Banishing vs Binding: Which Protective Magic is Right for You?

What is Banishing?

Banishing is the magical practice of removing, expelling, or sending away unwanted energies, entities, people, or situations from your life or space. Banishing magic pushes things OUT and AWAY—it creates distance and separation. When you banish something, you're essentially saying "Leave and don't come back." Banishing is active removal, like sweeping dirt out of your house or closing a door firmly.

Banishing Characteristics:

• Action: Removal, expulsion, sending away
• Direction: Outward and away from you
• Effect: Creates distance and separation
• Duration: Can be permanent or require renewal
• Energy: Active, forceful, cleansing
• Goal: Complete removal from your life/space

Banishing is like eviction—you're removing something from your space entirely.

What is Binding?

Binding is the magical practice of restricting, restraining, or immobilizing someone or something to prevent harm or unwanted action. Binding magic ties things DOWN and STILL—it creates limitation and control. When you bind something, you're essentially saying "Stop what you're doing, you can't harm me." Binding is containment, like tying someone's hands or putting them in a box.

Binding Characteristics:

• Action: Restriction, restraint, immobilization
• Direction: Inward, contained, frozen
• Effect: Limits action and power
• Duration: Lasts as long as binding is maintained
• Energy: Restrictive, controlling, freezing
• Goal: Stop harmful actions without removal

Binding is like handcuffs—you're preventing someone from acting, but they're still present.

Key Differences Between Banishing and Binding

1. What Happens to the Target

Banishing:

• Target is removed from your life/space
• They go away, leave, exit
• You create distance and separation
• They can still act, just not near you
• Complete removal is the goal

Binding:

• Target remains but is restricted
• They stay but can't act against you
• You limit their power or actions
• They're frozen, tied, or contained
• Neutralization is the goal

2. When to Use Each

Use Banishing when:

• You want someone completely out of your life
• You need to remove negative energy from your space
• You want to end a situation or relationship
• You can afford to have them gone entirely
• You want a clean break
• The problem is the presence itself

Use Binding when:

• You can't remove someone (coworker, family, neighbor)
• You need to stop specific harmful actions
• You want to neutralize without removing
• Complete removal isn't possible or desirable
• You need ongoing control of the situation
• The problem is specific actions, not presence

3. Ethical Considerations

Banishing:

• Generally considered more ethical
• Removes without controlling
• Respects free will (they can go elsewhere)
• Defensive, not offensive
• Widely accepted in magical communities

Binding:

• Ethically complex
• Restricts free will and action
• Can be seen as controlling
• Should be used only for protection from genuine harm
• Requires careful ethical consideration

4. Difficulty and Maintenance

Banishing:

• Relatively straightforward
• One-time or periodic renewal
• Easier to maintain
• Clear when it's working (they're gone)
• Can be reinforced with wards

Binding:

• More complex
• Requires ongoing energy
• Must be maintained or refreshed
• Can weaken over time
• Creates ongoing magical connection

5. Reversibility

Banishing:

• Can be reversed by inviting back
• Target can return if you allow
• Relatively easy to undo
• Clean separation makes reversal clear

Binding:

• Must be actively unbound
• Requires ritual to release
• Can be more difficult to undo cleanly
• May have lingering effects

How to Perform a Banishing

Simple Banishing Spell:

1. Write the name/situation on paper
2. Speak your intention: "[Name/situation], I banish you from my life. Leave and do not return."
3. Burn the paper (fire banishes and transforms)
4. Scatter ashes to the wind or flush down toilet
5. Cleanse your space with smoke or salt water
6. Seal with protection (ward your space)

Banishing with a Broom:

1. Open all doors and windows
2. Start at the back of your space
3. Sweep toward the front door with intention
4. Visualize negativity being swept out
5. Say: "Out, out, all negativity! This space is cleansed and free!"
6. Sweep everything out the front door
7. Close and ward the door

Waning Moon Banishing:

• Perform during waning moon (moon decreasing = banishing time)
• Write what you're banishing on bay leaf
• Burn bay leaf in cauldron
• Say: "As this moon wanes, so does [problem]. By the dark moon, it is gone."
• Dispose of ashes away from your property

How to Perform a Binding

Simple Binding Spell:

1. Create a representation: Photo, name on paper, or poppet
2. Wrap tightly with black cord or thread
3. Speak your intention: "[Name], I bind you from causing harm. Your harmful actions are frozen, your power over me is gone."
4. Tie nine knots while repeating intention
5. Store in a dark place or freeze in ice
6. Keep until threat is gone, then dispose of respectfully

Freezer Binding:

1. Write target's name on paper
2. Place in jar or bag with water
3. Add binding herbs (knotweed, agrimony)
4. Say: "[Name], I freeze your harmful actions. You cannot harm me while you are bound."
5. Place in freezer
6. Leave frozen as long as needed
7. To release: thaw and dispose of contents

Binding with Poppet:

1. Create poppet representing target
2. Name the poppet clearly
3. Wrap with black cord, binding arms and legs
4. Say: "I bind [name] from causing harm. Your actions against me are bound."
5. Store in dark box or bury
6. Maintain as long as needed

Which Practice is Right for You?

Choose Banishing if:

• You want someone completely out of your life
• You're ending a toxic relationship
• You need to remove negative energy from your space
• You can afford to have them gone
• You want a clean break
• You're comfortable with permanent removal
• The situation allows for complete separation

Choose Binding if:

• You can't remove someone (coworker, family member)
• You need to stop specific harmful actions
• Complete removal isn't possible
• You need ongoing protection from someone you must interact with
• You want to neutralize without removing
• You're willing to maintain the spell
• You understand the ethical implications

Can You Use Both Together?

Yes, and sometimes it's the most effective approach:

• Bind then banish: Bind their harmful actions, then banish them from your life
• Banish with binding backup: Banish them, but bind them from returning
• Layered protection: Bind specific actions, banish their influence
• Staged approach: Try banishing first; if they return, bind them

Ethical Guidelines

For Banishing:

• Ensure you have the right to remove them (your space, your life)
• Consider mundane solutions first (blocking, restraining orders)
• Don't banish someone from their own space
• Be prepared for permanent separation
• Use for protection, not revenge

For Binding:

• Only bind to prevent genuine harm
• Don't bind for petty reasons or revenge
• Bind actions, not the person's entire will
• Be specific about what you're binding
• Understand you're restricting free will
• Be prepared to maintain or release the binding
• Consider if you're willing to accept karmic consequences

When NOT to Use These Practices

Don't banish or bind when:

• You're angry and not thinking clearly
• Mundane solutions haven't been tried
• You're seeking revenge rather than protection
• The "harm" is minor or imagined
• You haven't considered consequences
• You're not willing to accept responsibility

Alternatives to Consider

Before banishing or binding, consider:

• Shielding: Protect yourself without affecting them
• Cord cutting: Sever energetic connection
• Mirror spell: Reflect their energy back to them
• Freezing (mild binding): Slow their actions without full binding
• Communication: Mundane conversation or boundaries
• Legal action: Restraining orders, HR complaints, etc.

Breaking or Reversing

To Reverse a Banishing:

1. Acknowledge you want to reverse it
2. Perform a welcoming ritual
3. Invite the person/energy back
4. Cleanse and reset your space
5. Be clear about new boundaries

To Release a Binding:

1. Retrieve the binding (frozen jar, wrapped poppet, etc.)
2. Unwrap or thaw with intention
3. Say: "[Name], I release this binding. You are free, and I am protected by other means."
4. Dispose of materials respectfully
5. Cleanse yourself and space
6. Set up alternative protection

Signs Your Spell is Working

Banishing is working when:

• The person stops contacting you
• They move away or leave your life
• Negative energy in your space dissipates
• You feel lighter and freer
• The situation resolves and ends

Binding is working when:

• The person's harmful actions stop
• They seem unable to affect you
• Their power over you diminishes
• You feel protected even in their presence
• Their attempts to harm fail or backfire

Common Mistakes

Banishing Mistakes:

• Not cleansing and warding after banishing (they can return)
• Banishing in anger without clear intention
• Not being specific about what you're banishing
• Forgetting to seal your space afterward

Binding Mistakes:

• Binding too broadly (entire person vs. specific actions)
• Not maintaining the binding (it weakens)
• Binding out of pettiness rather than genuine need
• Not having a plan for eventual release
• Creating ongoing connection you don't want

Final Thoughts

Banishing and binding are two powerful protective practices, each with distinct purposes and ethics. Banishing offers clean removal—perfect for ending toxic relationships, clearing negative energy, and creating permanent separation. Binding offers controlled neutralization—perfect for situations where removal isn't possible but protection is necessary.

Neither should be used lightly. Both require clear intention, ethical consideration, and willingness to accept responsibility for the consequences. Always try mundane solutions first, and use magic as a last resort or supplement to practical action.

Whether you're sweeping negativity out your door or freezing someone's harmful actions, both practices remind us: we have the right and power to protect ourselves, our spaces, and our peace. Use that power wisely, ethically, and with full awareness of what you're doing and why.