When the world gets scary, the comfort of home becomes even more important. We need places where we can let our guard down – where the hypervigilance so many of us adopted during the pandemic can ease a little bit. For a lot of us, relaxing has become difficult. Devices that keep us connected to the 24 hour news cycle constantly ping with new stimuli. The social media worlds that bring us so much joy also bring stress and sadness as our online communities respond to the frightening events that are becoming all too normal in the United States.
There are practical responses here: setting cut-off times for media consumption, mindfulness techniques, movement practices that release stress, and gratitude practice. There are also metaphysical support techniques: purification practices, grounding and centering, remembering to shield when leaving the home, and wards and charms that protect our homes.
One of my favorite approaches for leaving the outside world outside is threshold magick. Thresholds – doorways – are naturally liminal spaces. When you stand in the doorway to your home, are you inside or outside? Both and neither, of course. Doorways are transitional spaces and, as a result, they are a fantastic choice for enchantment. Doorways also offer us the presence of a protective item – the door itself. When we shut it against the weather, the rain is prevented from entering our homes. When a door is enchanted, it can be shut against more than just the elements.
I like to begin with the outside of the threshold – the part that is connected to the outer world and its myriad stimuli. The main kind of magick I use on the outward-facing part of the doorway (the frame and the door) is protective. The door itself can be painted a color we associate with protection. We can apply protective symbols in sacred water or apotropaic oils to the door. Wreaths are a wonderful place to hide protective stones, herbs, sigils, pentacles, and small spell scrolls.
The space above the doorway is another good spot for protective charms and symbols. Depending on the doorframe, you may be able to tuck a couple small protective stones or bits of iron (old nails work well for this) above the door.
If you are lucky enough to have a porch, consider adding some plants, statuary, or artwork that protects the home as well. Many plants and herbs have protective properties and pots are another great space to tuck protective stones. Some kinds of statuary are protective as well – a pair of lions or dragons can be pleasing to the eye as well as fiercely protective of the home.
For me, the inside of the doorway is all about purification. It’s the opportunity to clear off the attachments and energy of the outside world as people pass through the door. I like to run a line of fine grain salt across the threshold (this gets replaced monthly or more as needed). I use a purification oil blend to anoint the inside of the casing. No one looks too closely at the casing of a door – it’s a great spot for adding a spell or sigil script for purification toward the bottom of the frame. This can be done in pencil, or even written in oil or sacred water.
My final step is to address the side of the door frame inside the house. This is your last opportunity to influence the kind of energy people are bringing with them into your home, as well as the energy they are stepping into. This space on the threshold is wonderful for healing, replenishing magick. When someone walks through the doorway, any energetic gunk clinging to them from the outside world gets cleared off. That clearing presents an opportunity to follow it with a burst of healing.
The lintel on the inside of the house is a great place to put some healing magick. Most lintels stick out a bit from the wall. Herbal powders can be sprinkled here, small stones can be placed, and healing charms can be tacked gently to the wall so that they rest on the lintel. The space above the door is also ripe for magick. Consider a blessing plaque or other wall art that can be charged with healing energy. Placing art here also provides additional spaces to tuck sprigs of herbs and other healing objects.
The last touch is to dress the door frame. Oils tend to shine when light hits them, even after they’ve dried, so I use sacred water (water gathered from special places – springs and holy wells, caves, etc). Charge the water with healing energy and then use a craft paintbrush or your finger to “paint” the indoor side of the door frame.
If your home has more than one door to the outside, concentrate your energy first on the door that most people use. I have one of those houses that has both a front door and a porch entrance, and most people (especially family) use the porch entrance. The techniques for adding protection to the external part of the threshold can also apply to windows if you’d like to amp up your house protection protocols.
So, how do you like to work with the doorways of your home? What kinds of charms and protection magick do you include? Hit me up in the comments – you never know when your practice may be exactly the right fit for the needs of another.
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