Moving into a new home can definitely be a challenge. No matter who you are, there are so many tasks to accomplish. As a practicing witch and shadow worker, I have the added challenges of warding my home against metaphysical intruders. This move, I'm leaving apartment life behind and was lucky enough to find a house large enough to accommodate all the needs for family life and running a small business. The structure "upgrade" also gave me an opportunity stretch my warding skills. That got me to thinking about the different ways people spiritually protect their homes.
You hear about the usual things.... saging, holy water, blessing prayers. I tend to do things a little differently though. While I do smoke cleanse, I don't use sage and the process I use is NOT smudging. Smudging refers to a specific CLOSED practice, which I am not a part of. And too much sage gives me a headache lol. (Go ahead, you know you want to make a joke about demons and sage. I can take it, haha). For a smoke cleanse, there is wide array of protection herbs you can burn to cleanse your space. Rosemary, Bay and Eucalyptus are all examples of protective herbs!
In lieu of holy water/oil, I use my own protection oil and sigil work to ward all entrances, including potential portal spots. I spray Florida water, and use rue water for the cabinets and floors. Cascarilla adorns the outside walls with more protections, and I have additional layers of protections around the property line. I avoid "welcome" mats, because I am the only one that invites things in. Most people don't have to go this far to protect their homes. But for those of us that are practitioners, and spirit workers, I recommend taking that extra mile, ESPECIALLY if you do any shadow work. A good rule of thumb is to find a few things that work for you, and some to keep in your arsenal for mixing it up every so often. Here are some recommendations for people just starting out with warding (can be used for any path, tradition or religion):
A holy or protection oil of your choice. It can be something you make or purchase. This will be used to ward doors and windows.
Protective herbs/incense for a smoke cleanse. I've listed herb options above, you can also use frankincense or sandalwood incense. If you are not able to use smoke, sprinkling a tincture made from protective herbs can be an option, OR take a peek in our "Potions, Oils & Brews" section. Diana makes a Smoke Oil that can serve the same purpose. You can find it here: https://www.goldenapplemetaphysical.net/product-page/smoke-oil
Salt is a good purification tool. I would use it to line doors and windows, rather than sprinkling on the ground itself.
Blessings or prayers. The tradition of having someone come in to bless the home has fallen out of use, but is still a VERY valid practice. If you do not have someone to do this, appealing to your patron deities can suffice.
Placing black tourmaline or obsidian in your windows. Black tourmaline is protective and Obsidian will help absorb bad energy.
There are tons of ways you can ward your space. The ones I've listed here are just a drop in the bucket. If you follow a particular path or tradition, start your research there. I would recommend avoiding using rituals from a CLOSED practice, unless you are actually a follower of that particular practice. ( SMUDGING is a CLOSED PRACTICE RITUAL, folks, SMOKE CLEANSINGS are not. If you don't know the difference, ask yourself why)
Research your ancestral practices and traditions. They may work just as well, if not better for you. Lastly, don't be afraid to try something new. You'd be amazed at what you can come up with when you have to think outside the "circle".
On that note, my lovelies, I'm going to log off. Still have plenty to do around here, currently unpacking my office and workshop. The sooner I get that finished, the sooner I can get back to creating more goodies for y'all! Take care of yourselves, be kind to yourself, and others!! xxoo, Nikki
ps. any questions, or comments? leave them below or shoot us a message. Cheers!