The symbolism of home, part one- DOOR.

The door symbolizes the mouth. This is how we welcome ourselves and others in our daily lives. Behind the words there are feelings, thoughts and emotions. Just as behind the front door, each of us has a personal universe, that is, our home. The mouth and door are a symbolic portal between what is inside and outside. Why don’t we greet each other by the threshold? For it symbolizes the line between the worlds. Between the middle and the external. It was believed that both people who greet each other are to be in a safe, inner world, then such greeting is real and safe.

{What is the entrance area of ​​the house? }

The attitude with which you enter a given place is transferred to its entire space. An icon, a sacred symbol that hung over the front door of the house, from the dawn of our history, was supposed to change the consciousness and energy of the person who entered it. At that time, such a calm, harmoniously disposed man crossed the threshold of the house and thus introduced such an atmosphere to its interior.

“(…) Protective signs were painted over the threshold (…)” 3

The entrance to the house is defined as the “showpiece” of the house and its inhabitants. It is like our personal scent that circulates like a cloud around our body, like an aura- this is the entrance area of ​​the house. The importance of this space can be compared to the first impression we make on a newly met person. It was not without reason that in antiquity driveways to palaces, manors and temples were richly decorated. Sculptures were set up to evoke specific feelings and emotions in visitors. Vegetation, trees and shrubs were properly formed. The path or driveway were also important. All elements were carefully thought out, designed and developed. Some hosts wanted to create a feeling of fear and anxiety in their guests. Sometimes you could feel the extravagance, wealth and prestige of a given space. And there are also modest and delicate places, as if invisible but full of charm, good energy and unpretentiousness. What is the entrance to your home like? One that is compatible with you. One that will give you joy, a sense of peace and security. One that reflects your needs for “the perfect entry into the house”.

{ Back to the past }

“In folk culture, there are two categories that organize space: the center and the border. The threshold is the boundary that connects the outside world with what is inside. ” 2

Let’s start by going back to the past. Feel free to plunge into the area of ​​imagination, openness and curiosity. One of the most fascinating elements of entering someone’s property is moving to the Wild West times, when a simple structure consisting of 3 wooden beams gave the feeling of crossing someone’s threshold. Nowadays, we can also find such entrance portals that are symbolic but perceptible! entrance area of ​​someone’s property. Personally, I like such a simple structure, which is decorated in various ways – it creates a strong personal and spiritual identification of the hosts. The Eskimo igloo or the Indian wigwam are no less intriguing structures of the house and its entrance area. Inhabitants of such simple, even austere spaces have a character shaped by demanding living conditions. Strength and straightforwardness – form and character, man and his home. Both forms of the house have a very compact, simple and at the same time strongly marked interior zone of the house and its entrance. It is impossible to get confused about which way to go and how to behave. The symbolic bow that we make before entering the above-mentioned spaces subconsciously evokes a sense of humility, inner silence and tactfulness.

{Inspirations for good changes}

Regardless of whether you live in a house, block or apartment building, the entrance area has its own rules. I agree that the corridor with the neighbors’ door and yours right next to it, is a limit to your imagination. However, many of the following tips can be applied regardless of the closest vicinity of your home entrance zone. We are the creators of our lives, so our intentions, imaginations and desires are the main guidelines for how we create our entrance space. There are people who create in front of the entrance zone to the house through a mini portal, marked with specific gemstones, which are to cleanse the heavy energy of those who cross the threshold of the house. Someone else creates the foreground of the house with neatly designed vegetation or witty garden sculptures, which are to take care of positive vibrations of the surroundings.

“The house was personified, the windows were his eyes, the door was his mouth (…) The house was cared for as if it were a living creature. ” 3

Lighting plays a very important role in shaping space, both internal and internal. Warm and diffused light will invite household members and guests. It should be placed so that it dazzles the eyes, or rather that it shines downwards. Points of light close to the ground are also a very good solution for guiding the path leading to the house. The nature of the lamps should be selected so that it harmonizes with the spatial composition of the surroundings and the architecture of the house. Keep any steps, sidewalk, or path to your home clean and tidy. Let us make sure that “nothing stands in the way” to our home. The vegetation that is in close proximity to the entrance area is to be well-kept and trimmed. One that does not take up too much space, so it does not dominate the front door. Motto or symbol above the door. One that will cause a smile, reflection or other good feeling in people who are to cross the threshold of our home. As a curiosity, I would like to mention the information about the broom left in front of the house. Apparently it is a security amulet. A broom left in front of the house, in plain view, at the entrance to the house, is a guard against unwanted guests or events. An important, in my opinion, issue to discuss is the number of entrance doors. If you have more than one door to your home, decide which ones are the main entrance door. The energy of the living space indicates that the life-giving chi energy enters our home through the main door. Therefore, these “main” doors should be used more often than the other entrance doors. This door is also used to lead guests into the house.

{Inspirations for good changes, in detail about the front door}

Now let’s talk about our main character, the front door to the house. They are to be solid and durable. Many people say that solid doors with possibly very little glazing are the best. Glass doors are considered not to be the best solution for the main entrance area of ​​the house. They are too “open” to their surroundings. They do not protect the interior of the house sufficiently well, both visually, thermally and physically. A full door not only symbolizes reliability, but also gives a sense of security, comfort and protection. When it comes to colors, it is assumed that the front door can and does! be the ones that distinguish us (our home) from the environment. I meet with great interest many times in red doors. This is probably because in many cultures this color is associated with strength, guidance and transformation. In China’s culture, we present it as the color of wealth, abundance, general prosperity. This color also symbolizes health and strength of character. It is associated with the protection of the one who wears such a color. I would be for the middle way. Namely, I would suggest that the door harmonize with the architecture and colors of the house and at the same time constitute a color or visual accent that will complement the whole house. However, most importantly, the most important thing is that the door reflects the character and intention of the household members. Everything that is part of our house or apartment is to be our extension and is to result from an internal need and conviction.

{Ending}

With this article, I would like to leave you with good energy. Give a handful of inspiration. And also arouse a feeling of reflection. Or maybe this reading will prove to be a stimulus for good changes in the entrance zone to your home. Just like spoken, good and comforting words, let this be the entrance spaces of your homes.

Text and development: Kaja Kochchańska / www.kajakochanska.com

* Quotations The quotes 1,2,3 come from the article by Olga Solarz, Folk Magic of the Carpathians.