Cleansing Rituals
by Emer
Some things to think about before we begin.
1. Everything is energy. Humans, animals, minerals, plants, thoughts, emotions --- all of it. Energy.
2. When energy impacts an environment, it changes it. For good or bad --- it will change it.
3. Everything has a spirit (consciousness.)
4. You are part of everything else. What affects one part, affects all other parts.
5. Like attracts like.
6. Cleansing is healing.
From the above, you should be able to understand the importance of cleansing the energy fields that make up you and your environment.
Although we might not always be able to sense an energy imbalance; we are nevertheless affected by it. Some areas/buildings feel comfortable to us, while others may make us feel edgy, depressed or anxious to get out. After there has been a heated argument in a room, the atmosphere may feel heavy and dismal. You may even begin to feel irritable yourself. This negative evergy, if allowed to exist and even grow (like attracts like), can adversely affect all the inhabitants in that area. In your house, it can even make you, your family, your pets and your plants sick. It will actually make your house sick. Animals are especially vulnerable as they act as buffers for us, and will absorb this negativity until they get physically sick.
There, I've said my piece about the importance of cleansing your environment/home.
When we cleanse, we're replacing undesirable energy (aka negativity) with desirable or positive energy.
Anything can be cleansed and probably should be from time to time. Your car, house, yard, farm, things, your aura. Anything.
If you do a cleansing ritual or procedure with anger or fear of the negativity you are trying to release, you will only exchange one kind of negativity for another. You gain nothing.
Always enter into any cleansing process with an attitude of love. Negative energy is not bad or evil; it is simply energy that does not sustain you. Nothing is inherently evil --- it is our judgement of it that labels something good or bad.
Now for a method. I will discuss one of the ones I use for I can speak
from experience on these, although there are many other methods to
achieve the same end. Use what works for you.
Smudging, (passing through smoke,) is an ancient method of
cleansing that works quite well. I've used it to cleanse my house, and it's very good for smaller
items and for cleansing your aura.
When smudging a room, work in one direction, spiralling to the center.
Which direction you use is up to you - try both. Counter clockwise is
usually considered banishing; clockwise is invoking.
I usually use Ceremonial White Sage, but garden sage works equally
well. Pinon Pine, if you can get it, is super. Pine, of any kind, is
generally thought to bring in desirable positive energy; while the
sages are more for banishing the negative. Both can be used during
the same smudging ritual.
You can use powdered sage or pine on charcoal, or a smudge stick. I
prefer a small wad of the leaves. Carry a heatproof container (ashtray)
in your left hand; the smudge in your right.
For a room, try to start near, but not in front of the door, sweeping
the smoke into all corners; up to the ceiling and down to the floor.
If you use leaves or a smudge stick, knock the ashes off often, so you
won't catch anything on fire. It's a good idea to keep a container
of water close by, just in case.
Repeat the following, if you wish, during the smudging:
Smudging
Continue til every inch of the area has been touched by the smoke and you feel that you're done.
As with any magickal rite, intent and visualization are important.
Visualizing the movement of energy adds a lot of power to the
cleansing procedure.
See also *Ball of Light Cleansing and Protection* on our Protection page.
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