We’ve all heard the phrase “Spring cleaning” the practice of thoroughly
cleaning a house in the springtime. In fact this practice is good for us in more ways than one. According to a study carried out by the founder of America's Anxiety Disorder Centre. A thorough spring clean helps you to focus, clearing your mind makes it easier to focus on other more important things. It is said those who make a point of clearing out the clutter are able to free up the brain for more essential decision-making. That said I came across this very interesting article ‘What is space clearing’ written by Karen Kingston?
This an extract taken from her article on how space clearing works:
Energetically, everything that ever happens in a building goes out in ripples like the effect of a stone being dropped in a pond. It is recorded in the walls, floor, ceiling, furniture, and other objects in the place. It gets imprinted into the very fabric of the structure. Repetitive actions and behaviours are deeply imprinted, and events accompanied by strong emotions or trauma are the most strongly imprinted of all. If you’ve ever had the experience of walking into a room after there has just been an argument, you know that you can literally feel it hanging in the air. People sometimes say, ‘You could have cut the air with a knife!’, meaning that the atmosphere was so dense it was as if the argument were physically tangible.
The residue of these energy ripples accumulates around the edges of a room, and it builds up, particularly in corners, and in nooks and crannies. If you’re reading this inside a building, stop for a minute, look up, and imagine what the place you are in would look like if it had never physically been cleaned since the time it was built. Imagine the build-up of dust, cobwebs, and so on. The worst areas would be in the corners and any small pockets of space between objects and items of furniture. Of course, no-one would ever want to live or work in such a space, but on an energetic level, that is exactly how a room looks and feels if it has never been space cleared.
Everyone creates a certain amount of energetic gunge on a daily basis, which leaves a residue in their homes in the same way as everyday living creates cleaning and tidying on a physical level. As Jane Alexander so succinctly put it in her article about space clearing, “Most of us are probably living in the psychic equivalent of a rubbish dump”.
Very few western buildings are so well designed that there are no areas where energy gets stuck. Most are conceived without any thought being given to the way energy can flow around them, and awkwardly positioned furniture can then add to the problems. How much stuck energy builds up depends on the overall feng-shui of a place and the activities of the people who occupy it.
How often does space clearing need to be done?
Do a full space clearing ceremony at least once a year, or sooner if you have a major life change such as starting or ending a relationship, career, etc. If you have a very busy life or are going through a difficult time, then do maintenance space clearing every 3 months or even every month if you want to.
Smudge Bundles
There are many types of smudge sticks using a wide variety of herbs but one of the most well-known herbs used for smudging is sage. The smudge bundles some in both sage and white sage.
White Sage smudges: Smudge Sticks or Smudge Bundles are all-natural ceremonial incense, traditionally burned in Native American rituals such as sweat lodges. The ceremony of cleansing people, places and objects through smoke is continued today. It is believed that smudging protects from unseen spirits and thoughts. To apply the protective cleansing power of a smudge a leaf or resin it was heated to make smoke that was brushed over the person or object often with a feather fan. Some plant smokes had specific healing properties while others more generic powers.
White Sage is burned in smudging ceremonies to drive out bad spirits, negative feelings or influences. The leaves are valued for their aromatic properties and are used as a natural moth repellent (in clothing) or mosquitos (in a room). White Sage can be used in numerous ways.
How to Smudge
Light one end of your smudge, allowing it to catch fire and burn for several seconds. Once the flame is out, blow on the lit end to fan the embers; the smudge will begin to glow and smoke. Lay the smudge on a heat proof dish such as an abalone shell, to catch the ashes as you burn it. This ensures no lit ashes fall to the ground while performing the cleansing ritual.
Allow the smoke to reach every corner of the room and set your intention, whatever it may be. If you are clearing negative energy, visualise it and see it being lifted away. Then imagine the smoke cleansing away anything you wish to be removed. Whatever it is see it being removed and floating away in the smoke. You can use a prayer if you wish it is important to set your intention. Use your hands or a smudge feather to guide the smoke over yourself and around your sacred space. I like to work from the top, smudging each and every room thoroughly until I reach the front door at the bottom after which I allow the smoke to escape taking any negative energy with it.
The beauty of smudging is that it can be done at any time, as often as you need, no matter your background or culture.