As a Death Witch, my practice is centered heavily around working with liminal space, in the astral realm, through dreams, and the nature of transitions. When working with the liminal in any form, it is incredibly important to understand the unknowns that come with the "in between"—which includes being open to the infinite possibilities of these portal-like spaces, while also being intentional to protect yourself.
Whether you're intentionally trying to astral project, frequently having intense dreams when sleeping, being woken up from nightmares or night terrors, or anything else pertaining to your ability to easily sleep, rest, and receive positive messages in your dreams, wards act as magical barriers that can keep certain energies OUT and welcome other energies IN.
This article will walk you through what astral and dream wards are and how to create these wards to protect yourself.
Many people, especially practitioners who are connected to the spirit realm may frequently dream or astral project without necessarily even trying.
Dreams, in a simple sense, are the subconscious mind's method for sorting and processing information. Dreams can be attempts at categorizing and understanding things we've experienced in our waking life, but they can also be ways that we receive messages from our spirit guides or the spirit realm to give us insights into our path.
Astral projection, on the other hand, is more like an out of body experience where the astral body explores other realms and places while the physical body is sleeping or meditating.
Though dreams and the astral are different, they are often experienced in a very similar manner and have the concept of "liminal space" in common as they're both "other" places different from the material world we experience when awake.
By nature of being liminal, anything can intrude into these places, both positive and negative. Not every place in the astral is safe or a welcoming place for explanation. Not every entity or person we encounter in a dream is well-intended, benevolent, or positive. The good thing, though, is that as spiritual practitioners, we can create wards for nearly anything in our craft or life.
Wards are energetic barriers that act as a magical protection. They work in multiple directions and can ward select energies IN and ward other energies OUT based on your intentions and goals.
Wards are energetic barriers that act as a magical protection. They work in multiple directions and can ward select energies IN and ward other energies OUT based on your intentions and goals.
When astral projecting or dreaming, this gives you control over what types of messages, spirits, topics, energies, themes, places, etc., can be experienced or accessed. For example, if you're combating nightmares and night terrors, a dream ward can be used to prevent anything malicious, disturbing, malevolent, cruel, or harmful from having access to you while you sleep. You can ward OUT anything you do not wish to come through in your dreams. And you can simultaneously ward IN sweet dreams, restful sleep, peace, love, positive messages, energies or spirits that are protective and benevolent, topics and themes that are aligned with your highest good and allow you to work through trauma or other important healing elements in a way that is safe and focused on your overall well-being.
With wards, you get to set the rules. These rules can be applied to anything that is entering YOUR dream space, your bedroom (or home), your astral realm, your mind, your subconscious, etc. These rules can also be applied to anywhere that you GO while astral projecting or dreaming so that you do not wander into realms that are not aligned with your highest good or aren't safe for you to explore for whatever reason. Remember, you can change the rules over time and as your needs and spiritual understanding change and evolve along the way.
Wards are created through ritual and clearly directed intentions that make an energetic barrier to protect you, by defining what can enter a space and what cannot.
What You'll Need:
Grounding and Cleansing
Take time to ground and cleanse the space where you intend to sleep (whether that be your bedroom at home or a hotel while traveling). You can cleanse with frequencies, a sound cleansing bowl, incense, or whatever your preferred method is.
Welcoming
Facing East, speak: "Thank you to the East and the element of Air for protecting and allowing me to be present in this window of liminal space. As I protect my bedroom, dream space, and astral realm, I welcome my higher self, and I thank you for helping set this energetic barrier. Hail and welcome!"
Turning right and facing South, speak: "Thank you to the South and the element of Fire for protecting and allowing me to be present in this window of liminal space. As I protect my bedroom, dream space, and astral realm, I welcome my higher self, and I thank you for helping set this energetic barrier. Hail and welcome!"
Turning right and facing West, speak: "Thank you to the West and the element of Water for protecting and allowing me to be present in this window of liminal space. As I protect my bedroom, dream space, and astral realm, I welcome my higher self, and I thank you for helping set this energetic barrier. Hail and welcome!"
Turning right and facing North, speak: "Thank you to the North and the element of Earth for protecting and allowing me to be present in this window of liminal space. As I protect my bedroom, dream space, and astral realm, I welcome my higher self, and I thank you for helping set this energetic barrier. Hail and welcome!"
Creating the Ward
Sitting and closing your eyes, envision yourself entering the dream and/or astral realm. Create an energetic barrier, shield, bubble, or structure that surrounds your bedroom, sleep space, etc., and as you visualize yourself making this energetic barrier, set clear intentions on what energies you want to be welcome in your dreams or when you astral project and set clear intentions on what energies you want to be excluded from your dreams or inaccessible when you astral project. Throughout this process, visualize a channel of energy connecting the energetic barrier you're creating being anchored to a physical object you keep in your bedroom/sleep space. I personally like to use crystals and talismans for this, but you can also create a physical sachet with herbs, a potted herbal plant, such as rosemary, or anything else that can serve a similar purpose.
Examples of things you may want to ward IN:
Examples of things you may want to ward OUT:
Once you feel that you have clearly set all of the intentions that are important to you for your ward, you can move forward with closing out the ritual.
Closing
Stand up and facing North, speak: "Thank you to the North and the element of Earth for protecting and allowing me to be present in this window of liminal space. I say thank you to my higher self, and release this ritual space while keeping my ward in place energetically."
Turning left and facing West, speak: "Thank you to the West and the element of Water for protecting and allowing me to be present in this window of liminal space. I say thank you to my higher self, and release this ritual space while keeping my ward in place energetically."
Turning left and facing South, speak: "Thank you to the South and the element of Fire for protecting and allowing me to be present in this window of liminal space. I say thank you to my higher self, and release this ritual space while keeping my ward in place energetically."
Turning left and facing East, speak: "Thank you to the East and the element of Air for protecting and allowing me to be present in this window of liminal space. I say thank you to my higher self, and release this ritual space while keeping my ward in place energetically."
Re-Ground and Re-Cleanse
Take time to ground and cleanse again after you're done. Remember, you can re-set your intentions for your wards on a regular basis to re-enchant them and keep them powerful.
Uncertain about creating astral and dream wards for yourself? Book an appointment NOW with Kate Jade. Kate is a death practitioner and is passionate about helping people embrace the nature of liminal space in a way that is safe so they can explore the astral, navigate their dreams, etc., all while getting restful sleep without disturbances or interference.
Join The Mystic's Journey in-depth pathworking program today! Through this 3.5-year program, you'll learn about the seven threads of magick that comprise the fabric of our universe, how to work with these threads to weave your own fate, and truly step into your authentic and unique spiritual path with confidence, clarity, and direction.
Every time a student enrolls in The Mystic's Journey program I've built, they're not only accessing everything I have created and learned, but they're also making it possible for me to continue teaching full time.
What YOU get access to:
Coursework to learn about mysticism
Rituals, journal prompts, meditations, and more
Free downloadable grimoire pages
Side quests to learn 42 types of magick
Engaging community forum
Earn crystals as you complete coursework
Beginner and advanced resources
App for convenient learning on-the-go
Enroll TODAY and join an incredible community of witches and spiritual practitioners that are motivated by wisdom, embody their magick, and trust their intuition.
Recently, I was asked to put together a series of resources on creating wards, so this article is the beginning of many resources to come.
Wards can best be thought of as a magickal barrier intended to either keep something in OR keep something out. Many practitioners solely focus on warding something out of their home, space, or life—but there are many powerful uses for warding things into a home, space, or life.
Personally, I like to think of wards as a type of “force field” created through directed energy and intentions that are fueled by an energetic force and anchored to something to give them stability.
For example, if I wanted to create a ward to keep unwanted energies or entities OUT of my house, I would create a ward that acted as a barrier surrounding my home, potentially fueled by the magickal plants growing in my garden (such as rosemary, basil, or lavender—all great protective energies) and anchored to the land the house sits on to stabilize and maintain the placement of the ward.
Who typically creates wards?
Wards are often a go-to practice of many different spiritual practitioners who need heightened levels of protection for themselves and their families. Wards are especially necessary for anyone dabbling in magickal arts, working with energy on a frequent basis, performing rituals or healing practices on a regular basis, or those who find themselves frequently attracting or interacting with outside energies.
Wards require a significant amount of directed energy and intentions, so newer practitioners may find themselves feeling tired, drained, or fatigued after crafting a ward, but generally speaking, creating wards shouldn’t have a tremendous toll on you if you’re properly grounding and taking care of your physical, emotional, and spiritual health.
For me, I also take into consideration the size and nature of the ward in order to properly prepare beforehand, rest and recharge, etc.
Wards are not evil. They are a spiritual form of protection that can be found within nearly all spiritual and religious practices under different names. For example, a ward in Christianity is created when people pray to their higher power for protection for their church or building and anoint the walls with oil. Can it be dangerous? If not performed correctly, there can be a false sense of security that could have negative consequences, and with baneful wards, there can certainly be dangerous outcomes for those who violate the boundary that has been cast. But is it inherently dangerous or evil? No, not at all.
While it can be scary to perform a new type of spiritual practice, it is much scarier to be unprotected from energies and entities, including other practitioners, who have ill intentions. To overcome fears surrounding wards, start with simple wards for your house or personal space, and then branch out as your confidence grows.
If you're ready to welcome all that comes with diving into wards, the following practice is one you can explore in alignment with your intentions and goals.
When people begin the process of warding, they are tapping into a large supply of energy within themselves and can quickly become susceptible to being drained, exhausted, fatigued, etc., so it's incredibly important to take warding VERY slow. It’s best not to craft multiple wards in a short period of time without taking the proper time to rest, recharge, and prepare.
Grounding before any form of warding is incredibly important as it ensures that you are connected to your body, the material realm, and very much present for everything that is to follow. A lot of times, when we have experienced great deals of resistance in the spiritual space or had frightening encounters with parasitic entities, we may want to quickly jump to creating a ward for greater protection, but crafting in a frazzled state can result in undesirable outcomes, so be intentional with grounding and take things slow. You can ground your energy in several ways including, spending time in nature, walking barefoot on the grass or soil to feel the connection to the earth, sitting crisscross on the ground to connect your root energy source to the earth, imagining roots growing from your feet into the earth anchoring you firmly, practicing intentional breathing exercises, and more. Remember that grounding is a personal practice, so feel free to explore different techniques and find what works best for you.
To cleanse the energy of your space before performing any type of warding, you can smoke cleanse with sacred dried herbs, sound cleanse with bells or singing bowls, or utilize energy-clearing sprays like Florida water or other cleansing blends. Each method has its unique way of clearing negative energy and creating a positive environment for your shadow work, so use whatever method is easily doable and works best for you. Remember to be intentional through the process, so if you are going to cleanse with burning dried herbs, for example, do not simply wave the burning herbs and smoke around, but set your intentions and focus on cleansing the space you’ll be working in of any negative or stagnant energy so that you have a neutral starting point.
After cleansing the space to bring it to a neutral state energetically speaking, you’ll then want to protect yourself and the space from any additional unwanted energies from entering during the ward creation process. This is a critical step as it helps minimize the risk of any disturbances or accidentally warding something into your space that shouldn’t be there. Protection can be implemented by setting an energetic boundary, such as casting a circle, if this aligns with your spiritual path and beliefs, wearing protective crystals, such as black obsidian, black tourmaline, or hematite, or casting a protection spell.
You can protect your space and create a protective circle with the support of the elements using the steps below.
Facing East, speak: "Thank you to the East and the element of Air for protecting and assisting me with this ward and allowing me to create a powerful barrier of protection. Hail and welcome!"
Turning right and facing South, speak: "Thank you to the South and the element of Fire for protecting and assisting me with this ward and allowing me to create a powerful barrier of protection. Hail and welcome!"
Turning right and facing West, speak: "Thank you to the West and the element of Water for protecting and assisting me with this ward and allowing me to create a powerful barrier of protection. Hail and welcome!"
Turning right and facing North, speak: "Thank you to the North and the element of Earth for protecting and assisting me with this ward and allowing me to create a powerful barrier of protection. Hail and welcome!"
After effectively grounding yourself and cleansing and protecting the space you’ll be working in, here are a few different methods that I have personally used to craft a ward. Remember, after the ward is created, you will want to close out the ritual in reverse order by re-protecting yourself and your space, re-cleansing yourself and your space from any lingering negative or stagnant energy, and re-grounding yourself to diffuse built-up energy from the working itself. AND THEN taking plenty of time for resting and recharging your energy.
Start by identifying exactly what you are wanting to ward, and the energies you're intending to ward IN and/or the energies you're intending to ward OUT. It is important to be very intentional and specific in order to create an effective ward.
How do you actually create the ward itself? There are multiple ways to go about it...
After the ward is created, take a moment to close out the protective circle that was created with the support of the elements. These steps will be done in reverse order from how they were first performed.
Stand up and facing North, speak: "Thank you to the North and the element of Earth for protecting and assisting me with this ward and allowing me to create a powerful barrier of protection. Thank you and farewell."
Turning left and facing West, speak: "Thank you to the West and the element of Water for protecting and assisting me with this ward and allowing me to create a powerful barrier of protection. Thank you and farewell."
Turning left and facing South, speak: "Thank you to the South and the element of Fire for protecting and assisting me with this ward and allowing me to create a powerful barrier of protection. Thank you and farewell."
Turning left and facing East, speak: "Thank you to the East and the element of Air for protecting and assisting me with this ward and allowing me to create a powerful barrier of protection. Thank you and farewell."
To cleanse your energy (and space if you feel it’s necessary) after creating a ward, you can utilize the same method you did at the beginning of the ritual, such as smoke cleansing with sacred dried herbs, using sound cleansing with bells or singing bowls, or utilizing energy clearing sprays like Florida water or other cleansing blends.
Alternatively, you also might opt for something that’s more personal to cleanse yourself, such as a ritual cleansing shower or bath. Remember to be intentional through the process, so if you are going to cleanse with burning dried herbs again, for example, do not simply wave the burning herbs and smoke around yourself or your space, but set your intentions and focus on cleansing your energy so that you feel clean, refreshed, and energized.
Grounding after creating a ward is incredibly important as it ensures that any excess energy is redirected back to the ground/earth. You can ground your energy utilizing the same method you did at the beginning of the ritual, such as spending time in nature, walking barefoot on the grass or soil to feel the connection to the earth, sitting crisscross on the ground to connect your root energy source to the earth, imagine roots growing from your feet into the earth anchoring you firmly, practicing intentional breathing exercises, etc.
May you walk your path with wisdom and prudence. Blessed be on your journey of spiritual growth and healing.
Join The Mystic's Journey in-depth pathworking program today! Through this 3.5-year program, you'll learn about the seven threads of magick that comprise the fabric of our universe, how to work with these threads to weave your own fate, and truly step into your authentic and unique spiritual path with confidence, clarity, and direction.
Every time a student enrolls in The Mystic's Journey program I've built, they're not only accessing everything I have created and learned, but they're also making it possible for me to continue teaching full time.
What YOU get access to:
Coursework to learn about mysticism
Rituals, journal prompts, meditations, and more
Free downloadable grimoire pages
Side quests to learn 42 types of magick
Engaging community forum
Earn crystals as you complete coursework
Beginner and advanced resources
App for convenient learning on-the-go
Enroll TODAY and join an incredible community of witches and spiritual practitioners that are motivated by wisdom, embody their magick, and trust their intuition.
