Wards - Blog Posts

fadingskies' guide to: Warding

So, what are wards?

Wards are protections set up by a practitioner to prevent negative entities from invading a space or draining/harming the practitioner. Wards can take many forms and can be permanent or just temporary. The difference between cleansing and warding is that cleansing removes unwanted energies, whereas warding prevents them.

What are the different types of warding?

Warding can be done through three different methods. The first is trapping; meaning to capture or "trap" a negative entity. Circumventing is the second; to divert negative energies and entities away from a space. Lastly is filtering; separating good, positive energies and entities from ones that are negative with ill intent. There also the different types of uses for wards. Some wards can protect places and spaces, while others can be carried around with the practitioner to protect them specifically.

How can I ward?

You can ward using just about anything, as warding is a form of protection and witchcraft is entirely based on how you interpret it to be. Make sure you cleanse beforehand, and charge your preferred method with your intent of protection. Below I will list however, popular methods for warding:

Circles - Circles meaning a physical (using salt, chalk or other) or visualized boundary to enclose energies (like the powers and energies for a ritual) or to keep and divert other energies away.

Candles - Candles charged with the intent of protection are good wards. Personally, I like to rub my candles in oil and lather them in protective herbs, I think it just boots the affect of the ward.

Décor - You can use items that are commonly used for decoration as a way of protection. This can be a tapestry, an embroidered piece of art, a cute little jewelry dish, literally whatever you can charge to be a ward and serve as protection will work!

Plants - Plants serve as great wards, and are super helpful to have around as they have many assigned properties. This form of ward can be planted in the earth or in a pot.

Sigils - Sigils are great forms of wards, and can be written on different medias, have other uses aside from warding and they look super cool as well (not that witchcraft should be practice because it's aesthetically pleasing)

Waters - You can use charged waters to help ward a space.

Dirts - Different dirts from different locations can be used as wards. As most of my family have been cremated, I don't use graveyard dirt in my practice as I find it disrespectful to take from those I don't know without consent. I prefer to use the muddy water near a stream by my house, where flora and fauna is abundant and I feel most welcome.

Crystals - Crystals can be used to ward spaces

Spell bottles - Spell bottles can trap, circumvent and filter negative energies, which is why I love this method so much. They're portable and they're small and easy to hide if you're still tucked away in the broom closet.

Blessed Be, my little witchlings!

it continued.

(Translations:

oh no the :3 found me

I thought I could fly to escape them

but I was wrong

r u n )

Warding & Protection 101

What is warding?

Warding is the practice of shielding or protecting something, someplace, or someone. There are a million and two different types of wards you can create-- in many ways, you are only limited by your own creativity and knowledge.

Why/when should I use a ward?

I always recommend having, at minimum, a protective ward for yourself and your living space if you practice witchcraft (or something adjacent to witchcraft). What a ward does is dependent on what it was created to do. Different people have different needs, and wards are not one-size fits all. Wards can be generic or specific, but my personal preference is a well-defined ward. By well-defined, I mean "clear in what it will and will not do".

Basics

In order to figure out what sort of ward you may need, ask yourself these questions:

What does my practice focus on?

Where might I be vulnerable?

What are my strengths and weaknesses when it comes to witchcraft?

Who and what am I comfortable with having in my space?

When and where am I comfortable with having others in my space?

What do I need to keep out, and what do I need to keep in?

What existing practices/habits may affect my wards? (e.g. cleansing, banishment, rituals, etc.)

Do I have an energy source for a ward? How do I intend to upkeep my wards?

Do my wards need to be moveable or changeable?

What resources are available to me? Are there people or entities that are willing to help me?

What, in my mundane life, do I need help with? What do I need to protect?

What actions am I taking, in my mundane life, to protect myself? (e.g. driving safely, practicing good fire safety habits, etc.)

How to make a ward

As previously stated, there are a million and two different types of wards-- and a million and two different ways to create them. Best practice is generally to lean on your personal strengths and resources to make one. Here are some more specific examples:

Herbalism: A witch who works primarily with herbs could create a protective sachet or jar that is filled with protective herbs.

Kitchen Witchcraft: Someone who practices kitchen witchcraft could cook protective foods, or incorporate small actions into their regular cooking that add protective qualities into their food (i.e. stirring a certain way, routinely using certain ingredients, etc.)

Storm Witchcraft: A witch who works with storms could use the energy of storms to protect their home. They could call on fearsome breezes to blow away harm, rainfall to wash it away, darkness to hide their home, etc.

Glamour witchcraft: A glamour witch can work on how they are perceived. Don't want someone approaching you? Make them afraid of you. Have a fearsome appearance to those who would wish you harm. Make them hesitate. Or hide yourself altogether, as if you were never there.

Deity witchcraft: Ask your gods to guide your hand, to show you how to protect yourself. Ask them to protect you, and clarify what you need protection from.

Green Witchcraft: Grow a plant with the intention of having it take the blow for you, if anything negative gets sent your way. Or have it purify your space.

Divination Wards: Use the energy of specific tarot cards to protect yourself. Write protective runes on things you care about.

Music Witchcraft: Play empowering music. Belt out a song about how nothing can harm you. Hum a tune to make things go away.

Energy Witchcraft: Envision great shields and walls, fortresses and moats. Whatever screams "protection" to you.

Etc.

Types of Wards/Ideas for Wards

Keep in mind that any ward can be for both the magical and mundane (though, always act with common sense, and act as if your wards do not exist. A ward will not make you immortal, and they can be counteracted and/or destroyed. They are there for when shit hits the fan-- but they are not a free pass to start throwing shit AT the fan!)

Transmutative wards: Tranform harmful energy sent your way into something positive and useful. (e.g. negative rumors -> increased opportunities, bad intentions -> abundance)

Baneful wards: If someone hits you, hit them back. Reflect whatever they sent to you back on them, and thensome.

Banishment Wards: If something steps into your space, kick it back out.

Hiding Wards: Hide something from prying eyes. Make it invisible, or make it appear boring/uninteresting.

Reflective wards: Reflect something's image back at them, let them see what they expect to see, or let them see themselves.

Healing wards: Protect your health, or force healing upon those who brush up against them (e.g. if someone lashes out at you because they have not been working on themselves, a healing ward can be just as painful as an outright baneful one.)

Scrambling/maze Wards: Scramble any information someone/something gets, or make them lose their way. Commonly used for unsolicited divination.

Protective wards/wall wards: Stop anything from getting in or out. Stop or prevent harm

Alarm bell wards: Warn you about things coming your way.

Comfort wards: Keep comforting/soothing energy around you.

Examples of Useful Wards

Name/Reputation wards

Household/common places wards

Wards for safe travels

Wards to keep specified spirits/entities out

Wards for malicious intent

Wards for curses/hexes

Wards for natural disasters

Wards for misfortunes

Please feel free to ask any specific questions you may have, this is only a very brief overview to introduce the topic.