Protecting Property

[dragonfaerie]

I'm looking for some folk magic-y, "hiding in plain sight" ways to protect one's home and property. I can and do set energy wards around my place, but I wanted the reinforcement of physical tokens as well.

Note... I live in a rowhouse (like a townhouse, but a bit more lower-class) and don't want to get the neighbors interested in or suspicious of what I do. So burying a witch bottle full of rusty nails and urine in the front yard? Yeah, that's right out. It's not that I'm afraid of the neighbors... I just don't want them up in my business.

Karen

[Marilyn/Absentminded]

Note... I live in a rowhouse (like a townhouse, but a bit more lower-class) and don't want to get the neighbors interested in or suspicious of what I do.

Is it landscaped or can you plant whatever you want there? I'm thinking brambly things, like roses or thistles.

Absent

[monsnoleedra]

I'm looking for some folk magic-y, "hiding in plain sight" ways to protect one's home and property. I can and do set energy wards around my place, but I wanted the reinforcement of physical tokens as well.

Note... I live in a rowhouse (like a townhouse, but a bit more lower-class) and don't want to get the neighbors interested in or suspicious of what I do. So burying a witch bottle full of rusty nails and urine in the front yard? Yeah, that's right out. It's not that I'm afraid of the neighbors... I just don't want them up in my business.

Karen

Witch Bottles were not only buried in the ground. You find references to them being placed above entryways, near or above windows, inside or behind fireplaces, etc. The same type purpose can also be instilled in constructs that sit upon a window sill or above a door jam. It's like my wife has two little kitchen witches figurines that sit near the stove that act as protectors in the kitchen.

I've also seen razors placed above the window sills or doorjams to protect a home. Sigil type patterns weaved into throw dollies that sit on tables beneath lamps and such. Heck even sigils or powerwords that are afixed to the top or bottom of doors, windows even around pipes.

[Catherine]

Is it landscaped or can you plant whatever you want there? I'm thinking brambly things, like roses or thistles.

Absent

This was my thought, too. I have some thistle growing by my front door.

[Owl]

I'm looking for some folk magic-y, "hiding in plain sight" ways to protect one's home and property. I can and do set energy wards around my place, but I wanted the reinforcement of physical tokens as well.

Note... I live in a rowhouse (like a townhouse, but a bit more lower-class) and don't want to get the neighbors interested in or suspicious of what I do. So burying a witch bottle full of rusty nails and urine in the front yard? Yeah, that's right out. It's not that I'm afraid of the neighbors... I just don't want them up in my business.

Karen

We have a collection of little figurines - mostly gargoyles - that we place over all openings to the outside and make wards. some are very tiny and don't really show on the window or door frame. The one for the kitchen window sits on the top of the part that slides up (the window opens by sliding the bottom half up)and is several inches tall.

[Annie Roonie]

I'm looking for some folk magic-y, "hiding in plain sight" ways to protect one's home and property. I can and do set energy wards around my place, but I wanted the reinforcement of physical tokens as well.

Note... I live in a rowhouse (like a townhouse, but a bit more lower-class) and don't want to get the neighbors interested in or suspicious of what I do. So burying a witch bottle full of rusty nails and urine in the front yard? Yeah, that's right out. It's not that I'm afraid of the neighbors... I just don't want them up in my business.

Karen

A very folksy one: Purple Deadnettle tossed about the perimeter. If it happens to take and grow, it's little (littler than it looks in the pic) and only in spring does it pop up. It grows around the edges of farm fields among other places.

Since Henbit and Ground Ivy often grow in lawns in the spring and both are purple, the purple dead nettle probably wouldn't get a second glance. Once it dries and is mulched in it'll be invisible anyway.

[catja6]

...

I've got a Devil Pod/Bat Nut perched up on top of my front door lintel, facing outward -- it's small and my door frame is high and deep, so it's not even visible from the ground.

http://www.luckymojo.com/batnut.html

If you're not into Hoodoo, there are all kinds of other apotropaic objects that work on the same principle, like Gorgon heads, gargoyles, etc. For more godly protection, Hermes and Janus are traditional doorway guardians, or if you're cool with Christian symbolism, hanging a representation of St. Michael behind the door is common in Eastern Europe. Another good general protection thing is a little salt sprinkled in the four corners of your home, but that obviously has to be replenished fairly often.

[MadZealot]

So burying a witch bottle full of rusty nails and urine in the front yard? Yeah, that's right out. It's not that I'm afraid of the neighbors... I just don't want them up in my business.

Try placing small 'protection' stones either at the corner of the property or at the corners of the house itself. Alternatively you can just use 'found' stones and, with a magickal Sharpie, draw the appropriate rune/letter/symbol on the bottom. Mush the stones into the earth a bit and they shouldn't be spotted or disturbed.

The great thing is you can do this any time of the day while just puttering about in the yard. Stop and tie your shoe, place a stone. Pull a weed, place a stone. Full Moon? Place stones while everyone's sleeping! You won't be spotted with a shovel and a dubious looking bottle, so no awkward questions, hopefully.

For the house, there's the good ol' horseshoe over the door trick.

[earth_dragon]

I'm looking for some folk magic-y, "hiding in plain sight" ways to protect one's home and property. I can and do set energy wards around my place, but I wanted the reinforcement of physical tokens as well.

Note... I live in a rowhouse (like a townhouse, but a bit more lower-class) and don't want to get the neighbors interested in or suspicious of what I do. So burying a witch bottle full of rusty nails and urine in the front yard? Yeah, that's right out. It's not that I'm afraid of the neighbors... I just don't want them up in my business.

Karen

I'm glad somebody asked this question. I learned some really neat ideas. My fiance and I just bought a house, so I've been looking at different idea for protection. Thanks!

[catja6]

I'm glad somebody asked this question. I learned some really neat ideas. My fiance and I just bought a house, so I've been looking at different idea for protection. Thanks!

It looks fluffy as hell, but The Element Encyclopedia of 5000 Spells by Judika Illes is very useful. There's a big chapter on protection spells with lots of good ideas. Illes comes across as rather silly in her other work, but like Cunningham, she's a good and thorough collater of folk magic.