Catholic folk magic tip #5
So. Liminal spaces inside the home, (over) protection and keeping it clean. This time, it is a bit of a rant.. You don’t know what a liminal space is? No worries. You can read about it *here*, or, just know it is a ‘fancy’ name for in between. Or a place that leads to another. Places where magic and- or communications with entities is easier. Think thresholds, doorways, windowsills, the hearth, chimneys, any kind of stairs in the house, the shower, old closed up doors/windows, the front-door portal (if you have one). Even the line where your property starts and public domain ends! There is a world of folklore and customs to find about this. But I am going to focus on what I do. So bare with me. - Cleaning liminal spaces: Of course vacuum clean when you can. Just so any dust and physical dirt is gone. You can use a broom for the doorways. But just a vacuum cleaner works for me when I am already cleaning. No chants, no special things. Just practical cleaning. At first. - Cleansing and protection: Here is where you break out your sage/rosemary/nettle, whatever out. With a short prayer to Mary and the local land spirit, I just rub the rosemary on the threshold/door-frame. While rubbing it in, or sprinkling with water with the stick of herbs, I say what I want to keep out or away from my house. Think: parasites, wayward ghosts, sales-people, Jehova witnesses, negativity in general, ‘evil’ etc. You can, if you feel it needs it, put down a line of blessed salt or ground up rue by the threshold, as an extra barrier. - Chimneys: when you live in a home with a good old fashioned chimney, you know how- when the wind is strong enough/from a certain angle, will blow right through it. And somehow it also manages that when it is closed. The chimney is one way for spirits to get into your home. If you can, burn protective herbs in the fire-place while chanting a protection spell/chant/rune into the smoke. (Pro tip: do bless and charge said herbs for protection of the chimney. Again, be specific on what it needs to keep out.) Or put a talisman somewhere to guard that entrance/exit. - A blessed, cleansing, crucifix: As many Catholics, I grew up with a crucifix above the kitchen door, and one in the hallway by the front door. Which obviously protects regardless of any blessing. But you might want to give it some extra ‘oempf‘. I would put a little bag, or bundle of (dried) rosemary and sage up with it. Just stick it behind the cross, or artfully arranged it on either side. So that was a really short overview of tips. And there is a reason for that. Over-protection. Protection is- generally -one of the first things a magical practitioner learns. Which is fine. It is important to know how you can protect yourself. Though over-protecting is something else. To charge your front- and back-door with protection is fine. To completely decorate/hammer your house shut with protective amulets and barriers is a step to far. A time and a place for everything. Though I realize that this might not be everyone’s opinion. This over-protecting creates the illusion of safety and control. Which is even more ‘dangerous‘ for a practitioner. Now this is not me trying to scare people. The reality is, that there is always something (or someone) strong enough to get through all that. And unless you actually have someone magically working against you, or an entity has it out for you, you. do. not. need. all. that. shit. And even if you do, in most cases, ‘simple‘ protection is the most effective. And be honest, how much of it actually has a function beyond that (false) sense of control? If there is on/two layers of protection you probably covered most bases. The more ‘control’ you try to gain through protection, the more energy you lose. Instead, I would focus on what I see as an even more important skill. Cleaning and cleansing. Here on Tumblr it is often said that just telling ghosts and whatnot- if they bother you/family -to F-off and to get the F- out of the house. Which works! And herein lies the crux of it all. The more you are attuned to how your house should feel like, the more quickly you pick up on it when it doesn’t feel that way. Plus when you have established a working relation with your house in general, it will tell you when something is wrong. It might take some time, but it is double worth the effort! So when you get down with protection, and you keep adding onto it like there is no tomorrow; why? Like I said, unless you are being magically targeted, why do you feel you need this? Are you afraid of entities in your home? Or magic and the spirit-world in general? Or is it something else? Please do not feel bad if you do feel afraid because of darker aspects of the spiritual world, or because you had a frightful experience. But recognize your (magical) behavior for what it is, and do not let that fear rule you. You can listen to it, acknowledge it, and then make a conscious decision. Or if it is just something you were taught- tradition wise -I would advise you to take a look at the why and how. Why is that level of protection needed, and how is that protection built and by what powers/entities/spiritual forces is it active? Anyhow, that is me for today. I hope you have a good day! - Toverij & Spokerij. Ps: you can find the previous tip *here*
