Energetic Space Cleansing
This episode highlights how living, loving, creating, and working in a positive, clear space energetically brings with it a high vibrational energy that is free of negativity and full of mindful, abundant shifts. Creating a sacred space attracts opportunities to maintain a sanctuary for yourself and your family and supports the flow “Chi” or life force energy to move through the space. We’ll learn how ancient ceremonies inform modern rituals to perform miraculous healing benefits, and I’ll outline 7 easy to apply techniques to spiritually smudge your space to set the right vibes, especially important during times of uncertainty and change.
// Introduction:
The space we are in collects space within.
I recently heard that the poet Maya Angelou used to say something similar about her house. If she heard a prejudiced or negative word from a guest, she would escort them to the door. She would say, “Words are things. They are absorbed by the walls and the furniture and the food, and they can toxify the environment. My house is a Healing house”, she had said, “folks come here to experience positive energy and joy.” Maya has been many things for me, and her inspiration and words and thought-provoking statements will linger in my life even now that she has since passed. She couldn’t be more on the nose though with the energy in a house. Now, more than ever, we are finding the significance of the space we’re in. We’re dwelling in our dwellings more than ever before in our lifetimes. Energetic space cleaning and clearing routines are an important part of how we live and interact with our space, and by doing so, you will be able to keep positivity flowing, and hope growing, even in uncertain times.
// Method to Manifesting 101:
10 super simple cleansing modes that I use in and on my home, and also on second-hand clothing, jewelry, crystals and more. You can utilize any cleansing technique that resonates with you, just remember they work best with intention and with prayer. Positivity breeds positivity.
MOONLIGHT: Preferably during the FULL MOON, place your object under the moon and ask that the moonlight cleanse the energy.
SUNLIGHT: Same as moonlight, let your object soak up the sun, and ask for the light energy to cleanse your piece.
SEA SALT: Place sea salt around your object and ask that all of the negative energy absorb into the salt.
EARTH: Bury your object into the dirt (or flower pot) – just make sure to put a marker where you put them. This one can help a lot with jewelry too.
SACRED BREATH: Call on your higher self, guides and guardians and blow away the negativity off the object (like blowing out your birthday candle).
COOL WATER: Wash the object with cool water and sea salt, but make certain the points of the object are facing down the drain to run the negative energy right down the sink. Not everything can be washed, so make sure this is okay to be cleansed this way. I have friends who have used this technique with clothing with regular water or rose water.
VISUALIZE: Hold or touch your object and visualize it being cleansed by your god, your guides and angels, or whoever you look to as a higher power.
CRYSTALS: You can place crystals on or around the objects to help cleanse. Selenite, Blue Kyanite, Citrine, Snowflake Obsidian, and Black Tourmaline are some of my favorites and can absorb negative energy. Just make sure to smudge or rinse off the crystals with sea salt water afterwards.
ESSENTIAL OILS: I absolutely love essential oils, and feel like I learn something new about them every day. You can easily make sprays with essential oils, and water. I’ve been told you can also add a pinch of sea salt, and even crush up some crystals with it. Simply use your own intuition and positive intention when creating… and if you’re like, “I don’t have time for all this DIY stuff, my friend Jess has an amazing company, Little Shop of Oils and you can buy direct and support a local who hand makes everything to perfection-- This shop also has amazing sage bundles to buy here. You can spray yourself, your room, or the object you’re clearing. A few of my favorites are:
Rose – because It helps to raise the vibration of the energy.
Peppermint – it Uplifts and calms energy.
Basil – which is a protective oil.
Cypress – Grounds and protects.
Lavender – Is a great neutralizer and helps relax.
Frankincense – Cleanses the aura of a person and objects.
Sage – Clears the negative energy and neutralizes.
Palo Santo – also known as holy wood – helps to protect, cleanse, and remove negative energy.
Cinnamon – Relaxes tense energy.
And Cedarwood – Connects us to angels and allows them to help us cleanse.
And last but certainly not least, SMUDGING: which, if you don’t know, is the ritual of burning plant resins and herbs in a shell or a clay bowl while intentions and prayers are called forth. For centuries, Native American and Indigenous cultures have practiced smudging rituals to clear away negative energy, to invite in peace and harmony for individuals or environments. The smoke from the herbs and the plant resins are fanned using a feather or a hand, and directed like a spiritual cleansing bath surrounding the person or the space.
I’ve had a lot of friends over the years ask me how to do a proper smudge ceremony, so I also wanted to go a bit more in depth on this one with
7 Simple Smudging Steps:
1. Gather Materials: Dried white sage, abalone shell, a candle and lighter. Other optional items you can have would be essential oil spray, a smoky quartz, black tourmaline crystal, and a feather. Choose a central location in your home to place your items. You can think of this space as a temporary protective altar that will support you with the process.
A quick meaning behind these elements: Well, Smudging sage is an earth-based practice that connects us to the elements both around us and within us. The sage connects us to earth. Sage is also called salvia from the Latin word salvare which means to save, rescue, retrieve, safeguard, protect and defend. Abalone shell connects us to water, lighter to the fire element, the smoke of the burning sage to air, and the union of it all to spirit or space.
2. Open The Flow:
Open as many doors and windows in your home, as you can. Turn on all the lights, and put on some music. Once we begin the ritual of smudging, we want the old, stagnant, negative energy to have a place to go to, outside of the temple of our home and body. I also move things a little if they are blocking a corner or electrical socket because you want to be sure to get those areas. And it’s recommended to start the whole process with a clean, tidy home.
3. Will It Out:
Light your candle, welcome in good energy, and say a prayer. The prayer can be something like, “Into this smoke I release all energies that no longer serve me. I release all negativity that surrounds me and all fears that limit me. Any energy that has entered this space that is not from love and light and not for our highest good, is now sent to the air to be raised to its highest vibration and transmuted into love.” OR you can make up whatever you want to say. No hard and fast rules there. While the basic idea is to release lower frequency energies and replace them with higher frequency energies, having a more personalized intention can be helpful. You might want to think about what you want to feel in your space, how you want it to support you, and any energies associated with specific situations that you may want to have healed and released. This is also a good time to welcome in your higher power, or any deities or angels, guides, gods, or loved ones who have passed to come along with you on the cleaning. The candle will be what you will put your sage over to “light” the sage itself.
4. Ignite The Sage:
Light the sage, with the flame of the candle. You may need to let it hover a few moments to make sure it gets lit, and then blow it out so the smoke can begin fueling out. Head to your front door. We start at the front door because it is symbolic to our awareness and what we desire to live within us and around us.
5. Cleanse Yourself:
Really. You should always cleanse thyself first. Pass the smoking sage over your body, around your entire aura. Make sure to lift up each foot and pass the sage underneath. Your aura will thank you. If we want to be of true service, we must always take care of ourselves before extending out to others. So, by cleansing yourself first, you act as a beam of light as you move around our home.
6. Sage your space.
Take the lit, smoking sage, wafting it and going clockwise from your front door to bring in energy, counterclockwise from your front door to send-out energy.
Walk throughout your space with the burning sage gently directing the smoke all around the perimeter, center, ceiling, and floor of each room. Run the smoke around the windows, and on the walls. You can do this by using a feather or just wafting the smoke from the sage out with your hand if you don’t have a feather. You’ll want to pay close attention to corners where energy can get trapped, electrical sockets, and the plumbing system. Be sure to have your shell or smudge bowl close by to tap off any little pieces of ash that falls off. Take your time in moving from room to room and notice the change in how each area feels as you clear it.
*Fun feather fact: I do recommend using a feather to gently direct the smoke around. In native cultures birds are highly revered because of their closeness to Grandfather Creator in the heavens. It is believed the feather possesses the spirit qualities of the bird– to be the breath of life as well as connecting us to the heavens above and mother earth below. Because of the way they are constructed, it is believed that feathers have the ability to comb someone's energy or aura of blockages therefore aiding in the cleansing smoke bath.
7. Seal Your Practice.
After you finish clearing your space, you will want to welcome in energies of a higher frequency. You can do this by using a flower essence water or essential oil spray, or just verbal is ok too. Do another walkabout around your space. This time, allow your heart to open with appreciation and gratitude for your space and the process. Set anything you had moved earlier back in place and close windows if the air feels clear of smoke or wait a little while if that feels best.
Finally, go back to the center of your space where you placed the candle. Take a few moments to give thanks for the assistance you received from Spirit, your guides and the items you used; give thanks for the beauty of your space and the support and shelter it provides you. Trusting that your intention is manifesting, blow out the candle, and seal your practice.
As always, thank you for reading along, listening to, sharing, and subscribing, and don’t forget to stay Mindful & Divine.
x.shana
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Questions? Want to Work Together or Discuss a Future Project? Email shana@mindfuldivine.com