Blessing the Building of a House

Most homes are built from at least some amount of wood, and stone (even concrete is stone). Most houses also sit on the Earth, and sometimes their foundations go below it. This blessing is distinct from blessing the new house itself, which is a different prayer. This blessing should be done when the foundation is laid but the wooden beams have yet to go up. A leafy twig is laid on the foundation (if there are no leaves, use evergreen), and the following prayer is said:

Nerthus whose ground supports these stones

Which will one day support our hearth,

Nerthus whose earth grew all the trees

That will soon make the walls and beams,

Nerthus whose ground gave forth the substance

That one day will protect our heads,

Bless the building and the builders,

Set the tree-beams strong and sound,

Put each nail in with perfect precision,

Bless the walls that one day surround.