In Wicca and Witchcraft,
We talk a lot about portals.
This is especially true during the month of October,
A time at which practitioners of the craft and those with an interest in the paranormal alike focus even more upon any portals to the spirit realm.
In Wicca,
And through the wheel of the year,
We see portals in nature occurring quite frequently.
A change in seasons,
Giving way to new seasons.
In both examples,
These are portals.
This is very much in tune with something I read to the collective at every Salen circle at the end of October,
Which is,
Now We Stand at Winter's Gate.
So,
For practitioners of the craft,
Portals are very commonplace.
They are not frightening unless individuals decide for themselves that they should be so.
They are what they are,
A gateway or a door to something.
There are many portals within the home,
Mirrors being most often immediately called to mind when thinking of such.
Many spiritualities outside of the craft hold mirrors in a similar regard,
Some covering mirrors at the time of a person's passing so that their spirit will not be led to them and possibly interfere with their ability to cross over.
Mirrors are often used in scrying,
A practice that allows one to see or peer into realms beyond the physical plane.
This is just one example of such,
But regardless of whether they exist within or outside of the home,
Most people's fascination with them largely pertains to looking or going outside of something,
The something that is beyond.
Seldom are portals for looking or going within even acknowledged.
Yet there remains a portal in every home that is of great significance,
And that is the front door.
For most of us,
The only time the front door of our home is truly regarded as a portal is when it comes to the matter of personal safety and physical security.
These doors have locks on them,
Sometimes multiple locks,
And now,
In many cases,
Cameras archiving to a cloud all patterns of activity that occur within a certain distance of that main portal.
Some of us will get alerts on our phones if anything pertaining to that portal is not functioning properly,
Or if it becomes compromised.
So consumed are we with the sanctity of the front door,
That almost all else seems inconsequential in comparison.
Why?
Because what is inside our home is valuable to us.
It's our stuff.
Even things without a high monetary value are priceless to us,
Simply because they are ours.
For this reason,
We will not tolerate anything or anyone coming into our home without an invitation.
This even includes insects.
Any sort of unwanted intrusion is considered to be a nuisance,
A pest,
Perhaps a threat.
Even when we go on vacation,
Soon into it begins at least some sort of longing for home.
We will begin to miss what is familiar to us,
What is comfortable.
What is valuable.
The home is,
Perhaps,
The epitome of a sacred space,
And it should be treated as such.
This extends far beyond protecting the home from the perspective of physical security alone.
That is of great importance.
No argument.
But that's not where this ends.
Protecting the home energetically,
However,
Is just as important.
Practitioners of magic go about this in many ways,
Such as charms,
Spells,
Blessings,
And so forth.
All of which are valuable and effective.
I have covered these in many previous talks,
So I won't go into individual recipes for each right now.
But,
As with many portals,
Once again there is the emphasis upon looking out rather than looking within.
In the case of the home,
This outward looking is done mainly for protection of what is within.
We are wise to look within our own home with the same level of curiosity and enthusiasm we have when peering through a portal to any other realm.
Often,
This can be challenging for us because the magic of our home tends to be somewhat commonplace to us.
We almost never lose sight of its value,
But the reasons for it being so valuable to us in the first place are seldom at the forefront of our minds,
Because home is where we spend a great deal of our time in many cases.
We have a foundational understanding of what is worth safeguarding,
But we should never lose sight of why that is so.
Many practitioners of the craft,
Myself included,
Acknowledge that every home has at least one home spirit within it.
I won't make a case for this point right now,
Beyond inviting you to consider that,
Perhaps,
The spirit of your home might be viewed as an essence,
Or as a reflection of your spirit.
Joy and triumph.
Peace and comfort.
Moments spent in quiet solitude in the face of uncertainty.
All of these things echo throughout the four walls of the home.
All of these things,
Too,
Are valuable,
As are the moments spent in the practice of one's personal spiritual path.
They cannot be taken from us in the physical sense,
Yet they are worthy of our high regard because they are also contributors to the sanctity of the home.
Just as a security camera records activities going on outside the front door,
So too are our experiences being sent to a cloud known as the mind.
Those things,
Of course,
Will go on with us should we move.
But in the present,
Their container is the four walls with which we surround ourselves.
Far too often,
We are only concerned with guarding against intruders in the physical sense.
It is vitally important that we remain equally as vigilant in a spiritual or energetic sense as well.
If you are in the practice of wiping your feet on a mat before coming inside,
Take that same opportunity to do so energetically,
Leaving behind the negativity we do not wish to track indoors.
Be mindful of any potential leaky faucets,
In the same sense,
That could threaten to deplete our positive energy at a slow drip so commonplace that it is often ignored until it has built into an outright structural issue.
Take several pauses throughout the day to enjoy moments of silence and the deep breaths that often accompany them to attune to the spirit or essence of the home.
See such essence as not only a whole,
But also the many elements that have contributed to it over time.
Treat the home as if it were a temple,
Because it truly is such.
For those of you who are practitioners of the craft and have stayed with this recording up until now,
I at least owe you one spell.
And this can be done by anyone wishing to bless and preserve the sanctity of the home.
Rosemary,
Having magical properties of protection and cleansing,
Has long been used in workings for blessing and protecting the home.
This can be done in a number of ways,
Depending upon your situation or needs.
Planting rosemary outside near doors and windows is a wonderful practice in this regard,
As is hanging bundles of dried rosemary indoors above windows and doors.
Dried rosemary can also be burned as both loose incense and as a smudge stick.
For those sensitive to smoke,
An equally powerful alternative is brewing a cup of rosemary tea or creating a rosemary simmer pot to sit on the stove for hours.
When working with rosemary,
As with all herbs,
It is a good practice to ask the plant's permission before using a portion of it.
When you have gathered the desired amount of fresh rosemary,
Hold it in your hands.
Speak to it,
Your intentions,
And thank the herb for assisting with your working.
As you go about using the rosemary in whatever form,
Call to mind the many blessings that abound within the home,
Having only positive thoughts.
And as the essence of rosemary begins to fill the home,
You might choose to say something such as the following.
Now below,
As is above,
I fill my home with light and love.
I bless my home from wall to wall to make a safe haven for us all.
May this home be blessed.
May blessings follow those who pass through this door.
Safe journeys for those who go forth.
May this floor lighten the steps of all who tread upon its surface,
And also provide a stable place to stand.
May these walls soak in the sounds of laughter and love.
May this roof hold strong and these roots sink deep.
This is my home,
A place of safety and joy.
A place to rest and create.
May this home.
Be blessed.
At the conclusion of the working and long after it,
Allow the aroma of the rosemary to be a constant reminder of the positive and happy thoughts you had while performing the blessing.
Allow the scent to guide you in speaking softly and lovingly within the home.
And may the priority become and remain to always be mindful of the safe haven you enjoy.
Until next time.
The crow flies from me to thee.
To send the message.
Blessed Be.
