I Hired Security for My House
I introduced Leo as the security guard to a friend and all the friend could do was laugh. He looked at Leo while Leo minded his own - didn’t move, didn’t speak, barely looked our way.
”Maybe you should get a dog,” my friend suggested. “Or a gun.”
He sized Leo up and deduced him to useless, seeing him for exactly what he is: A plant. A 3’6” tall yucca cane (not to be confused with yuca, the edible tuber). His abdomen is a solid little trunk that’s two inches in diameter. The leaves are thick, sturdy and pointed at the ends like little swords; plus the weighty rocks on top of his soil solidify his being. He’s hearty and heavy…but my friend was not convinced. He didn't believe a plant could protect me or my house, and he did have a point: If there was an intruder, the plant certainly couldn’t attack. But Leo's work as Guardian is not so obvious to the eye.
How We Met
I found him at Home Depot right around my 24th birthday. I walked in looking for a tree to celebrate my new chapter and walked out with a handsome plant that an older woman had spontaneously offered to pay for, having no idea it was my birthday. I did not see her again but I keep that woman in my heart. She was the bridge between me and Leo. And Leo is the gift that keeps on giving.
We started out with him in the kitchen, all the way at the back of the house. He wasn’t comfortable and made it clear pretty quickly. His pointy leaves began to droop and that once vibrant green folded into a brownish-grey. Leo had no problem speaking up for himself even though our relationship was new. I got on Google, sifted through some sites and settled on the notion that he needed more light. I moved him from the shady kitchen to the front room, which gets rinsed with rising sunlight every morning. In the following months, the light slowly nursed Leo back to health while I got familiar with his communication style.
Above: Big Leo in all his glory.
About a year ago, in the spring of 2019, I one day noticed Leo looking particularly proud. He was perfectly still, steadily serene, standing upright in his resilience. It was clear that he had graduated from relying on me to being as self-sufficient as a plant could be. He requires little maintenance and any imbalances are easily restored. He’s not the biggest plant I own but he’s hands down one of the strongest. Plus he’s been with me since the almost-beginning and has the special touch of starting my birthday tree tradition.
When Leo claimed his independence, it was only right to give him a name. Or better, I gave him the opportunity to name himself and also had plans to appoint him as Guardian. This idea was inspired by a couple things.
First, an artist friend of mine once said in passing that his house has so many force fields and such ancestral guardianship that people can't even think about intruding. The conversation wasn’t at all centered on this statement but it stuck with me. I realized I’d seen these force fields working. They protect his home in unseen ways.
Second, a chapter called Home Protectors and Energizers in Denise Linn’s Sacred Space, shed light on the many possibilities for protecting the home. Simple tutorials were offered that made this energy work accessible for myself as someone new to these concepts.
The Naming Ceremony
A small ceremony was held to mark Leo’s newly-announced identity. I asked what he would be called and he called himself Leo. I asked if he would receive the title of Guardian and he accepted. It felt silly at first, naming the plant and giving him a job. But as time goes on, he embodies more and more the personality of the Guardian. He claimed a spot right at the front door and each time I try to move him, he calmly protests. He prefers to be left in quiet contemplation. The more he wears his personality, the stronger it emits from him and I can’t help but feel it when I look his way. He's infused with the intention of strength, resilience and self-sufficiency. He imbues these vibrations onto the rest of the space.
Interestingly, within a few days of the naming ceremony, I met a man named Leo while visiting a friend a bartending friend. Leo was a warm-spirited brown man with “Big Leo” engraved on his jacket. Like the woman at Home Depot, I haven’t seen Leo again. Somehow, both of these figures, the black mother and father, have touched my plant with their personalities. They anchored themselves on either side of the naming ceremony. One spontaneously gifted me the plant, activating the uniqueness of the experience, and the other one helped it settle into the now, tied it all together.
Leo has since grown into a big brother figure for the other plants. He’s no longer the sole guardian of the house (to name a couple more there’s the Papa palm, a fan palm dedicated to my grandfather and the little deer with a chipped ear), but it’s Leo who sets the example for the others. He’s laid the groundwork and the others build upon it so that the house is fortified on many levels. They all sincerely ease my spirit when I’m home or away for extended periods.
He's no longer the sole guardian of the house but it's Leo who sets the example for the others. He’s laid the groundwork and the others build upon it so that the house is fortified on many levels.
Above: One of two tree stumps that mysteriously sprouted months after I brought them home from the levee with intentions to use as plant stands. They are the outdoor variation of the yucca cane (Leo’s cousins) and work as excellent little doormen on the front porch. The trunk grounds the entrance and the spiky leaves repel any ill-intentioned energies away.
Tips for Choosing a House Guardian
The house guardian can be literal or symbolic, large or small, indoors or out. Some families go literal and choose a guard dog or a gun. Some use religious symbols to protect the space. Some build altars. Some utilize plants. Maybe it's a tree, a fountain or a statue on the property that exhibits what you want in a Guardian. Perhaps there's an angel or ancestor you feel particularly connected to. Maybe you just visualize the energetic boundaries you wish to impose on your living quarters (trust, it works). The wise create a custom configuration of various types of shielding tailored to their needs. Your configuration can look however you choose, but it’s important that you safeguard your space in some way.
It’s likely that you’ll choose something(s) you already have a relationship with. Officially naming the object as Guardian of the House in ceremony helps solidify and anchor the intention.
Giving the item a name personifies it and grants it permission to have personality. Ask what the object will be called. Trust the voice that delivers the answer.
Send your love and appreciation to the item; thank it for what it represents to you.
State your intention in making the object the Guardian and share a moment of agreement if the object allows it.
Using your senses, connect to your hear and bring forth the vibration that you wish to imbue onto your Guardian and ultimately into your space.
Concentrated or meditative states increase the potency of this energetic infusion.
Once programmed, the item will continuously emit these intentions, which grow in strength over time (so long as the Guardian is cared for).
Don’t think too hard about it. Your ceremony can be as simple or elaborate as feels right. You can bring candles and incense if you please, or you can simply come as you are. Just be sure to trust in your ability to perform this work. It’s only as effective as you believe it can be.
Written by Kenniese S. Franklin