Cleansing and Cleaning your Home

This post is along the same vein as that before it. Bringing magic into your life is very simple. Keeping our homes clean is very important and for many of us that doesn't mean just physically but energetically as well. Sometimes the energy in our homes becomes stale and stagnant or we have a guest that brings in some unpleasant energy. Sometimes we just need a fresh start. Here are some simple ways to cleanse your home!

Starting with the method most of you probably thought of when I mentioned energy cleansing, smoke cleansing. This can be as simple or as conplicated and ritualistic as you like. Using incense or herb bundles to cleanse the space with smoke. Please remember that this differs from smudging which is a sacred indigenous ritual that is a closed practice. This includes the use of white sage. Please be respectful of this, their are many other options!

There are many methods of smoke cleansing and each individual will find their preferred way of doing it. I will be going through step by step how I cleanse my space using smoke cleansing, but feel free to tweak it to fit your practice. I usually do this when I am the only one home (unless my partner wishes to help) and I start by opening all my windows and inside doors (bedrooms, closets etc). If there is a screen door on my outside doors I will open it and allow a breeze through. This not only helps to ventilate the space but will also allow old energy to escape and new energy to enter.

Once I have done this I will go to my focus room, usually a communal room like the living room where there is the most energy present. I will set up a small temporary altar. As per my faith I have one item relating to each element on the table in their corresponding corner (I can will do a separate post on this). I will put on music I feel drawn to in the moment. Beside the altar I have a bowl of moon water, a cloth and my lighter. On the altar in addition to my elemental items I will have brass bell and protection oil as well as my window marker.

Once I have everything ready I begin by casting a circle (I will discuss in the same post about elemental items) and asking the spirits and my deities for their assistance in my task. I ask for protection and clarity while cleansing my space. This is absolutely not neccesary but it is a step I enjoy and feel adds emphasis to my craft. Once I have cast my circle I take my bell and go room to room stirring the energy. I open any other doors I may have missed. Once I have done this I will then go room to room once more with my incense or herb bundle and wafting the smoke around. I will typically use affirmations of my actions while doing this using mantras such as "In with the new, out with the old. Joy and love come into view as fresh bountiful energies begin to unfold". Feel free to use this or make your own. Remember it doesn't have to rhyme, whatever feels right. Some people will even choose to sing.

Once I have done this I will take my moon water, cloth and marker and go to all my windows, outside doors and mirrors. I wipe off the old wards and replace them, uttering similar mantras. I will also line my window frames and outside doors with protection oil or use a protection spray. (I will be posting recipes for this on patreon and they are also available for sale on my website). These steps are also optional but I use them. Once I am done with my cleansing I will return to the temporary altar, thank my dieties and the spirit while closing the circle. Afterwards I usually refresh my dieties offerings to show my gratitude. I will then close my windows and doors and put my items away. 

That is obviously a very ritualistic way of doing it. If you are a more simple witch simply walking room to room cleansing with smoke will do. Remember to ventilate the space properly and stay away from your smoke detectors or turn them off while doing this.

Another method of cleansing is as simple as adding some moon water or herbal water to your mop bucket to clean you floors and washing walls and such with moon water. Its great for spring cleaning season or simply when you're mopping up muddy pawprints.

Another method I use often is sweeping away bad energy using a besom or a witches broom. A besom is a pagan tool and is often obtained at our form of a christening. It is either made by an elder witch/community member or is made by yourself and friends. Mine is ancestral and used to belong to my grandmother. They are not used to physically clean but to clear bad vibes. You sweep a couple inches off the ground, sweeping the air and its energy out of your space.

I will typically cleanse and reset once a month, doing the whole ordeal and refreshing my offerings, money jar and other monthly rituals. Occasionally I will sweep or smoke cleanse a specific room if it feels off. Cleanse as often or little as you feel the need. Placing crystals in certain spaces can help proactively cleanse spaces and ward of bad energy and bring in good vibes. Stones like obsidian and selenite are wonderful over door ways and in entranceways. Amethyst and rose quartz are good for bedrooms and bathrooms. Add some carnelian to the bedroom for a bit of spice too 😏. I will go over this more in depth in another post.

As always if you have any questions feel free to leave them in the comments and tell me about your rituals! What do you do differently? Hope this helps!