Shapeshifters

There is more to this world than we know.

Be careful when encountering malevolent beings.

Help. I saw a skin walker, I looked him in the eyes, now I don't feel like me. Everything sounds like I'm underwater and far away since I saw him. I've been practicing witchcraft for 6+ years and have no clue what to do. I already made protection and banishing spells. I have a salt circle, a protection spell including pink salt, bay leaves with sigils on them, and various gems I feel connected to, and black salt pentagrams on my windows. I am not sure on all the spells and rituals I can perform for protection.Is there any advice you can give me? Please, I'm desperate.

I’ll be honest, this question spooks me, for a few reasons. One is that it is believed to be tempting fate to discuss these beings; they hear us talking (or, perhaps in this case, reading and writing) about them and it draws them to us. Also, although the myth of the sk!n w@lker is ancient and widespread, from the Navajo, Hopi, and Mohawk people, to the Aztec and Yaqui tribes, as well as European and Norse lore (as “were” creatures, most notable of course being the werewolf), it is primarily an Indigenous story. I am not Indigenous, and will do my best to be respectful when discussing things that are not a part of my culture. I would prefer to avoid this question all together, but you reached out desperately, so I'll offer what I can.

In certain Native American traditions, sk!n w@lkers are shapeshifters (which is how I'll refer to them from here on) evil witches that use their power to transform into various animals. They are thought to be incredibly fast, tricky, and dangerous. They usually acquire their powers through demonic acts of violence and the misuse of their magic. It is believed that shapeshifters can possess people by looking into their eyes.

In general, to my understanding, there isn’t a lot we can do to protect ourselves. Some believe the only was to survive after being targeted is to kill the evil witch when in their human form. Personally I can't advocate for the killing of witches, evil or otherwise. Problematic homicide aside, it is famously tricky to identify these beings when they are walking on two legs. As creatures they tend to be malformed versions of the animals they are embodying, with stretched out limbs, human like faces, and glowing eyes.

Lore says that only a powerful shaman can defeat a shapeshifter, so you might want to go in search of an Indigenous medicine person to help you.

In my research I came across the mention of “white ash” several times. You can source ash from a witchcraft supply store, or make your own. When making your own, burn herbs/plants/incense etc that has personal meaning for you, and collect the ash. Perhaps you could use white ash in your protection and banishment rituals. Try mixing it with salt or using it to make sigils on your skin.

If you find yourself being hunted by a mysterious creature, practice invisibility. I tune into the energy of the dark moon, present but unseen. Imagine the new moon (doesn’t matter what phase it’s currently in), the dark side of the moon, the moon in the day time. This is the energy you are going to pull down around yourself, wrapping up in a cape of dark moon invisibility. See it as a swirling mist, a drape of black silk, a length of midnight blue velvet. However it appears to you, imagine it cloaking you entirely, so that you may move unseen through the world. Do this daily, or as often as you feel your visibility returning.

Beyond that, I hesitate to make too many suggestions, as this is not my area of expertise. If this happened to me, I would call on my ancestors, spirit guardians, and other allies to ask for their help in exorcising this malevolent energy, and let them guide the way. And I would search for a local Native American healer or shaman to assist me further.

As I’ve said before, there is more in this wide world than we understand. It’s easy to get in over our heads when walking the magical realms, and there is no shame in asking for help when we find ourselves at a loss. It is better to turn to an expert than to dig ourselves deeper into danger. Take care, and good luck.