New witches worry about encounters with spirits a lot. I’ve seen it so many times, a witch is all excited and ready to jump into the craft but their fear of attracting spirits that they don’t know how to deal with ends up getting in the way and holding them back. This is such a shame! While spirits might seem scary up front, the vast majority of them are nothing to worry about.

Not convinced? I’ll break it down for you. We are both physical and spiritual being residing in a physical plane of existence. We can access spiritual planes without much trouble but our natural state of being is here in the physical world. Spirits are purely spiritual beings, they have no physical manifestation so their grounding in this reality is very weak. What this means is that you are almost always going to be stronger than any spirit you encounter here in this plane!

Most spirits know this and the ones that are mischevious will try to convince you otherwise. They’ll resort to scare tactics and fear-mongering to make you feel like you don’t have any power or like they can hurt you. But the only way they actually get any power over you is if you give up. Sadly this works a lot of the time! People get freaked out by a spirit who’s all bark and no bite and they end up in a compromised situation simply because they didn’t know any better. We’re not letting that happen to you.

It’s time that you learned exactly how to deal with a spirit that won’t leave you alone. Whether it’s a confused ghost, a mean-spirited apparition, or a trickster trying to one-up you, these steps will help you kick that nasty spirit right out of your life with no fuss, no mess, and no freaking out.

Why Spirits Get This Way

There are tons of reasons why a spirit might pester you. New witches are especially prone to picking up errant spirits because they have less control over their energy (which can look like a beacon to a wandering spirit) and they have an air of naivety about them. This combination can make some spirits feel very welcomed. Particularly shy spirits can often gravitate to newer witches because the fresh, open energy and lack of preconceived notions can feel less threatening. Unfortunately, this same open and unsullied energy can also look like gullibility to not so friendly spirits. 

If you feel comfortable trying to help the well-meaning spirits that find their way to you, that’s great! You can learn a lot from these beings. If that doesn’t sound like your cup of tea though, don’t sweat it. You do NOT have to deal with any spirit, friendly or not, who shows up asking you for help. There are tons of other witches out there who are more prepared for this kind of work and these spirits can find those other witches just as easily as they found you. Protecting your boundaries should never make you feel bad. Decide what you are and are not comfortable with and stick to your guns when those boundaries get challenged.

How To Handle Bothersome Spirits

Now onto the actual practicalities of getting rid of a spirit that won’t stop bothering you. While many spirits will accept a polite but firm “No, thank you” and be on their way, others will not. In situations where a spirit won’t go away even after you expressed that they are not welcome, it’s time to witch up and show that spirit that you’re not joking around.

Cleanse the space

Cleansing your space and yourself should always be step one. This ensures that you’re not having to deal with errant energies, negative feelings, or magical sludge while trying to get rid of the spirit. it also ensures that you’re not being influenced by the spirit in any way, many spirits can impact how you think and feel and this can have a marked effect on your actions! Cleansing will cut through all of that nonsense and give you a clear space and a clear head.

Put Up A “Not Welcome” Sign

After cleansing, putting up a “Not Welcome” sign for spirits can help reinforce the fact that you are not interested in visitors and that any spirits who have overstayed their welcome can hit the road ASAP. How do you create one of these signs? I like to use sigils.

Remember, when creating a sigil the intention needs to be phrased in the positive because negatives won’t translate well. Saying something like “spirits are not welcome” won’t work. Instead, try a phrase like “spirit free zone” or “spirits go away”. Create your sigil and then find a way to display it near or on your front door. The best part about this kind of sign is that it does not have to be visible! You can take some charged water and draw the sigil in the water on your front door if you want. This method may need to be repeated about once a month but it should get the message across to wandering spirits fairly well.

Banish The Intruder

If your cleansing and “Not Welcome” sign haven’t deterred the spirit, it’s time to break out the big guns and banish the intruder. You’ve told the spirit it’s not welcome and that you don’t want it around, now it’s time to back that up with some action. The reason a lot of spirits don’t take off when you tell them to is that they don’t actually think you’re going to do anything about it if they don’t. You need to prove them wrong. Remember, being a pushover in your spiritual life is like hanging a big sign around your neck inviting every ill-mannered spirit within a mile to come right on in. You do NOT want to be living in a house swamped with annoying (or worse, aggressive) spirits so putting your foot down in this situation is an absolute must. 

There are tons of banishing spells out there and I have a few that will do the trick perfectly. Choose one that works for you and get to casting. 

• 5 Simple Banishing Spells For The New Witch
• How To Use Elemental Banishing With Fire & Ice
• 5 Powerful Spell Powders And How To Use Them
• How To Make Black Salt & What It’s Used For

Ward Your Space

If you’re worried about this happening again, then you will need to ward yourself and your house. Thankfully, warding is a pretty easy skill to learn and it tends to be effective on many layers. Not only will it prevent most spirits from being able to get to you but it will also send a very firm message to them that you are not messing around when you say you don’t want spirits to pop in. This gives the very clear impression that you are not naive, not messing around, and not likely to be intimidated by a mischevious spirit. 

I have two excellent wards available to choose from, both work really well against spirits although I personally prefer the home guardian when warding a space against spirits.

• The Ring of Fire: An Elemental Spell For Protection
• How to Create A Home Guardian

Personal Protection Spell

For warding yourself when you’re out of the house, I recommend a simple personal protection ward. This spell is so potent because it is repeated every day. This regular repetition layers intent and energy until it is an impenetrable shield around you. Don’t worry though, this spell is about as simple as they come!

1. Start by finding an item that can encircle you that you won’t mind wearing every day. This can be a necklace, a bracelet, a belt, or even a ring. It is important that you’re comfortable wearing it EVERY day though! In a pinch, you can also just tie a length of yarn around your ankle as well.

2. Every day when you wake up, put your item on and as you do hold the intention that it will protect you from harm. You can say an incantation out loud, visualize the item creating a shield around you, or simply hold the thought in your mind.

3. Wear the item any time you are out of the house (if your house is protected) or if you’re traveling or can’t ward your living space, wear it all the time and only take it off while showering to give you a chance to put it back on again afterward.

4. Every time you put your necklace or other item on, you will be increasing the strength of the spell. After even just a week this provides you with ample protection that will only continue to grow stronger as you continue repeating it.

These steps are all it takes to live your life without worrying about spirits. Remember, if you don’t want to deal with spirits, you don’t have to! It’s also fine to make space for yourself when you need it, even if you don’t want a spirit-free life all the time, sometimes life gets crazy, mental health struggles happen, or you’re just too plain worn out. It’s ok to put up boundaries and protect your space during these times as well! Always put yourself first in the craft and don’t be afraid to set firm boundaries to keep yourself safe, healthy, and happy in your craft.

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