What Are Vessels?
A vessel is a tangible object that is partially infused by a willing entity's energy. This process is done in many ways by practitioners of various spiritual backgrounds. It can be done through specialized prayer, energywork, and/or spellwork.
The item the entity chooses acts as their space to easily manifest themselves into the physical. This means it is like a home for the spirit or entity to resonate with. This enables a close place to connect with their Keeper (you). They can easily bond their energies to yours to help and aid you, as well as engage your psychic abilities easier to feel and perceive them. Vessels are not cages, a spirit isn't restrained or unable to move far outside its parameters. They can move freely, far from their vessel. The vessel is a piece of their concentrated energy. it is connected to them, which allows you to feel them incredibly tangibly. It is a device to allow them to essentially be apart of our physical world, which is why vessels provide such an effective way of sensing their energy.
It additionally is far safer to connect an entity to an item and not your Etheric Body. (Direct Binding) This is potentially very dangerous and unhealthy to place attachments, with the intention to be permanent, on your body. Allowing a spirit to establish bonded cords on your Etheric Body gives them power over you, and if the spirit is potentially dangerous (Very Dark or Black Artes), this could be toxic or life-threatening, not to mention considerably difficult to remove because they're attached to you deeply, and were invited to do so.
I never recommend or offer direct bindings due to this. You may want your spirit ASAP, but it is a misconception that a vessel is somehow limiting. Your spirit is sent of ahead of their vessel to your location upon shipment. If you are an experienced clairvoyant you will notice their subtle energies when they arrive at your home ahead of their package, however if you are still developing your gifts, you will notice the potency of the energy in the tangible item - their vessel - far easier. This is due to you being able to hold in your hands a physical item infused with the spirit's energy and presence. The more you connect with the vessel and the entity, the more you will grow in your abilities to sense them even without holding the vessel. Keep the vessel charged and cleansed as it still is connected to the spirit, that way it keeps that part of their energy potent and healthy.
Will My Spirit Ever Abandon Their Vessel?
My practice is a completely willing process to offer and infuse energy into a vessel. It in no way conceals or restrains an entity, it is in truth like a home, temporary if the spirit so chooses it is unhealthy for them. It is against my work ethics, and human morals, to bind spirits (or anything!) against its will. My work allows the entity to remain unconstrained, and able to break away from any unhealthy, harmful home or situation if it needs to abandon its vessel host.
A spirit choosing to release their vessel would be a very rare circumstance, but I find it is only moral to allow that exit route. This is not to anyone's immediate concern unless you or practicing in obvious work you shouldn't be - like going out of your way to harm, trick, abuse, or cause any ill effects against their will.
Please understand that falling out of routine and not keeping in consistent contact with a spirit, or finding you have tucked away their vessel for X amount of time (even over a year or two!) is an incredibly unlikely circumstance that will cause them to abandon the vessel. Spirits don't just abandon a Keeper even if you focus on daily life and get unfortunately lost in ego. They won't provide you with guidance and power as much as they could, because you have thrown away effort on your part, They will be incredibly sad, disappointed, (and/or annoyed) to see you take that route. The spirit is still able to be called upon. (Just be sure you apologize, make it up to them, and be sincere about your work moving forward.) It will also be important to cleanse and charge their vessel if it has been stashed away.
My Method When Binding Vessels
My personal method when binding vessels, works with divine and angelic energies. I find it provides the most positive and potent vibrations, as it is a form of blessing. I establish a veil of layered light energy to protect both the entity in its home and its Keeper. This places a warding effect to the spirit's vessel to stop any direct harm should someone target it. They then have the option to leave should that be attempted or the environment is deemed unsafe.
If you feel a vessel has come under spiritual or magickal attack - either by human or another spirit - you need to immediately cleanse and charge their vessel. Despite my warding measures, you still need to keep the energy around their vessel clean and vibrating high. Attacks to a vessel try to dampen this and break through.
Begin by saging the vessel, then placing them in dry salt. Allow them to sit for 24 hours.
Afterward, using either selenite, smoky quartz, clear quartz, hematite, black tourmaline, jet, or amethyst (or multiple at once), charge the vessel by placing it near or against the crystals.
Once you have properly cleansed the vessel, continue to discuss any possible methods the spirit suggests if anymore repair is needed on their vessel's energy field.
Charging Your Vessel
Weekly Maintenance
Each entity has its own preference of when it needs charged. Charging means placing the vessel in either its pouch with small charging stones it came with, or by another means. You may also use any type of charging box or space should you have one.
Charging the vessel allows the entity to remain resilient in its connection with the item. A charging area, box, or pouch can do numerous wonderful things for both the entity and its home. It keeps them vibrating healthy and happy in the physical, as well as heals and refreshes. It is important to ask your entity what it likes best and how often it wishes to be charged. Whether it is nightly or weekly, let them tell you what they prefer. (although weekly is rather standard)
I offer with each listing a pouch and small stones that have been specially blessed and infused to vibrate with healing and protective energies. I suggest once a week to allow a 24 hour period to pass with the vessel in the pouch. If you find you are not keeping in contact with your vessel often, be sure to at least let it rest in a charging pouch or area in the meantime.
Other cleansing/charging methods for vessels include: sunlight, moonlight, water, frankincense & myrrh incense, Sage, placed near Selenite, cleansing spellwork