Herbal and Magickal Household Practices
Herbal and Magickal Household Practices
by Gaia IvoryWitch
Garden Variety Banishment and Blessing
Before I move into a place I go and do a 'banishing and blessing'. This takes care of latent energies but it does not address 'spirits of place' that may predate my habitation. Those are accepted as part of the house and no attempt is made to 'banish' them...but in some cases the energy surrounding the circumstance that trapped them there or that they are attracted to is lessened enough for them to depart on their own or at least to not be malevolent if they have been in the past.
Apart from that cleansing/banishing I also bless every conduit in the house from which outside energy enters it. This means doors, windows, attic access, and all the electrical, cable, water and gas lines into and out of the house. Humans are generally only sensitive to energy that seems to 'move' - for instance I have had friends that thought their Circle was situated on a 'ley line' when in actual fact, it was situated over the drain for their entire subdivision! In other words they could feel 'movement' but not ascertain the origin or makeup of this 'movement'.
Placement of Guardian Herbs
Here's where the herbs come in. Rue needs to be by a door, and it has to be a gift from someone. It protects from theft, is sacred to both Diana and Aradia, and it has a long history of usage both by Witches and protection against enchantment. The same with Myrtle, only it has more of a reputation as a 'love herb' with its waxy berries and sweet scent. Rue's fragrance is bitter and astringent, signifying it is for 'tightening up' energy fields rather like closing a screen over an open window.
Rosemary, planted by the 'head of the household' - which in my case has always been myself, my husband wisely allocating the 'keeping' of home to me (lol) and it should be close to a door as well so that all who come and go pass by it. It will 'program' the energy of gatherings to be welcoming and peaceful. The more Rosemary you have planted, the better. People are likely to remember your Rosemary if planted in this way and associate nothing but pleasant memories with your home. It is also an effective filter for all but the deepest seated angst. It is also known for memory enhancing properties, and it's one of the ingredients in my 'study oil'. I also use it when I am copying things into my BOS because the things put in one's BOS should also be memorized as much as possible so that if your book is ever destroyed or otherwise parted from you, you will be able to remember a good bit of it when writing out another.
Connection with the Land
I don't plant herbs immediately...but very soon after moving in. The act of plowing, digging or otherwise disturbing the soil in your homestead is the act of claiming ownership, read STEWARDSHIP, of your area. You are communicating to all the Green Ones that YOU are the one who rules there, protects them, and requires their allegiance. This simple act, undertaking in the right mindset, will bind you to your land and immerse you in 'messages' from the Green contingent about anything you wish to know about - and no, I am NOT kidding. You wouldn't think Trees could gossip but...anyway, I digress.
Move Before You Move
Inside the home, before you move even one piece of furniture or box of belongings inside, it should be 'washed' from top to bottom in that all flat surfaces and corners (both are repositories of energy) should be smudged,… EVERYWHERE. If you have a basement, start there. Move the smoke into all the crooks and crannies and move it either out the door to the outside or up the stairs and immediately out the BACK door of the home, even if the front door is closer. This sets up a banishing field, a current for the negative energy to flow out. If you have a compost pile it's good to continue that path until you get to the compost pile.
Compost is a natural 'energy sewer' and the energies put into that, just like food, are broken down and returned to the Earth to be transformed into garden gold for your garden space. This should be the only time you intentionally put something negative into your pile...try to eat clean and keep your compost pile for only the cleanest waste you have, things that are not processed or modified, free of preservatives and so forth. Some folks keep two piles, one for the 'clean' stuff and one for the questionable stuff. If you don't have a compost pile, think of disposing your trash off site...move your trashcan to the road at the earliest possible opportunity and carry away to the recycling place anything you can. These small acts are also acts of banishment.
Clean Sweep
Your broom can be your primary tool here once all the surfaces have been wiped down. Use the sage smoke and the broom, or you could use a large feather, it’s up to you. Brooms are a traditional tool of the Witch and you usually won’t find a Witch without a broom. I could also add here that you never carry an old broom into a new house. Always buy or make a new broom for your house. If an old broom is kept, it should only be used OUTSIDE the house, sweeping walks and patios and so forth.
Now - for the 'wash'. There are any number of 'household washes' available for purchase. And if you're an urban pagan, making your own can be difficult if not impossible. Try if you can to get some loose hyssop. The common 'hyssop officianalis' is not necessarily the one I am talking about but it will do in a pinch. Much more suitable for these purposes is Syrian Oregano...or (origanum maru). If you cannot find Syrian Oregano at a Middle Eastern market, Greek oregano (origanum dictamnus) or Dittany of Crete is second in selection. Common hyssop can be used, but you will have to charge it with the cleansing and banishing energies these others possess as part of their 'herbal purpose'. Hyssop officianlis as we know it was unknown in the ancient world where many texts mention the use of Hyssop as primary for cleansing. Even the water should be boiled with flame that has already burned some hyssop when making holy water. Yes, that is a Catholic reference, but we owe most of our knowledge of ritual and tools and herbs from their preservation of pagan practices of the time antecedent to the formation of the early Church. Make the effort to find the correct variety if you can. It is known for this purpose for good reason. Dittany of Crete, or rather the smoke thereof, is used by Ceremonial Magicians to summon spirits, the smoke giving the spirits a tool for manifestation. If you are so inclined, using Dittany of Crete in such a manner should offer capital protection from just about anything, energy or entity, that doesn't gel with the energetic purposes of your home. It would also make it uncomfortable for people with questionable intent to be in your home for long.
Using this dried herb, or fresh if you grow it, make an infusion. This is done by boiling clean water; I use Spring Water, and then steeping the herb in it overnight. Then you strain the resulting liquid and add it to your mop bucket for floors or to a basin to wash countertops. Windows can be washing in this manner as well, but glass is a conductor, and just like on this plane, on the astral it can be used as a reflective surface OR as a window for viewing. This means that all the flat, vertical, reflective surfaces in your home can be used by someone else for remote viewing. What? Not possible? Think again. Just because one doesn’t engage in those type activities oneself does not necessarily mean others have the same moral fiber. A Witch that cannot curse cannot heal. If you have no understanding of what is magickally possible, how then, are you to protect yourself?
Bringing the Energy to Zero Charge
I use a hyssop wash on the floors and countertops and I have another recipe I use for the other surfaces mentioned. Develop your own recipe for such purposes and keep the recipe handy for new purchases. This helps to bring the energetic vibration of your home back to zero. Neutral. This gives you pretty much a blank slate to work with and build up that welcoming positive energy you want to share with guests.
Please don’t forget your appliances! If you ever buy the ‘display model’ of a television or computer or camera, or any other appliance from a store, it is wise to cleanse it completely before use…after all, electronics ARE magnetic and everyone and their brother has been walking by, touching, talking about and looking at the piece that now is inside your home. What did they leave behind? Perhaps not much singly, but that energy - because it is magnetic, is cumulative.
You also should never buy one of those items or appliances during a void Moon or retrograde Mercury. You can find out more about those terms in your own research. ANY network activity, setup, repair/replace, maintenance, upgrades, etc., should never take place during Mercury retrograde. I have several personal anecdotes about this activity done in places where I have worked, and trouble ALWAYS shows up during Mercury retrogrades. If you start out with a neutral and take steps to maintain a positive charge in your home, you will be less affected by these energy fluctuations when they do occur.
Warding
Once you have banished and cleansed your new abode, it is important to ward it to repel what you have just banished from finding its way back in. A certain amount of that happens anyway, it comes in on us as we enter and leave our homes- how can it not? But you can minimize the disturbances from this source with a few simple activities.
One should always have a daily spiritual practice. I cannot stress this enough. If you are a magickal practitioner, you cannot remain effective without this daily practice. A daily cleansing and renewal, don’t most of us shower or bathe daily? This is the perfect opportunity to engage in a little personal spiritual housekeeping. Once it becomes a habit, you will notice the difference right off if you skip a day or your routine is otherwise changed by travel or a change in location. This is good. It means you are paying attention subconsciously as well as consciously to your environment.
The Astral Screen
Another effective barrier to unwanted outside energies is what I call the “Astral Screen”. If you hold open activities where large groups gather in your home, you don’t always have the best control over who comes in or out. If you entertain where there is a great amount of alcohol or other mind altering substances being consumed, it will make this more difficult. I will spare you my preachy opinion about keeping the body clean of pollutants.
To create an Astral Screen, you cleanse your doorways, both inside and outside, so there is a space between that rests on the threshold. This is a ‘repository’ or ‘coat check’ space where the nasties people can habitually carry around with them will reside rather than coming into your home. When performing this screening process, it is important to remember that people be able to retrieve what they leave and program the space between accordingly with incantations specific to that purpose. You can use an oil for the inner and outer door-facings, anointing them with symbols or sigils as you like. But the main activity is creating a screen of energy through which people will pass and deposit any riders or astral nasties they have therein; to be reclaimed as they leave. It’s important that the people leave the same way they came in, so you will need one of these Astral Screens on each doorway and take care that you host well and gently guide your guests out the door by which they gained entry.
To construct the screen, I stand before the doorway, and I envision a white patch over the doorway. This can be misty or solid, but I prefer the general consistency of heavy fog or smoke. You could even program it as sage smoke. Make sure that nothing can be seen through it from either side and then from bottom to top and from top to bottom place strands of red threadlike light - almost like a continuous strand from bottom to top and again to the bottom going across the doorway as you do so. When you have completed this step, envision a blue threadlike light doing similarly but from right to left and left to right, this time from the top of the doorway to the bottom. When you are done, you should be able to ‘see’ your handiwork and see this basket weave of red and blue against a white backdrop. It is also a good idea to repair this screen on a regular basis, such as at the Full or New Moon. When you do your Spring cleaning, you should completely erase this screen until you are finished and then reconstruct it again the same way you did before.
This screen helps keep your dwelling clean energetically and keeps it feeling like a welcoming place to gather. I have lived in several homes, and have only heard good things like “It feels really nice here.” Or “Your house has such a nice feel to it. It’s very welcoming.” And I just smile and thank them, giving a nod to the spirits of place and the guardians who help maintain this atmosphere to share with those I invite to my home.
YOU Are Your Home’s Keeper
I am sure that the case could be made for many of these actions to be thought ‘manipulative’. And it’s true, they are. But this is your HOME… you are the protector and it is up to you to care for those within in a manner that leaves them unmolested by unwanted energies. You are not doing anything they probably don’t do for themselves or would not do for themselves if they gave sufficient thought. This does not mean you assume ill intent all the time. It means that you are prepared for the worst and can sit back and enjoy the relief when only the best things happen when people gather at your home.
Threshold Wards
Some of the herbs you can use in anointing your doorways are: hyssop (with the caveat previously mentioned about origins) basil, parsley, asafetida (very smelly!) frankincense, myrrh, sandalwood, sage, wormwood, lavender, rosemary, rose, jasmine, etc. according to purpose. I say this because you would not always use rose or jasmine for your front door, but perhaps the door to your bedroom or to the bath. Get creative. A creative Witch is a well-practiced Witch, and the better you are at recognizing opportunities to cultivate good energy, the better you will be at spotting the bad stuff when it appears.
Another anti-theft and supposedly anti-lightning tactic is to take the twigs of a honey locust, mock orange or even the very thorny stem of a rose bush, wrap it in hemp twine or red and black thread and place a twig of this above every door to the outside. I should mention here that there is a reason why people like to plant prickly things under windows and around doors….think of those climbing roses over a gate or door and those prickly holly bushes that are planted nowadays under windows. They aren’t just ornamental, they’re protective and all living things like appreciation. So take some time to appreciate and ‘remind’ these green guardians of their basic purpose…protection of the homestead!
This is a very basic guide for a house blessing and isn’t a hard and fast rule or whatever, certainly not set in stone. The principles, however, have been used for many thousands of years and for Witches, warding and sealing and blessing are time honored traditions. You would do well to take a page from the practices of the Witches that have gone before and make use of these practices as you can. I have purposefully NOT included recipes because when it comes to your home, anything you use for protective purposes should be something YOU devise and come up with. Kudos if you can find a ‘new’ use for something no one else will think of. Your home is your castle, and you are Master or Mistress there. Treat it like it means something to you and guard it well.