(Lesson originally taught at @alexandriarchives on June 17th, 2019)
For the sake of this lesson, I shall be using the term “working” to denote whatever witchy activity is being attempted! It can be secular, theistic, simple, complex, etc!
In my opinion, the first and foremost safety tip is having the proper level of privacy for a working. This means the level of privacy you need to feel safe and secure, the timing and and space you need to lay out your tools and ingredients. It encompasses whether you are “in the woods” (or broom closet) or if you’re known to your loved ones (that you live with at least). Even if your housemates are aware, there is still a certain level of privacy that encourages safety.
I also start with this one because it goes hand-in-hand with the next three. You need a safe amount of privacy to have a good surface for your tools and ingredients, and for your own mental health (including the self care of grounding before and after). Think about whether you’d like to take a bath or shower beforehand to help the grounding/cleansing process. It’s a personal preference, but it’s something to keep in mind with the timing aspect of your privacy.
Think about what kind of working you are trying to complete. Does it involve water? Fire? Make sure to use an appropriate surface for that, as well as have things arranged in such a way that they aren’t damaged. Don’t put your Tarot cards right next to your large bowl of water or your candle flame!
Sometimes accidents happen. Have a fire plan ready if you are using any in case a small candle flame catches on something flammable and becomes larger. Additionally, have a similar plan for sharp implements that you use. For example, have a first aid kit nearby if you’re using a sharp objects just in case something happens during your working. Especially good for if you’re working with blood magic.
Though this is the mundane section of the lesson, things in witchcraft often overlap so also keep in mind the spiritual safety of your surfaces and tools. This is a more personal distinction so I don’t have specifics to lay out for every one of you. For example, things like spirit vessels or Tarot cards with certain personalities that may not want to be nearby during certain workings. Also keep your notes and grimoire safe from splatters or flame as much as you can! (A touch can give it character though 😉)
Please do not use any ingredients that you don’t have confidence of their interactions. This goes doubly for anything consumed or put on your skin, but it’s still important with anything you burn or with touch tools that you will later touch. Don’t forget this applies to crystals as well as plants and spices! Think about alternative ways to use an ingredient that you aren’t sure of being safe to consume or burn- submerge it, bury it? But also keep in mind what is safe to bury outside if you plan on that. There’s no shame in using your trashcan as a symbolic burying for a working that isn’t safe for nature.
Certain incenses and essential oils are bad for your pet friends AND/OR your children. Do some rudimentary research on what is safe for the other inhabitants of your home and do NOT apply an essential oil to your skin without a carrier oil. Take a moment to spot test it on a small patch of skin near some soap and water too before using it ritually/magically.
Certain crystals are toxic. There’s typically good lists of what’s toxic and what isn’t but the general rule of thumb is that malachite, cinnabar/cinnabarite, and galena. While malachite is fine tumbled, it’s really not good for you raw (it is made up of 57% copper). And don’t put crystals in your body cavities (like your vagina, anus, mouth, etc). Certain crystals also interact funkily with certain elements, like sunlight, water, salt, etc. Just do your research before using them in your work.
🌡 Physical and Mental Health 🏥
Beyond the space, tool, and ingredient safety concerns, your own self is absolutely a vital component to a workings. Therefore, so is your physical and mental health. Try to consider what state you are in as diplomatically as you can- pushing yourself can have longterm trouble in later workings and it’s important to be gentle with yourself.
But it doesn’t automatically mean you have to cancel your working. Often you can re-tailor it to account for your current state. Do a simpler one, one in a different location so you can sit or lay down more easily, alter the ingredients and steps so you can do it in the bath. Witchcraft is what you make of it!
Grounding is a series of steps you do to center and care for yourself prior to and after a working. I couple it with cleansing because there are many types of grounding that include a cleansing aspect/step. There are many methods of grounding and there will be a whole other class on that so I won’t go into too much detail. Just remember that it does need to be done afterwards as well to reconnect yourself with the world at large after the intensity of a working- even a simple one can wobble you, so to speak!
Also keep in mind that there are many methods of grounding; don’t feel like you need to do the same as others have said worked for them. Showers/baths, a snack, touching the ground, listening to music, playing a video game, petting an animal- these are all valid! The only general rule I encourage for everyone is to drink some water or other simple refreshment afterwards (no alcohol).
Warding is an energy working that creates a protective layer around a location. Shielding is the same but is mobile, ideally for a person (like the practitioner themselves!).
It is extremely important to have the basics down of this before doing workings just to be safe. It’s likely they won’t be needed in any direct way until you do more intense workings, but they will maintain your space and build on themselves so that you are blind-sighted.
Shielding yourself is most easily done with an anchor- a piece of jewelry or pocket sized item that you have the shield tied to. That way you don’t have to actively focus on it all day when you can just wear/have the anchor. The first time you tie it to the anchor you will need to carefully craft it bit-by-bit. It is commonly done by visualizing (like building a wall, net, bubble, etc.) or can be alternatively done with another sense. You could do it in a tactile fashion by sculpting it, drawing it, creating it in a video game and setting the anchor on the craft to tie it. You could use music or scents as well. The primary goal is the careful, deliberate building of the energy and then directing it to its purpose. Take your time, don’t rush. Repair and recharge your shield anchor at least once a month, or more often if you notice its effect diminishing. Recharge either with your own energy or you can use other sources like the sun, moon, crystals, the earth, sigils, etc!
Wards are very similar, they just encompass a location and are stationary. Often this is the practitioner’s home. You can have physical anchors (many people like crystals, witches bottles, or potted plants) or you can tie the ward to the home/property itself. Don’t forget to repair and recharge these as well!
You also want to recharge your wards and shields at least once a month, more if you feel that it’s necessary.
Wards have different purposes: defensive/energy purposes and offensive/entitiy purposes. They have the double effect of containing your energy and your workings from leaking out and protecting any other unintentional energy leaking into you. Think like a backyard pool where you don’t want the water going all over your yard- you want it to stay in the pool. Offensive is more deliberate protection for if a specific entity or energy that is trying to get in. It’s the fence that keeps the neighbour from using the pool when you don’t want them to. It’s more actionable protection.
If you intend to do any spirit work with communication, inviting, seeking, etc., it’s important to add onto the warding and shielding the ability to banish. If your desired location for this working is in your own home, a comprehensive House Rules prepared for any spirits you allow into your wards is also recommended.
House rules are a (generally written) list of agreements for the protection of yourself and all your housemates (human or pets). Think of them almost like understood guest rules when you have someone come over. Yes, you don’t necessarily present them to your guest upon their entrance but that is because we live in a common society with an understanding of what is polite. The spirits you are dealing with do not. It is not considered rude in the spirit community to ask them to agree to a set of house rules.
For spirits that pre-existed in your home: establish that this is your home and you want to respect them but there are still rules that they need to follow. Show them your house rules. If they don’t agree to them, banish them.
