In a perfect world, a spiritual worker should only need to focus on their personal devotion to the spirits they honor and the people that they support. A person who practices conjure should have a good relationship with their neighbors and seek to foster strength in their community. Our focus should not be on outside circumstances that disrupt the careful balance that we create, but unfortunately, we do not live in a perfect world. Any spiritual worker that's been around for a while will tell that sometimes it’s important to pick up your sword and shield and protect the ones you love and fight for what you believe in. Spiritual warfare is a reality that far too many learn far too late.
In my twenty years of practicing, I’ve listened to many stories about spiritual /magical attack and I’ve lived through my fair share. Many of these attacks can be avoided if they are properly identified and addressed. In hopes of helping those who are reading this post, I’ll share the most common forms of spiritual attack that I’ve come across and small ways that you can avoid them or correct them.
The importance of a reading and outside observation
Before you jump to the conclusion that you are dealing with something that does not have your best interest at heart it’s important to have a trusted reader give you a consultation concerning the matter. What feels like a spiritual attack could be your own mind dealing with mental and emotional stresses like anxiety, depression, PTSD or paranoia. While most readers do not have a medical license and can not diagnose such forms of stress, but they can rule out a spiritual attack.
Having a second opinion from someone who is able to ‘look’ into the state of your spiritual well being serves several functions. First, it provided checks and balances. It’s easy to slip onto delusion if you don't have a way of explaining what you're experiencing. Secondly, there could be easy fixes that don't involve spiritual work at all that you haven't considered and the reader may be able to shed light on those options. Even if it does turn out that something is attacking you, a reading still needs to be done to assess the nature of your problem, so it’s always a good place to start. A reading can include house visitations if the situation is localized in the home.
Types of attacks
Internal- For those of us who are extremely sensitive to subtle energies, a spiritual residue can build up around us and weigh us down in a way that feels like we are fighting against something. In these cases, there isn't usually a sign of external forces at work. The person who is struggling with the weight of the world usually can't identify the source of the attack or why it might be happening.
In a reading, no external influences show up and most often, recent changes have been made to the persons routine, such as a new job or a new place of residence. Recent changes can expose the person to new energies that they are unfamiliar with and are struggling to adjust to. The fix for this problem is simple and easy. Spiritual baths can “wash” away the gunk that builds up and it can help to ease transitions. Advice on how to protect oneself from unwanted energy exchanges is given with tools that can be used throughout their day. ( Please see https://crescentcityconjure.us/blogs/city-of-conjure/5-easy-ways-to-incorperate for further information on protection and cleansing)
External - This form of attack can range from eerie feelings to full-blown physical manifestations of external powers that may have attached themselves to a person or a place. These powers can range from heavy energies that need to be cleared, to intelligent spirits that need to be exercised. If there are clear effects on the physical environment such as doors moving, footsteps, scratches, apparitions or loud noises there is a good chance that something outside of an individual's control is happening.
These cases are very dangerous and should be handled with extreme caution. In a reading, there are usually major signs of disturbance that come through almost immediately. The attachment could be on a person, on their homes, their cars, their place of work or anywhere they frequent, so extra care needs to be taken to find the source of the disturbance. These type of cases should be handled by someone who is highly qualified. Please be honest with yourself about your ability to address external forces. Look for a priest ( not just a Catholic priest, there are many spiritual traditions that teach their initiated members how to perform varying forms of exorcism) have the qualified person address this matter for you. I still recommend spiritual baths, house cleanings, and protection work as preliminary measures.
Curses and hexes- The case of a client being cursed or hexed is a tricky condition to address. Usually, the person who thinks they've been hexed is trying to explain a run of bad luck or unfortunate events that seem out of place. While a hex can manifest as bad luck, usually the situation has nothing to do with spiritual/ magical work. Informing a client that what they originally thought was a hex is really just a negative turn of events is difficult. I direct them to spiritual tools they should try first before diving into the deep end. Most of the time, simple fixes are all they need and their situation clears up immediately.
Now, if a person is truly cursed or hexed their reading will clearly point to witchcraft of negative magical work that has been done. When a curse is identified I follow up with specific questions that help me to further confirm if negative work has been done. If everything comes back positive for negative work, then I consider a range of more intense spiritual workings that combat the curse. These workings range from Uncrossing workings to exorcisms of spirits that have been sent to my client. https://crescentcityconjure.us/collections/spiritual-services/products/uncrossing-spell-work
After Note
I want to make it clear that there are many forms of spiritual attack and this is just a short explanation of the most common situations that I've encountered.
Ruling out as many physical causes of distress is important before considering that something non- physical is to blame. Make sure to see a medical professional who can assess your physical and mental wellbeing if your situation is extreme. I only see clients about spiritual attack after they've taken steps to weigh their physical and mental health with a medical professional. Some of these cases are very nuanced and the steps to cure the condition may vary greatly. It is always best to bring these concerns to a qualified practitioner if you do not have the experience or knowledge to handle them yourself. BE SAFE.