of each (one for each jar.) Here are a few suggestions that I like…
Air – Citrine – Success, confidence, mental clarity
Fire – Pyrite – Shielding and protective, stirs ambition and focus, financial riches.
Golden Tiger’s eye – motivation, creativity, success
Iron Nail for Mars energies and protection, banishes enchantment.
Water – Blue lace agate – clear communication, peace, calm, tranquility.
Rose Quartz – universal love, trust and harmony, friendship, deep inner healing, and feelings of peace.
Earth – Green Aventurine – growth, luck, abundance, relieves anxiety, calms one’s emotions, provides comfort, support, and balance.
Hematite – protection, grounding, de-stressing and mental/emotional balance.
Plant Allies:
Dried herbs and botanicals that have powers you’d like to bring into the home, all of these have protection qualities, but they have other nuances as well. Choose three varieties, and have enough for a teaspoon or so in each jar.
Rose petals or Lavender for love
White sage or Juniper for purification
Frankincense and myrrh for the balance of Divine forces.
Angelica root for angelic aid and guidance.
Cinnamon, Ginger, or Bay for fiery power and success.
There are literally hundreds of options to choose from – just know why you choose to use each ingredient and what power you wish it to bring to your home.
Step Four: The Cleansing and Warding Ritual
Assemble everything you will need on your altar in a central place in your home.
Open your ritual in your traditional way, lighting and awakening consecration tools and calling upon Spirit to be present as you normally would.
State your intention. Something like: I cleanse this home of all baneful influences and Spirits; I consecrate and ward this home to be a sanctuary of peace, abundance, health and safety. Only Love may enter in; only Love may emerge, for the Highest Good of all involved, harming none. So Mote it Be!
I like to have both a black and white candle on the altar. As I light the black candle to start, and charge it to absorb and nullify all baneful energies that are present. I will allow this candle to burn out completely in one burning.
Consecration by the Four Elements
This part should be repeated regularly.
Materials needed:
Tealight candle, a red one is even better.
Smudge bundle of a purifying herb, such as ceremonial white sage, cedar, lavender, palo santo, etc. Or a burning incense blend of Frankincense and Myrrh – but I recommend using a high quality resin incense stick, like these from Nature Nature Incense Company, so you can draw the banishing pentagram with it in the air.
A bowl of purified water, salted with sea salt
Air and Fire: Carry the burning smudge or incense with the tealight candle on a heat-safe plate or bowl to the front door. Open the door. Hold up the smoking smudge: With the same power and authority you would use to open the elemental gates, state: I consecrate this home by air and fire! Draw a large banishing pentagram in the air with the smudge/incense stick. Visualize all baneful energies, all harmful thoughts, communication, and actions being blown out the door.
Now, repeating that phrase I consecrate this home by air and fire! carry the smudge, wafting as you go, clockwise around the entire inside perimeter of your home. Wind up and down stairs and other floors in whatever way seems natural, always flowing clockwise. When you come to an outside window, door, mirror, fireplace or any other opening, draw the banishing pentagram.
When you arrive back at the front door, see the space sealed. State with power: This home is sealed by Air and Fire! So Mote it Be!
Water and Earth: Now, do the same with the salted water. Carry it to the front door, present it and state with power: I consecrate this home by Water and Earth! Dip your index finger of your projective (dominant) hand into the water and draw the banishing pentagram over the door frame and on the front door itself. See all baneful emotional and physical energies nullified and banished from the home.
Now, walking clockwise around the perimeter of your home along the same path, continue chanting, I consecrate this home by Water and Earth! while sprinkling the water on the floor as you walk. Stop and draw the banishing pentagram with the water over every window, door, opening and mirror.
When you arrive back at the front door, see the space sealed. State with power: This home is sealed by Water and Earth! So Mote it Be!
Return to the Altar, state for the second time: This home is cleansed of all baneful influences and spirits; I consecrate and ward this home to be a sanctuary of peace, abundance, health and safety. Only Love may enter in; only Love may emerge, for the Highest Good of all involved, harming none. So Mote it Be!
Light the White candle and charge it to fill the home with blessings.
Building your Protection Ward Jar
Have all your jars open and arranged so that you know which quarter they will go into eventually. Pick up each ingredient in turn. Touch it, connect, and seek consent to work together. Awaken the ingredient by name. Blow gently across it and tap it three times, saying: Awake, Awake, Awaken to your powers of__________. (Name of ingredient) lend your strength and amplify the protective ward of my home. With gratitude, blessed be! Drop it into the jar.
Begin with the Deities or angels of the Upperworld. Invoke them into the stone or fetish that will anchor and feed their power into the ward. Pray in earnest for what aid you seek from Them and if you feel that agreement has been met, make an offering in exchange for this Aid. See the stone as a conduit of their power. Continue by invoking the Spirit animals or ancestors you are calling from the Underworld in the same manner. Lastly, include the plants and stones from the middle world of the elements.
Sealing and Weaving the Wards Together
When everything is in each jar – making nine individual ingredients, seal it tightly. Hold the jar in your hand, push power into the jar: Say: This jar is my protective Ward. May it stand guard in the (associated compass direction) quarter of my home, protecting this sanctuary of peace, abundance, health and safety. Only Love may enter in; only Love may emerge, for the Highest Good of all involved, harming none. So Mote it Be!
(Note that you’ve now repeated your intention three times.)
When all four jars are sealed, take up your wand, or with your index finger, tap each in turn while chanting “peace, abundance, health and safety” in a clockwise direction, weaving them together and raising a cone of energy. Drop the cone into the jars; visualized a bubble of power that the wards continue to feed.
Setting the Protection Wards
Now, carry the jars to the four corners of your home, according to compass direction, as close as you can manage. All while visualizing that sphere of power that weaves them together expanding to envelope your entire home (and property). You can set them on the floor in the corner of the room behind furniture. If you’d like to carry them out to the four corners of your land, you may bury them there, but remember to set a marker should you ever choose to gather them for relocation and reuse.
Closing Circle
Return to the altar, thank and release all the attending Beings and energies that you’ve called, and close your ritual without formally deconstructing the “temple” as you might in a typical esbat or spellcasting. Allow both the black candle and white candle to burn out completely. This temple is now permanently erected around your property.
May it bless you and your family always,
~Heron
Source:
https://www.patheos.com/blogs/witchonfire/2017/08/warding-ritual-protection/