SPACE + HOME CLEARING
BY JESS MILLER
So, you’ve heard of space clearing. And the first thing that comes to mind is sorting through your overflowing closet and the mysterious stuff in your vegetable crisper. That stuff can definitely help, but what I had in mind is shifting the energy in your space. But why bother? And how do you get started?
Everything is energy and every physical object can hold energy. That necklace your first love gave you, the tea set your mom gave you and those old journals from that “interesting” chapter of your life. They all carry energetic vibrations and the more they’re exposed to a particular vibration, the more that vibration imprints on them.
Maybe you’ve been to a place where you walk in and you instantly feel calm, like a yoga studio or your place of worship. The peaceful and comforting energy constantly being poured into that space by the people who fill it rubs off on you, and even if you were having a shitty day, suddenly things don’t feel quite so bad.
WTF are Vibes?
Have you ever met someone who seemed perfectly lovely, but something told you not to trust them? Maybe you felt a tightness in your chest or your stomach started churning. That was probably a response to the energy the other person was giving out and your intuition was receiving a message about that energy even if your conscious mind had no evidence that this person was untrustworthy. We can have the same experience with different places since places absorb energy just like we do.
Think of your energy as being like a sponge. If you put a sponge in clean water (good vibes), it absorbs that clean water. If you put a sponge in dirty water (bad vibes), it absorbs that water and looks dirty. On a daily basis, we’re exposed to a spectrum of emotions from a wide range of people who may or may not be aware of the energy they’re putting out into the world. Without meaning to, they can be sending bad vibes your way. Time to wash them off.
Why Clear?
There are a ton of reasons to clear. Space clearing helps us to bring harmony to our personal lives. It helps us with attracting success in love and business. It makes space for blessings and growth to enter our life. And most important, it helps to reset and free up stagnant or blocked energies.
Humans like comfort and stability and we can easily get into a rut. When this happens, it can be challenging to realize that we’re capable of doing things differently, of solving our problems. It’s not that our problems are insurmountable-- we’ve just become accustomed to thinking of them from one perspective, even if that perspective isn’t all that helpful. When we clear our space, we support a change in our perspective and consciously choose to align our energies with love, growth, forward movement and creativity.
When to Clear
Just like you bathe on a regular basis, it’s a good idea to do some space clearing regularly. You don’t have to go all out-- even sweeping or vacuuming your space and burning some sage or palo santo once a week is great for keeping those vibes high. In my personal practice, I smudge myself and the threshold to my bedroom every day.
It’s an especially good idea to clear if:
You’ve just been through a big loss, such as the break-up of a relationship or the death of someone close to you. If you’ve gone through a break-up, you’ll want to smudge or spray your bed to separate your energy and that of your former lover.
You’ve just come through a period of illness (mental or physical)
You’ve just received a big blessing (a new love relationship, the growth of your family, etc.)
You’re starting something new (moving into a new home or launching a new business). This also applies to receiving things secondhand-- your aunt’s dining room set? Clear it! That Halston dress you got for a song at that vintage shop? Clear it! You may not be able to see someone else’s energy on it, but you can probably feel it, and you don’t wanna be walking around with someone else’s energy tethered to your energy body.
So, What Exactly Do I Do?
1. Before you clear a space energetically, you want to clear physically.
I don’t mean “take out all of your furniture and make it a minimalist blogger’s dream”. But there’s an intersection between physical and energetic clearing and sweeping your floor, washing your windows and dusting your shelves is a crucial part of moving stuck or negative energy out of your space. Be sure to sweep toward the door (this practice features largely in Caribbean folk magic) -- you don’t want the dirt and sketchy vibes moved from one corner of your room to another, you want them out the way they came.
2. After you’ve cleaned your space, take a few minutes to sit in prayer or meditation.
You want to center yourself and focus on your intention. Is your intention to establish peace in your home? To draw love to you? Figure that out. This goes double if your living space is also your place of business. Write it down, speak it aloud, then visualize it as if it were already your reality. 99% of the success of your magick comes from your focused intention and attention, not from fancy tools or Stevie Nicks-inspired witch wear.
3. Bring in the elements and call on your helping spirits.
Need a little backup? Ask any helping spirits who’ve made themselves known to aid you in clearing space. Not connected to your guides? Archangel Michael has a strong protective energy and he’s the guy to call on when you need to cut ties with a person or situation that isn’t serving you. Visualize his vibrant blue light filling your space.
There are lots of different methods for clearing your space. Based on the four elements used in ritual magick, here are my favourites.
Earth-- Sprinkle table salt in the corners of your room and sweep toward the door. Bring in plants which purify the air, as well as herbs which have protective and purifying properties like rosemary, sage and peppermint.
Air-- Sound and vibrational healing is a powerful way to move energy. Break out your drum, rattle, singing bowl or chimes. You can also sing or chant an affirmation or intention like “My home is peaceful, prosperous and blessed”.
Fire-- Burn incense, resin or sage. I use a blend of sage, lavender and cedar. Burn candles while reciting prayers or intentions. You can place a burning candle in the center of your space or place one in each corner or direction. I usually call in any guides as I light my candles and say something like “I call you, Archangel Michael,(name of my helping spirits), (name of my animal spirits) as I banish all energies which are not in service of love, light, compassion and courage. Only prosperity, harmony, growth and healing are welcome here”.
Water-- I go all out and hand wash my floors during space clearing, but you can skip that and use an essential oil spray or floral water instead. When I wash my floors, I use a blend of hot water, Florida water (traditionally used in Haitian Vodou and Caribbean spirit work), tea tree oil and lavender oil with a handful of rock salt. Salt is used to ensure that unwelcome spirits stay away, while the lavender brings calming energy to a space.
The End/The Beginning
There you have it. Your Dyson hand vacuum is a magickal tool after all. Now you’ve got the basics to stir that stagnant energy up and out and make room for blessings in your life. Maybe you’re curious, but you have your doubts. I hear you-- I had doubts once too. So try a mini space clearing session and see how you feel. And if it feels good? Keep doing it.
Jess Miller is a holistic organizer and Reiki practitioner. Her company is spacelogix.ca , we also love her handmade products and have them featured in our Products We Love page.