Spiritual Protection and It’s Significance in Your Craft
Spirituality is deep, babe.
Spiritual exploration is not for the faint of heart.
I want you to explore the vast depth of magic that lies within a well-nurtured spiritual craft.
I want you to relish in the medicine that heals our inner spirit.
However, in order to do this there are a few things to consider:
If you are opening yourself up to the spirit realms then you are increasing your vulnerability to the spiritual realms e.g. if you are seeking spiritual connection then you are intentionally opening yourself up to both wanted or unwanted spirit contact
Protection work can be seen across many if not all cultures and is a foundation aspect to many folks' practices. Protection work seems to have its foundation in rituals, and ceremonies—using apotropaic images/symbols/items, tattoos, scarification, and other intentional acts to seal in the protective workings.
Between the 8th and 4th century BC some of the earlier images of Medusa were found—a frightening demonic face, big mouth, and tongue sticking out. The Gorgoeion can be placed back into religious ceremonies with the protective apotropaic. This would have been used to “evoke the divine protection” (Andelkovic & Milovanovi, 2016).

There is much beauty when the liminal space between spirituality and magic intersects through practical application(Viladrich, 2006). A healing ceremony or ritual can also be seen as a type of protection working due to its intention of riding the vessel and spirit of disease (Daniels). Tribal folks such as the Ghana have been using scarification as a mark of protection.
Ritual is a personal and cultural expressive craft.
“Even with such ritual bath diversity, however, without exception, all sacred baths must be accompanied by prayer, intentionality, and ritual action.” - Kyrah Daniels
Yet, we see some of the same foundations of “prayer, intentionality, and ritual action” across cultures, practices, and belief systems (Daniels).
When speaking of ancestral healing and medicine, Daniel Foor states that one must “consider the importance of ritual safety, consent, clear boundaries, risks/hazards of relating with spirits; practicing standing in the power” of setting boundaries for the spirits when exploring your spirituality.
Learning to set boundaries with spirits is just as important as it is learning to hear a “no” from your ancestors and the spirits (Daniel).
Get comfortable in your cleansing and protective rituals—find solace within them.
Protective work can be as big as a healing ceremony or as small as visualizing a cleansing light washing over your whole being, collecting any stagnant energy as it leaves you.
Remember, spiritual protection and cleansing work is self-care---you deserve it :)

References
ANDELKOVIC GRASAR & MILOVANOVI. 2016. FEMALE POWER THAT PROTECTS:
EXAMPLES OF THE APOTROPAIC AND DECORATIVE FUNCTIONS OF THE MEDUSA IN ROMAN VISUAL CULTURE
FROM THE TERRITORY OF THE CENTRAL BALKANS. https://doiserbia.nb.rs/img/doi/0350-0241/2017/0350-02411767167M.pdf
Easton, T. (2015). Apotropaic Symbols and Other Measures for Protecting Buildings against Misfortune. In: Hutton, R. (eds) Physical Evidence for Ritual Acts, Sorcery and Witchcraft in Christian Britain. Palgrave Historical Studies in Witchcraft and Magic. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137444820_3
Irving, Alyssa. 2007. An Ancient Practice: Scarification and Tribal Marking in Ghana.
KYRAH MALIKA DANIELS. N.D. The Coolness of Cleansing:
Sacred Waters, Medicinal Plants and Ritual Baths of Haiti and Peru.
Viladrich, Anahí. 2006. Botánicas in America’s Backyard: Uncovering the World of Latino Healers’ Herb-healing Practices in New York City. Human Organization. 65 (4): 407–419. doi: https://doi.org/10.17730/humo.65.4.4ptan9lh5qlrq6bb
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