introduction

fill in?

banish thoughts about someone

do you still think and dream about someone who hurt you? do you try spell after spell, but feel none work?
always good make sure not neglect mental health on accident. we can easy lose sight and think about recovery as "never on mind again", but not often how things go. ups and downs happen, and not sign that need try harder or fail.
wish you best in recovery, and hope able offer some peace.
daffodil divider

mundane advice

questions to ask yourself:
  • what did that person do? with more wounds come more feelings, and brain will bring up and try process until feel safe again. that can take pretty long time.
  • do you have mundane support system? even if think OK alone, sometimes that means push self to limits because fear trouble others. true that loved ones can not always deal with hear about everything - sometimes therapy is only real choice because trained to hear awful things day in and day out. but if you can ask for help on hardest days... please do.
  • is person not in everyday life anymore? if so, try remind self that these thoughts and dreams not current reality. yes, did experience these things, but have life without now. often brain try protect from happen again - feelings that if never go here or never do this, then never have problem again, and flood with fear and anxiety if something remind. in twisted way, so much focus on spells and recovery might feed cycle - feel anxious, so brain want remind exactly why, which make feel more anxious, and brain insist remind again.
    when these thoughts overwhelm, try gently remind self about things like current time, place, and people you do have in life. list things that make you happy, keep playlists with fun songs. talk with someone you love and trust, treat yourself with kindness and love.
daffodil divider

magical advice

can view this exercise as entirely non-magical if wish, honestly! this not complex spell and ritual.
this not cord cut spell - instead focus magic on self.

destruction of thought

  • when you have time, jot down thoughts or dreams about this person. brains often happy obsess over thoughts and plans that "not finish." with write, we can sometimes "trick" brain: ah, that thought done now - have tangible proof. time for something else!
  • and now... destroy that page. water, fire, maybe just rip apart? whatever you have means for and can safely do.
  • envision these thoughts break down, too. as paper burn, thoughts go up in flame. as paper soak and blend together, thoughts drown and erode away. as paper tear, thoughts shatter and blow away in wind. envision in any way you feel fit method. :)
  • you now have remnants to put outside and feed earth, or ash for other spells.
  • repeat this as feel need. with enough remnants, time, and resource, can even recycle at home!
    you could make seed paper [C] and watch thoughts become something new, nurture even. or just plain paper [B] to write new thoughts and ideas on.

what is ward?

put simple, ward is layer that protect.
some wards help hide under radar. some take in energy that attack and transform, make useful some other way. others let that energy deflect and fizzle out.

in all case, anything this ward protect not hurt or intrude on in any way. no ward can be all perfect, and most will need recharge in some way sooner or later. still, ward important for many who work with magic and spirits. ward can prevent faery from tail into home, or make sure that someone can only enter inside world if personally invite.

so... how?
daffodil divider

how to ward

this all just personal opinion, but think ideal ward should have 3 layers.
  • outside layer obscure - less likely show on radar for those that might hurt
  • middle layer attack - something that fight back anyone that do find and try anyway
  • inside layer shield - in hopes attacker now not have strength left to get through, even if penetrate others
wonderful. but need make these layers thick - not much point in shield if able defeat with magical equivalent of poke pencil through.
and flexible enough to move with you, shift as your form may - or else might be own worst enemy.
and can not be hollow, either - otherwise, spirits able bypass with simple teleport.

so much need keep in mind. already hard enough focus on things without add even more rules.
how keep all this in mind and make ward that good?

get somewhere comfortable. sit, lay, stand - long as feel comfortable, this what important. take deep breath, and think. what do those feelings mean for you? what feel like protect, make feel safe and comfort?
do you picture warm bed, person you love, or maybe favourite movie? hold that feeling in mind.
if you could give this feeling appearance, how look? maybe this feeling look like fuzzy blanket, pink glow, or part of world from that movie.
try and expand this feeling to outside yourself. not need go very far - especially if new, overextend can exhaust. your comfort zone might be different, so play around and see how far feel best for you.
this is inside layer: shield. you could stop here if feel like all need, really. if not...

what come to mind when think about attack?
maybe vines that cover in thorns, rocks with sharp edges, or character that carry magical sword.
what can this weapon do? thorns that sap energy into vines and transform, rocks that tear energy apart until nothing left, blades that slice and render energy neutral.
once more, hold this feeling in mind. expand to outside once again, so that encase shield.
this is middle layer: attack. again, if you happy with just two, feel free to leave here. if not...

when think about hide, what picture?
maybe think about foggy day where hard see anything, dense forest with leafy bushes and trees everywhere, or stealthy cardboard box.
think you understand drill here: what do this mean and feel like? really feel this feeling: see yourself start blend in. not invisible per se, this can be tricky and have consequences for self, but someone that small and not of interest.
one last time, hold this feeling in mind, and expand outside. this should encase other two layers.
this is outside layer: obscure. and we done! with layer like this, you just someone else live life. for attacker's energy to reach, would need first see through this. not impossible figure out, but great help in not draw too much extra attention from spirits and people alike.
daffodil divider

focus

might ask, why focus so much on these feelings and pictures - something wrong with words and simple colours?
well, yes and no.
words can be hard account for, for one thing. depend on your theories for magic, words could mean that universe misinterpret what want, that your intent not line up with what that really put out there, and so on.
to be invisible to strangers could end with car crash, as driver strangely not notice. that is, eyes might see you there just fine, but brain not process until too late! that not something want have happen, right?

many people also find hard just trust in words and vague notions, that blue energy protect or red attack.
even these meanings change between people. could read five guides and come back with six different ideas on what colours mean, and have no idea which "right."
think important for everyone, beginner especially, cut down that time and worry, and use what familiar.

if word and colour work for you, please, continue! but not everyone have easy time with that, and personally same way. this why offer focus on feeling and picture. :)

sleep easy

so you want explore dreams more? or maybe just not sleep very well? then, continue for both some mundane and magical advice. daffodil divider

mundane advice

of course, magic can only do so much when mundane still suffer.
this not replace medical advice - shadow can not advise for sleep disorder, for example. but hope that most people can find some use here.

  • do not focus on need sleep. do that sound weird? probably. but truth is, even if not get fully to sleep, just quiet rest can help body and brain recover.
  • eyes off screens.. not always perfect guarantee, but try at least 15 to 20 minutes before bed without any. light and stimulation can make hard sleep, hard sleep can mean less quality and less dreams.
  • stable routine. again, not always guarantee - some days demand different schedule. if you can not keep time consistent, at least keep consistent actions: before bed, change into these clothes, put on this music, so on and so forth.
  • good temperature. not always able control much or at all, but try best. you might want little cooler or warmer, but not extreme cold or hot.
  • not fixate on something. plans for tomorrow? things that worry about? write down. brain love these "unfinish tasks", which can make hard sleep well. when you write down, that can help brain rest easy in know that will not just forget about.
  • some people swear by ambient music or ASMR. shadow not have best luck, but understand thought: block out bad input that may keep awake with softer, more pleasant input. just please do not keep so loud that damage ears, or miss emergency alarm should one ever go off.
  • if get very anxious or frustrate - no shame in get up and do something else. write down thoughts, then read book, draw, make funny shapes in shadows, some light stretch...
these all also apply for if wake up after bad dream. want distract from feeling and thought, without engage brain and body so much that feel restless. test and see what work best for you. :) daffodil divider

magical advice

shadow's simple knot charm

you need:
  • 10 or more inch embroidery thread; two strands - one blue, one purple
steps:
  • hold these threads together. be sure these roughly even - trim if need.
  • make loop around finger, and gently pull off. pass tail through this loop and make knot.
  • repeat, and put all focus in this. imagine feel comfortable and sleepy - if you enter light trance from this repetition, even better. no worry if these knots messy and uneven.
  • continue until knots begin overlap, reach thread's end, or until tired - whichever first.
  • keep this under pillow at night. if ever feel this charm need boost, imagine that comfortable sleepy feeling again and run charm between fingers.

what will you read?