Everyone has different personal rituals and quirks in their practise; we develop routines and habits as we go, some of which stick, and some do not.
This is how I personally take down old wards. What you read here may not work for every witch, or find favour with them, but let it be known that I never claimed universal correctness to be the case here.
✧ WHY SHOULD OLD WARDS BE TAKEN DOWN?
Wards are comprised of energy, and it is well known that residual energy often lingers long after the working(s) it was used in are completed if a cleansing ritual isn’t done.
Energy when left in a space can continue to taint the space and all that takes place there, and if energies of a conflicting nature mingle, your intent may become moot and you’ll have rogue magic on your hands. There’s also a risk that two intents/energies can potentially counteract and cancel each other out, rendering your work completely useless.
Those are the main reasons I take my wards down and put them back up periodically, but two other reasons are simply:
Your need/reason for a ward may change, so the ward type may need to change with it, meaning that an entirely new ward is required.
Energy wanes and weakens over time. You can re-charge wards, but I often find it more effective to get rid of them completely and set up a new and fresh one in its place.
✧ HOW OFTEN SHOULD I/HOW DO I KNOW WHEN TO TAKE THEM DOWN?
The easy answer here is “whenever you feel is best”, and whilst I find that warding is a very intuitive practise, I don’t want to fob you off by saying “go with your feelings” when that doesn’t necessarily work for everyone.
Use your intuition. If you’re someone whose intuition has never steered them wrong, tap into your highly intuitive nature. Your intuition is a subconscious force that is in tune with your environment, your feelings and oftentimes your higher/spiritual self and it is able to detect changes and warn you of things if need be. Listen to your intuitive mind.
Use energy work to detect changes in energy. If you’re a proficient energy worker put out some feelers to sense change in the energies around you.
If you set up wards for a particular purpose (e.g., personal protection), be sure to keep tabs on the targeted situation/environment. Drawing on the personal protection example mentioned a sentence ago, for an example: if you begin to feel uncomfortable or vulnerable, it is time to remove and renew.
You can set up wards just like you can set up spells: add loopholes, conditions, and parameters. If you’re someone who for whatever reason, forgets about the waning and changing nature of wards, and is likely to forget they need taking down and setting up periodically, it may serve you well to set some ground rules in your ward. For example, you may want to make it so that your wards last for exactly six months. You can then mark this down on a calendar or set a reminder on your mobile, ensuring you know when to take the wards down.
✧ THE WARD REMOVAL RITUAL
For this ritual, you will need the Cleansing Spray (recipe and ingredients below), a cloth or rag, and a white candle.
CLEANSING SPRAY INGREDIENTS:
Mix the ingredients together in your spray bottle and leave it overnight before use.
✧ STEP ONE: Make your intent known.
Before I begin, I like to make sure that my intent is clear. I do this by stating vocally that I am about to take down the active wards.
I take this step because 90% of the wards I cast are protective, but so is a lot of the magic I do generally and, if I don’t make it known that it is only the ward I wish to remove, I fear that I may accidentally remove any latent or passive protective energies that are up from various other workings.
If you can’t be vocal about your intent, spend some time focusing on it, meditating on it, or write it down.
✧ STEP TWO: Spritz your space.
Make sure you spritz the centre of the space, all four corners, and by each window and door. Keep your intent in mind as you do so.
✧ STEP THREE: Wipe down the doors and door frames, window frames and windowsills using your cloth and the spray.
Wards generally keep things out, whether those things are negative energies, negative people, spirits or something else entirely. By cleansing all avenues in and out of your space, you’re making sure that every last dredge of the ward is gone, especially in the places it is working the hardest.
✧ STEP FOUR: The final cleanse by fire and words.
Light your candle and, as the flame ignites, speak these words: “By the light of the flame, this space is cleansed. By the power of fire, this space is clear; fire razes all, - no ward may linger here.”
Lift your candle, and walk to each corner of the room. Once you’re there, recite the incantation again; whisper its power into existence with every word you speak.
Once you have done this, set your candle down in a safe place and allow it to burn for as long as you wish. Let the flames do their work.
*It is important to note that yes, not all witches are able to be vocal with their magic and so, it is more than okay to think on this incantation instead of speak it. Personally, I find that in this particular working, being able to vocalise this incantation adds a lot of oomph to the ritual, however, that is only how it works for me - it may indeed vary from witch to witch. Remember that the power is with you, not the ingredients. So long as you keep your intent at the forefront of your mind whilst performing this magic, your results will be as desired.
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