The Poet’s Calendar –  Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

JANUARY

“Janus am I; oldest of potentates;

 Forward I look, and backward, and below

I count, as god of avenues and gates,

 The years that through my portals come and go.

I block the roads, and drift the fields with snow;

 I chase the wild-fowl from the frozen fen;

My frosts congeal the rivers in their flow,

My fires light up the hearths and hearts of men.”

January is a good time to perform a doorway or threshold blessing for your home. In Scotland, folks bury iron, like a knife or horseshoe, under or around the lintel, or hang it over or next to the door.  

Other folks’ traditions include sprinkling consecrated water or wine over the threshold and saying a blessing; scratching, carving, or writing a good luck rune or symbol on the threshold or doorway; or spitting on your fingers (or just kissing them) and making a sign of blessing on the threshold.

Before trying any of these threshold blessings, prepare the area by sweeping and cleaning the doorway. You can also add decorative elements like potted plants or flowers, wind chimes, and welcoming talismans like fairy garden statues, geodes, and pretty rocks.

Think of what magic you would like in your life, your home, and your rooms, and use the very powerful magic inherent in doorways and thresholds to invite it in.