Building a spirit trap!

[thalassa]

How would YOU do it?

(Its a random project I'm pondering since someone asked about it elsewhere)

ETA: How would you "filter" positive vs negative?

[MaskedOne]

Re: Building a spirit trap!

At the moment, probably enchant a dreamcatcher to widen its traditional mandate a bit. They already are designed as filters and I can get access to them pretty easily. Just a matter of figuring out how to expand it and that shouldn't be the largest pain ever. Admittedly, my answer will probably change if I start feeling energetic in the next week or so but modding a dreamcatcher should work for a quick and dirty answer.

[Ophidia]

Re: Building a spirit trap!

I'd probably base it around traditional demon traps. Demons apparently get fascinated by things like labyrinths & grain-counting, so it could probably apply to spirits in general.

Mazes that have no clear 'ending', but sort of wind around themselves. Mandalas & dream-catchers would be just as good, having threads or patterns that don't really stop, but spiral. Beans or grains that would need to be counted, but as they move from one side of the scale/hourglass/contraption to the other, it tips and all the beans/grains move to that side again, so the spirit loses count.

Of course, you can always obtain an item that belonged to the spirit while it was alive and bind the spirit to it magically. It works better if its a bone or body part, but any particularly treasured item can be used. Most folk believe this is bordering on 'black' magic, but if the spirit in question is as much a pain in the ass in the afterlife as they were in real life...

(I've always been more interested in spirit repellents. In the southern US (more coastal than like, Arkansas), houses are painted ha'int blue, and if the whole house can't be blue, you'll see the undersides of porch roofs or window & door sills painted ha'int blue - and paint stores sell shades of blue that are called 'ha'int (haunt) blue', even today. The curved roofs in Asian architecture is there because Asian ghosts can only travel in straight lines - curved roofs sort of ski-ramp them away).

[thalassa]

Re: Building a spirit trap!

I've seen containers with mirrored insides as well, with a single opening and sort of "bait" (not sure what a general purpose bad juju bait would be...)...that supposedly the mirrored inside and the "bait" is supposed to keep 'em inside...

...What about a upside-down, funnel-shaped, inside-mirrored container with a dreamcatcher-type opening?

What would you use to either attract the baddies or repel the goodies or to let the goodies escape but not the baddies?

[Tylluan Penry]

Re: Building a spirit trap!

Here's another suggestion :

Years ago, troublesome ghosts were often pacified with something called a ‘husher.’ A piece of shiny metal was placed in a box concealed in the room where the ghost was most active. The idea was that the ghost would happily occupy itself playing with the husher and become so engrossed in this that it would forget to frighten the living! (c) The Essential Guide to Psychic Self Defence, by Tylluan Penry

[thalassa]

Re: Building a spirit trap!

Mrs. P, what about if its malevolent?

For my own intents and purposes, this is giving me an excuse for an art project...but for someone that is really having problems, and isn't in a situation to *do* anything about it (say its a workplace)...what are some options?

[Tylluan Penry]

Re: Building a spirit trap!

If you can give me an idea how the problem is actually manifesting I'll see if I can come up with some ideas if that would help?

[babyfyrefly]

Re: Building a spirit trap!

How about courtesy? Its strange to me that people always jump to the conclusion that spirits should be warded off... spirits were people too! If it is in a place of work, imagine the spirit's frustration...seeing all of these people just walking by, ignoring you! And all you want is for someone to reach out and communicate with you. Before trying to kick them out, try communicating with them. Acknowledge their presence aloud (though not too loud if you don't have privacy; in which case, put energy behind you words so they will take notice even if you whisper). Reassure them that you mean them no harm and that noone in the office does either. Offer them an outlet for expression: a voice recorder is good for this, but I've found that pendulums are easier for spirits to manipulate for yes/no type questions. Activity may pick up at first, but you will usually find that if you pause to speak with them about once a week or so, it will eventually fade out. Tips on what to say...just ask what you would of anyone who is lost,at first, then move on to more personal questions. Don't push if they don't want to answer in the beginning. Definitely, don't feel embarrassed or ashamed that you're talking to a spirit, you are helping them heal. And one day, before you know it, you won't be receiving answers anymore!

I have had my own experiences with spirits. I have yet to meet one that wants anything more than to be heard.

[MaskedOne]

Re: Building a spirit trap!

I'd expect that Thal is interested in selective warding precisely because not all entities require a boot up the ***. She's mentioned filtering more than once since starting this thread. Past, ghosts may have once been people. Applying such a statement to everything that could be called a spirit however is an interesting bit of presumption that if memory serves is disagreed with by several traditions of shaman, medicine man, etc.

[thalassa]

If you can give me an idea how the problem is actually manifesting I'll see if I can come up with some ideas if that would help?

From what I understand, its a work space that has had some nasty "accidents" and even a suicide or two, and no one lasts working there for more than a few months. The problem is that because of the nature of the work, nothing can be worn as far as jewelry or in clothing because they wear special suits...also, because of the religious beliefs of other workers, nothing overt or obvious can really be done about it. Apparently there has been some attempt to make peace with *whatever it is* but, no one really knows what that might actually be.

We actually had a space like this on the ship--someone had committed suicide there and no one could stand to work in that area for long...but there wasn't any actual entity present...and it wasn't strictly psychological, because even brand new people to the ship would avoid that place and got creeped out if they were there for a while. Cleansing and blessing didn't help for more than a day or so. It was actually quite an odd place...and really I wonder if the space actually had problems *before* the suicide as well.

I'd expect that Thal is interested in selective warding precisely because not all entities require a boot up the ***.

Pretty much...

Also, I'm using the term "spirit trap" since there's an actual thing called a "spirit trap", and the thing that made me think about it is (possibly) an entity of some sort...but I'm intending it more to be (in my own purposes) for negativity in general.

How about courtesy? Its strange to me that people always jump to the conclusion that spirits should be warded off... spirits were people too! If it is in a place of work, imagine the spirit's frustration...seeing all of these people just walking by, ignoring you! And all you want is for someone to reach out and communicate with you.

This isn't my issue...its someone else's, and its a shared space were divining and other things wouldn't be welcome...they have their own way they want/need to deal with it. Also, I'm not convinced it *is* a spirit, though if it were, that *would* be exactly how it was handled. The problem is more one of safety in the work space...since apparently that has been an issue here. Either way, how to deal with it is not my choice...or even my problem, since I'm not any more that intellectually involved.

[Ophidia]

Re: Building a spirit trap!

From what I understand, its a work space that has had some nasty "accidents" and even a suicide or two, and no one lasts working there for more than a few months. The problem is that because of the nature of the work, nothing can be worn as far as jewelry or in clothing because they wear special suits...also, because of the religious beliefs of other workers, nothing overt or obvious can really be done about it. Apparently there has been some attempt to make peace with *whatever it is* but, no one really knows what that might actually be.

Ugh. That's one of those almost-impossible-problems. Unless everyone has a little meeting & comes to some sort of agreement about what, if anything, to do about it, they're probably going to be stuck with a bad space. The best scenario there would be a focus on personal protection - prayer, circles of white light, and a high level of attentiveness while at work.

We have a ghost in the office where we have night audit/guest services/PBX. Everyone knows about the ghost, and we all just sort of deal with it. He's not harmful, just startling and kind of creepy in that he likes to stand over your shoulder and watch what you're doing. Personal space invader, much?

[MaskedOne]

Re: Building a spirit trap!

From what I understand, its a work space that has had some nasty "accidents" and even a suicide or two, and no one lasts working there for more than a few months. The problem is that because of the nature of the work, nothing can be worn as far as jewelry or in clothing because they wear special suits...also, because of the religious beliefs of other workers, nothing overt or obvious can really be done about it. Apparently there has been some attempt to make peace with *whatever it is* but, no one really knows what that might actually be.

Ouch. Can the suits be enchanted? I'm guessing special suit means either protective wear or uniforms so the things should be amenable to protective spells. Past that, shrug, physical harm is about the point where I stop feeling diplomatic and start looking up "PURGE" methods but those can be difficult to arrange in a shared space.

What type of workspace is this by the way? Some provide more flexibility than others in what type of cheap trickery can be smuggled into play.

[Clive]

Re: Building a spirit trap!

How about a lodestone placed inside a specially prepared locked box? The magnet could be enchanted to attract only the spirit (thoughtform, whatever it is) in question and then locked inside the box. With a little creativity such a box could be completely inconspicuous.

Also, would it be at all possible for somebody to perform the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram? It can be performed with no tools if there is time and privacy enough to do this.

[Denarius]

Re: Building a spirit trap!

The way I understand it is that ghosts are parasitic energy beings. They way I've dealt with them is to take something intimately connected with them, or barring that a representation of them, and pair it with iron. The older and rustier the better.

Leave the trap somewhere you know they frequent and wait twenty-four hours. Once that is done bury it in an herb patch, or under a shrine or somethng that has a lot of natural energy to it. Hallowed ground.

Make sure to fill the hole with salt if you feel the spirit would be a threat, otherwise just leave it be so it can become one with the spirit of that place.