Sea Witchcraft: Bubble Ward for Protection

Witches spend their time working with and manipulating the energy around them. As our practice expands, so too does the risk of attracting unwelcome energy or spirits. Most of the time it seems natural to go on the offensive with cleansing, banishing or binding those energies, and when they have already invaded your space, it is the right steps to take, However, there are protective energetic solutions that are naturally defensive, and require very simple upkeep to stay functional. Over the years as I’ve been using witchcraft for protection, I’ve found several that have worked well and suited my particular path, one of my favorites being the sea witch bubble ward.

What is a ward?

In witchcraft, a ward is simply a form of protection, meant to keep out energetic nasties and anything else you enchant it to do. These wards can be physical objects, such as jewelry, statues, or enchantments like the bubble ward we are making today, or they can be purely energetic, created around you or what you are warding using visualization and energy. Wards are highly versatile, and are powerhouses that only require upkeep every once in a while. Depending on the ward you set, you will choose how and when is the best time to replace it. Wards can also be found in nature–in the form of certain plants or crystals placed at strategic points around the home, or worn on your person. 

While wards are purely defensive in nature, they can also be ‘upgraded’ to be offensive, baneful or reflective, depending on the intent of the witch. When I was developing this ward, I spent a lot of time physically blowing bubbles, watching them rise, fall, float and pop to get a sense of the visualization for this spell. The purpose of the bubble ward is not only to capture the negative energy within the bubble, but to float that energy back to its source, where it ‘pops’ sending it right back with an added kick which will be explained below. If you do not feel comfortable casting baneful spells, you can adjust this to best suit your current practice.

You Will Need:

• Bubble solution & a bubble blower
• A small bowl you can place in a high corner or a shelf (Bonus if it is reflective/silver)
• Indigo water
• War Water/ Storm water
• Petition Paper for the situation/ names of people you want this ward tailored to. Be sure you do not skip this step–you want your ward to have purpose!
• Staghorn coral or pointy substitute (crab claws, horseshoe crab barb, a sharp stone/ crystal tower etc.)
• Black pebbles for the bottom of the bowl (you can also use water safe black crystals)
• Cleansing tools (I.e Florida water, smoke, or any other preferred method)

Feel free to substitute any of the above ingredients to better suit your practice. For example, I have used a mirror in place of stones at the base of the bowl with a similar reflective and potent effect. 

How to Cast:

• This is a ward, trap, and reflection/ return to sender all in one, as such it’s important to build it in layers.
• Start by cleansing your bowl, tools, and yourself & space. Draw your you sigil and place it in your palm, then take the black stones in your hand and envision them like a void in which negative energy is drawn to, an ether that to your target feels like they are sending their energy towards you, but in reality it is being drawn towards the stones (optional, you can use a bit of blood, hair, or other DNA as a tag lock- a magical representation of yourself or someone/thing)
• Add the petition to the bottom, then your stones one by one to the base of your bowl, picturing each one like a puzzle piece coming together until the entire base is covered. 
• Add your indigo water, a strong protective element, along with your bubble solution, sauvignon some of the mix for later, and your storm or war water. *If you are using war water PLEASE use gloves- especially if you know what you put into it!!!* Imagine these ingredients combining to form a sphere, your bubble, with the solution forming the shape, the war water sitting inside, and the indigo water forming a protective aura around the edge of the bubble. This is where the baneful quality comes in, as the bubble is returned it is disguised with this protective aura only to pop and release the war/storm water within.
• Carefully add your pointed object to the water, making sure at least the tip is visible (you will want to adjust the amount of water you put in for this).
• Taking your bubble blower, blow a stream of bubbles over the ward 3 times, repeating the below chant after each exhale:

My usual disclaimer for baneful magic is to use at your own risk, but don’t be afraid to experiment. Learning, studying and practicing these kinds of magic is a form of self preservation, and makes us better practitioners, lovers and healers. For the case of this sea witch bubble ward, it is a way to practice baneful magic without specifically throwing that energy at a particular target, since the ward itself is still defensive in nature. It says, “If you mess with me, you get what’s coming, and then some. Tread lightly.”