PROTECTION PRACTICES for beginners!
My number one advice for any beginner is to SET UP THOROUGH PROTECTIONS before anything else! So I wanted to do a brief post here explaining a little bit about protections. Please feel free to comment any questions.
First off, what are you protecting, and what are you trying to avoid?
Depending on your practice and what you engage in, the typical standard is that you want to protect: A) Your space (house, bedroom, bathroom, etc) B) Your bodies (physical body, mental body, spiritual body, etc)
It's important to protect these sacred spaces / your bodies before doing anything else. Why is that? Well, there's a few reasons: A) Other people may try to spiritually (or otherwise) attack, harm, or otherwise negatively affect you. This includes other witches and practitioners, but not exclusively! B) Spirits may attempt to harm or trick you, or otherwise bother or negatively affect you! Some spirits are legit dangerous to have around, others you might just find annoying or scary, etc. C) If you're performing spells or similar practices, you want to have some sort of safety net in case something goes wrong or you make a mistake.
I always say it like this -- You never expect a car crash, but it's better to be wearing your seatbelt just in case! To be most efficient, I recommend layering your protections, to protect you at all angles.
Okay, now what are some protections I can practice?
There are dozens of protective practices, as they span from all different cultures, religions, and belief systems across the world. Here are a few common ones that you might enjoy:
Crystals... are probably the easiest method for beginners, as you don't need to do anything to the crystals yourself for them to work. Crystals do not need to be activated - they have their own energy and work on their own. The only thing you need to do is learn how to work with them (very easy), and re-charge them (I recommend re-charging them with selenite, a very cheap - often free - crystal)! Crystals can be worn in your pockets, laid out in your house, worn in jewelry, etc! Crystals I recommend for protection: smoky quartz, black tourmaline, obsidian (DO NOT sleep with it), labradorite, and white labradorite (moonstone)! I also recommend pairing your crystal(s) with clear quartz or amethyst (they are amplification crystals).
Smoke... is very popular, but I wouldn't recommend it for any beginner who isn't being mentored or taught by someone else. It's a lot more than just lighting the plant / incense / etc on fire and letting it burn. There are often specific movements, cultural implications, phrasings and sayings you need to tailor, etc that should be involved to properly smoke cleanse/protect. Additionally, smoke from the herbs used for this brings the attention of the spirit world to you, and so you have to be prepared for that as well. Methods of smoke cleansing include saging (white sage - closed practice, regular sage - open practice, etc), incense, and others.
Plants... are very empathetic & protective beings! Forming a relationship with the plants around you can really encourage them to protect you, especially if you eventually ask them. They're proven to boost mental health as well, which helps combat the negative affects of some spiritual prowling. Things like gardening (indoor or outdoor) or even just a single plant by the window sill that you take care of, work! Respecting the spirits of the plants is really important for this process imo as well. Succulents are typically the easiest plants to work with for beginner gardeners/plant parents. To tag onto this, I also recommend working with lemons - There are many practices involving lemons as they help to absorb negative energy! On top of this, chilly - often used in "return to sender" workings that may serve to protect you from harm or negative influences/energies sent your way! I'd also like to note that family recipes are actually great for protection, especially if they're generational. Not only is this a bit of kitchen magic, but the recipe eventually amasses the protective, healing, and/or positive energies, which affect you upon consumption. This is especially common in the Caribbean, but not exclusively! Lastly, sachets / protective pouches are great for protections in general, in almost any circumstance. Just getting to know the herbs you include, and wearing / placing the sachet in a helpful place is also it takes! You can add lots of things to make it more potent - sigils, prayer, etc - but just working with the herbs alone is better than nothing!
Sigils... are great to use, but not bullet-proof. You have to be careful with how you form a sigil, as a lot of us forget about loopholes - and boy, let me tell you, spirits love a good loophole. Some advice: Never invite, just set the boundary. You don't want to say things like "I invite peace" because any spirit can manipulate you into feeling peace, and even if it's not manipulation, not all things that bring you peace are healthy or safe. Instead, say that negative energies and things meaning you harm aren't welcome. Additionally, sigils typically require to be redone or re-charged, depending on how you're using them. If you're using a commonly known sigil, just be educated about how to properly do so, and set the proper intentions when using it.
Song & dance... are easy protective customs! Whether it be a traditional dance or song that serves a purpose, or you just putting as much energy as you can into the singing/dancing (and consequently, the space around you), using your own energy to combat other energies is probably one of the most defensive things you can do.
Mirror silver / shaman silver... there is a specific kind of silver known as mirror silver or shaman silver (or mongolian silver), which you can find and wear. DO NOT SLEEP WITH IT, but it is probably one of - if not the - most protective thing you can wear.
Locking your mirrors... is always recommended, so that spirits meaning you harm cannot access you through the mirror. Additionally, I never recommend sleeping in front of your mirrors. This does not typically apply to dark screens, mostly mirrors or things that are white/transparent/clear in the light. To lock your mirrors, simply walk up to the mirror with the intentions to lock it, fold your fist as if you are holding a key and hold it up to the mirror, and then turn your fist as if you are turning a key. It's also a good idea to say something along the lines of "I am locking this mirror and preventing any spirits, energies or beings from passing through it, permanently."
What about cleansings?
Cleansings are not inherently protective, but it's good to maintain cleansing practices as often as you maintain protection practices. Cleansings often include spiritual baths, energy work, prayers, and other rituals!
As I said, there are many other ways you can protect yourself, but these are just a few I thought I'd highlight! Hope this helps, beginners!
