Depending on where you live, you may hear about "foot tricks" where people place nasty items in your path for you to step on. If you want to avoid engaging with this sort of thing or accidentally stepping in some nastiness, keep your shoes outside your home if you can. It's a good idea to have a spray to use on the bottom of your shoes to knock off negative energy. You can easily make one at home.

You will need:

• Vodka/grain alcohol
• Alum crystal (you can get it from any grocery store spice aisle)
• 7 drops lemongrass essential oil
• 2 drops camphor essential oil
• One glass container with a screw cap
• A glass spray bottle
• A funnel
• Coffee filter or cheesecloth

In a glass bottle, combine the vodka, alum crystal, and essential oils. Allow to sit in a cool, dark place for a week, shaking once a day. At the end of the week, get out your spray bottle. Remove the cap and place the funnel in the neck of the bottle. Run the mixture through the coffee filter-lined funnel into the spray bottle until the bottle is full. Set aside any remaining mixture for future use. Keep this bottle by your front door and spray the bottom of your shoes before you take them off every day. This cancels out any trouble you might pick up while wandering the streets.

Excerpted from Urban Magick, by Diana Rajchel.