Some places feel different.
Not because they are larger, older, or more beautiful than anywhere else, but because they seem to exist between worlds.
In my garden, that place is an arbor covered in tiny white flowers. I call it The Veil.
When visitors walk through it, they probably see a garden entrance. When I walk through it, I feel something more. It marks the transition between everyday life and sacred space.
For centuries, witches, mystics, and spiritual practitioners have recognized the importance of thresholds. Crossroads, gateways, doorways, bridges, and garden paths have all been viewed as places where transformation can occur. A threshold is neither one place nor another. It is the space in between.
The Veil stands between my home and the deeper parts of the garden. Beyond it are the places where I sit in meditation, tend the pond, speak to the land, watch the deer, and listen to the birds. It is where I leave behind grocery lists, deadlines, and responsibilities for a little while.
Recently, I placed a standing Buddha at the entrance. He stands quietly at the entrance, holding a bowl of water in his hands.
I did not place him there as a decoration. To me, he serves as a reminder.
Before entering the garden, I am invited to pause.
To become present.
To leave behind whatever I have been carrying.
The bowl itself has become part of the ritual. Sometimes it holds water for the birds and other visitors. Other times it simply remains empty, reminding me that sacred space often begins with making room rather than adding more.
As I look beyond the Buddha and into the garden, two unexpected signs come into view.
A literal stop sign.
And a street sign that reads Center.
They were not originally intended as spiritual symbols, yet over time they have become exactly that.
Together they form a simple instruction:
Stop.
Center.
Then continue down the path.
In a world that constantly asks us to move faster, think louder, and do more, that may be some of the most practical spiritual advice we can receive.
What are you willing to set down before you pass through the veil?
Crossing the threshold becomes a simple ritual.
Sometimes I pause and take a breath.
Sometimes I offer gratitude.
Sometimes I ask a question and carry it with me into the garden.
Other times I simply walk through and allow the shift to happen naturally.
The physical structure itself is not what makes a threshold sacred. It is the intention we bring to it.
A threshold can be:
- A garden gate
- An arbor or trellis
- A stepping stone path
- A bridge over water
- A doorway to a meditation room
- A favorite tree
- A simple arch made from branches
What matters is that it helps us become present.
When we intentionally create a threshold, we acknowledge that there are moments when we wish to step away from the noise of daily life and enter a more mindful state of being.
Many spiritual traditions speak of “walking between worlds.” I have come to believe that this often happens in the simplest ways. A walk through a garden. A moment beside a pond. The sight of a fox passing through the yard. The arrival of deer at dusk.
These experiences remind us that the world is richer, deeper, and more mysterious than we often allow ourselves to notice.
The Veil does not separate this world from another world.
Instead, it helps me remember that both have been here all along.
Journal Prompt
What threshold exists in your life right now?
Is there a place, object, path, or ritual that helps you transition from the ordinary into the sacred?
What are you willing to set down before you cross your own veil?
If you do not have such a threshold, what could you create?
For as long as I can remember, I always wanted to be a Grandma. I was fortunate to have two wonderful grandmothers while I was growing up and I have many happy memories of each of them. Today, I live in a “Grandmother’s House” where my husband and I enjoy lots of time with our family. In addition to my role as Grandma to nine grandchildren, I am a daughter, a wife, a mother of three grown children, a sister, an aunt, a friend, a writer, an artist … and a witch.
✨Grandma’s Grimoire✨ is a collection of family wisdom interwoven with a touch of magick. Our goal is to create a living and lasting legacy that we hope will inspire our future generations as well as anyone who is drawn to it.