I have been out of the broom closet as a Pagan for a very long time. I was raised by progressive parents so it never even occurred to me to go stealth in the first place. Since the moment I picked up a book on witchcraft at age 15 and decided I’d found my home, I was open about my religious beliefs.
One of the funny sets of stories that comes up every now and then is what it was like serving as an “out” Pagan in the Marine Corps in the late 90s. I was lucky enough to serve after Wicca had been added to the list of religions that could be put on one’s dog tags (and record), but well before Pagan servicemembers were commonly known. For most of the other Marines I encountered, I was the first one of us they’d met. The hijinks that ensued may one day become an article of some sort. Find me at the bar at a conference and I’ll tell you about my very-Irish-Catholic Staff Sergeant’s reaction to seeing a besom in my barracks room.
When I left the military and returned to the United States, I continued to be open about my beliefs and began to actively serve the Pagan community in my region. My late father and I formed a Pagan folk band (Revel Moon), I got involved with a large New Age store in Leesburg, VA, (Esoterica of blessed memory), and I started to run big community events as I progressed. I was the festival co-lead for the Shenandoah Midsummer Festival in Winchester, VA, for four years or so.
My nature is to try to help, but being an out and active community-organizer-teacher-performer-minister-witch came with a price tag. I’ve been the target of a lot of different attempts to silence me or shut me down. Some of these were overt (phone calls to the parks that hosted my events, angry letters to the editor in the papers, random hate-emails appearing in my inbox) but many also included an energetic or spiritual form. Most of the opposition came from the uniquely hateful form of Christianity we host here in the United States but I was also occasionally the target of a witch war. You can’t do anything fun without ruffling feathers and I’ve definitely done some ruffling.
In order to safely travel the path of service I had chosen, I learned to protect myself. Some of my magical brethren have referred to my home as a “magical bunker,” and almost every witch who comes through the door comments on how safe they feel. Full credit to the spirits I live with – some of that is their doing. But some of it is also a very long habit of high-test protection magic.
Which brings me to the present moment.
It is ugly out there right now. Along with the general hate and fear from those who oppose anything that isn’t white, cisgender, straight, Christian, and male, there’s an entire maelstrom of anxiety and fear from those of us who have been labeled as “other” in this culture war. I’m seeing entirely too many friends and clients fall into a cycle of anxiety that serves no one, least of all themselves. Fear is good as a warning system. Living in it means we can’t respond effectively.
We pick up on the emotions of others whether we want to or not – it is a hardwired survival adaptation in our species. We are also subject to the dominant patterns in the collective unconsciousness of our culture unless we take steps to protect against it. These waves of feelings roll through the energetic atmosphere like so many terrible storms. Just as we must shelter from literal storms, we must shelter from these energetic ones as well. So, let’s talk about it.
There are two broad classes of enchantment I use to protect the land I belong to and the beings who dwell here with me. These types of spells are known as Shields and Wards and the most effective protection systems use both.
Imagine a medieval castle for a moment. A moat surrounding that castle is like a shield. It protects the castle against all oncomers, friend or foe. In order for anyone to reach the castle, someone inside it must lower a drawbridge or send over a boat. A ward is like a camouflaged pit with spikes in it outside the moat, placed facing the direction the castle’s enemies tend to come from. It is a trap for those who wish to do the castle harm.
The moat and the pit work as part of a cooperative defensive system. Some of the enemy’s cavalry may be able to avoid the pit. If that happens, the moat will stop them. The more pits there are, the wider and deeper the moat is, the more effectively the castle is protected.
Wards and shields require different levels of reinforcement. Just as a moat requires water in order to function correctly, shields generally need to be replenished from time to time. One can build systems into them that help keep them “full” (anchor stones that transmute energy into fuel for the shield), but most shields do need maintenance at least once per year. Wards, like the pit, tend to require less maintenance. Once they’re set they’ll continue to do their job in perpetuity. Witch bottles – a sealed bottle full of apotropaics – are a classic example of a ward.
Now, let’s expand the castle’s defenses a bit. Instead of one pit, there are five. Two contain spikes, one contains alligators (it’s my imaginary castle, I can be ridiculous if I want to), one contains acid, and one is so deep that no one will ever be able to climb out of it. They’re all disguised in different ways, so even if the enemy misses a spike pit, the alligators will get them. The moat isn’t the only shield anymore, either. Now the castle has ramparts – a thick defensive wall soaring high into the sky. The castle within the ramparts also has high walls as well as a heavy door reinforced with iron bands.
We need to begin approaching our protection work in a similarly layered way. My own home includes multiple shields and enough wards that I’ve forgotten some of the ones I installed early on. At this point, it’s a habit – shield replenishment is part of my yearly pattern and is hooked to certain timings in the calendar. I periodically add new wards either as I feel I need them or if I learn about a cool new one. Recently, author and teacher Ivo Domínguez, Jr. pointed out that we “othereds” are facing a new kind of sending – malicious glee at the thought of our destruction or misfortune. Time to add a ward specifically for that.
If you’re exhausted and afraid (and believe me, that’s most of us right now) start with adding just one new ward. Make a witch ball or bottle, paint protective sigils on some stones, bury an iron blade beneath your doorstep or (carefully) hang one over the door, or tuck some railroad spikes or old iron nails into the planters around your home. Then, as your own energy begins to stabilize, add on. Begin to approach your protection magic as a medieval castle system. Create or replenish a shield for the whole property, then one for the building you live in, then one for your bedroom (we are particularly vulnerable while sleeping). If shielding a property is a new idea for you, here’s an article that talks about how I create mine.
We are better able to respond to the onslaught when we are rested and centered. This means creating spaces where true recovery can happen. In addition to calling your senators and representatives (I recommend 5calls.org), remember your witchcraft. Magic, at its core, is about agency: the ability to wrest power back when others are attempting to take it from us.
Claim your power. Protect your space. Create your own magical bunker steadily over time, adding on to it regularly. It’s one of the best magical investments you can make right now.
So, what are your favorite wards, ward systems, or shielding techniques? Hit me up in the comments. You never know when your idea is exactly what another witch needs to read.
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