Spiritual protection for ghost hunters – basic tools
Many ghost hunters carry — and recommend — spiritual protection in dangerous and profoundly haunted settings.
There are three main issues to consider when choosing protection. They include innately powerful tools, your own spiritual references, and the spirituality of the ghosts.
INNATELY POWERFUL TOOLS
Regardless of your beliefs (or lack of them), a few tools have been used successfully by believers, skeptics, and non-believers alike.
GARLIC
The most familiar protection may be garlic. Long associated with vampires and werewolves, garlic is supposed to repel evil spirits and entities.
Generally, people carry a garlic clove in a pocket, or wear it on a string around their necks.
Fresh garlic is usually used. You can buy it in almost any grocery store and some convenience stores, in the produce section.
SALT
According to many traditions, spirits cannot cross a line of salt. Others believe that salt generally repels evil spirits, and the salt can be carried in any container, worn in a small pouch around the neck (or carried in a pocket), or cast in the direction of the problem entity.
There are two main kinds of salt used for this purpose: White salt and black salt.
White salt is the common table salt found in most kitchens. Many people prefer to carry pure sea salt for protection, and some favor kosher salt, but any table salt or cooking salt can be used.
Some ghost hunters — including Hollow Hill researchers — carry blessed or charged salt. This is salt that has been blessed by a religious person, sometimes a priest or other spiritual minister.
The person carrying the salt can also charge it, using personal prayer or rituals over the salt before using it during a ghost investigation.
Or, it may be charged by the full moon. One way to do this is to put sea salt in a clear glass bowl. Place the bowl on a window ledge where it will be in the light of the moon during the three days around the full moon.
Black salt can be one of two kinds of salt. One is edible and the other usually isn’t.
One is a specialized mineral salt, generally mined in India. It is a dark pinkish gray, and tastes somewhat like sulphur. It’s available in ethnic stores and often sold in health food stores; its vegetarian uses include mixing the salt with tofu to mimic egg salad. This form of black salt can be used for protection, but it’s not the one most popular.
The other kind of black salt is the one more commonly used for protection. It is often made with sea salt — the white kind — but mixed with an ingredient to turn it black. Among witches, those ingredients can include ash or powdered charcoal from a fire, scrapings from a cast iron pot, or even black pepper.
Because black salt is often associated with voodoo, some people aren’t comfortable using it for any purpose. However, in voodoo and related traditions, black salt is used as a powerful means to lift or repel curses, and keep away evil spirits.
HOLY WATER
Catholics and non-Catholics alike use holy water as protection from ghosts and evil of all kinds.
Holy water can be purchased in some Catholic stores. However, most people visit the nearest Catholic church. In the church entry or lobby, there is usually some sort of drum or container with a spigot. Church members bring their own bottles to decant the holy water, and leave a couple of dollars as a donation.
Technically, anyone can bless their water to make it ‘holy’. In older Catholic traditions, an individual makes the sign of the cross over the container of water and says, ‘I bless this water in the name of the Father…’, and so on.
In other religious contexts, any blessing prayer or ritual can be used for holy water. Some Pagans also place a clear glass bottle of holy water in the moonlight for three nights, similar to the practice used with salt, described above.
Among non-Christians, Bibles aren’t quite as popular as holy water. However, we’ve met ghost hunters who are Atheists or non-Christians, and they believe implicitly in the power of the Bible as a tool for protection
CHARMS, AMULETS, TOKENS
While many ‘lucky charms’ and protections refer to specific spiritual traditions, some are successful whether the person believes in that religion or tradition, or not.
These include holy medals (St. Michael medals are especially popular), pendants representing a lucky horseshoe, iron nails (may repel faeries more than ghosts), or a lucky rabbit’s foot (not widely used during ghost hunts, due to their association with animal cruelty and death).
There are also ghost hunters who wear ‘lucky socks’ or a similar item of clothing, and firmly believe that they provide protection from evil… or at least bad luck.
Others wear a garment or piece of jewelry that was left outside on the night of February first or second. According to folklore and some Pagan traditions, Brigid (or St. Bridget) blesses these items, making them especially lucky, healing or protective during the coming year.
LIQUOR
Several cultures — including the Irish and some Native American nations — believe that pouring liquor on a grave (or on the ground, in general) is a way to pay respect to the dead. Several Yoruba-based spiritual traditions use this as a way to earn favor with certain spirits, including the dead.
If an investigator has established some rapport with a helpful spirit in a haunted setting, he or she may offer a gift of liquor (poured onto the ground, outdoors or in the building’s unfinished basement). After a brief time during which the spirit enjoys the gift, the investigator asks for the spirit’s help and protection during the research that follows.
These are just a few items that are used by a variety of ghost hunters, regardless of their cultural, ethnic or spiritual contexts.
In another article, we’ll discuss spiritual protection in the context of your personal religious beliefs (if you have them), as well as the importance of the ghosts’ religious beliefs.
No related posts. Use the Contact form (above) to ask Fiona for more info.
I find…working with kosher salt/and white vinger works well as in addition to a 18 inch rose quarzt singing bowl will dissolve any bad sprits that maybe around,,these bowls are very hard to find….but work like a charm….
I have been having a ghost problem for a few months. I when to a median house and got on a oujia board. A few days past I fel this presents in my house very cold. I talk to the median about it she said its a ghost. It started to close doors and flick on and off the things and do things to make me know its there.The median told me about writing on a paper to communicate with the spirit. She said its fine relax and get a pen and a blank paper and ask is anyone here? I was amazing that my hand started writing saying yes. I went to the point where the ghost started to talk to me on a daILY basics. The ghost was protenting to be a lot of different people to make me think it wasn’t evil. Meanwhile it was playing games with me and another person. Then it started to get smart with the another person who was doing it too. [Explicit sexual content removed.] Oneday I felt weird and it looked at myself in the mirror. then my head started shaking no by itself. I said what the *** it wrong with me. tHe ghost has been living inside of me since the first day I touched the board. It told me he is living inside and he is not coming out. I started to eat garlic and keep garlic on me it works ghost dont like that smell but I am gettting other help too. But what I want you to learn is ghost is not cool. They are liers and some are evil. They will try to live as you if you let them. They are LIERS and they will try to to hurt you by [Sexual content removed], lying , or anythings. Please stay away from any form of communcation with ghost please they are not good or nice. Once you open the door is hard to close it.
—————
Webmaster’s note: We try to keep this website as office-safe and family-friendly as possible. For that reason, explicit sexual language and descriptions are routinely removed from comments.
At HollowHill.com, we believe it’s important to distinguish between spirits and malicious entities. However, readers are free to choose their own labels for their paranormal experiences, and their comments may reflect those choices.
Elsewhere on this website, we’ve tried to make it clear that there are dangers related to paranormal research. Ouija boards and automatic writing are not games and should not be used casually. We especially advise against accepting advice from anyone who encourages to use those kinds of divinatory tools in your home.
Hello Fiona,
I got a tattoo of St.Benedict’s medallion on my chest, the front & the backside of the medallion. The prayer on the medallion is believed to be a powerful exorcism prayer. The prayers whose initials mark the Cross invoke the Sacrifice of Christ on the Cross as the force that vanquishes evil.
I believe in everything that is not of our earthly plain as i have seen one when i was still young. A father & son spirit who had been in our house for who knows when. Anyways, I have a St. Benedict’s medallion hung on our main door, on my keychain & yes a tattoo on my chest as it is believed to ward off negative spirits.
Thanking you &this site…
alan@dxb
Hi, Fiona. I am Shoshanah. I`m 14 years old and under two houses with divorced parents who are very strict when it comes to the spirit world. I am typing on my dsi now in fear that if I would use a real computer the history would be checked and the site blocked. My real problem, though is that my house, particuraly my room is haunted. I have seen shadows of a tall man before. Each time before something life changing and bad happen. There is a constent feeling of dread and fear along with loniless at night when I am trying to sleep. I always feel as if I am being watched by something horrible and close my eyes in fear that if I open them something hidous will be staring back at me. Nothing that I could see has stared back, but the fear is still there nonetheless. I also fear my ankle will be grabbed if I go near fruniture. There is sometimes a cold feeling like im being grabbed at night if I stay in one spot too long.
I have been sleeping on the floor because something watches me that I can see when I`m in my bed. When my friends come over, they refuse to stay in my room due to hot and cold spots along with the above sensations.
This normally only occours in my room, but will ocationally happen in other parts of my dads house when I am alone. The house is in Corrales, New Mexico. You may have heard of it. It`s kind of famous in the south west for hauntings.
Main problem with the spirits is, they won`t go away.
I tried candles, salt, oil, prayer, and have had friends come over to attempt to exercise them. Nothing works. The above attemps had only temporary results, followed by flares of bad happenings.
I have been known by my friends and accointences to have strange things happen to me, dreams and nightmeres come true and spirits just plain like to be around me. [unless they are living people].
I can go without sleep for long periods of time without being tired. I can sometimes see spirits, sometimes not.
Things like to stalk me.
How can I make this all stop?
Hi Shoshanna,
You’re describing an array of issues that need to be addressed by someone near you, who can talk with you face-to-face. I’d start by talking with your priest or minister, or a priest or religious minister at a nearby church. Please choose someone with mainstream beliefs that your parents will take seriously, if a conference is necessary.
If that’s not possible, speak with a counsellor at your school.
Generally, you’re describing a mix of problems, some of which may be grounded in spiritual activity… but some may not.
This is far beyond anything that someone (including me) can address via email or even by phone. This needs to be a face-to-face discussion, preferably with someone who’s known you and your family for quite awhile.
Get help immediately. When I read your comment, “Things like to stalk me,” it sounds as if you could be in danger.
Making it stop is definitely important. Talk with someone today, or tomorrow at the latest.
Sincerely,
Fiona
Shoshanah,
I feel bad for what is happening to you. If you feel like you are in danger leave the house and stay with a good friend or family member. When you out of the house you will find yourself thinking more clearly. Take care of your health. If need be sleep where you can like your school library or public library during the day.
I can tell that you are a strong person because a 14 year old who doesn’t sleep isn’t lazy and by your posting I can tell that you can excel acedmically because of your good grammer and punctation.
Be true to yourself and kind to others.
SOLUTION: Many people like myself find it hard to get approval from a church to preform an extrasism. They don’t always work. What would probally be faster is to an Indian reservation and ask for a spirit guide. You heart will tell you who you can trust and talk to. If you need an extrosim in your room by a indian spirit guide and your parents give you shit tell them that its for school or educational. You can just about go anywhere to find help. Like a budhist temple.
Don’t be afraid to ask for help.
1).Don’t pay anyone to get rid ghost or sprit. You can buy them coffee. You will know in your heart that a person is trully there to help you and has a gift of being able to get rid of spirts and esp. if no cash is involved.
2).Above all don’t stress. Keep in mind that you are also a powerful person. Good and evil been around for centuries. Hauntings are more common then what you think. Don’t let this get in the way of your life. Keep sane by recognizing the good things in life. Evil sprit don’t like to see you happy. Evil or board spirits like to pick on the weak. You are not weak.
3).Never speak of getting rid of a spirt in your house. They can over hear you. The ghost is there because it wants to be.
4)Dogs and cats can see ghost. You will know if right away if you have a ghost if you put food in your room and the dog or cat won’t eat it and run out of your room. Try to use a dog if you can. A dog would start to growl towards the direction of the evil spirt. If you can do this during the day time.
5)video tape tap your room so that you can have living proff that its not in your head
***Don’t let a dead person run your life.
Life is love and wonderful. There is soo many wonderful things to learn and see from life.
Shoshanah,
Being young is hard. But unfutunatlly it is part of life. You are not alone. There are many people with your gift and yes it is a gift. Unforunatelly, there are no schools that I know like in the Harry Potter movies to help you. Cofidence, is the key. Always challange yourself and you will look forward to each new day.
Being friendly and nice to other will actually get you friends. Talk to people that you like and not just tolerate. I will bet you within a week or two you will find someone with a simular gift. Most people can count on only one hand all of the people that they can truelly call friends.
Hi Shoshanah,
A lot of what you are describing sounded like my room when I was younger. I’d see “shadow people” staring at me in the corners of my room. Sometimes they’d walk up to my bed and frighten me to death. Last time was when I was 25, a few years ago.
I’d be terrified to poke my head out from the covers convinced that I’d see something horrible. I’d “sense” unseen people in different areas of my room and “see” what they looked like. Overactive imagination? Who knows, but it was enough to make me run out of my room and sneak into my parent’s room for half of my childhood. It’s like ghosts follow me around. Doesn’t matter where I move, eventually they arrive and haunt. For the first time in my life I’ve been haunt free for over a year and it feels very empowering.
Eventually what worked for me (and what I’ve heard from many different people from many different backgrounds that can “see” much more than I) is that if I thought something worked, it worked. I used to make deals with myself that I could sneak back into my room at “5 am” because the sun would be rising by then and the ghosts would have to go away.
I think ghosts can smell fear, I think certain low level spirits thrive on it. If you believe garlic will help you, it will. if you think your Care Bear pajamas will protect you, they will. They key is to believe it and be confident.
Now onto how I did the exorcism.
I don’t know how you performed this exorcism of yours, but this is how I was taught and what worked for me:
Turn all the lights of your house on ( so they can’t hide in the dark). Start in the room that you feel safest. Best to do the exorcism by yourself, because if you have someone else do it for you, it doesn’t seem like you really mean business. That as soon as whoever is helping you do it leaves, you’ll be their little scared toy again. Do it by yourself! Of course if you do it with someone who doesn’t live with you, the spirit knows you aren’t brave enough to follow through. And they don’t want you to follow through because it works. They will have a hissy fit when that person leaves to scare you into not trying it again.
Keep sage burning and let the smoke enter all the corners and nooks and crannies of every room of your house. Go through each nook and corner 2x, whilst allowing the smoke to hover for a few seconds in each, while saying the below chant. Chant doesn’t have to be word for word but they are the kind of things you should say. Make sure the smoke gets everywhere!
Speak out loud. Make this clear to them, say it over and over again and MEAN what you say! They will be able to tell. Don’t say it in an angry way- that will only fuel them up. Say it in a loving but FIRM way.
“This is not your home, this is my home. You do not belong here. You have loved ones that love you and miss you on the other side. Go to them, you do not belong here.” Say it out loud over and over again until you are finished. The smell of the burning sage is supposed to encourage them to cross over to the other side by the way.
Do this at night. In the morning, if it doesn’t feel radically different, you may have to do it again just to make sure. The spirit/spirits may be hiding during or shortly after the exorcism pretending to have gone away. Don’t be fooled. If the air doesn’t “feel” normal, if you still feel like you are watched it has a negative aura about it still, do it again. Mean what you say and don’t take it anymore!
Perhaps you should get an amulet (something to always wear, and thus put your energy into, make a sort of protective field around you) to protect you against spirits that follow you home. Could be any symbol, doesn’t matter. Whatever you connect with and think could be “the one.” I wear a cute heart shaped quartz necklace every day and that is my amulet. Spirits are like stalkers, they’ll be out on the street looking for the next sucker. Wear something to protect yourself when you go out. Also a suggestion that I followed is that I also bought some amethyst stones for every front/back door, and window in my apartment. I bought them, took them home and ran them under running water (to wash away other people’s energies and imprint my own.) Said out loud what each stone’s duty was: “you are to guard bad spirits from entering from this window” and placed them in front or above their respective guard spots. Of course, it could have been cereal boxes, but because I decided to BELIEVE it would work, I think it does.
Since taking those precautions, I’ve been negative spirit free for the first time in my life. I don’t know if it would work for you, but I sincerely believe that if you BELIEVE something will work, it will! I hope you can rid your home of the nasty parasites hanging out there. Good luck, buddy!
me my Aunt Sandy and Cousin Angelica are sensitive and went to Cherokee Cemetary in Cherokee, CA .To do a Ghost Hunt we told my cousin not go over the gate across the street of the cemetary it is said the man who killed the town sweetheart in the 1800s was burned alive in his house there . And something attached itself to my little cousin she is 15 1/2 and from what we found out it was a spirit who murdered at least 1 person before he died a young girl we did do a circle to make contact and it claims the only way to appease him is to give him my cousin , he also says he attached himself to her cause she intruded , he say he wants possession of her we are worried we tried sage and prayers none of it is working so I’m hoping you know anything or any one who can help when we burned the sage and prayed i could feel him laughing at us and his presence feels really strong air is thick and heavy and feels really bad.
Hello “Total Bratt,”
There are many possibilities. You were in an area near Yuba City/Marysville, and that’s known for having odd energy. The closer you get to the Tahoe Nat’l Forest, the more interesting it gets.
Am I correct that your cousin ignored warnings and went outside of the cemetery, to visit a site that’s supposed to be even more haunted? I hope she’s learned an important lesson, or she’ll just continue to get into trouble.
What’s not clear to me is how this entity is communicating with you. Frankly, given the age of the girl involved, I’d speculate that something like poltergeist phenomena — or some aspects of what causes poltergeist activity — might be involved.
It doesn’t sound like you’re dealing with a demon. Something else is going on, and it may not be wholly paranormal.
Your cousin’s mental health may be at risk, but — assuming it’s a ghost or other entity that’s involved — the entity is probably a big bully without much actual power.
(After all, if this entity has been at the house location since the 1800s, why would he attach himself to your cousin now? She’s certainly not the first person to trespass there. If a ghost is involved, he’s tried this nonsense before and it didn’t really work then, either.)
The first thing to do is take your cousin to your minister or priest, if you have one. If you aren’t Christian, it doesn’t matter; go to the nearest Episcopal church and talk with a minister there. (If you’re in Sacramento, I recommend St. Paul’s, downtown: http://www.stpaulssacramento.org/index.html ) There are many different spiritual approaches to this kind of issue, and Episcopals often have the most experience, besides being more accessible than some other religions.
If this is related to poltergeist phenomena, the best expert I know is Peter Haviland of Lone Star Spirits. Contact him; he works all over the U.S., specializing in poltergeist cases involving teens and children.
However, I wouldn’t rule out any possibility. The only one that sounds very unlikely is a demon; they don’t usually become that active that quickly.
Also, stop trying to contact the entity. Don’t form a circle, don’t reply to him… nothing. Use no divinatory tools… cards, Ouija boards, even a pendulum can be a bad idea.
The more energy you give this, the worse it can get. Act like nothing odd is going on. At first, things may get much worse. Ignore it as best you can.
(If your cousin’s life may be at risk, take her to the nearest emergency room immediately and have them evaluate the problem. Even if she’s hospitalized, at least she’ll have someone watching her, 24/7.)
However, right away: Get to a priest or minister and let him or her take charge of the case. If that doesn’t resolve the problem, talk with Peter Haviland.
Sincerely,
Fiona
well it has gotten really bad my aunt was attacked physically while my cousin was not around and we have been hearing alot of growling i didnt use tools i know better especially not a ouija board i dont play with those no tools or divinatory tools or pendulum like i said were very sensitive and he was using us to speak through
im not crazy and i know its not a poltergeist its just very strong and we need help plus we can feel it and the reason i may have said demon is when i have been around ghosts i could feel the emotion that they were feeling i dont feel that the air is so thick its hard to breath and it feels dark like pure evil i do know some of this sort of thing ive seen ghosts growing up since i was little i may not always see them now but i know when they are there
oh i forgot its been over a month no one else i tried would write me so its very appreciated