Witchcraft, Hellenic Polytheism & co

trust me i also struggle with getting my mundane chores done and i'm still learning to keep house in my 30s. i'm a very clutter prone person and i've had to fight to incrementally incorporate a regular routine into maintaining our home but every small step of progress i make is worth it, and the same has been true for my magical practice.

i'm open to making these under request, just send me an ask with the deity you'd like a box for!! please be nice, too.

gods in this post: Asclepius, Iris, Eris, Hebe, Harmonia, Nemesis, Nike, Pan, Psyche, Phobos & Deimos, Themis, Tyche & Gaia.

i'm open to making these under request, just send me an ask with the deity you'd like a box for!! please be nice, too.

gods in this post: Hades, Persephone, Thanatos, Hypnos, Hekate, Helios, Selene, Asteria, Eros & Nyx.

i'm open to making these under request, just send me an ask with the deity you'd like a box for!! please be nice, too.

gods in this post: Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Demeter, Hestia, Apollo, Artemis, Ares, Aphrodite, Hephaestus, Athena, Hermes & Dionysus.

*this is specifically related to practicing aspects of the ancient religion not just worshipping Greek Gods. I call this "Hellenic Thriskeía" based on the Greek language name for the modern religion— info.

Please respect Greek people, this is a living breathing culture and language. Do not refer to your religion as "Hellenimos" or "Hellenism," and do not refer to yourself as a "Hellene" or "Hellenist" due to your religious identity. Information here & here.

I am not a religious authority of any kind. I have no higher eduction in classics. These are my ideas that I want to share. This is a highly edited version of an old post that I no longer like.

Greek God = Theos (singular) Theoi (plural)

Know you do not need to suddenly know everything to begin worship— studying & worship can happen side by side.

🌺A Basic Act of Worship

"Ancient texts and material finds attest to its quintessential role for the libation, the most ubiquitous ritual in Greek antiquity. The religious act of intentionally pouring out liquids, whether water, wine, milk or honey, onto the ground, an altar or another surface was performed on numerous occasions" — The Greek Libation Bowl as Embodied Object by Milette Gaifman pg 450 Link

A libation is a ritual outpouring of liquids. Libations were part of all sacrifices but could also be performed as independent rituals. The common terms for the rituals are spondai and choai. The former term is most frequent and referred to a controlled outpouring of a small amount of liquid for the Olympian gods by the help of a jug and a phiale. Choai were poured out entirely and were used for libations to the gods of the underworld, the heroes and the dead. — Libations, Greek by Gunnel Ekroth Abstract

Whether you do separate techniques for "Olympian" vs "Khthonic" is up to you. I don't since many Gods can be considered both depending on the situation, like Hermes.

The most common liquid for this is red wine, but water, honey, milk, or oil are also common. — Link

🔹I’m using Zeus as an example.

Wash hands.

Prepare a glass of water or other liquid

Go to the altar if you have one

Wipe hands with Khernips [if you use it, see below]

Sprinkle Khernips lightly on the altar space [if you use it]

“O Mighty Zeus, King of the Gods, you are strong and powerful. I have come to honor you”

Hold up the glass of water

“Zeus, Lord of lightning, I offer you this water out of gratitude and love. I have given to you before and I will give to you again”

Pour the water slowly either into a separate bowl, onto the ground, into a fire, or down a clean sink.

“Zeus, strong and powerful, I ask that you help me get through today’s conference call. I thank you and say farewell.”

🔹Simpler form:

Wash hands

Take glass of water and hold it up

“Zeus you are mighty and powerful, I seek your help for this meeting, this water I have brought is to show my desire to honor you”

Pour water out into bowl, ground, fire, or clean sink.

“Thank you, Zeus, King of the Gods”

🔹For those of us with minimal energy you can do this at a sink or in a shower:

The above is important because it builds reciprocity Kharis— the relationship between Theoi and mortals info (by @/verdantlyviolet)

🌺 Altars

Altars in Ancient Greece were places of sacrifice and ritual worship

...vases began to depict altars in a variety of scenes. These altars were shown either in the context of standard mythological vignettes that were set at or near an altar or in scenes of cult activities, libations, offerings and/or sacrifices focused at an altar. This fairly common practice was continued on red-figured and white ground vases through the mid-fourth century B.C. — Blazing Altars: The Representation of Altars in Attic Vase Painting" By David W. Rupp Link

They were located in land/area specificlly set aside for the worship of the Theoi

A Greek cult-place needed to be set off from the surroundings, to be a temenos, but also to have an altar or a sacrificial installation. This was the bare minimum for its effective use as a location where communication with the divine sphere could be achieved. A temple or a statue of the god was not a prerequisite. — Rings, Pits, Bone and Ash: Greek Altars in Context by Gunnel Ekroth Link

An altar, therefore, constitutes the emblem for holy ground, the presence of the gods and the connection with the divine — same as above

Thus modern altars are used to commune with the divine, a place for them in your home & life, and a place to present offerings & libations. Whether you want to call in an altar, a shrine, or a scared space in English is up to you.

To set up an altar:

Intentionally designate a space for your worship, big or small, and make sure it is clean.

While this is not necessary it is frequently used in modern worship: Choose an item for the Theoi you wish to worship. Such as a picture of them, a statue, or some other object. Place it in that space.

Add anything you might like: candle, incense, flowers, cloth to cover surface, decorations, etc.

Many Hellenic Polytheists will also keep Khernips (by @/forthegloryofthetheoi) purified water on their altar. Though this is not necessary— post here. About purity vs consecration here (by @/sisterofiris)

You might keep a cup and bowl for libations at this space

You might keep a prayer book or religious journal here also

🌺Further Worship Aspects

Say longer prayers and use supplication, supplication is a natural part of Kharis Guides here.

Offer food, which can be similar to the libation formula. Hellenic Polytheists disagree on what to do with the food afterwards which is why I always suggest a libation at the beginning.

Say a prayer when lighting incense to state that it as an offering.

Meditate at the altar. Let thoughts and presence of the Theoi help calm your soul.

Dance or sing for the Theoi at your altar or play them music.

Read the myths aloud to the Theoi.

🌺Reconstructed or Common Practices

🔹I highly suggest Labrys Household Worship book here is an article that has a lot of the book.

🔹Practice the 3 day new month rituals

Hekate Deipnon, Noumenia, and Agathos Daimon,

Info here (by @/verdantlyviolet), here from Labrys, here from Hellenion.

🔹Create a Kathiskos.

I’m not sure if this is truly historical, see here (by @/verdantlyviolet) however it is used often by recon/revive Hellenic Polytheists. Guide from Hellenion. Video Guide (by @/baringtheaegis.)

🔹Following a reconstructed calendar

These can include regular days scheduled for a particular Theos. Almost all are based off the Ancient Attic calendar. Here is Hellenion's version. There is an app to track the Attic calendar and it overlays Hellenion's festivals/month days (but you can toggle that off) here. Also the HMEPA Calendar Here.

🔹Partake in modern versions of Ancient Festivals

The Hellenic Polytheist community celebrates a variety of different reconstructed festivals. Which you partake in may be dependent on which Theoi you wish to honor. There are practically an endless number.

Common ones I've seen are Dionysia, Anthesteria (by @/khaire-traveler), Theogamia, among others.

🔹Do not stress about calendars or festivals this is just an idea.

🌺Miscellaneous

Practicing Xenia, hospitality, is considered a ubiquitous aspect of this religion see here. Xenia is not a synonym for "social justice." It is an aspect of Greek culture, referred to as Philoxenia in modern times.

Miasma is not something humans incur unless you commit heinous acts. Lyma is the naturally occuring "dirtiness" of everyday life that can be removed away by washing your hands. Info here (by @/sisterofiris)

The "7 Pillars of Hellenimos" are a modern concept created by a bigot and are in no way a necessary part of this religion. See here & here.

You may wish to study the classical philosophers of Ancient Greece

Here is a big list of resources including multiple Google Drives of information on Hellenic Polytheism.

Avoid YSEE organization they are Greek ethnic-nationalists info

Avoid HellenicFaith website for its immense disrespect of Greek people and culture info

🌺Some Ideas for Choosing Theoi to begin with:

You do not need a Theos to "call to you"; you don't need divination to pick one; you don't need divination to "confirm" if you picked the right one. You can literally just pick any. The Theoi permeated life in ancient Greece and people worshipped the ones of their family and settlement.

I’m not trying to overwhelm anyone I’m just trying to give a whole group of ideas for people. I suggest Theoi.com for easy access info on the Theoi but also be cautious of some information due to its age info (by @/dionysiandevotee)

🔹You could start with Hestia because she is Goddess of the home and thus an excellent place to start in my opinion.

🔹Zeus and Hera the King and Queen of The Theoi

🔹A Theos related to your work/studies. Examples:

Apollo or Asklepios for the health care field

Hermes for communication or information technology fields

Gaia for environmental fields

Themis, Dike, Zeus for legal fields

Athena, Metis, or Sophia for general studies

Hephestios for engineering fields

Rhea, Artemis, Apollo, Hera, or Zeus for parenthood

Nyx if you work the “graveyard shift”

🔹A Theos related to something you want to improve in your life. Examples:

Aphrodite or the Khairtes for self-love or if you struggle with body image issues

Hermes or Iris for communication abilities or interpersonal conflict

Hygeia for struggles with hygiene or disorganization

The Nymphai for building environmental sustainable life habits

Sophrosyne or Dionysos for substance abuse (You cannot convince me that his realm of drinking excludes moderation or elimination if it is a problem for a worshipper)

Demeter, Hestia, Hephaistos, Pan, Artemis for any problems surrounding food

Hypnos for sleep hygiene or sleep disorders

Soteria for easing fears

Hermaphroditos, Aphrodite, Dionysos, for LGBTQ identity and issues

🔹A Theos related to things you want to do. Examples:

Athena for weaving or other handcrafts

The Mousai for learning an instrument

Themis or Dike for activism work

Nike for sports

Apollo for divination

Poseidon for ocean or water activities

Hermes for writing

There are many more bullets that could be added and Theoi that could be added to each of the existing bullet points. Especially when epithets come into play.

🌺Modern Worship Ideas

You don't have to do any of these, they are simply ideas I conjured up in my mind that I thought I'd share.

🔹Which ever of the Theoi you chose simply give them a libation once a day with a short prayer. You can pick a time or better yet an activity to make it consistent. For example, do it directly after you finish getting dressed. Do it right before you eat breakfast or dinner. Do it before you get ready for bed. Etc, that way it stays consistent and you always have a reminder.

🔹Surrounding the passage of the day/time. The prayers can be very short letting you do them by simply pausing for a minute or two. You can offer a simple libation in the morning and/or night with the prayer.

Prayer to Hemera or Helios in the morning

Prayer Example: “Beautiful Hemera, I thank you for this day, I seek your favor and honor you with my actions. Good morning.”

Prayer to Nyx or Selene at night

Prayer to Helios at noon if you don’t pray to him in the morning.

Prayer Example: “Shining Helios, as you reach your peak this day, I remember you, I thank you for your life giving light.”

Incorporation of 12-Horai such as Mesembria at noon, Dysis at sundown, not sure if Auge would be dawn and Anatole sunrise—but you get the idea.

Prayer to one of the 4-Horai each day of the season we are in— Kheimon for Winter, Phthinophôron for Autumn, Eiar for Spring, and Theros for Summer

🔹Surrounding daily activities.

Prayer to Hemera or Auge upon waking

Prayer to Hygeia before showering or brushing teeth

Prayer Example: “Gentle laughing Hygeia, I enter this shower so I may cleanse myself. I remember your beauty and wish to honor you with my actions, so you may look favorably upon me”

Prayer to Apollo or other health Theoi when you take your medication (if you have it)

Prayer to Hestia at mealtime or before cooking

Prayer Example: “Hestia, first and last among the Olympians, home maker, I cook this food through your strength and thank you for this flame. May my body be replenished”

Prayer to Hermes, Hekate, or Apollo Argyieus, or Soteria when leaving house

Prayer to a Theos related to work/education as you arrive at work or school.

Prayer to a Theos related to a hobby or leisure activity when you start it

Prayer to Hypnos when you go to bed

You can make any combination that would follow the path of your daily activities; it could be any number too this is just an example. And perhaps one libation in the morning or night

🔹Focus on the “Household Gods” which I linked info above to Labrys' Book. Also here (by @/wayfind-er)

Hestia

Zeus Ktesios

Zeus Herkeios

Apollo Argyieus

Hermes

Hekate

Apollo is both the life giving warmth and the sun and scorching desert sun. Apollo protects us but he also strikes us down.

A lot of Apollo's darker epithets fascinate me. He is a healer but also the bringer of disease. He is the protector of youth (particularly of young men) and when young men die suddenly he is said to be the cause.

He has associations with death and the dead; he is not a psychopomp but he is more associated with the rituals of the dead. Making sure the dead get burial rites or protecting the deceased's bodies.

He is also called wolf-god. When you think of wolves what do you think of? You think of a wolf pack most likely. Loyalty, family, protection.

But think of how fierce wolves are; how farmers fear them. I see Apollo embodying both that loyalty and protection but also that fierce, primal fear that wolves incite in people.

For years I was taught to worship an all loving and all knowing God - who could stop the misery of the world but chose not to (for one reason or another, all of which never made any sense to me). I was supposed to believe that this humanoid god loved me unconditionally but wouldn’t lift a finger to end the abuse I suffered (more often than not, abuse I suffered I n his name).

But Apollo? He is both the Sun that grows the flowers and scorches my skin - neither act done out of love or hate, but both done out of nature. He is the burning Sun and I cannot expect him to bend reality or nature to the whims of humanity, let alone a single human such as myself.

I worship him, not because I have to - but because I choose to. I choose to see Apollo for who he is - a force of nature. I choose to see how he is both life and death - both creation and destruction - as is the way with all art. Art is not inherently good or bad - kind or cruel - art is just the act of creation, and it can take on endless forms.

“Rural, light-bearer, and the Muse's head, Noble and lovely, arm'd with arrows dread: Far-darting, Bacchian, two-fold, and divine.”

“You cast light upon the roots below and hold the boundaries of the whole kózmos: For the origin and completion are both in your care…

The cause of the blooming of all things; with your resonant lyre you harmonize the entire axis of the heavens, At one time advancing to the lowest pitch, And at another to the highest, You temper the entire axis; you keep the tribes of living creatures distinct,

You have mingled in harmony the share of all mortal men, You have mixed an equal measure of winter and summer, You have arranged the highest three strings in the winter, the lowest in the summer…”

You can usually find books on witchcraft, yes, but there’s also field guides on local foraging and wildlife, cookbooks, books that teach you how to craft and DIY, books about environmental protection and stewardship, books on how to use herbs medicinally, books about other religions, cultures, and spiritual practices. My favorite local library even has a seed swapping program and fantastic resources to research your own family history!

Hypnos of those tossing and turning in bed,

Hypnos of 3am cigarettes.

Hypnos of the sleepy,

Hypnos of the constantly tired,

Hypnos of those who try to escape their reality in their sleep.

Hypnos of the sleeping pills,

Hypnos of the meds that cause insomnia as a side effect,

This is by no means an official guide. If anything this is just a way of letting you all know how I go about using my pendulum. I’m going to talk about calibration/establishing how I worked out what-means-what before I go into any methodology (I gathered my information from myriad sources and will list them if I can remember what/where they are).

Calibration/Figuring Out What Your Pendulum is Telling You:

Alright, so you might have a totally different way of doing this, but here’s mine! Firstly, you need a pendulum. This may be obvious, but I’m just putting it out there. A pendulum can be any weighted object that is suspended from a chain or string or some kind. You’ll find that lots of people use crystals for pendulums as they work particularly well. I did not with my first pendulum (tragic side story: my Mama accidentally threw my guide sheet and pendulum away when cleaning - absolutely devastating).  That being said, you do not have to use a crystal. As I mentioned, my first pendulum was in fact a small silver pendant that held a white and black pearl inside. It was hung on a slim silver chain that was 7″ in length. An effective pendulum should be something that is connected to you and only you as it will be imbued with your energies. Take care - do not allow others to handle your pendulum as it may alter the energies and therefore the accuracy and effectiveness of your tool.

Onto the actual subject of this post (I digress often, as you’ve probably noticed). “But, Rowan how do I even get started!?” I hear you cry. Well, my darlings, this is how I did it:

First things first, you’ll need a piece of paper, a pen, and a ruler (if you like your lines straight) and of course, your pendulum. On the piece of paper, draw a circle as best as you can. It doesn’t have to be perfect but you can draw around a cup or mug if you like to get a nice round circle. Make sure the circle is big enough; I would recommend something akin to the size of the palm of your hand or bigger. 

Next, use a ruler to find the centre of your circle and mark it with a dot. Now draw a line horizontally through the dot. Do this vertically and diagonally so that you have a diagram like the one below. 

Once you’ve done this, sit down and breathe in and out deeply and calmly. It is time to prepare yourself for divining.  Before every use of the pendulum, it is imperative (for me!) to be in a calm and serene state and to do this, I sit comfortably and close my eyes. I envision an aura of protective white light surrounding my body. Starting from my toes I let it envelope me and bathe me in warmth and spiritual energy. I visualize it travelling up through the crown chakra and into the third eye. This increases psychic and spiritual power.

The next thing you must do is a little strange sounding but important in this sort of work. You must tap a small circle counter-clockwise (the opposite direction in which a clock moves) around your thymus with your index finger (your thymus is just over an inch below the hollow between your collar bones on your chest). Doing this helps balance the energies within you.

This next part you will only have to do once, unless like me you lose your guide papers in an unfortunate cleaning mishap:

Now you need to establish the directions and what they mean. For example, which swing means yes? Which means no? Who knows? You will, in a minute. Sit with the soles of your feet planted firmly on the ground and place the paper between your legs/feet and take the chain/thong/rope between your thumb and finger, or two fingers; have a loose but secure grip. Let the pendulum hang and make sure the point of it is above the centre of your circle - this is why the dot in the centre helps because it’s a larger focal point. 

To find your directions, you have to ask! Simple! Say aloud: “Show me the ‘yes’ signal/sign”, and take note of the direction of the pendulum’s movement. Does it move clockwise? Counter clockwise? Swing side-to-side? Diagonally? Up and down?  If the pendulum does not move, repeat your question. If, after say 5-10 minutes it shows no intention of going anywhere, move onto your next enquiry. Once you have identified your signal, claim it and confirm it by saying something along the lines of, “this is my signal for yes”.

Repeat this exact process for ‘no’, and then, ‘do not know’, ‘ask later’, ‘cannot say’ and ‘maybe’ or ‘sort of’. 

To further confirm that these are correct, test the pendulum by using statements that you know the answer to, for example, ‘my hair colour is ______’, or ‘my name is ______’. If your signals are right, the pendulum’s response will be yes or no depending on the statement you have made.

Once you are sure that you have calibrated your pendulum, make a note on your piece of paper regarding the directional signals. Note their meanings down. 

Once this is all done, you’re done! You can begin divining to your heart’s content! You can keep using your guiding circle for as long as you like, there is no harm or shame in it! I used mine for a while afterwards to keep myself calm and confident as I am still a baby at this sort of thing.

For all my witches out there, here’s a handy list of the 2026 dates for the solstices, some commonly-referenced holidays, full and new moons, planetary retrogrades, and special celestial events. I’ve listed my sources at the bottom. This year's listings have also been updated to include full moon and seasonal observance dates for the Southern Hemisphere.

Dates and times for all events are calculated for Eastern Daylight Time (GMT -5). Adjust for your location as needed and check the DarkSky Placefinder to see what special events will be visible in your area.

Please Note: This is not meant to be a universal or infallible system of marking seasonal or lunar days of import for witches and pagans. Readers should take their own paths and beliefs into account, and are also encouraged to create their own seasonal calendars, holidays, and observances based on your local biome and personal preferences. Enjoy!

Northern Hemisphere Solstices, Equinoxes, & Cross Quarter Days

February 1-2 - Imbolc / Candlemas / High Winter

March 20 - Spring Equinox / Ostara

April 30-May 1 - Beltane / May Day / Walpurgisnacht

June 20-21 - Summer Solstice / Midsummer / Litha

August 1 - Lughnasadh / Lammas / Summer Harvest

September 22-23 - Autumn Equinox / Mabon / Fall Harvest

October 31 - Samhain / Halloween / Final Harvest

December 21 - Winter Solstice / Midwinter / Yule

Northern Hemisphere Full Moons

January 3 - Wolf Moon ♋ (Supermoon)

February 1 - Snow Moon ♌

March 3 - Worm Moon ♍ (Lunar Eclipse/Blood Moon/Micromoon)

April 1 - Pink Moon ♎

May 1 - Flower Moon ♏

May 31 - Blue Moon ♐

June 29 - Strawberry Moon ♑ (Micromoon)

July 29 - Thunder Moon (aka Buck Moon) ♒

August 28 - Sturgeon Moon ♓ (Lunar Eclipse)

September 26 - Harvest Moon ♈

October 26 - Hunter’s Moon ♉

November 24 - Frost Moon (aka Beaver Moon) ♊

December 23 - Cold Moon ♋ (Supermoon)

Southern Hemisphere Solstices, Equinoxes, & Cross Quarter Days

February 1-2 - Lughnasadh / Lammas / Summer Harvest

March 20 - Autumn Equinox / Mabon / Fall Harvest

April 30-May 1 - Samhain / Final Harvest

June 20-21 - Winter Solstice / Midwinter / Yule

August 1-2 - Imbolc / Candlemas / High Winter

September 22-23 - Spring Equinox / Ostara

October 31 - Beltane / Halloween

December 21 - Summer Solstice / Midsummer / Litha

Southern Hemisphere Full Moons

January 3 - Thunder Moon (aka Buck Moon) ♋

February 1 - Sturgeon Moon ♌

March 3 - Harvest Moon ♍

April 1 - Hunter's Moon ♎

May 1 - Frost Moon (aka Beaver Moon) ♏

May 31 - Blue Moon ♐

June 29 - Cold Moon ♑ (Micromoon)

July 29 - Wolf Moon ♒

August 28 - Snow Moon ♓ (Lunar Eclipse)

September 26 - Worm Moon ♈

October 26 - Pink Moon ♉

November 24 - Flower Moon ♊

December 23 - Strawberry Moon ♋ (Supermoon)

*The astrological signs should remain the same for the Southern Hemisphere, it's just the names that are flipped around due to the difference in seasonal cycles.

New Moons

January 18 ♑

February 17 ♒

March 18 ♓

April 17 ♈

May 16 ♉

June 14 ♊

July 14 ♋

August 12 ♌

September 10 ♍

October 10 ♎

November 9 ♏

December 8 ♐

Special Celestial Events

January 3 - Supermoon

March 3 - Lunar Eclipse, Micromoon

June 29 - Micromoon

August 12 - Total Solar Eclipse

August 12-13 - Perseid Meteor Show (coinciding with new moon)

August 28 - Partial Lunar Eclipse

October 21-22 - Orionid Meteor Shower

December 13-14 - Geminid Meteor Shower

December 23 - Supermoon

(Check the DarkSky Placefinder to see what will be visible in your area!)

Planetary Retrogrades

November 11 2025-March 10 2026 - Jupiter ♋

February 26-March 20 - Mercury ♓

May 6-October 15 - Pluto ♒

June 29-July 23 - Mercury ♋

July 7-December 12 - Neptune ♈

July 26-December 10 - Saturn ♈

October 3-25 - Venus ♏

October 25-November 13 - Venus ♎

October 24-November 13 - Mercury ♏

December 12 2026-April 12 2027 - Jupiter ♌

Happy Witching!

SOURCES & FURTHER READING:

Bree’s Lunar Calendar Series

Bree’s Secular Celebrations Series

Witchcraft Exercises for Building Your Craft

Full Moon Calendar 2026, Space.com.

Moon Phases Calendar 2026, MoonInfo.org.

Astronomy Calendar of Celestial Events 2026, SeaSky.org.

The Year in the Sky: 2026’s Most Noteworthy Celestial Events, Scientific American.

Dark Sky Placefinder for Stargazing, DarkSky International.

2026 Wheel of the Year, Patheos.

Astrology Calendar 2026, YourZodiacSign.com.

2026 Retrograde Planets Calendar and Astrology, Astrostyle.

Image Source - How Stuff Works

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'Well, let us start at once,' said he. 'Lock your door, and put the key in your pocket.'

- A Lost Paradise (The Lilac Fairy Book)

-----

Intent: To set your household wards when you lock your front door.

Materials:

Your front door key

Ideal Timing: Whenever you cast or refresh your household wards

A witchling once approached me with the following question: "How do household wards know when and when not to let people in?" My answer was simple: "You tell them the difference." This spell is one example of how to do just that. It works best when you are the homeowner, but as long as you call the place home, it should work.

Upon completion of your ritual for setting household protections, whatever that may be, take your house key and go to the front door. Place your dominant hand flat against the inside of the door, with the key between your palm and the door's surface.

Say in a strong clear voice:

This is my home And I hold the key; No one may enter Unless bidden by me.

If you feel the need, you can repeat this on other exterior doors for added security. Upon leaving your home, make sure you lock your doors and windows. The act of locking the front door from the outside with your key sets the wards until you return.

After you lock your front door, place your hand upon it and say, "No one but me." If someone else is to allowed in, include them as well, i.e. "No one but me or my spouse/roommate/parent/child/etc." Again, this will work best for people who actually live in the home, or whom you've given permission to be there in your absence.

Please note that this is not a foolproof method for deterring intruders. Take any and all mundane measures of security needed to ensure the safety of your home and its' occupants.

-from the forthcoming book, The Sisters Grimmoire, Vol. II; (c) 2021 Bree NicGarran