The Magic of Porches
by April Elliott Kent
Originally appeared in Llewellyn’s 2008 Moon Sign book.
I grew up in the country, in a small farmhouse built by my grandfather. It was a fine house, but it’s not what I remember most; to a kid, a house is just a house. All of the really interesting, really magical spaces were outside… the barn, the wheat fields, the playhouse – and the front porch.
I spent hours on our porch when I was small. It was just “outdoors” enough to let me feel independent, yet still connected to the house so I felt safe. For my sister and me, the front porch was a place to exercise our imaginations by acting out complicated plays of our own invention, and to exercise our bodies by taking turns shoving each other off the porch railing. It served, too, as a stage for celebrating the changing of the seasons. Whether it was carving pumpkins for Halloween, standing on tiptoe to knock down icicles from the eaves, or posing for our annual Easter photograph, many of our most cherished memories seem to have been posed against the backdrop of that porch.
We moved to the suburbs when I was ten, first to a house without much of a porch and then to one with no porch at all. It wasn’t until I was a newlywed in my early thirties that I lived in another house with a real front porch, a rented 1920s Craftsman bungalow in San Diego. Its broad porch, half sheltered in colorful bougainvillea, replicated that happy mixture of public and private space that I remembered from childhood. My new husband and I promptly installed a comfortable bench and a little table and spent many long, happy hours lounging on the porch. We ate our breakfasts there and decorated it for every holiday, and on one memorably hot summer evening we actually hauled the dining table out onto the porch and hosted a dinner party there.
When we moved on, I missed that old porch. Our next few rentals hadn’t much more than a front stoop, though one did at least have enough space for a couple of chairs. It was in the heart of a lively, interesting neighborhood, which almost made up for the lack of a proper porch. Almost – but not quite.
A Porch of One’s Own
Finally, in 1997 we bought our first house, a 1927 Craftsman bungalow not far from our first home together. Almost everything about our new place was a mess, including the horrid, shoddily enclosed front porch, complete with an offensive tin awning over an ugly front door and two nasty, uneven steps. It was so ugly that I nearly cried every time we drove up to the curb.
Even so, sitting inside that ugly little porch was magical. Despite its cracked floor, crooked windows, and horrible door, we loved having breakfast there. Looking out over the two large pine trees in the front yard was like sitting in a tree house. We could watch, unobserved, as neighbors came and went, picked up their newspapers, and walked their dogs. On Sunday mornings we dawdled on the porch for hours, drinking endless cups of coffee and littering the floor an inch deep with newspaper.
It was ugly, though, and truthfully it had become a safety hazard as well. So in 2002 we refurbished our porch as part of a whole-house renovation project. Removing those crooked windows and that terrible door and awning was our opening salvo in the renovation battle. What emerged was stunning: the bones of a beautiful Craftsman-style porch, complete with graceful, tapered columns, that showed off the house’s original front door and picture window.
Your House’s Smile
Opening up the porch of our house changed its look as radically as a smile opens up a face; and like a smile, it made the house – and by extension, its inhabitants – seem much friendlier. Today, we know almost all our neighbors by name and consider most of them friends. Just the other evening, enjoying a drink on our porch swing, we caught a glimpse of a neighbor we hadn’t seen for a while and called him over for a glass of wine. Soon another neighbor drifted over to join us. In no time at all, we were having a relaxed, informal party!
That kind of spontaneous gathering never happened on our old, closed-in porch. It certainly never happened when we lived in houses with no porch at all! People in the city tend to respect one another’s privacy, and without a front porch there is no clear signal that we’re home and, in the parlance of a more formal era, “receiving.” And so what begins with the good intention of giving our neighbors “space” often contributes to a sense of isolation from one another.
The Architecture of an Era
Not long ago I was visiting my sister when she excitedly pulled me over to her computer. “I have a picture of our old house! It’s really been fixed up. Let me show you.’ She pulled up the picture, and I felt a rush of delighted recognition. It wasn’t just the nostalgia of seeing my childhood home. Painted in three earthy colors that accentuated its decorative features, that little farmhouse house looked just like the Craftsman bungalows I’ve lived in for most of my adult life! In all my years of gravitating toward similar houses, I never noticed that I was simply trying to recreate what had felt comfortable when I was small.
And it’s not just me. For Americans who grew up during a particular era – say, after World War I and before architecture all but abandoned the front porch in favor of the three-car garage, sometime in the 1970s – a gracious front porch is a symbol of many warm memories. It was on porches like these where our grandmothers rocked us to sleep for our afternoon naps, where we gathered with neighbors on hot summer afternoons to share gossip and glasses of iced tea, and where Jack-o’-lanterns greeted us on our annual Halloween trick-or-treat expeditions. The front porch sheltered us from rain and sun and gave us a place to relax, imagine, and dream; it offered a sense of community and coziness, all in one. Was there ever a more comforting sensation than pulling up in front of your house after a long, difficult day and seeing a porch light blazing to welcome you home?
Welcoming the Four Seasons with your Porch
Not only does it seem that fewer houses are being built with a full front porch, but even in neighborhoods like mine, which abounds with old-fashioned porches, few of us seem to have much leisure time to spend on them. From a magical point of view, this is a real loss. In a very real sense, the porch is the threshold of your home, a liminal space that marks the transition from public to private domains. Spending time there is a way to give energy to both sides of your life and remind you of the need for balance.
In the practice of feng shui, the porch and front door assume great importance as the primary portal through which energy enters your home. It’s considered important to keep your porch clean, uncluttered, and in good repair. The entrance should never be blocked, not even with plants or decorations, and certainly not with discarded items. You should always be able to open your front door wide!
To that sage advice, I would add that porches help us keep rhythm with the cycles of the seasons. Part of the Arts and Crafts movement that inspired bungalows like mine was the notion of blending indoor and outdoor spaces and incorporating motifs from nature in a home’s design. The porch is a space where indoor and outdoor elements combine seamlessly – where we are always reminded of the time of day and the season of the year.
Whether you are the proud owner of a full porch, a small landing, or a simple stoop, why not use all of the charms of magic, nature, and hospitality to transform your entryway into a space that’s both inviting and protective? Welcome each season with the decorative and practical elements that suit the work of that season. Here are some ideas for enlivening your porch with the energy of the seasons, using the natural calendar of the zodiac.
The Spring Porch
Where I live, spring announces itself in the softest of whispers. There is no dramatic thaw of ice and snow, no tender buds dotting deciduous tree branches; just gradually longer days and perhaps a little rain and wind. Our porch can always benefit from a good spring cleaning in late March, though it doesn’t always get one. The cobwebs that gather along the crown molding need to be swept away. The porch swing could use a coat of oil. The wicker chairs and the concrete floor cry out for a good scrubbing.
These are energetic tasks well suited to the Sun in Aries season, beginning at the vernal equinox in late March. Aries likes to stay active and happily takes on projects that seem overwhelming to other signs. After your labors are done, decorate your porch in hearty blooms such as carnations and geraniums in white and red, the colors of Aries. Haul out a wicker trunk to use as a table, and stash a light blanket inside to ward off spring’s occasional chill. Aries is a fire sign, so invite that element onto your porch with lanterns and candles.
As the Sun moves into Taurus in late April, comfort and luxury are the order of the day. Lay in cushions – lots of cushions! Taurus is an earth sign and loves aromatic plants, so arrange a lush bouquet of cut flowers from your garden to fill the porch with fragrance. Ensconce afternoon guests in comfy chairs, and serve lemonade in crystal tumblers along with a big slab of cake or a giant cookie.
By late May when the Sun enters Gemini, the pace of life picks up speed. Everyone’s busier now and flying off in all directions. Weekends are full of graduations and weddings, kids fresh out of school are whizzing around on their bikes, families prepare to leave on vacation. There is little time for languid relaxation but plenty for socializing – so use your porch to extend your entertaining space. Streamline your collection of planters and add additional seating for parties that spillover from inside the house. Make it easier for guests to see your street address from the curb, either by hanging a plaque with larger numbers or focusing a spotlight over your existing numbers. And since Gemini is an air sign, catch more of the soft, late-spring breezes by hanging windchimes and sticking pinwheels into the base of your planters.
The Summer Porch
Summer is when the porch comes into its own, the ideal season for enjoying its ample charms. The porch is a cooling oasis for meals, afternoon drinks, or even naps on a hot summer afternoon. Long days and sunshine lure neighbors outside to work in their yards and wash their cars, and porches become impromptu gathering places to catch up after long months spent mostly indoors.
The Sun enters Cancer at the Summer Solstice in late June, when the days are hot and lazy. The Cancer season is ideal for dining outdoors, so you’ll need good serving facilities – a serving cart or tray, a table, maybe an ice bucket. Cancer is a water sign, so even if you don’t live near water, invite an aquatic motif onto your porch with a small fountain or a garland of seashells.
In late July through late August, the Sun is in dramatic, party-loving Leo. Drape your porch in strands of sparkling lights, torches, or colorful paper lanterns and candles. Incorporate tropical plants and rich fabrics in gold, orange, and red – the colors of the Sun, ruler of Leo. Keep a portable CD player on hand and stocked with batteries so you can enjoy your favorite background music on the porch.
As the Sun enters Virgo in late August, the air and the mood turn brisk. Vacationers return to work and kids go back to school. After a busy summer, it’s time to give your porch some practical attention to prepare for crisper days ahead. Clean the windows and porch floor. Caulk windows. If necessary, install storm windows. If you’re lucky enough to have fruit trees on your property, keep a big wicker basket handy on the porch for gathering autumn’s bounty.
Fall: The Libra Porch
After the last dazzling Indian Summer days of early October, the days turn cool and you’ll need a sweater to enjoy much time on the porch. But fall is a seductive time of year, and the crisp air and dazzling sky beckon us outdoors awhile longer before winter sets in.
The Sun enters Libra, the sign of beauty, harmony, and socializing, at the autumnal equinox in late September. Festoon your porch with garlands of autumn leaves and long strands of ribbon covered in shiny beads or small mirrors, to catch the autumn breezes that delight Libra’s air sign nature. Keep a beautiful, artistic bowl on a table, filled with inviting fruit in season.
Various festivals commemorating the cycles of life and death converge in late October and early November, as the Sun enters Scorpio. Acknowledge the spirit of the season with seasonal pumpkins, gourds, and pomegranates. Flickering lanterns and a tall vase filled with long, bare tree branches are appropriately sober tributes to the beauty of all life’s transitions. This is also an appropriate time for replacing rotted wood in eaves or floorboards.
As the Sun enters joyful Sagittarius right around Thanksgiving time, our spirits lift as we look ahead to the celebrations of the winter holidays. By now, the days are growing shorter and colder. Bring in plants that need protection from late autumn’s chill, and liven up your porch with hearty swags of evergreen and bright, plum-colored accents. A cozy lamp pays homage to the ebullient fire sign nature of Sagittarius.
Winter: The Capricorn Porch
Unless you have an enclosed porch or live in a very temperate climate, you’re not apt to spend much time on your porch in winter. Instead, it often becomes an important staging area for practical winter gear such as a handy shovel. Provide a special space to stow the muddy boots and umbrellas that tend to accumulate like snowdrifts.
The Sun moves into Capricorn at the Winter Solstice, the shortest day of the year. Festivals of light abound during the Capricorn season, so hang lights, and plenty of them. Capricorn is an earth sign, so acknowledge the bounty of the earth with a wreath of pine or holly branches and dangle a sprig of mistletoe over your door. Most porches are nearly unused for socializing at this time of year, but don’t let this important space fall into neglect. Capricorn is the sign of career and earthly stature, and the porch symbolizes the entry point of this energy into your life; so make a conscious effort to infuse your porch with light, fragrance, and color as much as possible.
At the end of January, the Sun moves into Aquarius, a sign of ice and snow and barren landscapes. Introduce shimmering, reflective touches of electric blue and silver into your porch’s décor. Aquarius is also an air sign, with an affinity for creatures that fly; so reach out to your avian friends with a winter birdfeeder or a wreath made of birdseed.
As the Sun in Pisces season begins in late February, hang musical wind chimes to evoke Pisces’ artistic nature. Like his fellow water signs Cancer and Scorpio, Pisces enjoys a bit of water or least aquatic colors. Throw pillows embroidered with fish, a tabletop painted aqua, or crystals hanging from chains (in feng shui, crystals represent the water element) will celebrate the whimsical spirit and imagination of Pisces.
The magical threshold
Your front porch is a vital symbol of the interplay between your home and the rest of the world, offering visitors their first glimpse of your home and the people who live in it. It also provides the kind of no-pressure social opportunities that are in short supply in these days of solitary freeway commutes and hours spent indoors, in front of flickering screens.
Far from a mere decorative element, the front porch is a magical portal where the practical world meets imagination and play, a threshold both safe and sociable. It is a stage on which to enact the great annual play that is the changing of the seasons – so pull out your favorite props and wardrobe pieces, and play your part. Sweep your porch, sit a little while, and wave to the neighbors; and when dusk falls and you go inside, be sure to leave the porch light on to welcome weary travelers back home.
© 2008 April Elliott Kent
All rights reserved
This article originally appeared in Llewellyn’s 2008 Moon Sign Book.
