there are spirits all around us all the time. I pray all the time. I ask the Highest Entity that I know of to protect me at ALL times. When I am at work (retail) ESPECIALLY - I ask Him to stand between me and every customer - I don't what they have and I don't want any of my old mean-spiritedness getting on them - so I ask for a barrier between me and every human so that I am protected from them and they from me. This point-of-view keeps me in a bubble. Prior to this, however, I did need to go back through my life and right all wrongs, so that I am "clean". Any new wrongs - in the form of thoughts or actions have to be rectified immediately. Negative thoughts can be rectified by talking to someone and acknowledging it - or prayer- and then taking a helpful action toward another. I dabbled when I was a young adult - I was in a coven with 5 other women - but I don't think we were ill-intentioned... I have been scrying my drawings since 2012 and have not run into anything that has harmed me - although some of the readings reveal demons in people's spirits. I have also been involved in a sort of exorcism activity for many years - but I have not gotten anything that has harmed me - as long as I follow natural law. Listening to Mark Passio - whatonearthishappening.com has really helped disuage my fears of the occult. Occult just means "hidden" - sigils, ouija boards, spells are neutral - and it is our responsibility to recognize them as powerful tools - like a gun - guns don't kill people - people do - so I just have to learn about the tool before I use it and then use it in a spirit of Love, not hate. See, I would never "hex" someone - I see a lot of people who teach magickal work - about hexing - what they don't tell you is about the LAW of CAUSE and EFFECT - what I put out there, comes back to me, 3 fold. Sometimes more. Why would I put out a "hex"??? No WAY. There are things to NOT do to prevent negative consequences falling on you. Look into the Kybalion - the 7 Hermetic Principles - which lie behind magick and these occulted traditions - they are the principles that govern this planet. All this stuff is based on using these principles - which are Laws - you should familiarize yourself with them so you know what you are dealing with - the Law of Correspondence - As Above - so Below ... As within - so without... and the Law of Cause and Effect - are both operating as well as the Law of Polarity and the Law of Rhthym and Vibration... check it out - you will start to see that all the practices - of old - are based on using these principles - and people can use them for GOOD or for self-interest ... the trick is to use them for Good and have enlightened self-interest. I think this all gets such a bad rap because most people use them for self-interest without prayer and without thinking of the Highest Good of All... I have done a lot of bad things in my life, but I was able to make them right and start with a clean slate - you can too - I have had demonically possessed people yelling curses IN MY FACE - and me literally say "God Bless you" and not even mean it - and they literally DISAPPEAR into thin air - so - hope this rant helps.