Iron

Iron is a metal ruled by the planet Mars. Mars governs aggression, war, and defense. War is partially about a defensive action to protect a nation. Iron is associated with war because it was used in weaponry before firearms were invented. This metal is very hard. This makes it suitable to be molded into spears, daggers, swords, and shields. When we want to feel safe we can use protective magick to stabilize our living environment. There are many ways iron can be used to make your home feel safe.

One of the most common ways of using iron in protective magick is to hang a horseshoe above the entrance of your home. This can be hung beside the doorway or above. There is a debate as to which direction the horseshoe should be hung. In northern European countries the horseshoe is hung upside down so luck will not run out. In countries like Germany, Spain, and Italy it is the opposite direction so the luck will pour down on you.

There are other ways iron can be used to for protection. One way is burying iron railroad spikes at the 4 corners of your house. When you are living in an apartment you might want to have iron spikes in the corners of each room. I have seen iron spikes used by magickians in the Palo Mayombe tradition. This is a very beautiful form of artistic magick. These spikes would be covered in red wax and encased in red thread. 

Another way to use iron is to place bowls of iron filings near the windows of your home. This is a magickal method to prevent break ins. If you live in an area where there is a lot of crime this method of protective magick might be suitable for you. Iron is a tough metal which is hard to penetrate. This was why it was used to fashion shields historically. This concept comes from sympathetic magick. The idea is that the link with iron will make your home hard to penetrate.