Deliria

Hands In The Dirt, Block Print (2017)

i’m moving into a dorm soon and i’m not allowed to burn incense, so here are some ways i’m planning to cleanse!

sound! i love cleansing with music, my singing bowl, or bells.

selenite/other cleansing crystals. i use my selenite plate to cleanse and charge my jewelry, crystals, and other tools. i also use my selenite wand to cleanse and charge tools!

light. sunlight or moonlight can cleanse or charge tools! i typically see it used more for charging but i’ve used it for cleansing as well.

wind! i enjoy going outside on windy days, standing still, and feeling the wind push the stale and stagnant energy out of me.

salt/magical powders! i make blends of salt and herbs for spellwork. one of my favorites is a salt, ground sage, and eggshells. when i clean my altar, ill spread the salt mix over the tabletop and and by wiping it off, it cleanses the altar. this can also be done on the floors of a room or a house, and swept or vacuumed up!

literally just a rock. it can be a protective crystal if you want, but also if you pick up a rock from outside it can be a ward.

black salt (or any salt, if you wish) on windowsills. i also have black salt in jars in the 4 corners of my room.

sticks. dude trees are SO cool and protective, just don’t cut off a branch (unless you’ve been given permission, but i doubt a tree would like one of their limbs being cut off when you can easily find naturally dropped ones on the ground).

sigils! sigils are so versatile, make your own or find some online, draw it on a paper, and put it in your room. i have some thumbtacked to my wall as well as on my altar.

thread or ribbons around doorknobs. tbh, im not sure where this one comes from (maybe witch bells? which are also an idea) but you can tie black (or any color, but black is good for protection) ribbon around your doorknobs as a form of protection.

What are Baneful Protections?

Baneful protections can be considered both a form of baneful magic and a form of protection magic. When beginning baneful work, this is usually what I recommend starting with. Baneful protections are protection spells that produce some sort of consequence when energy hits it. This can be done without the use of physical taglocks (like names or dates of birth) because energy is able to act like a taglock. For example, some of the baneful protections I have set up will reflect any energy that hits it back to its source while others trap that energy instead (so it can used later on).

It is very important that even though you are protecting yourself, you aren't accidentally tethering the energy to you. In my first baneful protection, I used my saliva to tether the protection to me but instead I tethered all the negative energy the spell had trapped to me and had a horrible case of bad luck for weeks before I realized what I had done. As a rule of thumb i personally don’t include any personal taglocks in baneful protections and always make sure to include a petition that details my exact intent for the spell.

When to use Baneful Protections:

Baneful protections can be used instead of or in conjunction with other forms of protection (see my blog posts for more information on alternative forms of protection magic). I personally didn't have any baneful protections before I was hexed (for the first time) and now I have some just as a precautionary measure. Baneful protections are most beneficial (in my opinion) if you are surrounded by a lot of negative energy or work in an environment that is mentally draining. These protections can help combat the toll that it takes and prevent much of that energy from staying with you for an extended period of time.

It is really up to you whether or not you choose to incorporate baneful protections into your practice. It is worth it to note that this spell work is considered baneful magic, so those who believe in "doing no harm" may choose to forgo this and stick to regular protections instead. Whatever you choose, be sure to do your own research before attempting any new forms of spell work.

Return-to-Sender Spells:

Mirrors- mirrors have the ability to reflect an image so they are also able to reflect energy. Putting up a mirror on your altar or incorporating a piece of a mirror into a spell is very effective at returning energy to its source.

Burning the bottom of a candle- this is a common one and it is also my preferred method at returning energy. The way I do it is by burning the top of the candle like normal and visualizing the energy that you wish to return. Once the candle is flat, I will flip it upside down and light the other end of the wick, symbolizing the return of that energy to its source. This can be done many different ways so check out what other practitioners do to come up with your own method.

Petitions- petitioning is a really great tool that I utilize in most of my spell work because it is an effective way at manifesting a specific intent. It helps if you know the name of the person who sent you the energy for this method but it is not necessary. As long as you have a clear intention and some return-to-sender oil you can make an effective spell.

Running water or rivers- running water has been viewed as being able to carry energy from place to place so it is possible to use it to return energy to its source. In the shower, you can imagine the energy running off of you, down the drain and back to the person who sent it. Another method is throwing your petition into a river and having the river carry it back to its source. (This method also works with a toilet if you are feeling especially feisty!)

For the home:

• obsidian, cinnamon sticks, or rosemary placed at each threshold

• a drawing of the homes layout in a jar with black pepper, soil, salt, a plain rock, a teaspoon of cinnamon, and a small mirror.

• indoor plants such as ferns, aloe, and ivy

• an iron nail driven into the earth at the four corners of the property

• a bundle of lavender and rosemary hung at the door

• painting a protective sigil with clear nail polish on the walls of the home, interior or exterior.

For the body:

• Wearing protective crystals: obsidian, red jasper, hematite, jet, black tourmaline, and malachite

• a drop of rosemary oil on the shoes

• a sachet of lavender, black pepper, and frankincense worn on the body

• writing “I am safe” on your skin

• wearing black articles of clothing

• Adding protective oils to your lotion such as: frankincense, lavender, myrhh, and sandalwood. (Make sure these oils are safe for your skin first)

• carrying rocks (literally any rock)

• Using a warding oil such as the one in the link below!

Cultivate your sense of self: Let go of your people-pleasing tendencies. Discover your values, likes, dislikes, goals, and dreams. What are your most genuine desires? What gives you energy? Who and what ignites a fire inside you? Write down your list of core values and 'rules for life.' You deserve a personal manifesto.

Build your cult of personality: How do you want your authentic self portrayed to the masses, your inner circle, partners in business, or pleasure? Which aspects of your personality do you want to be associated with your personal brand? How do you dress, smell, and carry yourself? How do you do your hair, nails, and makeup – what's your 'signature' look? What industry, professional, and social circles/activities do you want to be associated with? What hobbies, favorite meals, music, and destinations, should be synonymous with your name? Over time, these aspects of other people's lives with be synonymous with you. Elevate yourself with this allure of living through association. It encourages others to perceive you as equally relatable and unattainable.

Refine your wardrobe, speech, and habits: Streamline the external and internal aspects of your personal brand. This attention to detail demonstrates that you value yourself, your appearance, and your presence with others.

Set goals: Professional, financial, health, relationships, self-development, creativity, and pleasure. How do you want these areas of your life to look? What activities can you engage in to feel fulfilled, successful, and desirable in each category?

Construct routines, habits, and systems that serve you: Cultivate a ritual for every aspect of your life and time of day. Set a morning routine, night routine, diet and workout plan, workflow and schedule, budget and investment plan, relationship and sexual expectations to help you achieve your goals.

Indulge daily: Drink your favorite coffee in the morning, invest in high-quality skincare and pajamas, have that glass of wine after work, listen to music that speaks to your soul, draw, sing, dance, write, create a vision board – find ways to make your soul feel alive every day.

Set Boundaries: Protect your peace at all costs. Your life is for you. Decide what behaviors, people, and circumstances you will accept. Know when to compromise and when to walk away. Your life is for you.

Seduce yourself daily: Write and say affirmations, admire yourself in the mirror, and engage in activities that make you feel more confident (in your body and mind). The perception of an alluring personality starts with the habits you practice alone.

Put it above your door: If your ash comes from incense or an herb bundle, the ash shares the same correspondences and power as the herb. I’ve met some who think it’s even stronger, as it’s been activated. You can either use the bundle to make a light mark above a door frame or it can be done with a finger. This can be powerful protection, luck bringing, or love inducing, depending on your intent and correspondence

Use it in spells: Why get rid of something so powerful? As mentioned, the ash still has power and energy. Your correspondence is based on what was burned. You can use it in place of that herb if you’re out, or in addition. 

Use it in anointing: While it’s often used in conjunction with oil, ash has a long history of being used in anointing. Burning holy herbs, and then using a finger to swipe cooled ash onto someone being anointed is a powerful piece of the ceremony

Bury it: A lot of witches, including myself, find that burying the remnants of a spell is incredibly powerful. It’s often seen as giving respect to the earth for the power it gives. The phrase ashes to ashes, dust to dust comes to mind. It’s essentially the ending of a spell, returning the ash to the earth

Ward your home: Sprinkling protective herbs and ash around the perimeter of your home can help ward against negative energy and evil spirits.

Synethesia is a common-enough thing that I thought this would be helpful! It's basically when your brain automatically connects different sensations, so numbers might have colors, smells might have shapes, geographical locations might have textures, or any other combination of stuff. These are often very unique to the indivudal and might not make sense to other people who don't get what makes something taste "round."

Now let's apply it to magic work.

In my experience, synesthesia often helps me understand unique sensations with more nuance. I completely understand how something feels, even if I can't quite put words to it. What happens if we shed the need to put words to it, to externalize it and rationalize it to other people? I understand it in my own mind, so I'll just get to work.

A lot of witchcraft involves sensing and discerning different types of vibes/energy. Contrary to how we talk about them, energies actually have no inherent color, texture, etc. Just look at all the wildly different guides for what the "color of your aura" means, then factor in cultural influences which cast meanings onto different colors. What you have left is just the way it feels, what it's telling you, and your brain gives it a color it feels exemplifies that. That color can be different for every person but the underlying "meaning" is the same.

So let's say you're feeling out the vibes of a room and it's green, high pitched, and salty. Okay! That's all information. There's no need to figure out if youre correct and the energy is ""actually"" green (it's not, it's energy,) because the colors/sensations/details aren't what you're ACTUALLY looking for. Another person may think the room feels like red cotton balls and reach the same conclusion of "Yikes, this place needs to be cleansed."

Incense/Candles: A pretty simple offering. Use ones with scents that she’s associated with or that remind you of her. Rose and ocean scents, as well as myrrh, apple, and myrtle, are all candle or incense scents you could offer. I personally, though not typically associated with Her, offer strawberry incense that smells really sweet and reminds me of Her.

Roses: Anything rose related. A whole rose, the petals, or even rose water! Roses are one of Aphrodite’s sacred plants and I’m sure she’ll appreciate it greatly.

Chocolate: I’ve never actually tried this offering myself, but I hear She loves chocolate!

Orgasms: Another one I’ve yet to try but, seeing as She’s the Goddess of love and pleasure, it’s a very popular thing to offer.

Apples: Especially ones yellow/golden in color. 

Jewelry: Offer her a piece of jewelry and keep it on your altar when not wearing it.

Makeup, lotion, perfume, etc.: You could offer your beauty products to Her! Bonus points if they’re colors or scents that remind you of Her.

Art: Any form of art that you made for Her. A story, poetry, sculptures, drawings, anything! And don’t fuss over it beings absolutely perfect for our lovely Goddess, She will love it and think it’s perfect no matter what because you made it and you made it for Her.

Seashells: Especially scallop and abalone shells. Decorate your altar to Her with them! You could even use a scallop shell as the offering bowl on your altar for Her.

Olive oil: The olive tree was very important in Greek culture and it’s branches, as well as olive oil, were given as offerings often! So it’s a pretty safe bet.

Honey: Call me out if I’m wrong but I believe honey was also important in Greek culture. Bees are also associated with Aphrodite so honey would make a good offering.

A letter: Pretty simple! Just write a letter to Her! You can tell her anything you want!