To Establish Contact with the House Spirits

This rite is intended to establish contact with the spirits that dwell within your home. Prepare your working space with: a small bowl of milk, cream, or honeyed bread; a bit of salt; a candle; and a key or iron nail. This rite is best done in the kitchen or near the hearth or central gathering space of the home. If you have a fireplace, even better. Clean the space beforehand and open a window or door slightly to allow energy to move freely.

When ready, light the candle and say:

Spirits old, spirits true,
Kin of stone and beam and floo,
Those who dwell behind the veil,
By threshold, hearth, and timbered rail—

I call with peace, I speak with care,
I ask: are any dwelling there?
Come if you will, and hear me true,
My heart is open, I welcome you.

Sprinkle a pinch of salt at the base of the candle and set the offering beside it. Place your iron token on the threshold or hearth. Then say:

By salt, by flame, by gift and sign,
I mark this house as yours and mine.
By breath and will, by name and deed,
In bond of kinship, not of need.

If you guard, then guard in strength.
If you dwell, then dwell at length.
If you watch, then watch in grace—
This home is now a spirit place.

Sit quietly. Observe any subtle shifts—feelings of warmth, pressure, sound, movement, or a sense of being watched. When you are ready to continue, speak plainly, introducing yourself and your household and clearly stating any intentions you have: that you seek harmony, safety, a shared home, or help with hearthcraft.

When ready, say:

This gift I give—sweet, small, and true,
To honor those I cannot view.
I ask no oath, demand no claim—
Only peace, by hearth and name.

Blow out the candle and say:

By dark and light, by kith and kin,
I greet this house, and those within.
So let it be, so let it start—
With steady hand and open heart.

Leave the offering out overnight. In the morning, dispose of it outdoors by burying, pouring into the earth, or leaving it at the boundary of your home (such as the garden, doorstep, or fence). Repeat this rite when moving into a new home, after major house events or renovations, or seasonally to reaffirm ties.