A sentinel is what it sounds like, something or someone that stands guard. If you do metaphysical work at all, it’s my humble opinion that you consider energy protection. One of the simplest ways to do that is to use a sentinel. You may have heard them called by different names, but they are objects charged with the job of protecting your space from negative energy.

I like to keep things simple. I use salt. I prefer rock salt, but if table salt is all you have, that works too. I use salt because most people have it on hand. The properties of salt are that it naturally chases away negative energy and brings light wherever it is. It creates a barrier and seal that general negative energy and most negative entities can’t break through. I put it near every door and window after clearing out my house. I don’t do it before as it can trap whatever is in the house inside.

A sentinel is any object that has been charged with the job of spiritually guarding your house or whatever you want. Some people only care about protecting their spiritual altars or a specific space. Whatever your needs are, using sentinels can help keep your space clear of negative energies longer, allowing you to have more time between house blessings and more time to fill your home with love, laughter, and all the good things.

What can be used as a sentinel?

Anything. Metaphysicians often use stones, crystals, crystal skulls, geodes, pyramids, etc. There are many powerful objects that can be used for this purpose. As I said before, I like to keep things simple. You can use a candle, a statuette, a figurine, or whatever else you have in your house that won’t look out of place near the corner of your house. I make it a point to place something near any entrance to the house, doors, windows, sliding doors, and the fireplace if you have one. On the mantle of the fireplace in my condo, I kept a braid of sweetgrass to keep that area clear.

Let’s talk about sage. Most people burn sage for clearing and allow the smoke from it to waft through the house, chasing out anything that shouldn’t be there. It works great, but it won’t work if someone in your home has allergies or a lung condition such as asthma. What I used to do with it was have the sage in my house. I had a bundle sitting on my desk in my room and allowed its energy to permeate everything around it. I also put a bundle in my car. The energy of the sage works to drive away negative energy whether or not you burn it. A question I had was whether sage could function as a sentinel. Yes, it can. That is its primary job when you burn it, but if you want to have it do its job with intention in a non-burned state, it’s possible for the sage to become a sentinel for you if you ask.

How does one create a sentinel?

When I use salt, all I do is put it in something my pets can’t get into, put it up and out of the way where the pets can’t reach it, and call it good. If I were going to use an object such as a stone, a figurine, or sage, I would ask the object if it wanted the job. The protection is always better if the object is asked if they would do it and they accept. Most of the time, the object will say yes, but it might say no. Respect whatever the answer is. If it’s no, thank it for its time and put it back where it lives. If it says yes, thank it for helping you and allow it to choose where it wants to go.

You can hold the object in your hand, and you will feel a pull in a specific direction. You can ask if this is the room where it wants to be and what corner it would like to protect. It will most likely want to stay in the room where it was, so when you choose an object to be a sentinel, try to pick something that is already in the room.

If you’re buying something to be sentinels, ask the objects at the store before you buy them if they are interested in being sentinels in your home. Only bring home the ones that say yes. Once they are home, clear them. They will have energy from other people stuck to them from being in a store and handled by different people. They should be clear of that energy before beginning their job as sentinels. There are various methods to clear objects. Find one that works for you without being too messy or destructive, and then charge it with extra energy to do its job. Clear the house or space you want to be protected in whatever manner you choose, then set up your sentinels, and you’re ready to go.

Here’s an important thing to note. Whenever you have a sentinel, and it breaks, Do Not Repair It! It must be replaced with something else. If a sentinel breaks, that means it has used up all its protection energy and can no longer function in that capacity. Its job is done.

For that reason, don’t ask an object that is precious or sentimental to you to be a sentinel. Their job is to protect until they break to show you that your protection has been compromised. It also means that the area it was protecting has taken a massive negative energy hit. You will have to do another house clearing before you replace the sentinel.

If you are going to use them, also please pay attention to their positions. The reason I say this is because there are entities strong enough to invade your home and bypass the sentinels without breaking them. If you notice that your statue is facing another direction and no one has touched it, take down your sentinels, clear them and charge them again. Clear your house and put the sentinels back in place. Consider adding salt nearby to reinforce the protection.

If you want to protect your entire property with physical objects, you can use outdoor statues in the same way or you can bury blessed coins at the corners of the property. The blessing doesn’t have to be done by a priest. It can be done by you as long as your intention is strong and the coins are willing to do the job.

Having sentinels are an effective physical representation of protection, and they are quick and easy to do. It can give you protection, and no one needs to know that the cute little elephant on the shelf is also a sentinel.