I think it’s really time I start making my protection magic a priority. It’s hard being me in an office every day with all these different personalities and unique energies. I really have to shield myself better.

Think I’m going to ask Eris for help.

Funny enough as I was writing this I had the image of Eris wrapping me up safely in her wings and then I began reading about shielding techniques where one of them suggested visualizing some kind of barrier between you and everyone else….you know such as a goddess and her protective wings! 🤣

Damn Eris, you work faster than Hermes! Didn’t even have time to properly ask you for help! And this is why I adore you and will never ever let you go! 🥹❤️

Spiritual protection in the Greco-Roman world

This was this week’s hot topic, so I’m using the opportunity to make some things clear from a purely hellenic and historical perspective. Needless to say I am tired of seeing modern magical concepts being slapped on ancient beliefs and I am not writing this post unbiased.

Amulets Etymologically, the word amulet probably means “something that can be carried”. It’s, personally speaking, my favorite type of protection. Technically speaking, an amulet could, therefore, be a lot of different things as long as they serve two main purposes: tutelage (protection) and prophylaxis (preventive).

Let’s go through some of the most common types:

This is not even an extensive list, but it’s worth noting that when we’re talking about the ancients, we’re talking about people who have been put under some kind of magical protection since their first days of life. I personally have used 2 types of amulet cited above so far, a silver coiled snake ring which I worn until it broke, which I replaced by a fascinum. This one travels with me, as I keep it with my apartment keys but I have 2 consecrated phalli in my apartment that also serve a purpose: one to Dionysus and one to Priapus. The latter being by definition, a protective deity. 

Protection starts at the threshold

I know this can be hard to pull off, but in ideal conditions, you’d want to have a small altar or shrine by the main door of your place. Amulets are meant to follow you around, but protecting your space is just as important. In one of the ridiculous arguments I’ve witnessed this week, someone said, and I paraphrase, that “you could have negative entity living in your house and fucking your life up” when trying to honor the gods, which is “why you should banish“. The problem here is banish against what? If the answer here is “negative spirits”, then, by hellenic standards, this is a whole other process that: 

1) Doesn’t happen at the altar 2) Protects the household on the long term instead of a one shot thing

This, alongside other elements of ancient greek theology, is why you don’t need to “protect yourself when you approach the gods” and other ridiculous claims I’ve seen. If you need to protect yourself in such manner, it means you never either 1) developped kharis with a deity to protect you or 2) took care of protecting your place. 

The first protection for a typical greek door would be an aniconic pillar dedicated to Apollo Agyieus aka “of the street” because that pillar was outside of the house. This Apollo, protector of entrances is also called Thyraios in later sources: 

It’s important to note that the same epithet is attested for Hermes, which makes total sense since he and Hekate are also traditionally linked to the protection of thresholds (represented by hekataia and herms). 

Why am I insisting so much on doors? To quote Johnston: 

It’s important to note that the protection granted by threshold deities, whether it is Hecate, Hermes or Apollo is that it concerns both the mundane and the spiritual, restless spirits are one thing but it seems to extend to general ills.

Conclusion

I should add, before wrapping this up, that there is an evolution in time with how the Ancients considered their protection to work. As such, between the 8th and 5th centuries BC, amulets weren’t so prevalent. The gods were considered the only ones who had the ability to protect. After the end of the 5th century onwards, there is a gradual shift towards a more “DIY” approach to protection, where human action is considered impactful, thus making the use of atropopaic amulets relevant. 

Further reading: 

A few of my personal methods, and by no means a complete list.

Pet Protection Spell

While it is important to work carefully with your totem animals, it is also important to remember your pets. This spell will help protect your animal friends on the physical plane.

For EACH animal you will need:

1 six-inch square piece of black felt

fabric paints

a clipping of hair or stray feathers from your pet

2 teaspoons dried cedar

1 bay leaf

2 teaspoons catnip (even if you have a dog)

1 teaspoon comfrey

1/4 teaspoon dried garlic

1 teaspoon heather

Protection or Guardian oil (shown below)

Cotton

Needle and thread

On what will be the outside of the charm bag paint your pet’s name and these runes: Algiz, Koad; the forest rune; the pentacle and the Goddess rune. Let dry. Fold the felt in half (painted side in) and sew two sides of it, leaving one open. Reverse the bag so the painted side is facing out. Raise energy on the herbs then powder and pour into the pouch. Add the clipping of pet hair, then stuff the rest with cotton to which you have added a few drops of the oil. Finish sewing the pouch.

Cast a circle, invoke the elements and the Lord and Lady.

Say:

O gracious Lord and Lady, Protector of all creatures who walk upon this earth. Guard my (pet’s species and name) against harm and illness. Watch over him/her with every step he/she takes. Help me protect him/her and strengthen the connection of love between us. Let this charm be blessed, to hold the energy of protection. Blessed be.

Keep the charm bags in a safe place, perhaps on your altar, where the animal can’t get to it. Renew this charm every six months.

Remember: the best protection for your animals is to keep them inside, to keep their vaccinations current, and to give them plenty of love, food, and clean water.  

Protection Oil:

This is a good oil to select for your candle of protection when you are concerned with physical, as opposed to psychic attack. It can also be used to anoint yourself before you leave on a journey or undertake a potentially hazardous situation.

1/2 ounce olive oil

6 drops rose geranium oil

15 drops lemon oil

4 drops citronella oil

8 drops lavender oilflower lavenderdrops

cajupet oil (as many drops as you see fit)

clear quartz

Guardian Oil:

1/2 ounce olive oil

5 drops pennyroyal oil

15 drops lemon oil

10 drops rosewood oil

10 drops clove oilflower: rose

15 drops patchouli oilGems: carnelian, citrine

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