The Big Book of Practical Spells: Everyday Magic That Works - Judika Illes 2016

A Magic Garden of Protection
Protection Spells
Spells

Angelica, Clover, Dill, Flax, Gardenia, Garlic, Holly, Juniper, Oleander, Oregano, Rose, Rosemary, St John's Wort, Vervain. For real feelings of security, try to include all of these plants. Use garlic to line the borders.

· While very lovely, oleander is also very poisonous. If children and pets will frequent your garden, then consider whether or not this is a safe addition.

Your own personal allies are always your greatest protectors, whether animal totems, guardian angels or others. They may be appealed to for any sort of assistance you may need. If you don't know who to turn to, appeals may always be sent to the Archangel Michael, humanity's defender. The most loyal, trustworthy and protective animal ally is Dog. Check back to the section on animal powers for more information on working with this power.

Sun and Moon Psychic Bodyguard Dream Pillow Stuffing

This pillow provides the equivalent of a wonderful fairy-tale brother and sister to watch over you while you sleep.

4 ounces dried mugwort

4 ounces dried Saint John's Wort

Tiny piece of real silver

Your heroic protectors await you in the kitchen: chiles, garlic, rosemary and salt. Garlic, rosemary and chiles provide protection by virtue of their mere presence. Hang near doors and windows. Salt is used more actively. Sprinkled on the ground, salt provides barriers to assorted negative entities and dangers. A Gullah tradition from the South Carolina islands suggests sprinkling salt around the bed to defy evil spirits and their bad intentions.

· Powdered angelica root sprinkled around your home provides a psychic barrier to evil.

Anti-Evil Eye Crystals

Carnelian, malachite and jet carved into the shape of a hand.

Special Cases

· Tiger's eye protects against accidents. Keep one in the glove compartment or around the rear-view mirror for safety in the automobile.

· Divers traditionally wear or carry pearls for protection against sharks.

Don't Cross My Path

3 garlic cloves, peeled

Handful of coarse sea salt

Generous handful of fresh rosemary

1. Grind together in a food processor or mash up with your mortar and pestle.

2. Sprinkle on the ground wherever you feel in need of psychic protection. Reputed to stop ghosts cold.

Salt is the most universal and most ancient agent of protection. Not only does it possess antiseptic properties to cleanse and protect the body, it also provides spiritual protection and cleansing. A handful of salt in the bath or rubbed against your skin quickly removes the day's ill vibrations. Making magic bath salts and salt scrubs is child's play, easy, quick, fun and cheap plus the very action of mixing them up automatically puts the protection process in motion. Embellish with fragrance and herbs to further any magical goals.

Essential oils providing spiritual protection include cinnamon leaf,* frankincense, juniper, pine, rose, rosemary and sandalwood.

Basic Bath Salts

½ cup baking soda

2 cups sea salt

Mix together and add to your bath. Add essential oils as desired or mix with very finely powdered herbs. (The advantage of essential oils is no clean up; residue from the herbs may remain in your tub or clog your drain.) The sea salt is the key ingredient: you may omit the baking soda if you choose or if you're feeling achy, substitute Epsom salts. Salt, like olive oil, wine, honey and essential oils, is always slightly different depending upon which corner of Earth it originates from. Experiment.

Extra Protection Bath Salts

4 drops essential oil of peppermint

4 drops essential oil of vetiver

2 drops essential oil of cinnamon

2 drops essential oil of ginger

1 cup of sea salt

Add the essential oils to the salt, stir and mix. These salts may make you tingle: not recommended for those with sensitive skin. In addition to adding to your bath, you can also use Extra Protection Salts as a protective floor sprinkle.

One of the most effective protective cleansers may also be the most luxurious. A simple mixture of salt and oil is transformed into a sensuous medium. Even if you harbor magical doubts, rest assured that, at the very least, this formula will leave your skin feeling renewed and refreshed. Rub the salt into your skin with gentle circular motions; visualize your goals, chant your affirmations.

Salt Scrubs

1 cup of salt

½ cup of oil

Pour the salt into an airtight jar (Mason jars are great). Add ½ cup of good quality oil. Safflower oil is reputed to lend the best consistency but I've also found success with sweet almond oil. Mix the oil into the salt until you achieve the consistency you desire. The wetter and looser the texture, the gentler it will be, although the dryer scrubs truly exfoliate and leave you feeling completely cleansed, spiritually and otherwise. If you prefer your scrub less dry than the basic formula, just keep adding extra oil in small increments until you are satisfied.

For purposes of purification and protection, the scrub is now complete. Add a handful to a tub of water or use it as a scrub to cleanse your body in either bath or shower. (Be careful! It's slippery.)

For intensification or additional magical goals, add essential oils to suit your purpose. Wait until you've achieved the desired consistency, then add essential oils, drop by drop, mixing thoroughly so that they're well distributed. For multiple desires, just combine different essential oils with the proviso that no more than 10 to 12 drops of essential oil per 1 cup of salt is necessary or advisable. Alternately, add 1 tablespoon of infused oil 1 cup of salt.

Protective Botanicals

Basil: increases finances, helps to mend a lover's quarrel or attract luck to a new enterprise or home.

Bergamot: attracts good fortune, increases finances.

Frankincense: for courage, spiritual protection and to help cut the chains of negative relationships.

Protective Trees

Ash, Bay Laurel, Birch, Cedar, Dogwood, Hawthorn, Juniper, Oak, Olive, Rowan. For utmost security, arrange the trees in a circle.

Gardenia: for protection, to prevent others from causing strife in your life. (This is the mother-in-law fragrance.)

Geranium: lifts spirits, breaks hexes.

Jasmine: promotes romance, fertility and better sex.

Rose: increases self-esteem, teaches you to love yourself.

Rosemary: provides protection, protection and more protection!

Sandalwood: provides spiritual protection

Ylang Ylang: encourages others to speak freely with you.

St. John's Wort flower essence promotes feelings of spiritual safety.

The desire for protection was the impetus for the first amulets. It remains the primary desire and there are more types of protective amulets than any other kind. There are general protection amulets and there are also protective amulets that serve specific functions. There are special amulets to protect children, animals and the home.

· Mirrors make simple amulets. They reflect the Evil Eye right back where it came from and are also believed to confuse low-level malevolent spirit entities. (Painting your ceiling blue confuses them as to exactly where they are, inside or out, and sends them packing, too!)

· In China, Feng Shui has evolved into a science that analyzes where and how things should be arranged for protection, advancement and good fortune. When an area or arrangement is perceived as potentially unfortunate, mirrors are a frequent remedy. Mirrors are hung over the front door to return any potential “poison arrows.” Inside, mirrors are placed carefully, not only considering what should be reflected, but what should not. General Feng Shui wisdom recommends against reflecting the main door, the master bedroom bed or toilets.

In order for crystals to care for you at full capacity, you must care for them as well. If your protective crystal is seeing active duty, make sure that you cleanse and recharge it regularly.

· The color black provides psychic protection. Any black crystal can be used for personal protection, however black tourmalines are usually considered most powerful. While other black crystals absorb harmful energy, black tourmaline behaves like a shield and deflects it.

Iron and silver are the metals that provide psychic protection.