Bye-Bye Bad Vibes: Energize Your Magic with A Banishing Spell

A banishing spell removes someone or something from your life. Many witches and spiritual practitioners prefer working with the waning moon or doing a candle ritual.

In this article, I’ll discuss what a banishing spell is, different banishment methods, how to dispose of banishment spells, and much more!

Please note that I make every effort to ensure this information is correct and accurate through my own experiences and referencing sources throughout AND at the bottom of this article.

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What is a Banishing Spell?

Banishing removes or drives away unwanted or negative energies, people, or influences from your life. When done correctly, it will cut off whatever doesn’t serve your well-being or spiritual intentions. Banishing allows you to set boundaries and protect yourself from future harm.

What to Do with Banishment Spells

Banishment spells can be used for all kinds of reasons, including:

• Remove Bad Energy and Negativity: Clear your space, objects, or yourself of unwanted energy
• Toxic people: End harmful relationships or draining situations
• Harmful entities: Remove any unwanted spiritual presence
• Bad habits: Break free from bad habits or self-destructive patterns
• Limiting beliefs: Let go of negative thoughts holding you back
• Emotional pain or trauma: Detach from past wounds that prevent healing

Is it Ethical to Banish Someone?

Banishing is a form of protective magic, and its purpose is to remove unwanted energies or influences from your space without causing harm (unless you want it to). You’re simply creating distance for your peace and well-being. This type of magic helps you protect yourself.

Some Wiccans prefer not to practice banishment spells because they fear it may harm others. This goes against the Wiccan rede, which states, An ye harm none, do what ye will.

Ultimately, the decision depends on your spiritual practice and personal beliefs. Think about what you want your witchcraft practice to look like, and allow your intuition to guide you. It’s important to feel your feelings!

Banishing Spells: A History

Banishing spells are an example of apotropaic magic and have been used for thousands of years to protect people and places from harm. Apotropaic magic (pronounced a-puh-truh-pay-uck) prevents bad luck and wards off negative influences like the Evil Eye.

People would typically chant or use protection sigils, charms, or talismans to stop these harmful intentions. Some folk practitioners hung herbs or iron over doorways to banish negative energy or dangerous spirits.

Apotropaic magic incorporates the use of amulets to ward off damage or harm. In this sense, it has two important values: 1) Guardianship: the protection of a person, position, or place; (2) Prophylactic: specifically, a preventive measure against the disease.

Vagner Carvalheiro Porto – Magical Elements and the Apotropaic in the Ancient Roman World

Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram

The Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram (LBRP) is a banishing ritual created and used by the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, a secret magical order from the 19th century.

Performing an LBRP ritual clears and protects a space before beginning a ritual or practicing spellwork. They’d invoke powerful symbols like the pentagram and summon divine forces to create a sacred space.

This ritual is complex and based on ceremonial traditions, but its purpose is the same as any other banishing spell: to remove toxic and harmful energy.

How to Do a Banishing Spell

This is a simple banishment spell to help you clear out the negative energy of harmful influences. Later in this article, I’ll discuss some alternative ways to do a banishment spell. This is meant to be a basic yet effective overview.

Gather Your Supplies

• Small piece of paper
• Pen or marker
• Fireproof bowl (I use this 6.5″ cast iron)
• Matches or a lighter

Prepare Your Space

Slowly and thoughtfully clean your space in a way that feels pleasant to you. This should feel enjoyable, not stressful. Then, create a sacred space using the cleansing method of your choice. These steps help create a peaceful and focused mind.

Ensure you’ve gathered all the supplies needed. Then, begin raising your vibration to align yourself with the vibrations to match the energy of your intention. This alignment helps make your magic stronger.

Write the Petition

Grab your paper and write down what you want to banish from your life. Be as specific as possible. As you write, imagine it happening in your life. Feel how free you will be when the banishment spell is complete.

Fold the paper in half as many times as you prefer. Some people include Numerology symbolism for this step. Just make sure to fold the paper away from you so the energy does, too.

Say a Banishment Chant

Hold the petition paper in your hands and repeat the following chant (feel free to customize it):

With this flame, I banish thee,
Away from here, you shall not be.
From my life, you will now part,
I cast you out, and free my heart.

Burn the Paper

When you’re ready, open a window and carefully burn the petition paper in your fireproof bowl. As the paper burns, continue visualizing what you’re banishing and how you’ll feel when it’s gone for good. Imagine the smoke carrying it away and out the window.

Dispose of the Ashes

Once cool, bury the ashes outside in the earth or safely dispose of them in the trash. This helps to release its energy completely. Since you are removing this energy, do not bury it on or around your home or the place you’re protecting (see additional disposal options below).

Protect Your Space

After completing a banishment spell, I recommend following it up with a protection spell or ritual so the energy doesn’t return. Here are a few ideas to help get you started:

• Create a Protection Candle
• Cleanse and Wear a Hag Stone
• DIY Protection Sigils
• Perform an Egg Cleanse on yourself
• Cleanse yourself in a ritual bath
• Repeat Affirmations that Help You Step Into Your Power

This simple banishment spell helps clear away what’s no longer serving you and prevents its energy from flowing back in.

How to Dispose of Banishment Spells

When your banishment spell is complete, you want to dispose of any remaining spell elements. It’s also important to consider its impact on the environment.

Please be respectful and mindful by only disposing of biodegradable ingredients outside. Also, remember to place them somewhere they will not be disturbed.

Banishing Spell Disposal Methods:

• Burning: Safely burn spell remnants in a fireproof container. The flames transform the energy and release it into the Universe as smoke. Sometimes, ashes are left over; keep reading for ways to dispose of them. If any ashes are left, I like to drive outside of town and release the ashes into the wind.
• Burying: Bury biodegradable spell remains in the earth. Choose a spot away from your home because you want this energy away from you. If possible, bury it on the property of the person you’re trying to banish.
• Placing at a Crossroads: Some traditional practitioners will leave spell remains at a crossroads, especially if your spell involves Hecate.
• Trash: If the leftover spell ingredients cannot be burned or buried, simply dispose of them in the trash. I like visualizing whatever I banished in a stinky, nasty garbage dump.

Different Types of Banishing Spells

There are many different ways to do a banishment spell! Feel free to use whatever method works best for you! At the end of the day, they all remove unwanted energy from your life and sacred space.

Here are some simple and powerful banishing spell techniques:

Banishing Oil

You can easily make your own banishing oil by infusing a carrier oil with corresponding dried herbs such as clove, cinnamon, and rosemary. I typically infuse olive oil to protect and increase a spell’s potency. I’ll also use coconut oil for purification and protection.

Let it infuse for about 6 – 8 weeks. If you’re in a hurry, you can also buy Banishing Oil.

Once it’s ready, you can use this oil in your spellwork however you like! It’s excellent for anointing candles, objects, doors, bedframes, or even in your car to remove unwanted energy.

Bitch Be Gone Spray

Using a Banishing Spray is perfect if you want a discreet way to clear negative energy from your space, especially if smoke bothers you. This spray is sometimes hilariously called Bitch Be Gone Spray.

It can be sprayed around your home, work area, care, or anywhere that needs a fresh energy reset. For a DIY recipe, check out the Banishing Ritual: Remove Negativity with the Waning Moon section below for my simple banishing spray recipe.

Banishing Powder

Banishing powder is one of my favorite ways to protect a home or sacred space. Sprinkle it around doorways, windows, or on the ground to keep negativity away. It’s perfect for beginner witches who are still in the closet because no one will really notice it.

To make your own, grind salt, black pepper, cloves, and cinnamon and mix them together. (Feel free to customize this). Salt is a great addition to protective barriers. However, if you plan to sprinkle it on the ground outside, remove the salt because it can damage plants.

Banishing Spell Candle

Creating a Banishing Spell Candle is one of my favorite ways to do a banishment. Candle magic is a popular choice for many spiritual practitioners because it’s so powerful and quick. A lit candle symbolizes and joins the physical world with the spiritual.

Black candles frequently appear in banishing spells because their spiritual meaning represents endings, protection, and the eviction of negative energy. They are effective at breaking curses, removing harmful entities, and protecting against illness or spiritual attacks.

For your Banishing Spell Candle Ritual, make a sigil that aligns with your intentions and carve it into the black candle. You could even anoint it using Banishing Oil and dress it with herbs for an extra punch of intention while focusing on the negative energy you’re banishing.

Let the candle burn down completely, and dispose of the remnants. To learn more about candle magic, check out my Candle Magic Video Series, which covers everything from beginner basics to candle dressing and divination readings.

Bath Banishing Spell

Bath rituals are relaxing but effective ways to banish negativity. I normally do them when I want to rid myself of negative energy, sickness, or bad luck.

To create your own Bath Banishment Ritual, select the ingredients you like. You can add a handful of herbs, bubble bath, essential oils, or Epsom salt. Consider the spiritual intentions of the scents and ingredients you choose.

Play music you feel would align with your banishment spell intentions. You could also create the Banishment Candle above and burn it while you bathe. As you soak, visualize the bad energy being absorbed by the water.

When you’re done, let the water drain and imagine the negative energy going with it. You can also do this in the shower. I recommend still listening to the music and using a shower bomb with a corresponding scent.

Four Thieves Vinegar

Four Thieves Vinegar has some fascinating folklore surrounding it, although no one knows if it’s entirely true. The tale originates from four thieves who used this herbal vinegar blend to protect themselves from illness during the bubonic plague.

In modern times, witches also use it in banishing spells. Its protective properties make it a powerful ally.

I normally use this recipe from The Herbal Academy. Sometimes, I add it to my Fire Cider (watch me). I think it tastes like a better version of Olive Garden’s salad dressing, so I also love using it for a bit of Kitchen Witchery.

If you don’t mind the vinegar smell, sprinkle it around your home or add it to your Bath Banishing Spell.

How Do You Know if a Banishing Spell Worked?

I mean, the simplest answer is: if you achieved the outcome you wanted, it worked! For example, say you were trying to banish a bad habit. Once the banishment spell was complete, you felt lighter and calmer, and you stopped repeating that habit; it’s a good sign the spell worked.

It really depends on the spellwork and the magnitude of your desired result. Sometimes, changes happen quickly, while other times, things may take days or weeks to shift.

Being patient, trusting the process, and using your intuition is important. Record any changes or feelings in your journal, Grimoire, or Wiccan Book of Shadows. I normally wait a full lunar cycle until I try to redo my spellwork. However, that’s my personal practice; feel free to do whatever resonates with you!

Can You Reverse a Banishing Spell?

Yes, you can reverse a banishing spell, but it isn’t always an easy process. For example, reversing a banishing spell won’t instantly rebuild relationships or restore situations to the way they were.

This, of course, depends on the type of banishing spell you did. Some practitioners will work the spell backward step-by-step to cancel out the original. A common example is if you originally used moon water, you could use solar water.

If it were me, I’d simply write a clear and detailed message that I wish to reverse the banishment and then burn the paper to release the energy. I might even create a sigil for this purpose.

For future reference, here are some things to consider before doing spellwork:

• Don’t rush into spellwork: Could this issue be resolved with mundane solutions?
• Be mindful of consequences: Think through the potential outcomes of your spell. What will happen if it works; are you truly prepared for the result?
• Avoid spellwork under the influence: This is a bit controversial, but consider being fully present, focused, and clear-headed when casting spells.
• Record your spellwork: Keep a detailed record in your grimoire, journal, or Wiccan Book of Shadows. This makes it easier to reverse or tweak spells later.
• Energy alignment: Make sure you’re in a healthy emotional state before doing spellwork. Your energy plays a big role in spell results.

Banishing Ritual: Remove Negativity with the Waning Moon

This is a simple DIY Banishing Spray that I use to capture the powerful spiritual energy of the waning moon. Simply spritz this anywhere you need to remove negativity.

I use the waning moon to give my banishing spells a bit of extra oomph because its spiritual intentions symbolize release, letting go, and clearing out unwanted energy.

Gather Your Supplies

• Small glass spray bottle
• Cheap Vodka (for purification and preservation)
• Dried orange peels (to dispel dark energy and add positive solar energy)
  • It must be completely dry because moisture will ruin this spray!
• Whole cloves (for protection and banishment)
• A small bowl (optional)
• Funnel (optional)

Step-By-Step Instructions

• Cleanse Your Space & Tools:
  • Cleanse your space and the tools you’ll use in the method of your choice.
• Create the Spray:
  • Fill your spray bottle about three-quarters full with vodka.
  • Add dried orange peels and whole cloves to the bottle.
  • If needed, use a small bowl to mix the ingredients, then funnel them into the bottle.
• Set Your Intention:
  • As you add each ingredient, if you have a specific intention, focus on what you want to banish. I normally use this for a basic sacred space cleanse, so I keep the intention kind of basic. Maybe something like “remove all negative energies that wish me or my loved ones harm.”
• Charge Under the Waning Moon:
  • Hold the spray bottle in your hands and visualize how this spray will banish and protect.
  • Place the bottle outside or on a windowsill where it can soak up the energy of the waning moon overnight.
• Use the Spray:
  • Let it infuse for 6-8 weeks in a cool, dark area.
  • When it’s finished, feel free to spritz your banishing spray wherever you need it! I normally leave the cloves and dried orange peels in the spray bottle.

Banishing Spell vs. Cursing – What’s the Difference?

A banishing spell removes negative energy, people, etc., from your life. It’s not necessarily meant to cause harm but to remove and clear a situation.

A curse is specifically designed to cause harm or bad luck to someone, maybe in the form of revenge. Banishing is more for protection, and cursing is more to inflict harm.

What’s the Difference Between a Cord-Cutting and Banishing Spell?

A cord-cutting ritual is a powerful spell symbolically severing negative energetic connections binding us to relationships or attachments. It releases bonds connecting you with unhealthy bonds so you can heal and move on.

Personally, I think a cord-cutting ritual is a type of banishing spell. It cuts that attachment and removes it from your life.

What’s the Difference Between a Binding and Banishing Spell?

A Binding Spell restricts or influences the actions of an object, person, or spiritual energy. There are two different types of Binding Spells:

• Protection Binding Spell (used to stop someone from doing harm or being toxic)
• Binding Spell for Love (meant to create or deepen a strong connection between people)

A binding spell restricts and influences, and banishing is about pushing away.

I hope you found this Banishing Spell article helpful! Lots of love to you, and remember, as always…

Sources

Cunningham, Scott. Cunningham’s Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs. Llewellyn Publications. 1 October 1985.

Porto, Vagner Carvalheiro. Material Culture as Amulets: Magical Elements and the Apotropaic in Ancient Roman World. Philosophy Study, v. 10, n. 8, p. 492-502, 2020. https://doi.org/10.17265/2159-5313/2020.08.003.

Further Suggested Reading

Kraig, Donald. Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram. Llewellyn. 07 July 2005.

Maroney, Tim. On the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram. Sacred-Texts.