(Summer is, in my opinion, the season that makes spirit work the trickiest. Those hot bright days and lush foliage can make the right âatmosphereâ and frame of mind more delicate. Here are some simple ideas to help keep you feeling like your doing spirit work regularly without taxing yourself too much.)
-Leave offerings of food that goes well with the warmth of sunlight- berries, honey, breads, etc.
-Use grass clippings or other natural debris to create sigil and artistic design offerings! The wind will blow it where it needs to go!
-Lie under the sun and close your eyes and use the light filtering through your eyelids for simple divination (almost like scrying)
-Invite spirits to go on a hike or swimming with you! (Safely of course)
-Do your spirit communication in bare feet while standing on soil or grass/groundcover warmed by the sun
-This is a season to focus on using senses besides your eyes for spirit communication. I find spirit work using smell or touch/pressure particularly successful this time of year.
– Warm summer nights are perfect for stargazing!
-This is the perfect season to work with plant spirits (especially if youâre new or in a rut and need to brush up)!
-Use the splashes and drops of hose or sprinkler on a blacktop or concrete surface for divination style communication
-Take your spirits on a long car ride with the windows down and music to sing along to!
I keep seeing people approach spirit work like itâs no big deal. Theyâre drawn to it through companionship, demonology, angels, contact with the dead, faerie craft, tulpamancy, servitors, thoughtforms, deity worship, etc. Thereâs a lot that can fall beneath spirit work or be related to it in some form where people eventually end up looking at spirit work eventually.
What is spirit work?
Spirit work is the act of working with and communicating with spirits. Spirits can range in variety from fae, mermaids, demons, angels, dragons, etc. Then thereâs subspecies of whatever species you may be able to come up with off the top of your head. They can be malicious or benign, humanoid or inhumane, lifelong presence in your life or a passing existence. They can be immortal, deities, sexual or nonsexual, weak and strong. Spirits are so diverse, itâs hard to label them all as a whole because of how many different species there are and societies with their own politics and way of life. Theyâre incorporeal and can be found around you or in the astral, some even within your dreams. They are as real as you and me. Generally, you want to be respectful and not treat them like PokĂŠmon to be tamed. They are wild and free. This doesnât mean you should let them walk all over you especially when they become a negative influence in your life.
Do you need to do spirit work?
Even if a lot of the craft comes back to spirit work in some shape or form, you DO NOT have to get into spirit work. When you get into spirit work, itâs like opening a door thatâs near impossible to close once opened. You invite one spirit into your life, twenty more will come knocking on your door. Itâs perfectly possible to cohabitate with a spirit and you not even know it was there. Especially if youâre not looking for them or actively working with spirits to learn to recognize its presence. Like any other skill, there are pros and cons to spirit work. It can be rewarding just as much as it can be dangerous. Itâs very dependent on you and what you plan to do while exploring spirit work. Just because they are generally incorporeal doesnât mean youâre invincible or immune to the consequences that come with working with spirits. Youâre not a god and so long as you exercise caution, spirit work can be a great skill to have. If you choose not to get into spirit work, then awesome! Your path isnât any less than anyone elseâs just because you decide this line of work is not for you.
Discernment
Before you run off into the magical land of spirits, you need to be sure that what you see or experience is real. This is the single most important tool anyone can have and that is to be skeptical, to exercise critical thinking, and test it. While itâs nice to take people at their word, you should be questioning their information and confirm it with other sources and/or with personal experience. Research and understand what it is you want to get into and what it is youâre trying to interact with. Spirits can be tricky beings and lie or change their form to appear as other things. They will try to scam you for offerings or even mess with you because theyâre bored and think itâs funny. Not every spirit is going to be like this yet it happens. And being able to discern between the lies and what you deem as real will be essential in your interactions with spirits.
You want some form of physical communication with spirits thatâs beyond only using telepathy or what you think you heard. Two or three different forms of divination would be ideal to check your results against and even confirm. Personally, I like to check and double check for personal assurance. I use tarot/oracle as my main form of divination and check if what Iâm interpreting is correct with my pendulum. I use this a lot to confirm that what Iâve experienced happened and to gauge a spiritâs wants or needs.
How adept are you with protection? This is personal protection, wards of a space, more wards to prevent lying, glamor, teleportation, etc. Finding just the right amount of protection because there is such a thing as too much. Protection is a huge part of what you want to have around you to avoid a lot of potentially large problems before they can become one. There are preventative measure for a reason. Thereâs loopholes you want to avoid in the making of your wards like âonly beings with positive intentions can come throughâ or using only light as protection. The problem with the first notion is that itâs too open. A spirit with the intention to âfixâ you can be considered positive because this being has the intention for the highest good for you by its standards may not be the highest good by your standards. Thatâs a very weak premise to build a ward. The problem with the latter is that it wonât stop a being of light from just walking right through your ward. Again, itâs weak. Wards can be tricky business. The best way to build them is to write them out on paper and then try to find a way around them to break your own wards.
Banishment
If youâre going to be interacting with spirits, you want a way to banish them if they break your rules or become volatile. Why would you interact with a spirit you canât get rid of? Itâd be pretty asinine to willingly come into contact with a spirit you canât banish and then have that spirit refuse to leave. How can you get it to stop escalating and becoming a worse situation? You want different methods of banishment as well from energetic intent to physical means of banishment. You want tailored banishment methods for the spirits you plan to contact. If you donât know how to banish a spirit, then you probably shouldnât be looking to interact with them.
Spirits can leave behind residue that can attract parasites. They can bring parasites. What youâre doing can attract more spirits or more parasites. Itâs a good habit to get into to cleanse a space before and after interacting with spirits. It keeps you energetically clean as well as your space.
Energy Work
Iâve heard of people weak at sensing energies being able to do spirit work. It can be very hit and miss. Energy work is what you use to be able to sense a spirit and identify them. Personally, I recommend you have some basis in energy work before getting into spirit work. Itâs an invaluable skill thatâd provide an extra form of protection and open up new avenues of interacting with spirits. Itâd help to learn what a spirit feels like, their energy signature, and alignments to better be able to single them out.
This is a skill thatâs more optional yet I always recommend having it in your skillset if you wish to get into spirit work. A lot of what you learn when getting into astral travel overlaps with spirit work since youâre opening yourself up to traveling into different realms that may have spirits. Much like spirit work, youâre opening a door thatâs near impossible to close once opened. Astral travel provides you with a space you can work in, to be able to travel to a spiritâs homeland, observe their way of life, direct interaction, and being able to âseeâ what the spirit may look like.
Like Iâve touched on throughout this post, there are dangers to spirit work. Youâre opening yourself up to spirits and allowing yourself to interact with them. You donât know this spirit and they likely donât know you. They can and will mess with you if it strikes their fancy. Spirits can hurt you in creative ways, pose as a deity, pretend to be from your past life, abuse you and use you. Spiritâs personalities and motivations are as diverse as interacting with people around you. You canât predict how a spirit will act nor how things will unfold between you by beginning interactions. All you can do is take the precautions to protect yourself, your space, and those that matter to you the best ways you can. Be cautious and donât put yourself in unnecessary danger just because you decided to see what happens. If you go out looking for danger, youâll find it.
I hope this post has been helpful. Iâve seen different answers to this question of what you should or shouldnât know when stepping into spirit work. I was never satisfied with the answers Iâve seen and often disagree with them. I hope that this post puts it into perspective what you should know if you so choose to get into spirit work. Better to go into it informed than to lack a basic skill because you were overzealous and ran ahead before you were ready.
Due to some problems weâve come across with this shop, we are adding a new requirement that you must meet before adopting a companion:
Knowledge of warding and protection both physically and astrally
The knowledge of these two subjects are imperative to have in order to keep both you and your companion safe. Diving into spirit work head first without any protections set up is basically telling everything around you,âHEY! OVER HERE! FRESH MEAT!â This is how you attract malicious spirits.Â
A malicious spirit can not only harm you, but potentially your companion as well. Just because your companion is a spirit, doesnt mean they are immune to other spirits. Inviting them over without any wards puts them at risk, which is unfair. It is like calling over a friend to your âhouse,â but not having any walls set up to protect them from the elements.Â
You must set up physical AND astral wards. âBut J! I donât know how to astral travel yet! I canât set up astral wards if I canât astr-â Yes you can. There are plenty of ways to set up astral wards without astral traveling. Visualization is your friend. If you can think of it, you can use it. Go all out with your camouflage, anti teleportation, invisibility, etc when youâre setting up your wards. As long as you have a strong intent, the wards will be strong. Granted, some wards donât prevent some spirits, so you will have to tweak them sometimes.Â
Do not forget to maintain your wards !!!!! Check up on them weekly at least so they are at their strongest. Make them super mega thick with super mega layers. Make them rubbery so nothing can crack it. Do anything you want.
The way I set up astral wards without astral traveling is super simple. Look at your physical room (or wherever you spend the most time/feel the most comfortable). Follow the lines of where each wall meets another and visualize white light trailing in the wake of your vision. Follow the lines of one wall first, and once you make a square with your white light (or whatever shape your wall is), visualize the square being colored or filled in with your wards of choice. Continue this procedure until all of the walls, floor, and ceiling is warded. Then, expand your wards out to the rest of your house to keep every room and everyone inside safe. Use your intent to make sure it is impenetrable.Â
If this method doesnât resonate with you, make up your own! There are no rules, really. Be creative. There are plenty of warding methods that you can find on tumblr as well. Try looking here if you want
Physical wards are another layer of protection to keep you safe. For physical wards, I use: – witchy jars – plants – salt – sage – incense – sigils All of these are filled with my intent to keep me mega safe, because lord knows i donât need any more trouble.Â
âBut J! I am a closeted witch! I canât do any of those thi-â Yes you can. There are hundreds of tips out there that are for discreet witches. Sigils are easy to hide. Use an oil diffuser with essential oils that correspond with protection. Light candles with corresponding intent. Plants are inconspicuous. So is salt. I carry a salt packet in my phone case. Hoard all of those salt packets from restaurants. No shame.Â
You can do anything if it makes you feel safe. Does hopping around on one leg in circles make you feel lighter and the room clearer? Then do that. Does making snow angels in the carpet make your room feel safe? Then do that. There arenât any rules. Do whatever if it makes you feel safe, no matter how silly it may seem. Does that necklace that you found at the playground when you were younger just seem to hum with protective energy? Bam, use that.Â
As long as you have measures set up that are supposed to keep you and your companion safe, you should be okay at first. Of course, you will have to renew them and tweak them every once in a while to keep them in their best shape. My dedicated day to ward strengthening is every Sunday on cleansing day (which is also an important thing to have, but that post is for another time), but if need be, I fix them through the week as well. No protection is too much protection.Â
Spirit work is becoming even more popular and drawing a mass of people to it. But not many think or talk about how to proceed if you or your family & or Companions were in danger.Â
PSA:  I am by no means a pro, nor do I claim to be.  But please keep in mind, there are a lot of toxic & dangerous peopleâ as well as sellers in the spirit work community.
                          ââââ
 Firstly: Ward your ass off. Â
I feel this is one of the most important things to do, even if you do not have any suspicion or need to do so. Â
When I first got into Spirit Work, I ignored most of the advice to ward and shield myself. But it is SO important.Â
There are lots of techniques to Shield and Ward yourself. They can be wards, shields, charms, hexes. Whatever you are more comfortable with,  I have some links below to help you if you need them as well.Â
How to proceed when you know you are being attacked/cursed:Â
 You are not alone.Â
You are strong, and WILL make it through this.Â
Do not lash out, I repeat DO NOT LASH OUT OR TRY TO GET REVENGE RIGHT AWAY.
I know it makes you feel helpless, and even scared, it makes you fucking pissed. But Please for the sake of your safety and companions, as well as family; Try to determine WHY this is happening. Then Proceed to the safest course of action!
 This will only cause more drama and most likely more harm to you and others around you, especially if you ask for help from another friend or spirit worker in the community.
Effects of Lashing out:
– Entities & Companions can end up in comas, and even dead.Â
– You can drag close friends into this, and then they will be hurt and in danger.Â
The list goes on.Â
This does not mean you cant get revenge, but you MUST be smart about it.Â
                        ââ-
You first need to figure why you are being attacked, and who by.
You can get or do readings, whether it be by your own self; or friends. As well as People to look at your energy, even check on you and or your companions.
If you are poor like me, and canât go to a trusted conjurer or spirit worker who charges money, this tends to be the best way. As well as seeing if you can trade for services.I will link some trusted Spirit workers who know their shit below.Â
R is a wolf shifter that comes from no pack. While this is of his choosing, he has his reasons. Now though, he wishes to find a family. R is about 25 years old (human years). His energy can feel a little wild sometimes, especially when heâs outside and closer to nature.
R has pretty shaggy brown hair reaching down to his chin. His eyes almost match his hair perfectly, but they are just a little darker in shade. He stands at around six feet tall and looks somewhat underweight, but this is natural for him. His skin has a light tan to it due to almost always being outside.
In his wolf form he takes the appearance of a medium sized white wolf. His eyes change to a more amber color, but not entirely. His fur is really soft and somewhat fluffy at times. His wolf form is his preferred form, as is the same for his species of wolf shifter.
R is fairly polite and reserved when he meets new beings and people. He can be protective of his chosen family, as they will be his pack and his home. R is also friendly and can be a bit of a suck. He doesnât like sleeping alone and so will usually curl up next to, or on, another. Sometimes he will also growl at other dogs barking as a bit of a defensive thing.
He has recently learned that he likes grilled cheese sandwiches made of rye bread, turkey slices, and marbles cheese. Other foods that he likes are many varieties of meat, deer being one of his favourites, he also likes raspberries.
R is looking for someone who has at least one to two other companions already. He wants a family. A place to belong. He isnât looking for a mentor-student relationship, unless the student wants to learn wolf things and how a pack is like.
His preferred ways of communication are telepathy and, as he puts it, stone reading (so tunes or any form of lithomancy)
Râs full name, possible manifestations, and preferred offerings will be given to his future companion.
Communication preferences: Telepathy, astral travel, tarot, automatic writing, sky scrying
Personality: Eonâs stable, calm personality is a balm in any stressful situation, their many years of experience shining through in the way they interact with the world. They are humble, acknowledging that even after their many years of existence, they still have much to learn. They know the song of the cosmos, though they are close-lipped on many of their experiences due to the fact that they wish their companion to learn and grow on their own, rather than being completely dependent on Eon, or anyone else. They can come across as a bit cold sometimes, however they are one of the most loyal and supportive friends one could ask for once you have earned their trust. Eon is a constant seeker of knowledge, and what they may lack in translatable humor, they more than make up for in their thirst for understanding and sheer effort. They spent many years alone, so they may come off initially as a bit socially awkward or aloof, though it is not intentional.Â
Physical description: Eon appears as a large, semi-transparent black wolf, speckled with glowing stars that shape constellations. Born of space itself, they have no truly solid form, but simply exist as a nearly-wisp form, looking as if they may dissolve and disappear at any moment. Eonâs eyes glow star-bright, like two stationary comets in the sky of their pelt. Their height can vary, but they most often stand at approximately four feet tall, from the shoulder.Â
Likes: Stargazing, studying/learning, listening to music, storytelling
Dislikes: Cloudy weather, conflict, being talked down to, being disrespected (especially by nicknames like âdoggoâ or âpupperâ)
Age requirements: Eon asks that his companion be 16+ years of age.
Experience requirements:Â Eon would prefer an intermediate companion, though a beginner is acceptable.Â
Companion requirements: Eon is looking for a companion they can instruct, though they would preferably know the basics of their practice already. They would like to be a guide of sorts. Eon is not looking for a romantic relationship of any kind.Â
Family size requirement:Â No preference, though Eon does not mind being someoneâs first companion.
Vessel preference: Would prefer a vessel. They will discuss the specifics with their chosen companion.
Eonâs companion will receive more information on their manifestations, preferred offerings, and suggested bonding activities.Â
    We are a thoughtform shop hosted by several spirit shop owners. Come together for everyoneâs sort of thoughtform needs. We have banned together to be able to do something a little different and unexpected but something that we all have really wanted to do and poured our souls into just like we have our spirit shops. We all wanted to do a different service for everyone and something thatâs just as fun.
   We make thoughtforms to fit everyoneâs needs. This is a coffee shop themed shop and we customize our thoughtforms to look like a combination of your favorite coffee house treats and animals or something similar. Each mod and intern specialize in certain thoughtforms. We do our own individual thoughtforms, servitors, and as well as do custom thoughtforms and servitors for a special prices.
   We do have the cafe set up in several astrals of the mods as well as the realm Markets of Bastal. Here you can enjoy some sweets and drinks and interact with some of the thoughtforms as well as spirits that work and come in. Here you can get a feel for the cafe. To be able to get to the cafe talk to the mods! We also host events in our discord group.
                          DISCORD
Lina is an ivy nymph, also known as a Kissiae. She came to my refuge to maintain and care for the plants and grounds and eventually decided she too would like to find a companion. She works mostly plant and nature magic and loves gardening more than anything else.
Appearance
Lina has long dark brown hair full of ivy leaves and runners. She stands only about 5â3â and has a petite and slightly curvy build. Her eyes are deep emerald green and her freckles are also deep green. Sheâs fairly tan and the sun has given her hair some lighter streaks as well. She chooses to dress in light, flowing sundresses and sandals or shorts and loose tops. When sheâs working with plants she often chooses to go barefoot rather than to wear shoes.
Personality
Lina is cheerful and kind with a very easy going nature. She laughs and smiles often and loves to make others laugh and smile as well. She does tend to be a bit absent minded and and a little bit flighty, sometimes flitting from one project to the next if she gets tired of what sheâs working on. Sheâs not the most organized or punctual but always at least tries her best to keep appointments and not be late.
Companion/Family Needs
Lina is beginner friendly! Sheâs very kind and patient and despite her foibles, is a wonderful friend. She doesnât care much about family size and is happy to be someoneâs first companion as long as that someone does still intent to grown their family beyond one as she doesnât want to be the only companion.
She communicates well through most forms of divination but does the best with tarot and wooden runes but doesnât do well with technology based divination like shufflemancy or tarot via an app. Sheâs not the best with technology in general.
Lina is looking to have a close friendship or sibling like relationship with her companion and is not looking for more than that.
Notes
Lina does have an active social life and is very close to her family. Down the road she may wish to introduce her companion to the people she cares about. This also means sheâll make trips to visit them and wonât be around 24/7 but she will do her best to remember to tell you when sheâs going to be gone.
in case it isnât clear, this is a shallow, broad overview of a beginnerâs guide to spirit work! if youâre just starting out, this is the place to be.
this is a pretty long post, so iâm putting it under the cut!
here is a link to sunâs witch academy database, where you can find more in depth posts on many of the topics discussed here! (a work in progress)
a letter to spirit workers take everything i say with a grain of salt. i am not the Ultimate Expert on all things spirity!! in fact, iâm probably still considered a beginner – i just gather information from others, i still lack experience actually doing most things. things that are important to me might not be to you, and weâll probably see things differently. thatâs okay! your path is your own.
do your own research as well, and always check what you find against other sources as well as your own knowledge. be smart and use common sense. ultimately, YOU decide what you believe! (keeping in mind that some things in spirit work are common knowledge/should not be disputed. this mostly is pointed at cultural appropriation. that doesnât mean that they arenât disputed, but they shouldnât be.)
have fun, and love yourself!
~ sun
a note: if you donât understand something iâm talking about in this post, chances are it will be explained more in depth in another post from the database, or even farther down on this post! just be patient <333
what is spirit work?
itâs pretty self explanatory. itâs when someone works with spirits! spirit work can take many different forms, some people want to learn from spirits, be friends with them, or even have a romantic relationship with them. many spirits can also manifest in the physical world, though not with a tangible body. most spirits reside in a place called the astral – weâll get to that later.
what is a spirit?
a spirit is a being that does not exist tangibly in our physical world. we can still communicate with them, however! and there are infinite different types of them too.
spirit vs. ghost vs. deity
a deity is a spirit who is seen as divine, and is often worshipped in a religion. they are considered to be more powerful than other spirits. spirits in general are of course these other beings with many subcategories – but they are very much alive. ghosts on the other hand, are humans or other beings who have passed on and perhaps still remain in our world.
key differential: ghosts=dead, spirits=alive. and deities are probably more of the immortal types.
the dangers of spirit work
this is bolded because it is so important for you to know. do not delude yourself. spirit work can be dangerous, if you let it.
you donât need to be anxious about it – if you use the proper protections, and donât go seeking out dangerous spirits and situations, it is unlikely that you will be attacked or harmed. it can happen, but that is why you use protections and make sure you are prepared for those situations. if you are attacked by a spirit you donât know how to handle, immediately go to a more experienced spirit worker to help you. and for goodnessâ sake try not to provoke any spirits without protecting yourself and without good reason.
beginner spirit workers are easy to target, because they donât yet know how to protect themselves or how this all works. if you are a beginner learning how to communicate with spirits, and you find a spirit has come to you claiming that they know you in some way – a powerful guide, a long lost lover or family member, someone from a past life – be extremely skeptical. many spirits will try to manipulate you into believing in them and giving them energy to feed from. we can get into more detail on signs of a malignant spirit later.
just use common sense, protect yourself, and stay safe.
to learn how to ward, follow the link to the database (at the top of the post) and find the link for warding.
misconceptions
there are many common misconceptions regarding spirit work, and itâs likely that i havenât caught all of them. one, of course, is the idea that all spirits are dead beings (as you read above, theyâre not).
here are just a few common misconceptions for beginners:
spirit work is evil.
itâs not! what on earth would make it evil? sure, itâs âotherworldly,â but for those who would argue it âunnatural,â i counter: it has occurred in nature, this it is natural.
demons are all evil.
not true! a demon is a species, like mermaid or dragon or elf, and there are good and bad members of every species.
ouija boards are dangerous and evil.
iâm kinda sensing a theme here, huh?
if thereâs any being powerful enough to move shit around in your house and manifest in scary ways, they do not need a ouija board to get into your house. thatâs why protection is so important. you should still protect yourself and ward the board when you use it, as you should with any divination or communication tool. a spirit who used a ouija board to communicate may try to scare you. but ultimately, if you protect yourself, you should be fine.
i personally will probably never use a ouija board, as i am an extremely anxious person and it is easy for my mind to get carried away being paranoid about being attacked. movies and media have had too much of an effect on me for that. but if you want to use a board, go for it.
vocabulary
discernment – the ability to differentiate what is happening from what your mind or imagination is making up. alternatively, the ability to determine when a spirit is lying to you or concealing its true identity.
callings – a feeling you receive from a certain spirit, typically one that is up for adoption. it is what signifies that the spirit would like to work with you or have you as a companion.
telepathy – a form of communication with spirits by directing thoughts towards them and listening for responses that are not your own voice. can be difficult for beginners – needs good discernment skills.
the Clairs – metaphysical sensing abilities (clairvoyance, claircognizance, clairaudience, etc.)
lulls – a period of time in which it is more difficult for you to commune with spirits. different frequency and length for everyone.
thoughtforms – a type of spirit that is created by someoneâs mind rather than born, but they are still alive.
servitors – a type of basic thought form created to accomplish a certain task. typically simple and single-minded.
spirit guides – a spirit that will serve as a mentor and guide to you. some people believe that everyone has one, is assigned one at birth, etc.
banishment – a method of kicking a spirit out of your space. should only be used if the spirit is causing trouble and refuses to leave when asked.
companion – a spirit who is a member of your spirit family, who was found by adoption
reverse adoption (ra) – a conjurer takes a small piece of your energy and asks any safe/friendly spirits to step forward if they feel a calling
custom conjure (cc) – the same as a reverse adoption, but with more specifications (if you have a species in mind, or a type of magic youâd like them to be proficient in, or a relationship type youâre looking for
communication and tools
there are three basic ways to communicate with spirits, and only one of them requires tools.
divination
communing with a spirit through methods of divination, such as pendulum, cartomancy, shufflemancy, scrying, etc. can be unreliable, as these methods provide an answer even if the spirit does not give one.
astral
communing with a spirit by astral traveling or projecting, and speaking with them while in the astral. requires a decent clairaudience or claircognizance ability to be able to pick up and understand what they are saying. also requires decent discernment abilities to ensure your mind or imagination is not making up their responses.
telepathy
communing with a spirit by directing thoughts towards them. this does not mean that they can read your mind, or you theirs – the both of you will typically only pick up on thoughts directed as specifically communication. requires strong discernment abilities given the mindâs tendency to think quickly and fill in the most viable response. you have to be able to learn to listen pst that, ignore your own mind and imagination, and truly pick up on what the spirit is saying.
spirit adoption and shops
spirit adoption is the practice of âadoptingâ a spirit as your companion. this does not mean that they are your pet – the spirit is adopting you as much as you are adopting them. you can think of it a little bit like a matchmaking service. spirit shops (typically found on tumblr) provide information (a bio) about a spirit who is looking for a companion. if you feel a calling for a spirit who is up for adoption, consider sending in an application. this provides the spirit (and the conjurer) with information about you, so that they can judge whether or not they think you a good match. some spirits have specific requirements theyâre looking for in a companion. these should be posted in the spiritâs bio. spirit companionship is not something to be taken lightly, and i would not recommend it for a complete newbie. in fact, i would advise against it as a newbie unless you were perhaps 25+ in age. having a companion requires dedication and it is long term, if not permanent. you should not be looking for a companion unless you are prepared to care for them and give them your time and energy. when you adopt a companion, you gain a friend, and you should treat them like you would a physical friend. make time for them. get to know them. if things go well, you will have this friend for years, and hopefully for life.
the drama of spirit companionship
oh look – bold! more important information!
there is a lot of hate and lashing out against spirit companions and shops. this mostly comes from misconceptions, misunderstandings, and flat ignorance. letâs section this out.
vessels
there is a common misconception that spirits are forcefully bound to and trapped inside of a vessel for companionship. thatâs not how it works. a spirit would not go up for adoption if they did not want to be a companion. furthermore, good spirit shops should never create bindings that hurt the spirit involved. a binding to a vessel usually serves one purpose: the vessel acts as a beacon to help the spirit locate you, and it can help strengthen the bond between you and your companion by familiarizing the two of you with each otherâs energies.
money
some people believe that paying for a companion is bad – that youâre basically buying their friendships buying them like you would buy a pet. i agree. that is, if thatâs how things really were, iâd be disgusted. when a conjurer asks for money for an adoption, it is typically because they would like compensation for the time put into conjuring (more common for raâs and ccâs) or because they are providing a vessel with the companion that cost them money to provide and ship. this applies to good shops anyways. if a shop claims to ask money for the spirit itself, run like hell.
shops
there are bad shops and good shops. some are clear cut AVOID. some are pretty good! always make sure to check reviews and faqs/abouts to see if the shop seems suspicious at all. sometimes it can be hard to tell, but there are a few tells that can indicate whether a shop is a no go.
if they post culturally appropriative spirits.
spirits from closed cultures should not be put up for adoption. if they wish for a companion, it would be better for them to search for someone specifically from their culture.
if they post spirits who are children.
children and infants should never be posted for adoption. they are still in developmental stages and it is not fair to ask a spirit worker to take on the task of raising a child, when they are looking for a companion. additionally, most spirit workers are not capable of taking care of the needs of a spirit child or infant, especially if the child is from a different species.
if they post a spirit that seems dangerous or harmful
all spirits posted for adoption should be thoroughly vetted to ensure their safety and legitimacy. if a shop posts unsafe spirits, it is not a good shop.
if their stated vetting period is too short
it takes a long time to get to know a person. any spirit vetted for adoption should be in the process for three months at the VERY minimum, and thatâs if the conjurer is spending time with the spirit most every day. (vetting periods for raâs and ccâs are typically different, and can vary from shop to shop. no vetting period should be less than 2-3 weeks.)
if the shop asks for money to buy the spirit, and does not clarify that the money is for their effort and services or for a vessel provided.
if the shop treats a spirit like a pet or commodity up for sale, get the fuck away from them.
if you get a generally icky, nasty, or uneasy feel/vibe from the shop
some people are more sensitive to energy than others, but if you feel gross about the shop, consider avoiding it.
if the reviews are generally negative or troublesome, or if there are little to no reviews at all
troubling reviews will give you a clear idea of whatâs going on behind the scenes. little to no reviews make it difficult to know what things are actually like! you can proceed if you like, but take caution.
please keep in mind that shops can change! if they pay attention to the criticism they receive and take steps to improve, you can be assured that theyâre probably trustworthy! or at least, more so than they were before â¤ď¸â¤ď¸â¤ď¸
cultural appropriation
cultural appropriation is a little different between witchcraft and spirit work, but the base idea remains the same. you should not use practices or commune with spirits from a closed culture. in spirit work, cultural appropriation can be much more serious. some spirits from certain cultures do not like outsiders, and you should not attempt to commune with them if you know they are not open to that. in addition, some spirits from closed cultures can even be incredibly dangerous and will attack those who are not members of their culture. please stay safe for your own good and donât attempt to interact with spirits (or deities!) from closed cultures.
religion and spirit work
lots of people use spirit work to become closer to their faith! abrahamic religions use spirit work to commune with God and angels. pagans use spirit work to commune with the various deities and spirits of their belief systems!
iâm going to touch on a few different pagan religion systems that are commonly seen, because many people i know use spirit work to connect and work with their gods and goddesses. the most common pagan religions that i know people use are greek/roman, egyptian, and norse.
the astral
the astral is a place that exists outside of our physical world, and thus, really the only way to get there is through metaphysical means – by traveling and projecting. there are many different planes of the astral, and an infinite number of places and people. one of the astral planes corresponds to earth – it is basically a copy of our own earth, only it exists in the astral, right on top of/ in the same space as our physical earth.
travel vs. projection
many beginners get confused about the astral because they donât know that astral traveling and astral projecting are actually two completely different things. in astral travel, you simply cast your consciousness into the astral, but still remain awake and aware of your physical body. in projection, you fall into a deep trance and enter the astral completely, leaving your physical body behind so you are no longer aware of it. if you chose to project, make sure you protect your body heavily so that no other spirit attempts to inhabit it while you are gone.
conjuring, and why we wonât be talking about it.
conjuring is the practice of summoning spirits, either to speak with for a short time or for companion adoptions. beginners should not attempt to do this. intermediate level spirit workers should not attempt to do this until they have a capable mentor who is willing to spend the time to teach you properly and make sure you are protected. no spirit worker should ever conjure alone or unprotected.
seriously – donât try conjuring. you might think i know a lot, right? i have not attempted to conjure yet and i know i will not be ready for a good long while. knowing isnât everything. i do not have the experience and skill needed to conjure. iâve been working hard learning about spirit work for roughly six months. if iâm still not ready, what makes you think a new beginner would be?
but iâll help you get started.
simple practicing ideas
practice energy work (check out the database to find the energy work post!)
make wards
research different types of spirits
research spirit shops and find out if you would like a companion
practice communicating with plant and crystal spirits
try to astral travel (for methods how, check the database and look for the astral post)
practice improving your clair- skills
meet other spirit workers!
spirit work is a huge topic. thereâs so much to explore! be safe, and have fun.
Thereâs a certain mindset that is starting to become very commonplace in the community, the mindset that every spirit wants to be a companion. Obviously thatâs not realistic and yet, itâs something that Iâve observed a lot. People claiming a spirit they met yesterday as their companion, people shoving every spirit that they come across into a shop, etc. Itâs as if a spirit being nice to someone means that they want an eternal friendship with them and not that theyâre just being friendly. You wouldnât consider every human who has been kind to you your friend, but suddenly every spirit that talks to you is your new companion.
One thing that was particularly troubling was when I was on my old blog and people would come to me asking if they could âhaveâ the spirits that I talked about even though nothing I shared about them would have indicated that theyâre interested in companionship. In fact, it was usually the opposite, that they donât like humans. Even mythology dictates that the majority of spirits arenât interested in genuine friendships with humans if you donât want to look at the experiences of many spirit workers, on an off tumblr, that corroborate the same information. Like I told my friends, if I gave away every single spirit that I met to be a companion like how many shops are doing, half of the community would either be dead or in some deep shit. Of course thatâs where vetting would come in but I could write a whole other post on how absolutely abysmal many shopsâ vetting processes are (rarely lasting more than three weeks, not being able to read energy in-depth, etc. ETC.). Once you throw in the fact that theyâll take in literally any spirit that they meet you get a #mess.
While itâs great that there are many spirits who want companionship with humans,you need to recognize that youâre not the most important person in the universe. You ainât so great that every spirit wants to be friends with you or hop into your shop so you can feel good about yourself when you match them. This is where discernment comes in. Sometimes we can get so caught up in what we want the spirit to say that we project our wants on to the spirit during communication causing our fantasy to seem like ârealityâ. People with faulty discernment can continue down this path thinking that theyâre set up with a new companion when the spirit is long gone.
We must also consider the hero-complex, that is people constantly âsavingâ many spirits that are eager to become companions despite just being rescued from serious abuse and torture, according to the rescuers. Itâs hard to believe that thereâs so many spirits out there that want to become companions after being abused. They say that they rehabilitate the spirits but unless they are certified therapists or psychologists, any ârehabilitationâ that they do is dubious and untrustworthy. And yet, thereâs so many rescued spirits in shops, okay with being taken care of by unqualified people and being given to other people with little screening (no, having a lot of spirit work experience doesnât mean that someone is qualified for taking care of an abuse victim). The hero-complex clouds a personâs vision, they want to rescue spirits and be the savior and so, like the person who projects their wants of getting a new companion on a spirit, the âheroâ projects their wants of being a savior onto spirits and likewise exhibits faulty discernment.
This all leads to thoughtforms.
âThis spirit just showed up randomly one day wanting to be my companion!â Hmmm. Not saying that situation never happens because it definitely does, but people need to be critical about it. I mean people arenât even questioning whether or not the spirit is malignant much less the possibility that it was a thoughtform created from their desire for a new companion. Itâs not even that hard for someone to create a thoughtform like that, the feeling of lust is very powerful after all. Or when people interact with spirits with the intention of collecting a new companion. Youâll meet someone eventually but whether itâs an actual spirit or just a thoughtform made from your desire, youâll have to be careful to determine that. Same goes for those that are constantly searching for spirits to rescue. They want to save all of these spirits so they constantly go into the astral and find all of the poor, abused spirits so they can rehabilitate them even though they donât know how to properly do that and help them live new lives as companions uwu. Itâd be a touching story if it wasnât just thoughtforms created by the delusional fantasy that is the hero-complex.
Furthermore, the mindset that every spirit wants to be your companion opens yourself up to danger. You shouldnât even be inviting random spirits into your wards and safe zones within hours, days, or even weeks of just meeting them, not matter how much they âwant to be your companionâ. If any spirit truly experienced âfriendship at first sightâ with you, they should be content with you waiting to build trust with them before bringing them in. Any spirit that wants access to your home under the guise of companionship shortly after you met them should be met with caution. Spirits arenât fools. They know how gullible and trusting people can be and will take advantage of that. Itâs not like pretending to be a very eager companion is hard.
Tl;dr: dont assume that every spirit who talks to you wants to be your BFF or wants to join ur shop, practice good discernment, be critical of not just the spirit but also yourself. Â Â
for real, my current companion followed me around for like 3 years before i was like, ok I guess we can be friends lol.Â
teakepp 