One other plant that offers exceptional magical qualities when potted and placed near the threshold is the pansy. Known for drawing love and friendship, pansies also do well during cool weather and thrive in spring and autumn when other plants might not do well. I’ve even had bloom ouside my front door in Ohio on New Year’s day. [1]
[1] Llewellyn’s 2022 Magical Almanac by Chi Cicero
Cheery geraniums are anothe rprotective plant that can be enjoyed potted near the threshold. Red geraniums are very protective. When cut and placed in a vase inside, they can protect the inteerior of a home also. Outside they repel negativity . Pink geraniums draw friendship, and white geraniums are soothing. Don’t forget, scented geraniums can also be grown in pots near hte threshold. Depending on the scent you select, scented geraniums can calm you or repel evil. For some quick magic, try rubbing the leaf of a rose-scented geraium on an exterior doorknob to protect the home from emotional upsets in general. [1]
[1] Llewellyn’s 2022 Magical Almanac by Chi Cicero
A potted fern is one of the easiest and most magical plants you can grow by your threshold. They’ve graced doorsteps since the Victorian era, adn it’s easy to see why. Their lush greenery brings a sense of calm and their foliage has strong protective vibrations. They guard against all evil. Including a few stems in a vase arrangement will bring their magical powers inside too. [1]
Fern. Protection, blending-in, shielding. Kimberley Queen Fern (Nephrolepis obliterata) is a pet safe fern that removes formaldehyde, xylene, and toluene from the environment. Boston Fern (Nephrolepis exaltata) is also pet safe. [2]
Burn indoors for protection, outside for rain. Bracken fern root sprinkled under the pillow grants dream solutions to problems. [1]
[1] Llewellyn’s 2022 Magical Almanac by Chi Cicero
[2] Practical Witch’s Almanac 2022 by Friday Gladheart
[3] Green Witchcraft by Ann Moura
Wands, protection, leaves for prophetic dreams, prosperity, study, health, enhances magic, made into besoms and stangs. Ash, oak and hawthorn grown or found together form what is called a Fairy Triad, where the fair folk may visit and maybe seen. Sprinkle ash leaves under the pillow to grant insight and prophetic dreams. [1]
The world tree, astral travel, all rites of passage, healing, protection, initiation, autumn equinox, Midsummer, Ostara, and Yule. Sacred to Ares, Athena, Cernunnos, Fates, Furies, Gwydion, Herne, Jupiter, Llyr, Mars, Minerva, Neptune, Norns, Odin, Poseidon, Thor, Uranus, Woden, Wyrd, Ymir, and Zeus. Ruled by the sun, the elements of water and fire, and the star sign Leo. [2]
[1] Green Witchcraft by Ann Moura
[2] The Hearth Witch’s Compendium by Anna Franklin
Fertility, anointing, wishes. Ruled by the sun and the element of fire. Sacred to Adonis, Apollo, and Jupiter. [1]
Resources
[1] The Hearth Witch’s Compendium by Anna Franklin
Love, protection. [1]
[1] The Hearth Witch’s Compendium by Anna Franklin
Energy, strength, power. Ruled by the sun and the element of fire. [1]
[1] The Hearth Witch’s Compendium by Anna Franklin
Sun rituals, Midsummer, happiness, blessings, fertility, strength, courage, action, self-image, consecrating healing stones and gems. Ruled by the sun, the element of fire, and the star sign Leo. Sacred to Apollo, Demeter, Helios, and Venus. [1]
[1] The Hearth Witch’s Compendium by Anna Franklin
Blessing, love, Midsummer, fertility. Ruled by the planet Venus and the elements of earth or water. Sacred to fairies, Freya, love goddesses, and mother goddesses. [1]
In parts of Bavaria, it was traditional come springtime to tie little bags or baskets of wild strawberries to the cows’ horns to appease the fairies and elves, and to protect the cows. [2]
Some of the fairies’ preferred gathering places at Beltane are “fairy rings’ – circles of wild mushrooms; as well as circles of lawn daisies, patches of wild violets, patches of wild thyme, and, most of all, swathes of wild strawberries. [2]
Some Native American Indian tribes have long associated wild strawberries with spring and rebirth, as they are the first wild fruits to ripen. They used them mixed with cornmeal to make strawberry bread, which whtie settlers transformed to strawberry shortcake, a traditional Memorial Day weekend dessert.
During meieval times, the strawberry signified perfection and righteousness and strawberry fruits also symbolized esteem, love, purity, passion, health, and perfection, and were a popular embroidery motif. In heraldry, depictions of strawberry leaves were sometimes used to denote rank.
Strawberries are one of Venus’s symbols, due to their red heart shape. Frigga, the Norse marriage goddess, was believe to smuggle dad children to heaven by hiding them in strawberry patches. Both Freya, the Norse goddess of love, and the Christian Virgin Mary have been associated with strawberries.
Dutch early surrealist artist Hieronymus Bosch painted one of his most famous works, the triptych The Garden of Earthly Delights, in the fifteenth century. It is now housed at the Museo del Prado in Madrid, Spain, and, if you are unfamiliar with Bosch’s work, it is wonderfully strange. The center panel, which represents a lustful earthly paradise, features many oversized strawberries. At the bottom right are two human-sized straberries, one bursting open to emit round blue balls, and the other being used as an exercise ball by a naked woman. One of the men is offering the woman a strawberry as big as a melon. Another giant strawberry, with fairy wings, rides on the back of a naked man, a spiny tail emergy from a slit on its side. [2]
[1] The Hearth Witch’s Compendium by Anna Franklin
[2] Llewellyn’s 2022 Sabbats Almanac: Samhain 2021 to Mabon 2022
Rebirth, resurrection, funerals, memorials, initiations, luck, love, passion, sexuality, sensuality, seduction, marriage, Great Rite, handfasting, Beltane. The white rose represents purity, perfection, innocence, virginity, and the Maiden Goddess, while the red rose is earthly passion, fertility, and the Mother Goddess. Red roses are ruled by Jupiter, damask roses by the planet Venus, and white roses by the moon. All fall under the element of water. Sacred to Adonis, Aphrodite, Artemis, Aurora, Bacchus, Blodeuwedd, Christ, Cupid, Demeter, Dionysus, Eros, Flora, Freya, Hathor, Horus, Hulda, Hymen, Inanna, Ishtar, Isis, Kubaba, the Mothers, Nike, Ninsianna, Saule, Venus, Virgin Mary, and Vishnu. [1]
When thinking about planting a protective barrier or plants and flowers near your threshold, let’s not forget to mention roses. The flower of peace, love, and friendship, the rose is also highly protective when planted near the entrance of a home. It helps prevent negativity from entering any dwelling. Just scattering a few rose petals near the threshold will ease domestic tensions. This will also neutralize any dark energy left behind by an unpleasant visitor who has just left. Today there are many easy-care roses available, so you needn’t worry about fussing over them with toxic sprays. However, today’s easy-to-grow roses shouldn’t need sraying. Simply plant them and enjoy their protective qualities. [2]
[1] The Hearth Witch’s Compendium by Anna Franklin
[2] Llewellyn’s 2022 Magical Almanac by Chi Cicero
A Grimoire Zettelkasten
Witchcraft, Paganism & Tarot
Witchcraft, Paganism & Tarot
Witchcraft, Paganism & Tarot
Adana Luna 