As I poke around facebook one of the biggest things I keep seeing are people asking for help getting things out of their house, or having to smudge constantly, something bad in my kids room, people sending bad curses or energy their way, etc. 

One of the first things I learned as a child was how to shield.  One of the first spells I was taught to write was for protection over my entire room.  The entire wiccan circle thing; a religious representation of shielding a personal workspace; never heard of that till I was well over 25 and my first thought was – WHY?  If you are in your house, that is “obviously” already shielded, what are you building the second shield against?  Perception is a funny thing.

If you move or directly engage with energy and especially other people (like I’m doing right now with you the reader) you need to have your shield game on and up and running as if it was just as important as cleaning out the fridge.

I do my home and property shielding about once a month with my new moon ritual.  It’s my sit and reflect over the last 28 days, and get ready for the next 28 days moment.  Boost the shields, maybe redo the prosperity bowl, and some self love in the dark of the moon when the gamma is lowest.

This year, 2024, I decided to write up house shields 101 and create a ritual with a visual representation of the shield work.  I wrote this ritual for you all.  Mine is personal and intricate with my ancestors and the elements so wouldn’t be appropriate and actually the reason I haven’t done one of these before.   

I work heavily with the elements and see them as a representation of the 4th dimensional beings (spirits).  Shield work is an excellent way to build bonds and friendships with these types of spirits, as it includes all of them. It is really sort of a low grade spell with general intent and easy for smaller elements to handle on the day to day.  I consider this high magic as you are requesting assistance from outside yourself.  In this case ancestors and elements. 

I performed this ritual on Jan 11th after 7am, the first “day” of the new moon for the year.  You can do this ritual whenever you feel you need it, want it, or are “feeling” your energy and in the mood to ask spirit for help.

I have a large glass bowl that will be my vessel.  This bowl fits neatly under my working alter.  I suggest you find a bowl or container that is open topped or see through so you can boost your shields and see your components as a reminder.  I suggest a re-read and a shield boost at least once a month.  You don’t have to do the entire ritual again, just get out the container and read the spell again.

My components –
5 pieces of origami paper (6” square paper)
Pen for inking runes and shield on paper and bay leaf – mine is glass and I use different colored inks, but you can just pick a favorite writing tool
Water for dipping ink pen – Collected on full moon, Dec 2018 Ursids meteor shower winter solstice. 
Rosemary - Protection
Red Peppers – collected for Yule each year – protection and Winter Solstice power (black pepper works just as well just without the ancestorial connection of my ingredients)
Water from my properties – if you don’t have open water, get some out of the faucet.
Rose (my mother’s Rose bush, pick something with ancestor attachment meaning for you)
Black Tourmaline - protection
Bay leaf – ancestorial power tree. 
Red candle (if you don’t already have one representing your elements or on your alter) – Representing fire. 
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I started by writing the spell (provided below).
I chose four runes to make my shield representation from. 
Othila – Earth – Homeland and family
Algiz – Air – Protection
Thurisaz – Fire – Strength
Hagalaz – Ice – Weapons of War
I combined these together to create my shield.  See image below.
 
I dipped my ink pen and drew a rune from each element onto a piece of paper, the fifth piece being an image of the combined runes to make the shield.
 
I then took each paper and folded it into a crow’s head except the last full shield paper, which I folded into a crown.  The representation at the end will be of four crow heads surrounding a crown.   You don’t have to fold the paper, or you can fold it into something more meaningful for you.  I just thought a murder of crows would be a great representation for protection, home and ancestorial family.
 
I meditated and connected to my power and the universe in alignment with my beliefs, you do you here.
 
I then started to read the spell slowly, adding first the shield, then my crows, slowly adding the materials to the bowl.  I read the spell four times, once for each element.  I dripped red wax over the entire bowl.
 
I meditated for an additional 30 minutes as my alter candles burned out.
 
I will repeat this shielding every new moon, or when I feel the need.  

** note - these images were done and staged for you. These are not images of my finished protection bowl, only the parts in the bowl. The crow is not part of my shield, just an example for the photo. I highly suggest you NOT share your shield bowl as it's a personal item.
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I wrote this spell to support my own new adventure; Broom closet nature camp, However, it can be used for any witchy style business. 

How the spell is constructed:  I started with a cup of coffee and 5 minutes of grounding while I thought about my new adventure from the 1000-foot level.  What does that mean?  You look at it from the end result; in my case, everyone sitting around a big bone fire having a great time, feeling grounded and relaxed and connected to nature like never before.  My secondary intent, to inspire those that can’t get out and do MY version of reconnection, to seek out and experience their own way of reconnection.  Maybe using this as a base plan, maybe finding a completely unique to their way of doing things. 

This is true of any witchy business, doesn’t matter if you are reading cards or sell glamor (personal care items with witchy intent) lotions; I think we all want to have good customers, good employees and we can maybe help someone reconnect to their universe in their own way.

The second thing I did was start to free hand write.  I drew inspiration from each of the four elements and one at a time, wrote out what I believed that elements connection to my purpose was.  Earth, my foundation laid for the business; Air, the mundane things in life we all must attend to in order to create success; Fire, my passion and what I hope to inspire or attract to my business (my camping experience); Water, to create a happy and uplifting environment where people enjoy themselves and have fun!

This is the spell I wrote.

Foundation laid, from which to build, a safe place and a witchy world
The mundane world, we must attend, to support this witches Kingdom
Let me see, with clear eyes, the things I must, and build a good team worthy of trust
let my new flame burn bright, lit with my heart's delight
let witches who seek, the special and unique, way to reconnect to the earths breast.
may searching witches, see this flame, and let it inspire their hearts, to rethink their own domain
with a light heart and open site, I put this out on waves of light
to be seen by hearts longing for change, and looking to uplift everyone mundane   
may this witches intent, spread out this day, attracting those that wish to play
With a light hearted nature, we shall find, a reconnection to all mankind
 
I choose four rune’s for each of the elements to represent this spell, Uruz for the earth to represent creativity and wealth.  Dagnaz from the air to represent spiritual growth.  Fehu for the fire to represent wealth and fulfillment of goals.  Laquz from the water for hope and substance of life.

I drew each of these symbols on a bay leaf from my bay tree.  Bay leaves are ancestorial trees in my working.  They have been here before man and were eaten by dinosaurs.  What better way to send a message through time?  I also added black obsidian for protection and lapis lazuli for inner peace and enlightenment which is what I’m trying to create with my camp.  Basil seeds for growth of my new business.  Added some crystal chips that I charge constantly in a jar. Green money “sand” from my decades old money jar.  Finally I add some of last months money bowl (rice, star anise, cinnamon, jasper, ect) as that’s what I have been focusing on during the entire building of this business.
 
Brought out my bowl and lite my four directional candles around noon.  I like to do fire work during the day.  Recited my spell while I assembled everything and meditating on my intent. Burn the basil leaf. 

Everything goes into a small bag and I fold the original hand written start into an envelope.  The bag of the part above goes into the envelope, and it will find its place in my power jar (your alter) till we are done with grade opening.

I’ll eat something in gratitude of my life.  Then write this all up and post it to my site and Facebook.  Putting this work out on waves of light.

Side note.  The burning bay leaf you are seeing is staged.  I don’t pause my rituals or restart them for photographing.  You can see my burned bay leaf at the base of the center candle from my ritual. 
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If you would like more information on Broom closet nature camp, you can find the link on my Facebook page (if you are reading this on Facebook) or the tab on the top for Broom closet nature camp. 

I created this totem at New moon.  As you know this is my reset and relax day where I catch up on what was, and hope for what will be in the next 28 days.  After I lite my general candles, used my shackers to recharge and re-evoke my home shields, I decided a little totem work would be nice.  I use this totem as a ground when I’m starting to feel anxiety.  It’s earth and water based, a fossilized Ammonoidea 150 million years old.    It’s basically a filter system to absorb anything negative and create positive energy from it.  I think it will work perfectly for most people for their work place or their household. 

The trick with this was to not attract bad energy to you, but to only grab what’s already there floating around.  Like the energy from the annoying guy from sales that is lingering in your office after he leaves or the snotty stale energy from your mother-in-law during Sunday dinner. 
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The totem can be anything you wish.  I used a key chain made from a fossilized Ammonoidea.  It fits in my hand and I can attach it to my key ring when I want it close.  You can basically use anything, the cup that holds your pens, the staple remover (no one ever takes a staple remover), any small object will do.  Don’t use something you drink out of or carry around all the time.  This thing is a filter for negative energy, you don’t want your coffee going through it. 

I did my new moon ritual and then holding the totem in my hand, intent firmly in mind I recited the spell 4 times.  Once for each element, as is my habit.   I leave my totem in a selenite bowl, you could just as easily put a piece of selenite in the totem if it’s a cup to hold pens or a decorative bowl. 


This which does create this day a totem to uplift her stay
Negativity floats through the air loose and flowing and causing despair
This witch does create this totem today to hold any bad vibes floating her way
In like a vacuum nasty vibes do float to power a shield of happiness evoked
Joy and peace surrounds this place now that that vibes have been encased.
Purity and hope the witch does evoke, powered this day with negativity in her way
This totem she holds in her hand does all of this work and obeys her command
Happy vibes are all that come out of this witches totem

Energy is not good or bad, it’s not black or white, right or wrong, it just is.  Like a gun, it can be used to feed your family or cause pain.  When someone is freely sending energy your way, is it powered by intent?  Sure.  Does that make the energy “bad”, No, it's just a rider for the intent.

Magic is perspective.  To me, energy that is sent is just free power.  Once the energy passes through my protection shields it’s stripped down to its basics, collected and then I can use it however I wish.  If someone sends love and light or hate and harm, my shields strip it down to the basics. 

I’ve been doing this for so long, it’s ingrained.  I’m not wasting the energy by returning it to send.  They gave it freely to me, it’s mine now to do with as I wish, and I don’t have the time or energy to worry about hateful little humans.  I use free energy to power my shields, to lift myself up or bring me gains. 

This is a basic shield battery jar totem.  I will create the totem tomorrow on the new moon as my side ritual and post images later this week.

The items I used are as follows – as with all my work, everything is replaceable with what you feel is appropriate in it’s place.  Look at my Spell craft 101 post in my Grimoire for tips on how to find your own spell parts.

Small jar with cork
Black Obsidian – protection stone
Red Yarn – granny magic from my family.  Demon’s and evil are attracted to the red thread, come to touch it and get trapped in the jar.  I added it to make sure I was pulling in all negative energy into the battery.
Rose pedal from Mom’s rose bush – There is no protection like family protection.  Find something you associate with your ancestor’s or home.
Bay Leaf – From my bay tree.  Often thought of as a protection tree. 
Basil Seeds – Basil is a great happy joyous little plant I use for cleansing among other things.  The seeds are there to represent Earth, the element I associate with grounding and shields.  They are there as a representation to show the growth of the shield from the energy received.
Crystal chip – Power booster for the battery
Tinfoil – reflective side in.  To contain and reflect all the energy inward till it’s scrubbed and re-birthed as a shield.  
Sand from my working bowl - the large metal bowl you see in many of my rituals
Used end from purple candle - I often use these 20 minute burning purple candles for focus or meditation.  They represent a focal point for my power when it has no intent.  

Updated - Mission accomplished on new moon.  Items added to the jar, notes are made for the book.  I write the spells in ink with a glass pen (my liquid wand) to infuse my will and focus my mind on the intent.  When I update or recharge things, I will get the spell out of my book, and then re-write it again on a new page.  Sometimes I bury the ink copy, sometimes I bury it.  Sometimes it goes into my charging jar.   

I saw someone ask for a chant or a spell they can say to find a safe place to be.  They couldn't use or have anything, and didn't elaborate on the situation.  I wrote this one in the comments.  I often said sometimes just writing up the spell is enough.  I hope the person finds their way.   I posted it here because a. it's a spell and b. rising tides float all boats, the more people that see it say it, the power it carries to us all.  
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Spirits hear me now, help this witch in in this hour.
A place to be safe is my need, may no outside force impede.
Ancestors hear my cry and lead this witches eye's to seek a place of harmony and grace where this witch will be safe.

Some spells are written over hours or even days.  Items are collected, intentions well set, thoughtful and carefully laid out.  Some spells are written while you’re crying on the couch.

This is a spell for a broken vehicle, took me all of 15 minutes to write in my shorthand.  Walked to the back and grabbed some basil for cleansing and clearing and black obsidian for protection.  Carved a earth protection ruin on them, added the basil, lit a small gold candle and my earth candle and recited the spell.

Magic doesn’t always have to be a full production.
 

Spirits of earth, I call you now, Come forward and assist this witch in her hour
Mundane things she does have, that are coughing and choking and being sad
The chariot wheels are mired down, and its horses cry belching black and bad sounds
This witch sheds tears in this moment of pain, for her beloved ride is life sustained
Spirits of earth, hear me now, and comfort the witch in this hour
Blessings counted she's safe and home, please let this problem be controlled
Minimal expense and may solutions come fast, so this witches problems don't last
Let the chariot be fixed and come home soon, to speed this witch around her world
Safe and sound, Happy and free, Relieve the witch of her worries
Spirits of earth, hear me say, as this witch stands before you this day
Humbly asking, as a friend, for any assistance from the earth kingdom.

We have all been there; That break up.  That friend who keeps asking for just a little too much and finally has to go, that Significant other that you've been with for a couple years and although it isn't bad, it just isn't all that great.   Letting go, even when it's the right choice, maybe especially when it's the right choice, is the hardest and strongest thing we do in our adult lives. I wrote this spell to help support myself in my decision to walk away and/or let go. I actually wrote this many years ago but it has been true and fast.

The spell can be as complicated as you wish or as simple. This spell was aligned to the elements. Each element represents something in me, a portion of my thought process. I wrote the spell to speak to each one of these different elements in myself and to remind myself that there was a reason I walked away and that there was a reason I got into the position to begin with.
 
This flame for the passing pain and the passion for the possible
Water flows and emotions grow for love of self and respect of my soul.
Earth hold me stable assure me that I am able to see the past clearly and grasp my own mortality.
With this Breath I released all oneself enemies
I lift my mind above all else and regain my love of self.
 
I start in the South with fire. Fire is passion and it is generally what is hurting the most. From the fire element in me I want to look forward to all the things that are possible now that the problem has been removed. Not specific things but just the possibilities of more pleasant days now that I am moving on. I generally light a candle for the South.  I like a 20-minute Birthday candle, whatever color matches my mood.  if I'm going full out ritual, I will get out all the candles and do a nice bathroom thing for my spa moment.

Water is emotion and so I looked to myself for the love that I deserve.  Basically, give myself a warm hug from the person who loves me most in the world, me.  If I'm going full out I will draw myself a nice warm bath and add a little moonwater. Most of the time, I just drink 8 ounces of water which my body needs anyways.

Earth element is my stability my roots. From this I ask exactly that, root me and more than anything remind me why I walked away. There is a reason I'm putting myself in this much pain and just because I'm having second thoughts right at this moment does not mean that it is the good choice. If I'm doing full out ritual I will add herbs to my back, lavender maybe some eucalyptus. Rose petals. If I'm in five-minute mode I normally will light my candle outside and stand with my feet on the earth.  Spread some rose petals around the base of the candle and with some Rose Quartz.

Then finally air. Air for me is that self-Babble in your brain. Sometimes it's great!  It does a lot of great work for me and is mostly the reason I get paid. At a time like this it's a bunch of self-doubt and me telling myself things that might or might not be true, but this is just not the moment to be going over self-analysis. For this one if I do full out ceremony I will put on Shalimar.  Shalimar is a name brand perfume that my mother wore.  To me it's the smell of love. For you maybe add a nice oil essence to your bath or even just breathe deeply several times.

I slowly turned to each corner, and I say the words really feeling them and thinking them and going over these meanings in my mind. I do this for as long as the candle burns or as I said about 15-20 minutes. If I'm doing full ceremony in the bathtub. I will meditate for 15 or 20 minutes, then either get out or turn on my tablet and find something fun to watch why I soak and enjoy my bath.
 
Rising tide floats all boats.
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If you see anything helpful here please take it with you and incorporate it. If you want to copy it exactly, please do so. If you want to share it, please do, just don’t claim it as yours.
 
 

Many of us have spaces that we create To work in. Some of us are lucky and we get to dedicate an entire room, some of us only have a room, so only get to dedicate a small corner. I am one of the lucky ones and not only have a full house but a large yard in which to write my spells, enjoy nature, and overall live the lifestyle that I want.

In many of the religious practices you'll find ceremonies for creating a circle to work magic in. When you are working with groups they will generally have ceremonies or rituals that are basically designed to get the entire group on the same page, at the same time, all working in the same direction. But what if you are solitary? What if in your religion or in your practice you don't have a preset way of creating this space and the circle thing just isn't for you.

What I have done is created a table candle. The object of this is to indicate to my mind that it is now time to do magic. Sometimes this is writing a spell, sometimes this is eating a meal. I could be reading or meditating. A place to be creative and magical.

Step 1; decide on your intent.  I wrote the spell for the table candle with the purpose of setting a location where I could sort out my day, let my left and right brain relax and exercise together, create, and where I can eat and absorb nutrition and feel grateful for my life.  The reason I chose a candle is because it is easily movable. Sometimes I like to sit outside, I often camp, and at these times I can easily take my candle with me and light it wherever I'm at.

Step 2 how am I going to communicate this idea to my subconscious mind? And Step 3 gathering the stuff to physically show the intent; go together on this one.

 In this specific case I'm using a black candle. Black is not a color, black is the absence of color. It is a void waiting to be filled up with whatever you want. Maybe today is all fire, driving to get stuff done. Tomorrow might look like a water day, relaxing day of self love. Lighting the candle is how I activate this thought process. It’s what says to my brain “Now is the moment that I'm going to sit and do the thing”. I wrote the spell to use a black candle several years ago. As time went on I now often use a purple candle, like the one shown here. The Color Purple represents to me personally power clean power energy that has no intent or no specific purpose.

I have colored marbles in the bottom of the vessel for the candle to sit on.  I align my spell work often to the four elements earth, air, fire, and water. The marbles are green, yellow, red, and blue to represent the elements.  Each of these elements represents specific things to me. Earth grounding stability it's the part of my brain that deals with the mundane. Air intelligence paying those bills getting that thing done so that my plans come together. Fire drive and ambition. Water heart balance emotions taking care of myself.

My container is a large glass open topped vessel. I like glass, you can also see easily through it and the most important feature is it's completely fireproof. I'll often light my candle, then wander into the other room go get tea, possibly wander outside forget what I was doing and start to weed for 15 minutes. Candles should never be left unattended and my solution to this is to leave the candle in a completely safe environment. There is nothing with the candle in the jar but the marbles, the candle is not dressed with oils of herbs.    It is void, completely balanced.

Lastly I sat down to write the spell from the part of my brain that represents earth,  I want stability and grounding. From the part of my brain that represents air, I would like intellectual focus. From the part of my brain that is the fire, I would like to see ambition and drive. And the part of me that is water, needs to be balanced and conscious of my heart and emotions.
 

Ground my thoughts and help me see a stable path and true reality

Lift my mind, focus so clear, my mental intellect engages without fear

Burning bright, my ambition ignites, to focus my drive and bring my thoughts alive

All things with balance, let me have heart, not only for myself but for all of my arts

From the black of the void, this base I start, to light the way, and focus my arts.
 

Whenever the candle needs to be replaced, I get out my spellbook, welcome my new candle and say the spell again. Other than that it's just an easy lighting of a candle whenever I feel the need to be closer to my arts.  I do it almost daily. 
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This is how I created my prosperity spell, I hope that people find something useful here to help them create their own magic.  Please copy as much as you wish, just don’t sell it or claim it as yours; my knowledge is free to anyone who finds it useful.

First, I decided who I was going to address my request too. Is it going to be asking a God for help? Is it going to big a search into yourself and your own mind? In this specific case I am going to ask my ancestors for help. My ancestors were very prosperous people and I believe that our ancestors want the best for us, especially our close family.

Step 2 How you're going to communicate your intent to Step 1. In my case my ancestors are Celtic. I have a special affinity for the elements; earth, air, fire, and water. We are also a family of scientists and engineers so I have an affinity for using items that help me align my mind with my intent that are not religious based.

Step 3 Collection of the ideas symbolism items whatever you're going to use to represent your intent. For me I am going to request from my ancestors that they help me live a better life through being more prosperous. This might mean gaining new friends or gaining new business associates or as simple as just finding a $20 bill. Whatever my ancestors see as raising me up using prosperity is what I would like to ask their help with.

The items I chose to represent my intent of prosperity is as follows:

A small gold container that used to hold my father's sweet and low packets and sat on his kitchen table for as long as they HAD sweet and Low. My father has been the number one provider of the most important things in my life; from financially to emotionally, and by using this container I feel much more connected to him. I suggest you use a container that matches your intent or your symbolism. 

The coltsfoot, almonds, Jasmine, star anise, cinnamon, and rice all represent prosperity in different cultures and different backgrounds and most importantly to me. These are also all items that I happen to have in my home. Use the items that match your intent to you. If you want to cross reference with google, do it! The object of these items is to give you personally a mental connection to your intent. Star anise and Jasmine in my background are very much connected to prosperity. In your family maybe it's olives, maybe it's a lock of hair from your first born child, the object itself is not as important as the intent you can connect with it. If for a year you have seen cinnamon being the thing to do for prosperity now cinnamon is part of your basic subconscious connection to prosperity.

I own a Bay tree that I have grown for 15 years. I took four Bay leaves from this tree one for each of the four elements. I took four ruins; one for water (luck), one for fire (wealth),  one for air (manifest potential), and one for earth (long term success, gardeners ruin) all representing prosperity. I drew one on each Bay leaf.

I have a green container that is filled with salt and herbs and stones that I create it almost 40 years ago. Every couple years I redo the spell mixture and put it back into the green jar to be used whenever I need it. In my world this is sort of like a battery pack sitting on the shelf waiting to be charged up. Like a salt shaker of prosperity intent.

There is a small silver charm badly tarnished of a prayer bell that I found in my backroom while hunting for the coltsfoot. I do not know where it came from but I decided to include it on a whim. My ancestry is long and multi cultural. Use what you have, use what talks to you, all you're doing is looking for things that when you glance at this spell in the future it connects to your intent.
Then I sat down and wrote the spell. I make a list of the things that I'm trying to accomplish to help structure the spell.  The verbiage I use I tried to make universal to my practice. Perhaps next time I do this I'll use a different vessel or different herbs depending on what's on my shelf so I try to make the written spell flexible to cover all things that might occur in the future. When humans repeat a task it becomes easier for them, they slip into it like brushing their teeth. I tried to do this with my spell work reusing a groove that I've already created in my mind.
 
To my ancestors I call this day
Hear my wish and assist me now to live a life of joyous hours
To have all strife in manageable degrees and the happy moments outweigh all of these
May people that surround this witch be good and just and equally fit
To share and what Bounty might come from this witches Kingdom
I call now to boost my gains while hurting no one and causing no shame
Towards a higher self my intentions are set may this be spoken chest cause no regrets
As I give to the world what gifts I have let my own life rise up and come into my hands
 
Some things about the spell. Asking for no strife or no work for a return is unrealistic, even gods have their limits and all things work in balance. Be realistic in your spell writing.  When I wrote this spell I had every intention of sharing it and where it came from and its foundation. This spell and the work I put into producing it are my “payment” my way of balancing what I'm asking for.  I'm always careful to include my spells a hurt none line or two. In this case I asked that no one else suffer for my gain. I also realize that I am not an island people work for me I require other humans to be prosperous so I have included in my spell a request from my ancestors to help surround me with good people.

Rising tide floats all boats.
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If you see anything helpful here please take it with you and incorporate it. If you want to copy it exactly please do so.

A spell for your health and a traveling health alter.  
A jar inside a jar.  The small interior jar is filled with alter sand and charged crystal chips.  I place a birthday candle in the sand when I'm not feeling well or need a physical boost.  I light the candle and recite the spell.  The candle can burn out safely.  The larger jar is filled with rose peddles collected from my mothers rose bush, rose quartz for self love, and lavender oil.  Lid the inside jar, then the outside jar for a clean travel.