Sphere of Protection for Protection

The sphere of protection (SoP) is the basis for many AODA solitary rituals. In my post Sphere of Protection and the Three Worlds, I present my version of the SoP that incorporates the ADF cosmology. Recently, I’ve been experimenting with making the protection components more effective.

I won’t go over the details of the ritual here; you can find them on the main AODA site or in my other blog post. This approach can also be adapted to any ritual that calls in different powers, elements, or beings.

For this purpose, I emphasize the protection aspect as I call in the powers of each direction. After opening each gate and calling in the element, I explicitly ask for “blessings and protection.” For example, for the East in an AODA SoP, I’d make the symbol for Air, then say “By the yellow gate of the winds, and by the sound of the crows upon the wing, I call forth the element of Air.” and add “May Air bless me and protect me.” As I say that, I imagine myself covered in yellow. If yellow isn’t your thing or visualizing isn’t your thing, engage what senses you can. Maybe you feel calm or imagine the smell of something you associate with Air. Perhaps you brush your hands over yourself to “paint” your aura with the power of Air.

I repeat the added words and visualization with each quarter, below, and above. The final step of the SoP is to call forth the lunar current. For other traditions, this might be an inner power or other spirit. As I call forth the lunar current, I imagine it as a column through my body, expanding out through the layers, picking up the energy of each direction as it expands to form a shield around me.

I’ve you’re looking for a little added protection, maybe you can use my changes as inspiration for your own ritual updates.

[image description: a woman sits in full medical protective gear . She is writing notes.]