One of the fundamentals of paganism and esoteric wisdom is protection. Here is a brief overview of what this means within esotericism and how you can practice protection.
Protection creates a barrier between our energy and other unwanted energies. These unwanted energies could be from another person, envy or jealousy, negative or malicious entities, harmful electromagnetic waves such as wifi, and so on. The goal of protection is to act as a force field of sorts, preventing unwanted energies from reaching and interfering with yours.
You may already practice protection if you've ever been around a friend or parent who feels super draining and you feel the need to close yourself off or avoid hugging or touching them. You may practice protection if you've ever felt the need to wear a specific shirt or piece of jewelry to bring comfort to yourself.
If at any point during your daily routine, you find yourself feeling suddenly drained, exhausted, fatigued, etc. for no explainable mundane reason, ask yourself what’s happening around you energetically that could be causing that. Remember, if you just went to the gym or had a busy day at work, our body’s natural need to recover by showing symptoms of tiredness is a mundane reason for needing to rest and recharge. But sitting around at lunch with a group of friends and feeling completely drained should cause you to raise an eyebrow as to why you feel that way with this particular group of people.
Energy is everything to us. It fuels us. It allows our bodies to operate efficiently. When our energy is interfered with in any way, it can inhibit our creativity, inspiration, and ability to think clearly, bring down our mood, and cause feelings of fatigue, sickness, and exhaustion. Protecting our energy allows us to keep everything in order and balance within ourselves so that we are healthy and thriving physically, emotionally, and spiritually.
Setting Boundaries
Protecting your energy can come in the form of the word no. No is a complete sentence too. You’re not obligated to spend time with people who are draining to you. You also aren’t required to agree to go places or do things that aren’t aligned with what’s best for you. Saying no to protect your energy and create or maintain boundaries is one of the greatest forms of protection, but in situations where saying no isn’t on the table, such as being at work, running errands at a busy grocery store, or traveling via crowded transportation, utilize one of the other protection methods listed below.
Visualization Exercises
One of the easiest, simplest, and most effective forms of protection can be done through visualization exercises. This can be done at any point in time to protect your energy from anyone or anything that might want to feed off your energy, send you negative energy, or otherwise bring harm to you (intentional or not). All that is required is closing your eyes and visualizing a bright light surrounding your whole body from head to toe. You can visualize this bright light surrounding yourself, your home, your dreams, your thoughts, or whatever you feel is necessary. Allow your body to experience the warmth of the bright light you’re visualizing and sit in that feeling until you’re ready to open your eyes—and that’s it. Easy, simple, and effective.
Energetic Objects
Objects that contain energies and have their own frequencies can be used to protect you. These items can be worn, kept in your bag if you’re on the go, placed around the home or in your bedroom, and so on. Energetic objects can range from crystals, gemstones, and minerals that have frequencies that absorb or deflect outside energy that is negative or harmful, such as obsidian commonly used to absorb negative energy so it doesn’t impact the person using it, or shungite, which blocks harmful EMF waves from wifi and cellular devices from interfering with the human body. Other types of energetic objects for protection can include herbs or oils such as lavender, amulets, or talismans with symbols to redirect or transmute harmful energies, and so on. Protecting your energy through this method can be as simple as buying or making an obsidian bracelet or necklace to always wear when you’re out in public surrounded by a lot of other people’s energies or attaching a piece of shungite to your phone, laptop, or wifi router.
Protection Rituals
Lastly, another common form of protection is rituals using your intentions and a combination of ingredients, such as wards or spells. The possibilities when crafting a ward or spell are nearly endless but mainly have to do with your intentions. For example, someone may set their intentions to protect their energy while braiding their hair and use this as a form of protection for the day. Another person may create a wreath for their front door assembling objects that bring a sense of safety while keeping their intentions set on protecting their home. And yet another person may plant a garden with herbs such as basil, sage, and rosemary with the intention of protecting themselves and their family. The possibilities truly are endless, but the key is always your intentions throughout the ritual, which we’ll unpack even more of in other lessons.
The occult, in the broadest sense, is a category of esoteric beliefs and practices that generally fall outside the scope of organized religion or science, encompassing phenomena involving otherworldly experiences and wisdom, such as that obtained through mysticism. The word "occult" means "hidden" and it's worth noting that it has nothing to do with the word "cult" but rather is studying that which has been hidden, and in our case at the Sacred Wisdom Society, specifically what we refer to as:
Another important note we often like to make is that occultism and religion vary in methods of teaching and expectation. Students of occultism, the mysteries, or esoteric wisdom are not asked to blindly have faith in anything but rather to research, ask questions, study, and explore the topics that pique their interest. While you may be asked to learn and think about certain teachings, the goal is never to force you to unquestioningly believe anything, and anyone who does place those expectations on you are worth turning-tail and running from.
"For more than five thousand years, since its origin in the temples of ancient Egypt, occultism—the science of the Unseen—has existed in the western world. Like everything else, it has had its golden ages and its time of obscurity, its successes and its failures; there have been times when its practitioners were welcome in the courts of kings, and other times when they were derided, persecuted, or burnt at the stake. Rationalists have condemned occultism as superstition and religious authorities have denounced it as devil worship; by and large, neither group has known much of anything about what it was they condemned, but blind hostility toward the unknown is a tolerably common bad habit among human beings.
In reality, occultism is neither superstition nor devil worship. It is a set of teachings about those things in our world that we don't experience through the five material senses. It is not opposed to science—occultists recognize that scientific research is the best toolkit our species has yet found for figuring out how matter and energy work, and only wish that scientists would notice that there is more to the world than matter and energy. It is not opposed to religion—many occultis are themselves people of faith, and pursue their occult studies and practices while still following the tenants of their religion. It is a third thing distinct from these two. You turn to science to learn about matter and energy; you turn to religion to learn about faith and morals; you turn to occultism to learn about consciousness and the unseen worlds that lie between the realm of Deity and matter."
The Way of the Golden Section: A Manual of Occult Training, John Michael Greer
Our personal journeys as students of esoteric wisdom and occultism began around 2011—we don't remember the exact day because when we were first introduced to these types of teachings, we had no idea what we were in for. We didn't know that it would become everything we would pursue and care about for the next decade (and it took us a very long time to get to the point we're at today because we're stubborn and human, and that's okay). We had no idea that it would change our entire life and save us from the monotony and void we had felt prior. Occultism gave us purpose—but with that being said—we also recognize that it isn't everyone's cup of tea, and that's perfectly fine. We don't bring up occult beliefs with people who we feel would be uncomfortable with the topic, for no reason other than respecting the point that they're at on their own path.
For us, occultism began with an opportunity to seek out answers to unanswered (or poorly answered) questions from science and religion growing up. We knew we had experienced things that science could not (yet) explain and we found discrepancies in the teachings of the churches we grew up in as well as tremendous overlap amongst different belief systems worldwide. All of these things collided at a moment when we were introduced to a new way of exploring and it was through the lens of questioning everything, learning to ask why, and not accepting because I said so as a valid answer.
Do we believe everything all other occultists believe? Of course not. Have we studied every single thing that every other occultist has studied? I sure hope not, because then what would we continue to explore for the rest of our lives? Do we have the exact same worldview or moral standards as every other occultist? I doubt it. After all, everyone's path is different. They're at different points on their journey, and potentially on different trajectories than we are, and that's okay. Our focus is, and as far as we know, always will be esoteric wisdom and the mysteries of the universe, and as you'll discover in our courses, this is the heart of everything made available for people to in turn study for themselves.
If forever exploring the unseen, seeking after the mysteries of the universe, and dedicating your life to becoming an initiate of esoteric wisdom still sounds appealing to you—then welcome to being a fellow student of occultism.
Wisdom is not just the mere accumulation of knowledge but the understanding and application of it. Wisdom comes in many forms — from spiritual wisdom to practical wisdom. It is a deep understanding of life that allows one to make balanced decisions and act with insight and discernment. Wisdom helps us navigate our lives through difficult times with grace and resilience. By developing wise perspectives, we can gain clarity on our goals, values, and beliefs, and use this knowledge to lead a more meaningful life.
Wisdom can be found everywhere — from ancient scriptures to contemporary literature; by listening to our elders or observing nature; from personal introspection or collective dialogue. It encourages us to be open-minded and compassionate as we strive to understand more deeply the world around us. Wisdom is a journey of learning, growth, and transformation that teaches us to appreciate life’s complexity and appreciate each other’s differences.
Wisdom can enable us to have better relationships with ourselves and others, understanding that our actions affect not just one but many. Through wisdom, we can start to recognize the patterns of our lives, identify our true purpose, and make choices that will bring about positive change in the world. Ultimately, wisdom is an invaluable gift that helps us lead meaningful lives filled with insight and joy.
As Lao Tzu said: “He who knows others is wise; He who knows himself is enlightened.” True wisdom lies within the depths of our own hearts and souls, waiting to be discovered. All we need to do is listen.
Esoteric wisdom has been around since ancient times, with evidence of its presence in cultures around the world. It was initially passed down from teacher to student in an intentional and guarded manner to prevent sacred knowledge from falling into the hands of those who would misuse it. Its principles were deeply embedded in the spiritual practices of many civilizations and often carried out as part of rituals or ceremonies that had both symbolic and practical purposes.
It's believed that this type of knowledge was intentionally kept hidden from those who weren't deemed spiritually mature enough to understand it, so as to protect them from any potential harm. Those chosen few who did possess this knowledge were thought to have special insight into the divine and sacred mysteries, which could potentially transform lives for the better. As such, esoteric wisdom has long been revered as a powerful tool for spiritual growth and the cultivation of inner understanding.
The aim of esoteric wisdom is to connect one to universal truths, allowing them to gain insight into the deeper meaning of life and find their true path in life. This knowledge encompasses many different aspects and topics, including philosophy, metaphysics, astrology, mysticism, alchemy, numerology, and more. It's often described as a journey towards enlightenment that involves learning how to access the hidden depths of our soul while also unlocking the power of our higher self. By engaging with this type of wisdom we can begin to uncover the secrets within ourselves that allow us to connect with something much greater than ourselves.
Esoteric wisdom has been around for centuries, and is still relevant today. It can help us to unlock our inner potential, heal spiritual wounds from the past, and gain insight into ourselves that can lead to a more meaningful life. By engaging with this type of wisdom we can come to understand the mysteries of life and find our true spiritual path.
