Create a Magical Home

The space inside the four walls of your home should be like an extension of yourself, incorporating your likes, your hopes, and your beliefs. Home is the ideal place to express your spirituality. Decorate your house with items that bring to mind your chosen spiritual path, transforming your home into your own personal sacred space. By surrounding yourself with reminders of what you hold sacred, spirituality will become infused into your everyday life, making it a constant presence rather than something you think about at certain times and then forget. Your home should be a place where you feel comfortable and at ease, so don't try to conform to a set ideal; just mix and match what feels right for you.

How to create a spiritual home:

Here are some suggestions for incorporating spirituality into your home. Use these steps as a guide and put your own unique spin on the ideas below.

1) Guardian of the home

Our Pagan ancestors believed that every home had a guardian spirit watching over it. Connect with the spirit of your home to ask for protection for everyone who lives there.

The Green Man - A Celtic nature spirit who is both a protective presence and a symbol of spiritual transformation. By using his image, you are honouring nature and reminding yourself of your interconnection with the natural world. Hang a carving of the green man on your front door or add an image of him on the inside of your front door.

Garden gnomes - Another protective nature spirit for the exterior of your home. You don't have to choose the stereotypical twee statue of a little man with a pointy hat and a fishing rod if this is not your style. Choose an angel statue, a fairy, or a contemporary abstract stone statue. Place it in your garden or in front of your house with the intention of the statue being a guardian spirit - it's the intent, or your will, that transforms a piece of stone into a guardian spirit.

2) Welcome spells

Write a couple of good intentions on paper. Try writing: 'Blessed be' and 'Only good may cross this doorway' and 'Positive energy welcome' and 'This house is protected'.

Cut out each intention, fold up the paper and place the intentions under your front door mat. This simple ritual encourages goodness and discourages harm from crossing your threshold. The idea is that everyone who walks over the door mat is subject to your positive intentions.

3) Attract Good Fortune

Bring good fortune into your home with spiritual ornaments which are said to attract good luck.

Laughing Buddha - This big-bellied jolly figure will smile good fortune through your home. The laughing Buddha is thought to be a depiction of a Buddhist monk who lived in 10th century China and achieved enlightenment. Place his statue facing your front door to attract only positive energy into your home.

Ganesha:The Hindu elephant god is known as the bringer of good luck and prosperity, but he also signifies the opening up of your spiritual sense. Place a statue of Ganesha in your living room.

Water feature: Trickling water is said to help positive energy flow through your home. Add a small water feature in your living room or in your garden.

4) Create an Altar

This is a great way to focus your spiritual intent in the home. Gather together small items which are personally or spiritually significant to you and arrange them on a small table in one of your rooms. Shells, stones, photos of loved ones, inspirational images from magazines are all good choices for your home altar - anything which is meaningful to you. Let this altar be the place where you practice your meditation and rituals, or it can simply be a visual reminder of your spiritual aspect.

5) A Positive Atmosphere

Create good vibes in your home by using sound to cleanse any stagnant energy. Try using a singing bowl, or make a rattle by putting uncooked rice in a metal container. Shake the rattle in each room opening the windows in each room to allow the energy to escape. A wind chime will have a similar effect - hang one in your kitchen window. Incense and candles are excellent for creating a spiritual atmosphere, also. Always put them on a heat-proof surface and never leave them to burn unattended, though.