That blog touched upon the importance of cleansing living spaces – especially our bedrooms! Bedrooms are our sacred retreat spaces where we not only sleep and make love with our partners, but also spend significant amounts of ‘down time’ and retreat from the world.
Especially when something has stressed or upset us.

Bedrooms are of course not just a place of retreat from stress, they are a place of connection. Especially if we share a bed with our partner.
Their energy and feelings will be embedded (no pun intended, wink-wink) within the room along with your own, as well as the love and sexual energy you both create.

Due to all of the above, bedrooms are often one area of the home that sometimes need a little extra attention when it comes to energetic cleansing.

But why do I advocate energetically cleansing our living spaces, and why is it so beneficial?

In order to not make this an extremely long winded blog, I’m going to bullet point the advantages of regularly cleansing your home, along with the times you may need to consider carrying out this practice.
This means that you can process the blog at speed, in an easily accessible way, while also being able to scan back through the blog when you are looking for a bullet point that you want to refer back to.

I’ve done this because I value your time and want to make my work as clear and accessible as possible!

Later in this blog, you will find my full house cleansing ritual!
Please feel free to use this or add it to your Grimoire.
This blog is a part of the Grimoire series that can be printed out, but of course, you can also modify it to suit your own needs or follow your own inspiration etc.
However, I do ask that you do not share my work with others, this includes copy and pasting! This blog is part of my premium content and goes out to loyal supporters only.

Why is house cleansing so beneficial?

• An energetically cleansed home is a safer home!
  For those of us who work with Witchcraft, spirits of the land, ghosts, etc, we know that being a Witch means that, in many ways, we act as almost like a lit beacon in the darkness. When we begin to work with energies that the vast majority of people do not, it can act as a flame to moths in regards to others energetic interest in us.
  Spirits, energy, and occasionally even other Witches, may leave an energetic stain upon us or our homes, even when their presence has been and gone.
  
  However, I want to be clear when I say that my above statement is not some grandiose sentiment from a place of ego.
  Witches are no more special then the next person you see out on the street.
  Just because one practices Witchcraft and the Occult does not make one special, or some kind of a unique occultist royal.
  I would like to think of the grandiose sentiment of ‘I am a Witch queen’ of the 1970’s is now long gone.
  However, at the same time, it cannot be denied that because Witches, Occultists, Psychics, Shamans etc do work with natural energies that perhaps most people do not, this can leave us more open to things that others are not. Such as hauntings, Boggarts/Poltergeists, other people’s stress or ill intentions, etc.

• Homes are like sponges! They absorb everything and every now and then need to be rinsed and wrung out!
  I find that the sponge analogy is a really good way of describing ones home. As a Folk Witch with animistic beliefs, I know that everything we see, feel and touch has energy, spirit, and a form of consciousness present intrinsically.
  Ok, so that spirit or consciousness may not be the same style as the consciousness that we as human beings have, but it is there nonetheless. A good example of this would be that there is a known phenomena involving old houses that have used stone and building materials from older sites, such as castles and even stone circles, whereby apparent ‘memories’ can be replayed in the new locations. One such example is some of the cottages in and around the village of Corfe (Isle of Purbeck, Dorset, U.K).
  
  When the castle was destroyed by Roundhead Troops during the English Civil War, some of the castle stones and foundations were picked up by locals to be used in the building of new cottages. Seemingly, these houses supposedly experienced lots of paranormal activity, and, it is said, that the ghosts of soldiers were seen in the houses, as well as the supposed sound of clashing swords being heard.
  
  There are many other such stories around the country from those living in buildings that had ‘borrowed’ stones from old stone circles, castles, or reclaimed timber from shipwrecks.
  One reason for this paranormal activity could perhaps be that the building material is not ‘haunted’ as such, but is replaying or echoing memories. Which would make perfect sense to those of us who subscribe to animistic beliefs.
  
  Many natural building materials, such as stone or wood do seem more adept at holding memories then say overly processed materials such as glass, concrete and metal sheeting. It could be that naturally formed tools are better able to form memories and then echo them, but the energy involved in the process of making new materials wipes the memory slate clean. However, this is my own personal speculation and not based on any ‘fact’.
  
  With all of this in mind, it does perhaps demonstrate why a home should be cleansed regularly! The act of energetically cleansing a home not only gets rid of any stale or negative energy that may be hanging around, but also helps clear negative energetic memories. Energetic memories that can, when left undealt with, spiral out of control and even mimic haunting like activities.
  
  I have, previously been asked to visit supposedly haunted homes, only to find they weren’t haunted at all, but rather just in need of a good cleanse to reset the energy. Needless to say that once the house was cleansed, the so-called ‘paranormal activities’ died down.
  This is not to say that hauntings are not real, they are just (in my experience at least) not as common as people would believe them to be.
  I suppose it could also come down to what you consider a haunting to be?
  For some people, a haunting is the unwelcome presence of ghosts; spirits that once lived a human life.
  
  For others, a haunting might be a home, piece of land, or, an item that displays any form of regular paranormal occurrence. Theoretically speaking, this could also include the tangible negative energy that is found in homes in need of a good cleanse.
  
  Whether a house is old and built out of natural materials, or is new and formed from largely man made items, a house can still collect a lot of energy and hold it (similar to a crystal).
  
  All of the emotions we feel on a daily basis, the arguments we have, the joy, the stress, the happy memories, parties etc can all float about in the atmosphere. Our homes absorb these energies, like a sponge. Cleansing our home resets this absorption.
  It doesn’t stop the house from ‘remembering’ things, such as, for example, a traumatic event or a really happy event like a home birth, but it does settle the house and cleanse excess energy.

• Energetically cleansed homes are calmer homes: Have you ever walked into someone’s home and immediately felt a fight or flight response? You can’t quite describe it, the house may seem fine, but something about it just makes you want to leave. And leave now!
  But then again, you have gone into someone else’s home and felt completely safe and at ease.
  Even if you have never been there before, and perhaps you don’t know the home owners very well, and yet the atmosphere of the home feels so inviting and safe?
  
  That’s energy and intuition talking to you.
  
  As Witches, our intuition is usually very finely tuned, we can sniff energetic nastiness a mile off and will avoid it like the plague; whereas a beautiful home will invite us in and make us feel held and safe.
  It’s not just seasoned occultists that have this ability to sense whether a home is a safe space or not, others can experience this too.
  Often children, for example, are fantastic at knowing whether people or places are safe for them. Dogs and cats also display a similar trait.
  
  Our intuition is our safety navigator, it warns us when all is not well and guides us away. It also guides us towards what is good for us when we encounter it.
  
  When we as Witches work to create a beautiful home that truly expresses our loves, passions and family dynamics, we are etching a little of ourselves into the very fabric of that home. When we move into a new home, we have the option of a blank canvas that we can build on to create a place that is a true reflection of who we really are. This imprinting goes some of the way into creating a safe and lovely home, especially if done with deliberate, cultivated attempt.
  
  However, when we go one step further and work to cleanse our home and then invite positive energies in, we create a space that isn’t just aesthetically pleasing, but emotionally and spiritually pleasing too.
  
  I absolutely love when friends and family visit, they always comment on how calm my house feels – despite the four children and husband who run around like headless chickens! (lol). I am told, that my home always feels inviting and ‘chill’.
  One friend even describing one home I lived in as like a “retreat”.
  
  I have been able to do this with every home I have lived in since I was twenty six years old. I find it doesn’t matter how many times I have moved house since then (seven times to be exact), I am told that my home is always a pleasant place to be.

So, when should I cleanse my home?

I have had this question asked a few times, and it’s a very fair question. One that is often subjective to the practitioner.

For me personally, I cleanse my home every full moon. I find that house cleansing works best with regular upkeep.
However, once a month may not be suitable for everyone.
Some may like to do a cleanse every Sabbat instead, or even just once or twice a year.
This aspect of timing is up to you and your needs.
I choose to do my own home more often for lots of reasons.
Some of which are because we live in a house that was built on old farm land. Farm land that seems to be very energetically active!
We also have a lot of house visitors, and visitors do have a habit of sometimes leaving their psychic debris behind.

As well as this, I also have four children, four noisy children, who love each other dearly, but do bicker, snatch toys, have nightmares, go through teething, catch colds etc etc.

So, for those of you reading this and have large families, you may also find that you want to cleanse your home more regularly then say, someone who lives alone.

Reasons for cleansing your home more regularly could include:

1. Having a large family.
2. Living on a main road or in a busy city.
3. Living in a busy apartment building.
4. Having teenagers at home (teens are very much finding their way in life and are often big bundles of raw emotion).
5. Living on energetically noisy land. For example, you live near to where a historic battle took place, a motorway, near a site of historic and/or paranormal significance etc

When the routine needs varying…

When you have worked out how often you feel you want to fully cleanse your home, it is also worth considering the fact that there may well be times you need to break your usual cleansing ‘routine’, or add in additional cleansings.

These times may be:

1. When an argument or fight has taken place.
2. When a family member is unwell.
3. When a family member or pet has died.
4. When a relationship separation or divorce has happened.
5. When you have had a really unpleasant visitor.
6. When you have experienced a period of prolonged stress or tension.
7. There has been a fight, accident or incident outside of your home.
8. When an accident has happened inside the home.
9. After a burglary may have happened (hopefully this would never happen!
10. When someone has moved out of the home. Such as a family member or lodger.
    
    

What if I don’t have time to do a full house cleansing, but I acknowledge there is a need to do some form of cleansing?

No, problem! If you find there is a need to carry out some additional cleansing, perhaps due to one of the reasons listed above, you can try any one of the following (on their own, or teamed up with one or more other options) to do a quick and easy cleanse!

1. Drumming
2. Saining (In other cultures, this can sometimes be equated to the Indigenous American practice of ‘Smudging’). Saining is a Celtic custom of both cleansing and blessing, using herbs, incense, herb bundles etc
3. Sound magick – you can use bells, tuning forks, Spellsongs, or whatever else you like in order to simultaneously raise positive energy and cleanse a space.
4. The use of prayers, psalms or invocations spoken in each room.
5. Cleaning windows and reflective surfaces (Such as mirrors) with a mix of Salt and cider vinegar, or Four Thieves Vinegar.

Suggested times for house cleansing.

In general however, you may like to consider the following times to complete your own cleansings:

1. Every full moon.
2. Every other full moon.
3. Every Sabbat.
4. Quarterly (Perhaps corresponding with the Equinoxes and Solstices)
5. Twice a year.
6. Once a year.
7. When spring cleaning, or decorating.

All of the above are suggestions only, you may not want to subscribe to set method or routine. Prior to having children, I was the same. I would cleanse as and when I felt the need. If this works for you, run with it!

However, it might be worth noting that I have noticed a marked difference in my home when I have followed a certain level of routine for house cleansing. I have found that since doing cleansings more regularly, my home environment has been much calmer and settled, and none of us experience the phenomena of ‘psychic attack’.

The House Cleansing Ritual.

Below is the full version of my house cleansing ritual. You can do it whenever you want to, you don’t have to wait for a full moon, it’s only my personal preference that I do mine at that time.
As mentioned previously, you can adapt this ritual in any way you feel is right for you.
For example, you will see that I sain my home with both Mugwort bundles and braided sweetgrass.
This is because both grow locally to me and I can forage them at certain times of the year.
When I forage them, I prepare and dry them for use throughout the entire year, that way I never usually have to worry about buying them.
However, if you’re reading this from another country, you may wish to use a relevant herb that grows locally to you. For example, if you’re American, you might prefer White Sage.

Using herbs that are local to you not only prevent creating an unnecessarily larger carbon footprint (both American White Sage and Palo Santo have a huge carbon footprint for consumers here in the U.K. when compared with Mugwort or Wormwood, as they have to be shipped in!), but the use of naturally grown and sourced herbs directly connects you to your local landscape and the spirits of the land in which you live!

Tools needed for this ritual:

1. A drum, tuning forks, rattles etc (Something you can make sound with. My personal preference is a drum, but go with whatever works for you!).
2. A tall white candle and candle holder.
3. Lighter or matches
4. Mugwort bundle and braided sweetgrass (feel free to substitute if needed).
5. A spray bottle containing water, lavender, juniper and pine essential oils (This is a cleansing spray, but if you have a different cleansing spray you would like to use, please feel free to do this).
6. Create a strew of bicarbonate soda, and the following dried ingredients; lavender, rosemary, rue and angelica.
   Once you have made you the up the batch, add a few drops of pine and tea tree oil essential oils.
   How much strew you need to make depends on the footprint of your home (enough to sprinkle in every room).
   The consistency of the strew should resemble ‘shake’n’vac’ style carpet cleaner, and is designed to be scattered across the floor (don’t worry, it can be vacuumed or swept up!).
   The purpose of the strew is that it deodorises rooms, leaves a beautiful aroma, and all of the plants/herbs used in it will aid in cleansing and protective magick. There is no set way to make this strew and you can use as much or as little of each ingredient as you like. Just be aware that you will need enough to sprinkle on the floors for each room in the house.
7. An ammonite (This can be substituted with a quartz crystal, or obsidian if you like).
8. A window cleaning solution of either Four Thieves Vinegar, or a mix of warm water, vinegar and salt.
   
   Notes: Please be mindful of any children and pets in the home, you don’t want them eating any of the strew, or to use anything that might cause irritation or be toxic for anyone you live with.
   Also, please be mindful that Mugwort may not be suitable to use if you are pregnant, someone who lives in the home is pregnant, or you have very young infants living in the home.

Instructions.

Begin by setting your intention; sit down and reflect upon what it is you plan to do and why you want to do it.

What are your objectives? Why are you carrying out this particular cleansing? Is there a specific reason, or is this part of your general spiritual practice? Are there any particular rooms that you feel need extra attention for cleansing?

Get yourself ready and wear comfortable and practical clothes! It may seem idealistic to wear some fancy robes or witchy looking attire, but this ritual is going to involve getting down and dirty! We are cleaning the house. So, If your hair is long, tie it up! Put your slacks on and maybe dig out your apron!

Gather any cleaning tools you need.

Start by cleaning the upstairs of your home. Ideally, you’re going to want to give every room a thorough physical clean, so pulling furniture out and cleaning behind them, changing bedding, dusting, vacuum cleaning, sweeping, mopping etc.
The reason why I start on the upstairs first is because it is a form of sympathetic magick. We are actively starting with the upper levels of the home and working down towards exits of the house.
Eventually emptying all the rubbish and vacuum cleaner contents into outside bins/dumpsters, pouring water used for mopping outside of the house perimeters etc (For this reason, I suggest you use more earth friendly cleaning products such as ECover, vinegar, or just some soapy water).

Once you have physically cleaned upstairs, you can begin cleaning each window with one of the cleaning solutions mentioned above. As you clean the windows, visualise that as well as physically cleaning the windows, you are energetically cleansing them too. Allowing any psychic debris to leave the room via the windows, and allowing the sun to fully flow into each room.

Once you have cleaned each room and have cleaned the windows, you will now want to take a little of the strew you have made, and gently sprinkle a little onto the floors of each room.
You don’t need a lot, a little goes a long way! Leave the strew to settle on the floor. The bicarbonate soda/baking soda will absorb excess odours in any carpets you may have, and the herbs and oils will both leave a nice aroma as well as impart some of their plant magick into the room, which will aid in the magick.

While the strew is settling into the upstairs floors, begin to work on your staircase and towards the downstairs. Cleaning any dust, picking up any bits you may find, any if possible, leaving a little of the strew on each stair.

Once you have reached the downstairs, start on the rooms that are furthest away from your front door. The idea being that as you are cleansing, you are clearing both physical rubbish and stale energetic energy away from the centre of your home and then out of the door.

Again, clean each room thoroughly. Pulling out any furniture that you can, so that you can clean behind, bag up rubbish/trash, dust, mop, etc.
Once you have done this, you can lay a little strew down on the floors of the downstairs too.

By now, you may have accumulated a fair bit of rubbish/trash, dirty mop water, filled dustpans etc.
Take all of this, and for the time being, just leave it outside your front door (If possible. If not, leave it by the door to deal with at the end.

The next step is to sweep or vacuum up all of the strew, so head on upstairs with the vacuum cleaner or broom and clear up all of the strew! When you have done the upstairs, move on to the staircase and downstairs too.

Now the the house is physically cleaned, you can start getting rid of all that rubbish. You don’t want to leave it in indoor bins/trash cans, you will need to take it all out and put it into the main outdoor wheelie bin/dumpster. This is because it carries a lot of the energy we are aiming to get rid of.
It is pointless to energetically cleanse a home, only to keep some of the remnants in the house.
That is akin to keeping mouldy food in your clean refrigerator.
With any mop water, try and pour it down an outside drain, or just beyond the boarders of your property. If you have used earth friendly cleaning products, you shouldn’t have to worry about the dirty water being any harm to plants or wildlife. It’s also worth noting that the vacuum cleaner will also need emptying out, you can pour the contents into the outside bin with everything else.
Alternatively, compost all debris that can be composted and use a statement of intent to denounce it as waste and suggest it has been put where it will break down to become a positive resource. After all it will go on to feed the soil and ergo the household via the enjoyment of plants in the garden or kitchen.

It’s now time to move on to the full energetic cleansing! For this, you might find it useful to have a tray or some sort of cleaning caddy to carry of the following tools:

1) Candle and candle holder
2) Lighter or matches
3) An ammonite (Or substitute)
4) Cleansing spray
5) Mugwort and braided sweetgrass (or relevant substitutes).
6) Your drum, tuning fork, or whatever sound tool you want to use.

Going back upstairs, taking all of the above tools with you, and light the white candle. You will then need to follow the next steps.

1) With the candle held in your dominant hand, go to each doorway, wardrobe, mirror/window/reflective surface of the upstairs and say the following:

“I shine this light for all to see,
May only light dwell within this place.
I cast back shadows, and invoke the light.
This space is cleansed, as is my right.”

2) Taking your drum, begin to beat a slow and steady beat around each room of the upstairs, focussing especially on doorways, over beds, sofa’s, cots, chairs, windows, desks etc. If you’re not using a drum and are using a different sound tool, use your sound tool in a similar way. Creating sound to cleanse the space and focussing on all of the afore mentioned spaces. If you feel drawn to chant or sing, go for it!

3) Next, light your Mugwort (or appropriate substitute) and gently let the smoke from the herb float and cleanse each room. If you have a feather fan etc, and want to use this to help direct the smoke, you can. As you are allowing the smoke to drift about the space, say aloud:

“I call upon the spirit of Mugwort!
Cleanser, protector and banisher!
Remove all from this room that is not love, kindness,
peace and good will
I give you my thanks and gratitude”.

Say this over and over as you cleanse the upstairs and go from room to room.

4) Moving on to the braided sweetgrass, light it and go about each room saying (again and again):

“I call upon the spirit of Sweetgrass!
Fragrant one, peaceful one.
One who unites us in love and connection!
Bring in good, love and peace!
May this home be a place of love and rest.
I give you my thanks and gratitude.”

5) Next, take your cleansing spray and spritz it around each room. You do not have to say any words for this part, simply set your intention.

6) Finally take your ammonite (or substitute) and stand in the doorway of each room. Ammonites are beautiful ancient fossils that are now used in a similar way to crystals. An ammonite is very good at cleansing, grounding, and clearing blockages, so it is an ideal tool to use in this ritual. While standing in the doorway of each room, say the following aloud:

“I call upon the collective spirit of the Ammonite!
Be with me this day.
Clear away all that no longer serves me/us
and release any negative energy and psychic blockages
from this space.
I give you my thanks and gratitude.”

Now you have completed the upstairs cleansing, you can move onto the stairs/downstairs and repeat the above steps one-six.

Closing The Ritual.

In order to close the ritual you may like to leave the candle burning upon your altar, desk or living room table, a reminder of the work you have done today and the phenomenal amount you have achieved!

Now is also a good time to go for a shower, get changed and toss the slacks you were wearing for this ritual out into the laundry basket!
Just make sure that candle is safe, if it is still burning.

I hope you have enjoyed this weeks blog and have found it useful!

Next weeks blog will be on regional folklore and spirits of the land, and we will be discussing Boggarts! So don’t forget to keep an eye out for that!

From the time, mists and distance between us, blessings from me to you!