Pagans have long regarded the doorway as a sacred place, and lay herbs or amulets beneath the doormat, trace protective symbols in salted water upon the door or its frame or will ritually protect this sacred space from negative influences.

A Witch's Mezuzah                                House Blessing
To Keep Evil From Your House            House Blessing 2
Defensive Measures

A Witch's Mezuzah
A good friend of mine is Jewish, although not particularly religious in his beliefs.  I was visiting him several years ago and noticed that on the door frame of his condo was a small box.  It was inscribed with three Hebrew letters.  I asked what it was and he proceeded to tell me about the custom of the Mezuzah, which is a reminder of God's presence in the world, a symbol that catapults the witness into a state of remembrance of God's unity.  The letters are a short prayer, and the box contains a scroll upon which is written a prayer.   It is specifically NOT an amulet or ward.

However, the image, the idea, of a Mezuzah is one that is easily 'borrowed' for Pagan use.  At its base, the Mezuzah is a symbol of the division between the outside, secular existence and the sacred, private world.  For the Pagan, the tiny box is perfect for containing a short ritual, along with protective herbs.  The box is small and generally un-noticed or (even better) disregarded by passerby.

You can make a Mezuzah out of Shrinky-Dink or other clay-like substance, or purchase one through mail order (I did a search on Netscape and got a bunch of web sites with Mezuzahs for sale).

Some runes you might want to use are:

Feuh -- wealth

Thurisaz -- boundary between the Conscious and the Unconscious

Gebo -- gift

Wunjo -- joy

Algiz -- protection

Sowulo -- wholeness

Another idea is to take a small flat piece of wood and decorate it as a psuedo-Mezzuzah.

Before mounting, ritually purify, bless, and then dedicate the Mezuzah.  You may use your own ritual, one from elsewhere in the site, or this one:

Mezuzah Consecration Ritual

You will need: salt, water, Sandalwood incense, Blessing Oil.  The mezuzah should be placed upon your altar, wrapped in a bit of silk or cotton.

Cast the circle. Call the Elements.  Invoke Janus and Cardea.

"Great Goddess, Cardea
Protector of Gates and Doorways
Your priest/ess comes before you
Bearing a talisman for your examination."

"Mighty God, Janus
Watcher of those Coming & Going
Your priest/ess comes before you
Bearing a talisman for your examination."

Trace the rune(s) on the mezuzah and visualize it glowing, protective blue or white is best.  Say:

"Let this rune of <name>
gain strength from Your might
and power from Your vision
During this sacred night"

Repeat three times.

Pass the mezuzah through the incense, say
"I consecrate thee by the Power of Air!"

Pass through the flame of your South Candle, say
"I consecrate thee by the Power of Fire!"

Sprinkle it with water, say
"I consecrate thee by the Power of Water!"

Sprinkle with salt, say
"I consecrate thee by the Power of Earth!"

Hold the mezuzah between your two hands and feel the energy from the four elements.  Feel its gentle warmth.

Call out:
"Lord and Lady!
I call upon Your infinite wisdom,
Your glorious Insight
Bless my protective Mezuzah
During this sacred Night!"

Know that They have blessed it and you may mount it at any time.

Thank the Lord & Lady.  Thank the Elements.  Close the circle.

To follow traditional Jewish placement, mount the Mezuzah to the upper third of the right hand side of the doorway, no higher than a hand's breadth from the lintel.  It should be tilted to the left, but if the frame is small it may be left upright.

If you are concerned with privacy, place the Mezuzah on the interior frame, or, if it is the board rather than the box, mount it inside the frame where the closed door will cover it.
~by Ma'at

To Keep Evil From Your House
Make a magickal tea from any of the following herbs and then sprinkle some of it in the corners and doorways of your home to purify, defeat all wicked conjuring, and prevent evil forces from entering:
angelica root
broom tops
curry powder
holy thistle
poke root (which can also be added to your bath or cleaning water)
tormentil

From The Wiccan Spellbook by Gerina Dunwich

House Blessing
Assemble:
1. Salt & Water
2. Incense (fire and air)
3. Milk & Honey
4. Oil (for anointing)
5. Wine (for offering)
6. Bells, Pots, Pans, Whistles, etc.

Cast a circle in the main room (livingroom) and after casting, visualize
the circle expanding to include the entire house. Call upon
the spirits and energies living in the house (or apartment). Invite
those who will be harmonious with the new household and its
energies to remain. Invite/ask those who will be happier elsewhere to
depart. Release all "energies" not compatible with the new
household. (This may be expressed as a "release" in order to unbind
anything that may be stuck.)

Then call upon, greet, and invite ancestors, patron deities, and all
harmonious spirits and energies to dwell in the house as they
please.

Gather up the pots, pans, and all the noise-makers. Go to each door and
window, not forgetting the fire-place and dog-door,
making as much racket as humanly possible-to shoo out anything unwanted.
(This is hysterical fun, and also raises lots of energy
for the next important step.) Go again throughout the house and at each
portal (door, window, etc.) sprinkle salt-water and
cense, saying: "By the Elements I purify and charge this portal." Then
anoint the portal with milk and honey, saying: "By Milk
and Honey I ensure prosperity and peace within this place." Finally,
anoint the portal with oil, saying: "With Oil I seal this portal
and protect all within." At the front door a special prayer is said,
asking the guardian deities (God & Goddess) to freely grant
entry to all friends and loved ones, and to prevent passage (turn aside)
to any who would do harm." Then, if it's a house-pour
wine across the width of the threshold; if it's an apartment anoint the
threshold with light touches of wine.

The house-holders then each take a sip of wine, leaving some as an
offering to the Gods, and the Circle should be closed. The
remaining wine, milk, and honey should be offered to the Gods. (In our
case to the fruit tree and the oak tree in our yard.)

Addenda: This is very effective if done as part of a house-warming
party, followed by much feasting. It has also been done very
effectively by two people. It only takes about 30 minutes to do a large
house. You can take the time.

Do make certain to "ground" afterward, by closing the circle and by
eating. This ritual can "stir" up everybody and make the
house feel full of "buzzy" energy.

House Blessing Notes

In the spirit of house blessings, and because I'm basically a kitchen
witch at heart, and like little projects over serious ritual, I
offer some selections gleaned from Cunningham's The Magical Household.
I'm typing these without permission but with the
hope that they'll inspire you to pick up the Cunningham book, because
it's wonderful stuff...

For the doorway:
Suspend over the door a fresh sprig of dill, tied with a blue cord (or
red, if you prefer), to prevent those who mean you harm
from entering

Cross two needles, and stick into or tie onto a corner of your doormat,
to prevent evil from entering.

Grind Dragon's Blood herb into a powder and sprinkle it on door and
window sills, to protect your house from harm.
~ from Lady Ma'at's Book of Shadows

House Blessing 2

Assemble a candle, incense, a dish of water, and a dish of salt.

Bless the items.

Open all the doors and windows in the house.

Take the salt and walk around the house in a clockwise pattern, clockwise within each room.  Throw a pinch of salt in each corner, through each doorway, and out each window.  As you toss, see it burning away negativity and repeat as you go:
 “By the powre of Earth, I cleanse this house.”

Light the incense and repeat as above, making sure smoke drifts into corners and through each opening, visualizing it blowing away all negativity, saying as you go:
 “By the power of Air, I cleanse this house.”

Repeat with the candle, shining its light through into all corners and through the doors and windows, saying as you go:
 “By the power of Fire, I cleanse this house.”

Finish with the water, sprinkling some into each corner and through each opening, saying as you go:
 “By the power of Water, I cleanse this house.”

The house is clean!
~ from Lady Ma'at's Book of Shadows

Defensive Measures
Your home should be your refuge, whether that is where you are experiencing problems or somewhere else.  Just as you should buy strong locks for your doors, you should also thoroughly equip your house with psychic guards.  I find the following can be easily incorporated into spring cleaning, although certainly it can be done any time you have the energy to thoroughly scrub your entire dwelling place.

1.   As always, take care of the mundane cleaning first.  Scrub floors and paint walls, etc.
2.   Light purification incense in center or "hearth" of the house. This is not necessarily the physical center, but the room you
intend to spend the most time in or the magical work area.  In my case, this is the kitchen which is way off to one side of the
apartment, but I spend a lot of time there.  Invoke Deities of your choice.  In this case, I don't think a Circle is practical as you
aren't intended to contain energy but to drive out Nasties.  Bless salt and water and combine them in a clean spritzer.  You don't need to make salt-water sludge, here, just a pinch will do.
3.   Carry the incense from room to room, "fumigating" each room and hallway.  Spritz rooms lightly with salt and water.  Don't
forget attics and basements!  If you are truly obsessive do the yard as well (if you have one).  Work from the center outward.
4.   Optional:  repeat fumigation with a blessing or prosperity incense.
5.   Engage Wards and Guards (see below)
6.   Decorate.
7.   Think happy thoughts.

SUGGESTED INCENSE:  A basic purifier of sage, cedar, and bay.  Or those smudging sticks that are getting so popular these days.  This not only works, but doesn't leave the sulfur-and-brimstone ambience of some other purifiers.  Other additions are copal or myrrh.  Or, if your tradition has a particular preference, use that.  For blessing incense, use a cinnamon and clove base with other pleasant scents as additions for a pleasing atmosphere.

UNSUGGESTED INCENSE:  Pretty much all the "traditional" ones, those containing such lovelies as garlic, sulfur, asafoetida, and other -  *ahem* - aromas guaranteed to exorcise both the dead and the living.  Some formulations are downright toxic.  Don't use these unless you have a MAJOR infestation of high-caliber Nasties.  In which case, why would you want to live there anyway?

WARDS AND GUARDS:  PENTAGRAMS:  Draw a pentagram, point upward, on the side of all doors with a white pencil.  Draw pentagrams, point outward, on all windowsills.  These pentagrams do not need to be large or conspicuous.
OILS:  Anoint doorways and window frames with protective or anointing oil.  A dab on jambs, thresholds, and lintels should do.
~ from Lady Ma'at's Book of Shadows