As a witch, you’re familiar with working with different energies. Because of this, you might be particularly sensitive to specific energies. You might notice that you’re tired or drained after riding public transportation, dealing with a roommate or a difficult boss, or attending an event with a large group of people. If that’s you, you might be frustrated by how quickly your energy is depleted, or you might try to avoid certain situations because you know you’re likely to absorb some unwanted energy in the process. Maybe you’ve been told that you’re just being too sensitive. 

I’ve been told this before and I spent hours reading psychology and personal development books in order to learn how to not be so sensitive. This was an especially painful period of my life since I basically tried to white-knuckle my way to feeling ok. I tried to block things out or push down my feelings in order to function better in the world. Eventually, I’d get to a point where all my buried feelings would rise up at an inopportune moment and cause me to burst into tears. I’d be embarrassed and ashamed. Each time this happened, I’d beat myself up about “being too sensitive”.

It wasn’t until I discovered witchcraft that I realized my sensitivity was a gift. It helped me perform spells with power and accuracy because I was so attuned to the different energies. Witchcraft helped me even further by giving me practical ways to protect my energy. If you can cleanse a space or bless your home, why can’t you also use magic to help you move through this world without absorbing every bit of wandering energy?

If you can relate to anything I’ve shared here, this article is for you. Here are some of my favorite ways to protect your energy in a crowded world. 

Your Traveling Guardian

This is a great spell to use when you’re looking for a long term solution to your energetic protection needs. If you haven’t found the right guardian for this spell, don’t rush it. Send out an intention to connect with the object that will be your ideal guardian and wait until you come into contact with the right object. 

What You’ll Need:

• A small figurine or trinket that you can use as your guardian
• A magical tool associated with protection such as an agate crystal, graveyard dirt, or the Two of Swords, King of Swords or Queen of Swords tarot cards

As mentioned above, a big part of this spell will be selecting the right guardian. You’ll need to pick an object that is portable. It might also be helpful to use something that won’t draw a lot of attention like an animal-shaped bead that you can wear as a necklace, a special key-chain, something that fits in your pocket or wallet, or any piece of jewelry that you can use to ward off unwanted energy.

Typically, you’ll want the object to look like some kind of animal or creature who can protect you as you’re going about your business. 

I use a ring shaped like a snake. This works well for me because it’s small and subtle, so I can get away with wearing it even in formal situations. Plus, it’s a snake—an animal that I find pretty intimidating. My snake is my ally, and I trust it to keep any unwanted energy away from me. 

Cleanse your trinket using your preferred method of cleansing. Since this is something you’ll be carrying on your person regularly, I recommend using a method of cleansing that you use when cleansing yourself. 

If you love sitting under the new moon to cleanse your energy, place the trinket outside to charge in the moon energy. If you love taking ritual baths, prepare a jar of water with all the ingredients of your favorite cleansing ritual bath and dip your trinket in the water. If your go-to cleansing method is a simple white light meditation, hold the trinket in your hands as you visualize the white light of the universe flowing down and surrounding the trinket. 

Next, you’ll want to charge your trinket. To do this, place it near the magical ingredient that you associate with protection. 

Finally, you’ll want to set your intention. You can do this by stating your intention aloud or in your head. I prefer to whisper my intention to the object. This forms a special bond between you and your guardian, it’s as if you’re sharing a secret. After all, this will be your personal guardian, the one who has your back when you’re standing in line at the DMV. You’re a team now.

When you’re setting your intention, use language that feels natural to you, use present tense, and make sure you’re focusing on safety rather than avoiding danger. Don’t think about all the scary things your guardian is protecting you from or you might accidentally call that in. Focus on feeling safe, balanced, and full of energy that allows you to live your best life.

Keep in mind that when you create a guardian, you are now entering into a relationship with that object. Like any relationship, it’s a two-way street. If your guardian’s duty is to take care of you, you should treat your guardian with love and care as well. Keep it clean and undamaged (to the best of your ability). Place it somewhere special when you’re not carrying it with you. You might even feed it with offerings if that feels appropriate to you.

Tarot Knot Spell

This spell is best performed when you’re grounded and balanced because you’ll be using knots to capture that energy to use for later. If you don’t feel safe when you are performing this spell, you’ll need to rely more on your magical tools (such as your tarot card) and your visualization to lock in the energy of safety. 

What You’ll Need:

• A ribbon or string that you can wear as a bracelet or anklet (Ideally, you’ll want it to be a color that you associate with protection. Traditionally, protective colors are black, red, blue, or purple but pick any color that you associate with protection.)
• The Hermit tarot card

If you don’t have the Hermit tarot card, you can use new moon or waning moon energy (by performing the knot magic under the moon) or you can rely on your own energy to power this spell. 

Sit on your tarot card (or sit out under the moon) as you hold your string. Close your eyes and visualize yourself in a space where you’re safe from any unwanted energy. You can picture yourself standing in a magically protected forest, wrapped in warm blankets in a cabin high in the mountains, or surrounded by glowing white light. You can try out a few different visualizations until you find one that suits you.

Spend a few minutes in that energetic place. Then, when you’re ready, tie five knots on your string. (The number five is associated with protection.) As you tie each knot, speak your intention aloud or in your head. Because you’ve taken the time to align your energy with your intention, the words you use can be short and simple. Something like, “I am always safe,” can work nicely for this spell. 

Speak your intention five times right as you tie each knot. Your knots will capture your energy in that moment. They’ll hold that energy as long as the knot stays in place. 

When you wear the string around your wrist or ankle, you’ll benefit from that protective energy because you’ve locked it in. No matter how your energy shifts throughout the day, your knot bracelet will work to shield you from any unwanted energy. 

Pentagram Protection Spell

This is a quick and easy spell you can perform just about anywhere. It doesn’t require any tools, and it’s subtle enough that you can do it without anyone noticing. Another benefit is that you’ll be drawing energy from the powerful pentagram symbol rather than your own energy. That way, even if you’re drained, you won’t have to use too much of your own energy for this spell.

What You’ll Need:

• Yourself, that’s it! 

Whenever you’re somewhere crowded or loud, and you feel you need to protect your energy right at that moment, use your finger to draw the pentagram symbol on your body or on a surface near to you. If you’re on a bus, draw a pentagram on the window or the seat in front of you. If you’re walking around at an outdoor music festival and you don’t have a surface to use, draw the pentagram on your chest or the inside of your wrist. 

As you do this, speak this incantation:

“I invoke the power of the pentagram.

May it serve as my sanctuary, wherever I am.”  

Perform this spell as often as you want, anywhere, any time. 

Rain Of Protection Potion

Use this spell if you’ve already picked up some unwanted energy at some point throughout your day. This potion will help you quickly and easily release that unwanted energy. 

What You’ll Need:

• Rainwater
• A smoky quartz 
• A jar to store your potion

Collect rainwater in a jar and place a smoky quartz crystal in the water for at least twenty minutes. Because rain is water that has been released from clouds, it can help you release any unwanted energy in a natural, gentle way. The energy of the smoky quartz also removes unwanted energy, further reinforcing your intention.  

Once the rainwater is charged, you can remove your crystal and store the water until you need it. To use your potion, dip your fingers in the water and touch the insides of your wrists. You may also want to sprinkle a bit of water on your clothing, knapsack, or shoes before you head out the door.

You can also substitute water collected from the ocean when the tide is going out or water from a stream that has been collected during the waning moon phase. Both options will hold a similar releasing energy to rainwater.

Other Simple Ways To Protect Your Energy

• Paint your nails a color you associate with protection. This also reinforces your intention with number magic because you have five fingers on each hand. 
• Place two tarot cards from the swords suite (I recommend using court cards) in your shoes overnight to charge them with protective energy for the next day. 
• Lay out your clothes the night before and place an agate slab on top of them to call in protective energy. 
• Eat garlic on a day you feel particularly susceptible to unwanted energy. According to magical tradition, garlic is an herb associated with protective energy. 

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Updated on August 20, 2023 by Avery Hart