Protecting Property

[Tana]

A very folksy one: Purple Deadnettle tossed about the perimeter.

I have those in the garden for years - yes they are small - I never knew what they were. Thanks for making me wiser.

[veggiewolf]

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.
...

I've been wondering what those plants were for years; they come up in my yard every spring, front and back.

Thanks!

[SunflowerP]

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)....

Everybody's already brought up most of the things I thought of!

One that hasn't been mentioned, though, is decorative garden stakes. I was delighted, years ago when I was still with ex-hubby and living in the townhouse (around here, they're all townhouses), to find one shaped like a sunflower (with a butterfly, which very much pleased The Cat's Aunt, who was the coven maiden and an amateur lepidopterist). The primary intent was to make the townhouse - which was in a large complex containing several long rows of townhouses - easier to find for ritual guests, new students, etc, but it took on a protective aspect without me (or, AFAIK, anyone else) doing anything specific to charge it with that function.

Probably other garden "decor" could be used similarly, though I don't really see flamingoes being particularly well-suited to the purpose.

Sunflower

[Magus]

... 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....

Karen

No worries, you can work the most wonderful magick without the neighbors ever even getting a hint of what you're up to!

Its hard to make suggestions about what you can do if we don't know what your power symbols are. Your "religion" is listed as Wicca so the Pentacle and triquetra might be a good place to start. I would suggest doing an intense magickal working protecting the entire structure where you live followed by some symbol that reminds you the house is under protection. For example: salt scattered around the home's perimeter... Or pentacles inscribed over the windows and doors. You might also hang spheres in the rooms to denote a shielding of your home and all within it. There are MANY ways to shield, Karen. Find the one that "feels" good to you.

Here are a couple of sites you might visit: http://wicca.com/celtic/wicca/defense.htm http://www.magickofthought.com/2011/...g-part-1-of-4/

[MadZealot]

One that hasn't been mentioned, though, is decorative garden stakes. I was delighted, years ago when I was still with ex-hubby and living in the townhouse (around here, they're all townhouses), to find one shaped like a sunflower (with a butterfly, which very much pleased The Cat's Aunt, who was the coven maiden and an amateur lepidopterist).

Oooo... I like this. I'm a sucker for yard decor.

[yewberry]

I have those in the garden for years - yes they are small - I never knew what they were.

All I could think is "there's a place on my property where it's not already growing?!"

ETA: Me? I like actual nettles (Urtica dioica). I have "guard nettles" growing all over the place, both as a physical barrier and a metaphorical one.

Brina

[spoOk]

All I could think is "there's a place on my property where it's not already growing?!"

ETA: Me? I like actual nettles (Urtica dioica). I have "guard nettles" growing all over the place, both as a physical barrier and a metaphorical one.

Brina

things I haven't seen mentioned yet,strictly for doorways:
a mirror just inside the door facing it,to bounce out bad things.
a line of salt or some other powder that fits your beliefs round the perimeter and laid double across gateways,doorways,driveways.
under your doormat in or outside the door way you can leave protective things there or write a protective charm there. akin to the capturing web of a dream catcher if written in a spiral it is meant to trap the bad energy in it.
I've also written suitable protective runes onto my doorframe in chalk,even if it gets washed away it's still there in deed.
I wrote a poem to go with the writing of the runes.
I should look it up for you...but it was one rune on left side,right side and one above,then a line of salt across the step.

[Kessei]

things I haven't seen mentioned yet,strictly for doorways:
a mirror just inside the door facing it,to bounce out bad things.
a line of salt or some other powder that fits your beliefs round the perimeter and laid double across gateways,doorways,driveways.
under your doormat in or outside the door way you can leave protective things there or write a protective charm there. akin to the capturing web of a dream catcher if written in a spiral it is meant to trap the bad energy in it.
I've also written suitable protective runes onto my doorframe in chalk,even if it gets washed away it's still there in deed.

We have a charged, decorative broom tacked up over our front entrance. I've also known people who put up some sort of doll/poppet by their main door, or some other statue, which is tasked with "watching" the house.

[Vale]

I've also known people who put up some sort of doll/poppet by their main door, or some other statue, which is tasked with "watching" the house.

I have a witch doll on a broomstick hanging on a piece of elastic from the roof of the porch which does just that! She hangs high enough so most people don't notice her above their heads.