How to Detect, Avoid, and Handle Malicious Spirits

In October 2020, a study measured peoples’ heart rates while they watched horror movies. They aimed to see which movie caused the most consistent rapid heart rate, not just leaps from jump scares. The five scariest movies--Sinister, Insidious, The Conjuring, Hereditary, and Paranormal Activity--all featured malicious demons or ghosts. 

Two years earlier, research from Chapman University determined that 57.7% of Americans believe in spirits or hauntings. Although many participants claimed that they were not scared of spirits, the current horror movie market says otherwise.

Spirit workers might look at these studies and wonder, are all spirits really malicious? Do evil spirits really possess people like in the movies? And how do we, as magicians, keep ourselves safe?

In this post, I’m going to talk about malicious spirits and how to detect them. Much of this post stems from my personal experience and UPG (unverified personal gnosis). However, I will also reference information from folklore.

Do Evil Spirits Exist?

Abd al-'Aziz/Wikipedia Commons

In an effort to make spirit work appear more safe and accessible, some online practitioners have claimed that evil spirits do not exist. Personally, I find this claim to not only be incorrect, but potentially dangerous. 

Some of the world’s earliest magical texts include spells that protect people from spirits. The Maqlû, a collection of incantations from Mesopotamia, lists spells that guard people against witchcraft and spirits. Some of the ancient Greeks practiced apotropaic magic, in which they summoned chthonic deities or heroes to protect them against spirits. Some of these charms can be found in the Greek Magical Papyri, known in the occult community as the PGM (Papyri Graecae Magicae).

But if you were to base your entire spiritual knowledge on horror movies, you might think that all spirits are evil. This is not the case. Religions and folklore tell us that there are far more spirits than just ghosts, poltergeists, and demons. Hell, even if a ghost is in your house, that doesn’t mean that it wants to harm you.

Approach spiritual morality in the same way that most people view human morality. Some are good and helpful, while others and evil, and many are somewhere in the middle. It’s not uncommon for a spirit to act kind until they feel slighted.

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How Can Spirits Harm Us?

Depending on the religion and culture, malicious spirits can harm people in any number of ways. According to Mesopotamian religious texts, angry ghosts can inflict illness and bad luck onto people. In certain Muslim traditions, malicious djinn were similar; they could even steal food or other items. Irish folklore tells of faeries who kidnapped humans to work for them before returning them to the human realm. 

For simplicity’s sake, I put together a list of the ways that spirits might harm people. These are based on both UPG and folklore I’ve read.

• Unusual bad luck
  
• Illness
  
• Stealing or misplacing belongings
  
• Nightmares
  
• Possession (very rare)
  
• Manipulating people into contracts or deals
  
• Physical pain: scratches, burns, hand prints, etc.
  
• Forced trances
  
• Leeching off your energy
  
• Mental or emotional manipulation
  

How to Quickly Detect Malicious Spirits ​

When I first practiced spirit work around 13 years ago, I ran into quite a few malicious spirits. I was naive, arrogant, and lacked supervision, so I fell for a lot of their tricks. Now, I know how to detect when spirits might have an ulterior motive. Based on my experiences, plus the experiences that other practitioners have shared with me, I’ve put together a list of red flags.

1. It sounds too good to be true. Some spirits approach magicians with claims of grandeur. They might say that you are their queen/king, that you are gifted, or that you are the “chosen one” or “only one who can help them.” This is especially common with new spirit workers. Take it from a crone: If it sounds too good to be true, it is. We all love to be complimented, and spirits who go out of their way to flatter you are probably manipulating you.
   
2. They’re being purposefully vague. “I need you to help me.” With what? “Something bad will happen.” What will happen? “Your ancestor wants to talk to you.” Which ancestor? Many new spirit workers mistake vagueness for their inability to understand spirits. This is another way that an evil spirit can manipulate you. If a spirit genuinely needs your help or wants to give you information, they will find a way to tell you clearly. I guarantee it. 
   
3. They guilt-trip you. One of the most common manipulation tactics that spirits use is to claim that they need help, and that you’re the only person who can do it. Predators use this to get victims, too. When I aid the dead, they are usually very grateful. But if the spirit does not act grateful and continues to push, beware. 
   
4. They’re giving you different answers each time. This is a huge red flag, especially for people who contact spirits through divination. When you first start working with a spirit, write down questions to ask them. When the spirit answers, jot down the answers. The next day, ask them the same questions. If the answers are different, then either the spirit is lying to you or you need to work on your divination skills. 
   
5. You feel awful after working with them. If you want to work with ancestors, heed this tip! You are never required to work with spirits who make you feel awful, even if they’re family. Sure, the spirit might not be intentionally making you feel bad. But at the risk of sounding New-Agey, why waste your time on that negative energy?
   

Your gut is screaming, “wait!” Just as you should follow your intuition around creepy people, you should do the same for spirits. ​

Some spirit work protection talismans.

Spirits Who Disguise As Deities ​

I’ve had many people ask me if spirits can pretend to be deities. In short, yes, they can. Learning to distinguish between a deity and spirit requires certain skills and experience, and I plan to write an entire post about this topic. 

Here’s all I will say for now: If your deity suddenly sounds different--if They say something that’s entirely out of character or contradictory--be suspicious.

What to Do When You Encounter a Malicious Spirit

Because this post is already so long, I can’t go into detail about every single spell you should perform. But I put together a short list of what you should do if you believe that you encounter a malicious spirit. If you want a separate post about this topic, comment or message me. 

1. Rule out all other explanations. When it comes to spirit work, mundane explanations always take precedence. If you have a few nightmares, or if you have a streak of bad luck, that is not guaranteed to be a negative spirit. You can also perform a spell to determine whether or not you are being haunted.
   
2. Cut contact. Just cut it. Do not give the spirit a second chance.
   
3. Do NOT just cleanse. I cannot tell you how many times I’ve read this: “I tried smoke cleansing, but it didn’t work! The spirit is still there!” The idea that cleansing gets rid of spirits stems from media and common misconception. Cleansing gets rid of negative energies, but it does not get rid of a spirit. What you’re looking for is a banishing spell.
   
4. Banish. Again, cleansing is not enough to get rid of a malicious spirit. You want a strong banishing spell to get them away from you.
   
5. If the spirit is actively harming you, bind them. Binding is a technique that prevents the spirit from moving. Ceremonial magicians bind spirits as soon as they summon them so they don’t get harmed. A binding spell might keep a spirit away from you. 
   
6. Protect yourself and your home. Ideally, spirit workers should cast protection spells on their homes before they contact spirits. But if you need extra protection, cast it. Draw the rune algiz on your body; hang the sator square above your bed; or jam coffin nails into the outside corners of your home. There are many other protection charms; those are just a few.
   
7. If you contacted the spirit through a magical tool, put it away for a bit. Cleanse the tool, and then put it in your closet underneath a black blanket. This will cut off all of the energies attached to the tool. I’d leave it for at least a week, and then check it.
   

If you need help, ask. There are plenty of other magicians, occultists, and priests out there who can help you. Just ensure that you’re asking a trusted source.

My drawing of the sator square.

Conclusion

Not all spirits act like they do in horror movies. Some are far more subtle, and others work to flatter you instead of scare you. If you know how malicious spirits act, you can detect them early. Then it’s just a matter of cutting contact, banishing, and protecting.