Our home is a refuge from the outside world - that place where our heart and soul can relax. It's only natural that we want to keep it free of negativity and a place to be comfortable to commune with spirit.

Eventually, negativity creeps in either from ourselves and/or those around us. Possibly, even the land our homestead is placed on whether in the city or country has become tainted with unwanted energies.

Below is a simple home blessing ritual along with some protection techniques you may find useful in keeping your home energetically cleared and protected.

A Home Blessing Ritual

This can be done in any area, but the kitchen is traditionally thought to be the heart of the home.

Light a candle in honor of the hearth fire (nowadays, this isn't usually a fireplace but the stove in which meals are prepared).

Light incense in offering to your own hearth deity (deities).

With hands upraised say:

Spirits of our hearth and home
Watch over all who dwell here.
Protect us from harm and fear.
We trust in you to keep safe
All that we hold dear to heart.

Substitute the names of any deity you wish, and create your own prayer that is in line with your belief system. An elaborate ritual with full circle casting can be devised or you can blend this simple prayer with any one or more of the techniques below.

Beating the bounds: Believed to be derived from Pagan roots, this is practiced by modern Pagans and Christians. The term refers to beating or pounding the perimeter of your property with a staff.

Broom: You can consecrate a simple household broom for magical use or make your own from the twigs of trees you feel a magical affinity for. Go around the house sweeping the negativity into one big ball then finally out your door forcefully. You may also hang the broom above the threshold of your home and decorate it with protective herbs.

Crystals: In order to charge clear quartz crystals with the purpose of protection, first cleanse them with salt or running water. Hold them in your hands while mentally putting your intention into them. Bury them at the corners of your property. You can also place some at the doorways and windows of your home.

Herbs and Plants: Hanging garlic in the kitchen isn't just used in B-movies to keep vampires away but also to repel any unwanted visitor. Common household herbs such as cumin, rosemary, lemon grass, dill, and basil can be utilized in protective magic. Sprinkle them around your property dry or make a tea out of one or more of them to be poured out over the boundaries of your land. Holly bushes and mistletoe are also traditionally protective.

Offerings: Make offerings to the land spirits and deities revered as keepers of your hearth and home. Whiskey and bread with honey are said to be favorite offerings of the fairies. Leaving a spirit plate is the practice of placing a bit of food from one or all of your meals on a dish out for the land spirits. Offerings such as wreaths and other hand made crafts, food, drink, and even coins are given in the spirit of reciprocity to those beings who protect your home. It's important not to forget the indoor spirits as well.

Salt: Known as the all-purpose magical tool, salt is thought to be very effective in home protection. Kosher salt as well as plain table salt can be sprinkled around the perimeter of the property for this purpose. You may choose to chant a prayer while you do this such as By Earth, Air, Fire, and Water, my home is secure inside and out.

Smudging: This is the practice of censing yourself, home and property with smoke from incense or herbs to be cleansed of impurities.

Symbols/Sigils: Inscribe symbols for protection such as the pentagram, runes, ogham or any symbol you have magically charged on the earth around your home or on an object such as a rock to be placed near your doorway. You can incorporate these symbols into a decorative plaque to hang inside or outside an entryway.

White Light Visualization: Ground and center yourself in whatever method you prefer. Visualize a sphere of white light above your home that stems from the universal source. The sphere gradually becomes larger until it surrounds the top of your home. As you draw down this light, visualize it transforming unwanted energies into light from the source.

Sources consulted:
Cunningham, Scott. Magical Herbalism, Llewellyn Publications, 1993.
Serith, Ceisiwr. A Book of Pagan Prayer, Weiser Books, 2002.
yronwode, catherine. Hoodoo Herb and Root Magic: A Materia Magica of African-American Conjure, Lucky Mojo Curio Company, 2002.