Spiritual protection

Spiritual Protection is something that everyone should know how to do, regardless of our religious beliefs (or lack of). It encompasses far more than just ghosts & spirits too.

Negativity in any form can be damaging to the human energy field (aura). Fear, anger, depression, negative people/places, arguments and more actually create negative energy that can cling to you or build up in your home and cause problems over time. Spiritual cleansings are very important, for yourself and your home. I recommend they be done at least every few months, more if you find yourself feeling stressed or fatigued.
White Light Protection
One of the most important aspects of spiritual protection is "white light" protection. It's very simple to do, and maybe you've even read about it or done it without knowing it. It's very effective at removing and preventing negative energy from harming you. To do this, just visualize an egg-shaped sphere of brilliant white light completely surrounding you, from head to toe. Really focus on seeing it clearly in your mind, and keep building it up so it's SUPER bright and glowing. See it as a solid barrier of protection that negativity cannot cross. If you wish, you can also say a prayer of protection while doing this. You don't have to get fancy with the wording. Say something like, "God/dess, please surround me with a sphere of powerful, brilliant white light. Send the Archangels to protect me from all harm, and please send my Spirit Guides to guide me, guard me and keep away all negative influences."
You can do this for yourself, loved ones, pets, even your house and car! Before traveling anywhere, you can visualize this white light surrounding your car, and the occupants of the car. At night before you go to bed, visualize the white light completely surrounding your house and your family, preventing any harmful energies from entering. This should be done frequently, whether you feel threatened or not. Over time, this builds up a strong shield of protection that is with you always. And just keep reinforcing it, day after day. It's best to do this in the morning and again at night before bed, but it can be done as many times as you want, any time of day.
Herbs for Protection and Purification
Here is a list of common plants and herbs that are very good for removing (and preventing) negative energy: aloe, anise, barley, basil, bay leaf, cactus, carnation, cedar, chamomile, cinnamon, clove, cumin, curry, dill, dragon's blood, eucalyptus, fennel, fern, flax, frankincense, garlic, ginseng, ivy, lavendar, myrrh, onion, parsley, pepper, peppermint, rosemary, sage, thyme, violet.

After your house cleansing, fill some pretty dishes with these protective herbs, and place them on tables or shelves in the main parts of your home. (Caution: Some herbs are toxic, be sure to keep out of reach of children and animals!) The herbs should be replaced every few months. However, don't toss the old herbs in the trash - rather, sprinkle them outside, to return them to Nature so they can be recycled. :-) You can also make pretty herbal sachets or "charm bags" to hang on doors or tuck in a drawer. Place one in your car for protection while traveling. Sprinkle protective herbs on the tops of doorways, or at the thresholds of your home.
Smudging
Burning certain incenses (which have the same properties as the herbs) can achieve the same effect. This is similar to "smudging". Smudging usually involves taking a bundle of dried sage leaves (sage is great for neutralizing negative energies!) and lighting the tip of it until it starts to smoke, then waving the smudge stick around your home, letting the smoke remove negative energy. The incense does the same thing, you don't have to use Sage sticks. Frankincense, Sandalwood, Myrrh and Sage are the greatest for removing negativity.
Sea Salt - The Ultimate Purifier
Sea salt is an EXCELLENT neutralizer! The ocean holds a lot of power, especially for cleansing and healing, so sea salt obviously does too. You can get pure sea salt at health food stores, and many online shops also carry it. (try to get "unrefined sea salt" if possible, because it retains most of its natural properties) You can mix in some sea salt with your herb mixtures, or use it by itself as described above for the herbs.
Charging Objects With Your Intent
White candles are also great for removing negative energy, and you can make them work even better by "charging" them. (in fact, you can charge your herbs the same way to help activate their natural properties) To "charge" something means that you are infusing it with energy, and your intention. It's really simple to do this.
Hold the candle (or whatever object you wish) in both hands (or you can hover both hands above/around it, if it's a dish of something) and visualize it being infused with brilliant white light from your hands. Just the same way you did the white light protection for yourself and your family. But this time see the energy soaking into the candle and making it glow bright white. You can state an intention out loud if you want to, "I infuse this candle with powerful purifying energy, and ask that this energy spread through our lives and remove all negativity." Then when you light the candle, it releases the energy out into your home, and by extension, the universe.

You can also charge things like jewelry, to hold a certain intent. Metals particularly hold a charge VERY well, for a long time. For example, you can "charge" rings or necklaces with prosperity/success energy (green and/or red energy), and wear them to a job interview. Will this guarantee you the job? Of course not. But you are stating your intent to the Universe, and therefore you are putting certain energies into motion, which can help you. It's all about your intent and the energy you put into it.
Crystals and Gemstones
Certain crystals and stones also carry protective properties. Here is a short list of the most common ones: agate, amber, amethyst, black onyx, citrine, coral, emerald, garnet, obsidian (apache tears), ruby, tourmaline.

You can charge your gemstones and either carry them with you, place them around your home, or purchase jewelry that contains stones with the properties you want, and wear them.