try to have war with dark astral beings with your astral weapons and armor... you'll definitely get exhausted upon awakening... I've been battling dark energies for a long time... the first time i lost i was bedridden for almost 3 days... that was when i was still ignorant of NEW! now no more exhaustion

no symbols will ever protect you... it is the composition of your own self that will ultimately protect you from "evil". A dirty mind will attract evil and a good person will be protected by his own goodness... just like xtians who think that they can do whatever they want and always be protected by their god what you give is what you get, your world is a reflection of yourself

evil? let's go back to purposivism... what's your purpose of using a spell/magic/ritual whatever... whether your a christian or satanist or atheist or whatever, the outcome of your action is what we judge as evil or good