House Cleansings

If you follow my Pinterest, you might have seen a recent burst of house cleansing ritual pins. Oh yes indeed, I just rented a new place!!! I'm so excited to be moving into this spot for a few reasons. For one, my previous spot was a townhouse and the new place is a standalone Tudor revival styled home. This means it's beautiful (almost Victorian looking), I have a driveway and I don't share walls with neighbors with noisy puppers! It was built in the 1920's, has 3 beds and 1 bath and even though the wooden floors are a bit creaky, the appliances are modern and the AC installed only 2 years ago - essential for a Sonoran Valley home.

Every new home comes with residual energy from previous occupants. My landlords have some fantastically shocking stories about the last few tenants in this house. Not to mention that the house had been vacant long enough, and not really secure, we found that someone had come in to use the shower while it lay empty also. Needless to say, we're adding some extra locks and blocking up the large dog door on the back door. BUT I find it is always best to add that little extra to your new home preparations.

There are many ways to Spiritual cleanse and add protective wards to your house while also making it a welcoming space to attract happiness, tranquility and abundance. In fact, there are so many, I'm a little overwhelmed by my options. I remember whenever my family moved into a new house while I was growing up, we would invite the coven over for a house cleansing ritual. I was younger, so I don't remember the specifics, I will be asking Mom if she has anything to share with me. But until then, I'm doing my own research! Plus, I'm gifted at crafting my own rituals... and I like to use the supplies I have on hand or in my yard the best. It's more sustainable and budget friendly that way.

SO! The main thought in my head is to add certain herbs to my mop water. I could easily make a tea with Sage and Rosemary to add to soapy water, but these days I use a swiffer mop... so now I'm wondering if I need to buy a mop just for this house cleansing. Though, it wouldn't be hard to add some tea and essential oil combo to the box that holds all those swiffer mop cloths... OR!!! Maybe I can cut up an old towel or invest in some mop rags that can replace the disposable swiffer pads and dunk those in my magickal demon-smiting, home purifying house bath!! My mind has been racing, the possibilities seem endless.

For the ritual - I want every aspect of the the cleaning and preparation of this space to be infused with enchantments. I want to prepare a chant to hum or sing while I sweep all residual energies out of each portal (doorway). I will also hum or sing while mopping. The windows will all be washed with the herbal infused water and marked with a pentagram with words of power and protection. I will also walk through each room with a smudge stick. I found this candle ritual that I like too and will do this too. The last steps include cutting an onion in half and planting one half on each side of the doorway or driveway with the cut sides facing each other. This is an old folk method of protecting thresholds and portals. The onion halves call to each other and create a boundary that resists evil. Making friends with a garden gnome and offering them regular offerings is not a bad plan either.

But which herbs to use for the wash! I most closely identify as a hedgewitch, so naturally the plants seem like the most important aspects of my ritual design. Sage, again, was first in my mind, but it has a lot of stigma associated with it these days. Some magickal folk and Native American friends have told me they believe the use of sage by non-natives is a form of cultural appropriation to be discouraged. Others say that the demand for white sage has even caused ecological issues and shortages... But I still believe the spirit of the plant to have a strong cleansing and protective resonance. Coming from Celtic and Etruscan magickal backgrounds, I am inclined to use Rosemary and Thyme for cleansing residual memories and protection, maybe some bay leaves for success and basil for prosperity. A little lavender for peaceful rest and calendula for happiness and love and harmony. Mint would be nice to add for luck too...

This recipe has developed nicely I'd say:

House Cleansing Herbal Wash

Combine equal parts of the following herbs then steep as if creating a tea.

Rosemary

Thyme

Bay

Basil

Lavender

Calendula

Mint

Strain the loose herbs using a large tea ball or french press or cheesecloth. Use 1 Tbl of herbal blend per 1 cup of water at most. Add the tea to whatever mixture you use to wash your floors, windows and/or counters at a ratio of 1:10, tea to cleanser.

Make up your own chant or try this one:

"With the growing of the light

so too grows this home's delight.

Wash away the old and strange

Only joy, comfort and love remain.

As above, so below,

Cleanse this space here and now."

Make Better Potions!

The funny thing about potions, is that they are made with more than just a good recipe. Any liquid mixture, distillation, decoction, tisane, or infusion can be a potion as long as it is made with intent!

What is intent? You can think about it as a word short for "intention". There are numerous ways to express your intentions, but it starts in your core, your heart, your spirit. To begin, determine, as clearly as possible, what you want. Keep it simple. Keep it positive. Rather than putting the thought "when I drink this, I will not act like a fool", instead focus on the intent, "when I drink this, I will embody grace and intelligence". Sympathetic magick is super strong and the Universe responds better when you visualize your goal as if it already is. Like attracts like.

Also remember that intent, without lust of result, is pure in every way. Although we are preparing our potions with wants and desires in mind, it is important that we do not lust after our desires. Healthy amounts of desire will light fires of motivation and ambition, but unhealthy amounts creates obsession. And more often than not, if we don't get what we want, the Universe has another plan for us.

Intent can be set while making the potions, while using them, or both! Your magick will be extra strong if you buy a magickal beverage, lotion, perfume, or cooking oil and you take the time to imbue it. Although not necessary, you can include little extras to help you focus. Depending on the goal, different colored candles or incense scents can be set on your altar with your potion as you visualize. A simple white candle will do if you have not looked up correspondences or simply do not have them on hand.

One of my favorite obscure hobbies is to collect correspondence charts from different traditions... and make some of my own. I may pull it together soon to post some correspondences for you to reference while imbuing your potions with intent! Here are some basic color correspondences to get you started:

White: purification, unity

Black: binding, banishment

Blue: emotion, tranquility/peace, sleep

Pink: love, friendship, comfort

Red: love, lust, willpower, motivation

green: healing, growth, abundance, money

yellow: poetry, happiness, language, song

orange: creativity

purple: psychic power, dreams, clairvoyance

What are your favorite potions to use? Do you like to set your morning intentions with your coffee? your tea? Do you smother yourself in with a balanced glow with your moisturizer?

Soothing Eye Compress

A friend of mine recently asked what someone could do if their eye was swollen. They said their husband's eye was swollen and inflamed but there was no know irritant that caused the inflammation. I recommended a cold moistened tea bag. The tea, especially green tea, acts as an astringent and has been known to help with inflammation.

Another mellow remedy for unknown eye ailments is fennel! Take 2 tsp of fennel seeds and 1 cup of water. Make a tea by steeping the fennel, for 30 mins, in water heated until just before boiling. Strain and let the tea cool, you can even refrigerate it or add some ice. Use a clean tea towel or wash cloth to soak in the tea, then let rest gently over swollen eye.