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Good Witch v. Bad Witch: Looking After Baby

Dear GW/BW

I need some help. I need advice on a protection spell. I fear someone may be trying to manipulate people and things to try to take my child away and I want to take every possible precaution.

Merideth

Good Witch replies:

Dear Merideth:

I’m sorry you’re in such a scary situation. I imagine you’re panicking a bit, especially since your child is involved. Before you act, be sure to use your favorite grounding and centering techniques, whatever they are. It’s best to face frightening situations like this, where you don’t know everything that’s going on, from as strong and calm a mindset as you can muster under the circumstances. Many of us take grounding and centering for granted because they’re the first things we learn, but they’re powerful tools in your arsenal, and they’ll help you see things more clearly.

You say you work with stones, crystals, and herbs, so here are some very simple suggestions for things to do, many involving your preferred tools.

  • If you’re having a hard time getting a read on what’s happening behind the scenes and what people’s motivations are, consider divination, but have a neutral third party do it. It’s very, very hard to do clear divination for yourself when you’re frightened and worried that people are trying to mess with you.
  • Include fluorite in a ritual to bring the truth to light so you can get a clearer picture of what the motivations are of the others involved in your situation. You might want to do this before the divination.Fluorite can be helpful in magic to clear up your own thoughts. Try holding it near your temples while visualizing the storm of your thoughts subsiding.

  • Create a protection ritual during which you charge several pieces of flint and/or obsidian—preferably ones with points. You can incorporate some hyssop for some extra oomph. After the ritual, place the stones around your living space with the points facing outward. Visualize them creating an energetic barbed-wire fence around your space. Before you go to bed each night, re-visualize the protective fence.

  • Create and ritually charge a protective amulet or charm for your child to wear if he or she is old enough. This could be a small stone in a bag carried in a pocket or around the neck, or a necklace, bracelet, or ring. I particularly like jet for this purpose, but I also like plain river stones, peridot, obsidian, and cat’s eye. You can add some extra power by getting a few pieces of chipstone or pre-drilled stones, braiding a bracelet or necklace, and threading the stones onto the strands of the jewelry item as you go. As you work, you can repeat a spell of protection to weave the magic into the jewelry. If you’re creating an amulet bag, you might want to include a little bit of rosemary, fennel, or thyme, which have protective properties and aren’t toxic. If your child isn’t old enough to wear a charm, you could place an amulet bag near his or her bed, somewhere out of reach. You could even tape it to the bottom of a crib. You might want to make one for yourself, too.

  • If there are problems in the home, kids always know something is going on, even if they don’t know the details. I’m sure you’re doing this, but keep telling your child you love him or her and providing as must stability as you can. One way to bring a little peace into your environment is to steep some valerian root in water, allow it to cool, and sprinkle it around the house while visualizing the home as a peaceful place. Charging the valerian water with amethyst, aquamarine, or blue tourmaline can help.

These are just a few basic ideas to get you started. There’s just one more thing I have to say—literally, because I work in a field related to child protection—no matter what other things you do, magical or otherwise, be sure to take whatever “real world” action is necessary to protect yourself and your child, whether it’s physically removing yourself from a situation; notifying law enforcement, child protective services, or another social service; or enlisting the help of trusted friends. I hope your situation improves soon.

Bad Witch sez:

Dear Merideth,

Luckily for you, most of the people who would want to mess with you like this are absolutely incompetent so you may be worrying for nothing.

But—this is your child, so you need to access your inner Bear-Parent and do whatever you have to do. If you know who those people are, curse them with everything you got. Get your friends to help. Make the jerks wish they were still sitting on their mommy’s knee.  Set wards around your property. Hire a ruthless lawyer.

And then administer the coup de grâce—set up a jar of vinegar with a strip of aluminum foil wrapped around the back half of it. Set it outside with the foil facing your house. Tap the top three times and say, with a smile, return to sender.

Then take your kid out for some ice cream and watch your back.

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Aryós Héngwis (or the more modest Héngwis for short) is a native of the Pontic-Caspian steppe, born some 5000 years ago, near the village of Dereivka. In his youth he stood out from the other snakes for his love of learning and culture, eventually coming into the service of the local reǵs before moving westward toward Europe. Most recently, Aryós Héngwis left his home to pursue a new life in America, where he has come under the employ of BBI Media as an internet watchdog (or watchsnake, if you will), ever poised to strike the unwary troll.

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