There are many categories of Guardians, they include :

PERSONAL GUARDIANS: Generally one for each family member, they are placed on Family Shrine. If we are lucky enough to be born into a Pagan family Tradition, then our first Guardian will be given to us at birth [connected with Birth Rites] or as a small child by our parents, the next is chosen by ourselves before we go off to school [ Rite Before Starting School] & the last one is chosen when we finally leave home for good. [Coming of Age Rite]

Those who come into Neo-Paganism or Wicca as an adult tend to set up a Household & Personal Guardian after their self Dedication or first Coven Initiation. The personal Guardian protects on the astral plane, dream state & during magical work.

HOUSEHOLD GUARDIAN: Placed on Family Shrine. Main negativity clearer in home or room. This Guardian protects during sleep & while in the "awake" state [physical body & possessions]

THRESHOLD GUARDIAN: [Front Door] Offerings at door step & ritual oiling of door required each full Moon. Bars entrance on all planes to baneful forces, drains negativity from those who enter on physical plane, for it is often activated & grows in strength & power when in the presence of evil which it then returns to sender.

HEARTH GUARDIAN: Can be placed on the hearth / Fire place, in the kitchen or pantry or on the Household Shrine. This Guardian is one who protects the home, children, pets, marriage bed, food & amplifies warmth & love within the home. A Fire Elemental is always used.

BOUNDARY GUARDIANS: Usually their are 4, one in each quarter & relating to each element, they are situated on site, trees, rocks, walls or garden statues may be used. These protect from intruders on all planes.

COVEN GUARDIAN: Each Coven also has its Guardian, its name or symbol is carved /engraved on the Coven Sword, Shield & Banner. This Sword is protected by the Covens physical Guardians [1st & 2nd Guardian / Inner & Outer Guardians.] during Rites & is kept on or under altar. Those who break Coven Oaths are dwelt with by this guardian, who also protects all who enter the circle with good intent.

OTHER GUARDIANS INCLUDE: Guardians of cars, bikes & other objects like ritual jewellery, books & tools. Then there are Guardians of livestock, barns, wine cellars, attics, garages, herb gardens, crops, fruit trees, outside Shrines & Groves, all Ritual areas.

NATURE SPIRITS:

FOOD: Cornmeal, Bread, Grain, Seed, Fruit, Cheese, Birdseed.
DRINK: Beer, Ale, Cider, Mead.
INCENSE: Sage, Seaweed, Tobacco
OTHER: Quartz Crystals, Semi-precious Gemstones, Round pebbles, Shells, Coins, Holey stones.

HOUSE SPIRITS:

FOOD: Bread, Salt, Oil, Fruit, Cakes.
DRINK: Milk, Wine, Beer, Cider, Juice.
INCENSE: Frankincense, Rosemary.
OTHER: Ritual food.

BORDER GUARDIANS:

FOOD: Eggs, Honey, Herbs, Cakes.
DRINK: Milk, Wine, Beer, Cider.
INCENSE: Rosemary, Thyme, Juniper.
OTHER: Ribbons, Garlands.

HEARTH GUARDIANS:

FOOD: Bread, Butter, Oil, Salt
DRINK: Wine, Milk, Tea, Coffee.
INCENSE: Pine, Rosemary.
OTHER: A small portion of all food.

THRESHOLD GUARDIANS:

FOOD: Barley, Bread, Oil.
DRINK: Wine.
INCENSE: Juniper.
OTHER: Perfumed oil, Garlands.

HOUSEHOLD GUARDIANS:

FOOD: Bread, Cakes
DRINKS: Ale, Beer, Wine, Brandy, Fruit Juice
INCENSE: Bay
OTHER: Flowers, Coins, Semi-Precious Stones, Crystals

PERSONAL GUARDIANS:

FOOD: All you yourself enjoy.
DRINK: All you yourself enjoy.
INCENSE: Frankincense, Sage.
OTHER: Hair & nail clippings.

GARDEN SPIRITS:

FOOD: Bread, Cakes, Fruit, Sunflower seed, Cornmeal.
DRINK: Honey Water, Mead, Wine, Beer
INCENSE: Bay, Lavender
OTHER: Flowers, Ribbons, Ritual Crowns, Round stones, Seaweed, Sea shells, rocks & minerals.

COVEN GUARDIAN:

Ritual oil, Flowers, Herbs & smudging with incense.

THE GODS.

FOOD: Bread, Cakes, Corn, Ritual Foods.
DRINKS: All drinks that are Blessed.
INCENSE: ALL
OTHER: Flowers, Herbs, Garlands, Perfumed oil, Hair, Gemstones & minerals

BIRTH GODDESSES:

FOOD: Cakes, Eggs, Rice, Seeds.
DRINKS: Milk Stout, Mothers Milk, Milk, Mead
INCENSE: Sandalwood, mint & Rose.
OTHER: Hair, Perfumed Oil, Flowers, Semi Precious Gems, Crystals & Stones.

Place brown or black candle before statue. Put pot-plant on altar. Water in bowl . Light incense. Sprinkle salt in a circle around you. Cakes and ale.

Say the following:

Beloved guardian, that I may instruct thee in thy duties. Be thou ever watchful to the north, the south, the east, the west behind thee, above thee, below thee and around thee. Take thy watch from the setting of the sun, to the coming of the dawn and the downset, stand guard as I have instructed thee.

Thy standing is for a year and a day, when thy time is done, depart to thine own place. May you be blessed to the amount dew to thee.

Leave candle & incense to burn out. Take sip of wine. Eat of offering. Pour water into plant. Pour wine into water bowl. Take outside as offering with cakes.

Is a small altar to the Gods & Household Guardians. This can be a side table or sunny window sill, in fact each household will have the shrine according to their present living conditions. Some Pagans follow the European tradition of having a small corner box made, with two or three shelves, which is then hung in a quite spot in the home. On these shelves are placed their representations of the Gods & guardians, plus a set of candle holders, vase of flowers & a small incense burner.[Often a statue of Mary is used to represent the Goddess, those that are not comfortable using a symbol of

Christianity may use stones, seedpods, cones, shells etc.]

Other shrines are more elaborate & are placed in a special room used only for meditations etc.

Your shrine is a place were you go for peace, quiet & reflection, where you meditate & do divination work.

The ritual altar is separate, it is set up with magical intent for ritual work & Festivals. After the rite the tools are packed away until the next rite, away from preying eyes & straying curious fingers.

The Shrine on the other hand is only taken down when you move to another abode.

MORNING PRAYER AT SHRINE

Light candles & burn some incense, place a small offering in your offering bowl & Say:

Lord & Lady, Guardians of our Household [ name them ]
I / We give you honour
Watch over us today as we go about our daily affairs
Keep us safe both day & night
I / We give you thanks for your presence
Please accept my / our offering Old Ones.
So mote it be.

Put out your candles with a snuffer or pinch out, never blow them out.

Small change may also be placed in your offering bowl, when it is full give the coins to some needy person or charity.

After sunset, put out your offerings, incense ash, any flowers, herbs, fruit etc used as an offering that day.

On the full Moon morning, anoint your symbols or statues with sacred oil as part of your prayer, If you have a threshold guardian, do the door at this point as well, using a protective rune or symbol.

The threshold guardian guards the space where inside & outside meet. It is a magical portal between worlds, a turning point. Such crossover spots are always places of magic & awesome power.

The most famous door guardian was the Roman God Janus, Lord of the month of January & King of the Oak / Green Lord, [as all doors were made of Oak.] His special day was January first & the rite to Him was done on the 31st of December, just before mid -night for He guarded both old & new, past & present & represented both war & peace. Statues of Him always had two faces for He guarded both within & without & some have been found with four faces, which related to the 4 quarters & the protection the re of & the 4 Pagan Solar festivals. [Solstices & Equinoxes.] Hecate was also used for She was the Guardian of all witches & Her statues depict Her with 3 faces. Triple

Goddesses were often used as were the Egyptian God of the Ways, Anubis & the Goddess Hathor. [The 7 Hathors] The Celtic Goddess Bride / Brighid was used for either the hearth or threshold due to Her multiple aspects.

This threshold guardian was generally male & he protected against external enemies. His job was to invite good vibrations in & avert evil /baneful ones.

This guardian lives in the door posts & lintel or the door itself. That is why it is customary to perform act of respect on passing over the threshold, a reverent touch, a slight bow, a pause. This custom remains today in the orthodox Christian churches, with their niches of candles or holy water at the door of the church, which is usually made of Oak wood & it dates to Pagan times.

This door & post should be regularly oiled with blessed / sacred oil as an offering.

If you live in an apartment block it is your door that is honoured not the entrance to the building. If you live in a house that is shared with others, it is your bedroom door that is honoured.

The hearth guardian is generally female & in Rome & Greece the Hearth Goddesses Vesta & Hestia were used. In Egypt the God Bes was used & Bride / Brighid was a favorite used by the Celts.. [Check your " God Chart of Aspects" if in doubt.]

As most homes today have no hearth or fireplace, use your kitchen stove or keep an oil lamp there or else where in the home to represent this guardian & the " Sacred fire " within the home. You may also use Brighid's Cross or a statue of your likening .

The Main Household Guardian can be your family's Totem animal, & your personal Guardian may be your own personal Totem animal. The choice is yours entirely.

The whole family gathers before the shrine,[ including pets, who should be indoors at this point.]

Light incense & then the candles [one for each one present, one for any family member not home at the time & one for each pet.]

Bless salt & water, place a pinch of salt in the water, mix, by stirring it with finger or wand 3 times deosil. Now sprinkle blessed water on shrine [& statues, masks or whatever you are using to represent your guardians] & each one present.

Take the salt & form a salt circle on the shrine, now meditate on these guardians & your needs, silently send out a call to the Elemental Realms & then say:

" These images will now serve as homes to our new household guardians, & through our visualisations of these images, will we be able to, in need, activate those who watch over us & our home, both day & night!

Today, we welcome our Hearth Guardian ...........& the Threshold Guardian ..........to our home & family.

Blessed be .............. & ................ We give Thee honour!

What we do in front of these images, we do in front of those who have come to aid us this day.

What we give to these images, we give to those special spirits who will now aid us in our work & protect us.

What we say to these images, we say to those special spirits.

Be welcome here........... Be welcome here............

All now move to the front door [or door of your room if you live in a home with non Pagans]

Each one present now makes an equal armed elemental cross on the door in oil & whispers the guardians name as they do this.

Ring bell three times, then all present call the guardians name silently while someone senses the door & Says: "Come to us now, beloved ........."

Next a candle is lit & it is then held up to the door & the following is said:

" May we always have light while you are with us beloved ........."

With the blessed water make a love rune on the door & say; " May you always allow love to enter here & banish all bane & negativity, beloved ........"

Pour some salt across the doorway & say; " May you protect this space from this time on, Beloved Guardian & all those who dwell within, ......." [name all including pets & those absent at that point in time]

Take up the oil & make a pentacle on the door with the oil. [pepper oil]

"Your standing be for a year & a day, may you grow spiritually from this task. Blessed be our threshold guardian who protects all within, on this plane & all others, be welcome to our home." [At this point add any specific instructions]

All bow to the door & return to where the image of the hearth guardian has been placed in the home or room.

If it is a fire- place / hearth, do the following; Each one makes equal armed cross in oil & whispers the guardians name as they do this, then place the incense burner first where the smoke may travel up the chimney, then sense the general area. Now light a small fire & bless, or light a red candle & bless. Now sprinkle the general area with blessed water & sprinkle the salt. Pause while all visualise their conception of this guardian & its specific tasks.

Ring bell 3 times & all silently call the guardian by name. Then say:

" Be welcome here Bright One, Welcome to our family & home, beloved .............. May we always have warmth, light, love & abundance, while your special presence is here in our home.

May you protect all those within, [name them, include pets]

May you welcome those who come in peace, with warmth & love & drive those with bane in their hearts & minds away, like a raging fire." [Add any specific instructions at this point.]

"Your standing be for a year & a day, May you grow in spirit & love while you stay in our home."

Each one now makes a rune of their choice on the hearth or symbol.

"May She always protect all food eaten at our table & make our home a place of light & warmth to those who are distressed. So mote it be.

Blessed be our Hearth guardian, Lady ......."[all make a slight bow & return to household shrine.]

NB. If you have any other guardians, your new guardians are now introduced to them in your own words, then say; "Beloved guardians [ name them all]

May you grow in light, strength & harmony,
This is my will, so mote it be."
Ring bell for cakes & ale & bless.
"Please except our offerings Old Ones
We do not only take, we do not only ask.
We ourselves give sweet offerings in your honour
We feed you, you feed us
We watch over you, you watch over us
Like strands in the same web, we are one."

All eat & drink, then place the remainder on the altar after some wine has been spilt across the threshold & hearth. If a symbol is being used, use your finger to make a rune on it. All make slight bow as you leave the room. This rite is done.

Take the rest of the offering out the next night / day.

BLESSED BE