Maintaining and respecting your own personal sacred space — and that of others — is essential to your emotional, psychic, and physical well-being. Many spiritual philosophies uphold the idea of the body as a temple. But your personal sanctuary extends beyond the limitations of the physical body.

You've probably heard of an aura, a subtle energy body that surrounds your physical form. This subtle energy field envelops you like a cocoon of light, radiating out from your physical body at least several inches to more than a foot in all directions. Sensitive individuals can actually see auras as shifting orbs of color and light. The haloes depicted in religious artwork around the heads of saints and spiritual beings are auras. Vibrational healers believe that imbalances in the aura eventually materialize as disease in the physical body. Meditation, chanting, music, prayer, and visualization can help balance and cleanse your aura.

At times, you may feel a need to enhance your personal sanctuary, either to establish inner peace or to protect yourself. The easiest way to do this is to envision yourself enclosed in a ball of pure white light, while you repeat the following affirmation: “I am surrounded by divine white light. I am safe and sound at all times and in all situations, now and always.”

Some witches like to wear magickal jewelry or talismans to strengthen and safeguard their personal energy fields. Quartz crystals are often used for this purpose. You could fashion a harmonizing talisman and include items that correspond to the four elements. The following chapters will talk more about elemental connections and how to use gems, minerals, and plants for healing, protection, and other purposes.