Sacred Space of your home and your person needs to cleansed on a regular basis – daily if needed. How to protect ourselves, whether meditating, doing inner journey work, tripping the astral lights fantastic, performing ritual, or just walking into a crowded room is a basic and vital practice. Just moving through our normal days, we encounter energies that can affect us in many different ways.
Most often, we need defense against the daily invading energies of which we take little or no notice: a co-worker that “sucks the life out of you”; a relationship that is unhealthy or unsafe; depression; illness; general feelings of malaise or fatigue. Many of these situations are indicative of stagnant energy and situations that do not serve us. Think of how you would describe the people, places, and situations that you encounter every single day – do they energize you? support you? inspire you? or do you feel depleted, exhausted, and like a wet rag?
All life is energy and so these situations too are energy. We shift this energy and stagnant situations by clearing, removing, cleansing, AND replacing. How exciting is that?! And Spring is a great time to use the natural tides of Gaia to do a Spring Clean!
13 Ways to Clear Negative Energy
1. BANISH AND BLESS – RELEASE AND REPLACE
The most important principle to remember when you are releasing, cleansing, and banishing is that you must also REPLACE the energy that has been cleared. Maintain focused intentions of what is being released and then consciously fill the emptied space with your Goddesses, Guardians, and Allies, scent (incense, oils, smudge), prayer and spoken intention, laughter, whatever makes you feel joyful and positive. Remember – Nature abhors a vacuum.
2. SMUDGE AND SACRED SMOKE
Smudging is an ancient practice of using sacred, powerful herbs, resins, woods, incense, and oils, and resins to clear a space, person, or object of negative energy. The scents and the smoke transport us, shift us into a sacred state, as well as doing the physical work of cleansing.
All of these items (the smudge, the herbs, the resins) are offered to our Ancestors, our Guides, our Goddesses and Gods in scent-sual supplication, inviting them to attend us and bring their protective energies. We are creating sacred alignment and sacred space through our smudging practices that benefits us every single day.
As mentioned above, after you banish or cleanse energy, you must refill that space with positive energy. The smoke from smudging does double duty in clearing and filling. I smudge daily and sometimes more frequently to clear my head, take a break, or blow out writer’s block.
Smudging is also a wonderful way to begin and end meditation, ceremony and ritual, or divination sessions.
Here are some Sacred Smoke sources to use:
- Favorite Resins: Frankincense, Myrrh, Dragon’s Blood
- Palo Santo wood is also known as “holy wood” and grows in the coastal regions of South America. It is intensely fragrant and produces a clearing and elevating smoke that enhances your sacred space and ceremonies. I use this ALL THE TIME!
- Incense wands are also effective smudge tools and perfect for adorning your altars. I begin every single morning by lighting my candles and incense on my altars to greet Goddess and begin my day.
- White Sage is a well-known smudge and can reset the energy in your home quite effectively. Some people have trouble with the smoke so I recommend the smokeless options which are just as effective.
- Sweetgrass is available in braids and may be burned to clear and bless your space with this sweet-smelling and potent grass!
- Create your own herbal incense for clearing!
- Resources listed below
3. PHYSICAL CLEANING
Do you have an area of the house that feels stagnant? Want to change the energy after someone moves out or after an illness? Spring Cleaning is good for anytime of the year and I am talking about a DEEP clean. Move furniture. Throw out things that you do not need or donate them. CLEAN and then clean some more. Open windows, wash curtains and fabrics, dust and vacuum and mop.
And when you are done? Bring in some new items that delight you! Light candles – smudge – have a house re-warming party. Fill your space with everything positive and good. I like to do this around the Full Moon – it always energizes me!
Our Community Manager, Marisa, uses fresh herbs and essential oils to make her own cleaning blend for windows or around the house:
I use a 16 ounce amber bottle and add:
- 6 oz white vinegar
- 6 oz distilled water (purified water would also work)
- 3-5 springs of fresh rosemary
- About half a fresh lemon in wedged slices
- 4-6 drops of rosemary EO
- 4-6 drops of lemon or orange EO
That’s the basic recipe and you can add more or less essential oils depending on how you’re feeling, or what you think you need energetically around the house. Obviously the fresh ingredients take up room, so add them to the bottle first, and then the vinegar and water. Then I usually keep it at the back of the pantry for maybe a month or two before pulling out and refreshing it.
4. MUSIC AND MOVEMENT
Feeling sluggish or bummed out? Get that music on AND DANCE! It never fails to break up heavy energy and you are also filling the space with joyous movement!
5. USING SOUND TO CLEAR
Drums, bells, rattles, chimes are all great ways to break up energy and clear a space or energetic field. You can even use them (gently!) to clear your auric field.
6. CRYSTALS FOR SACRED SPACE AND PROTECTION
Keep protective crystals and those that invite powerful blessing energies on you and in your space. Carry in a bag or in your pocket and use them around the house.
Here are just a few of my go-to clearing crystals:
- Black Tourmaline – before I move into a house, the first thing into my new space after I have smudged are my black tourmalines in a protective grid. Black Tourmaline repels negativity and assists you in grounding your spiritual practices into your everyday life.
- Black Obsidian, Gold Sheen Obsidian, Rainbow Obsidian – this lustrous volcanic glass is a wonderful “mirror” that will deflect negative energy and provide a protective shield.
- Smoky Quartz – this is the don’t leave home without it stone in my opinion. Smoky Quartz is protective and helps to ward off negative energies and negative thinking.
- Rainbow Hematite – dissolves negativity in all forms and brings a sparkling, joyful energy to replace it.
- Black Onyx – not only good for protecting against negative energy, but also protects against nightmares. Good for the bedroom.
- Additional stones for aura cleansing include: amethyst, aquamarine, chrysoprase, howlite, kyanite, phantom quartz, rose quartz, selenite
- Stones for Blessings: amethyst, angelite, blue apatite, celestite, clear quartz, fluorite, lemon quartz, rose quartz
7. HIMALAYAN SALT LAMPS
These salt lamps create a wonderful soothing atmosphere in your home. Plug them in and let them shine on. I have at least one in every room. They also provide natural detox from “electronic pollution” and electronic devices. Order Himalayan Salt Lamps
I also use Himalayan salt in bowls around the house (inside and out) and on altars to maintain a cleansing energy.
Salt baths are wonderful ways to relax, release, and soak up healing energy! Use some essential oils with your salt bath as well.
8. PRAYER – INVOKING GODDESS, GUARDIANS, ALLIES, AND ANCESTORS
Inviting your Goddesses, Guardians, Allies, and Ancestors into your sacred space infuses it with potent energies that contribute to creating sanctuary. Use prayer in your meditations to invoke the positive and supportive energies that you love.
Most Goddesses offer some form of protection, according to their Superpowers and also the relationship that you have developed with them. If you have a Patron Goddess (or three or four), certainly look into the types of protection that they offer.
As well, don’t forget your Ancestors! Creating an Ancestor Altar filled with your familial and spiritual Ancestors is a powerful presence within the home that naturally deters negative energies.
Here are a few Goddesses that may be invited for the purposes of protection & maintaining Sacred Space …
Hekate – the Greek Goddess Hekate moves easily between all worlds and offers her protection especially in liminal spaces and on thresholds. In Ancient Greece, her image was found on homes, temples, and entrances to the cities as a guardian. I have a Hekate that is hung right by the front door. She keeps angry ghosts and spirits out of your sacred spaces.
Durga – the Goddess Durga is a manifestation of Devi, the Mother Goddess who is the unified symbol of all Divine Forces. The Hindu Goddess Durga came to Being when evil forces and demons threatened the existence of the world, humanity and the Gods. To destroy these demons, all gods offered their radiance to Her creation and each formed part of Durga’s body and weapons. And then, she went into battle and destroyed all of the demons and saved the world. The name Durga means “invincible” in Sanskrit. This amazing Warrior Goddess loves humanity and no situation is too small for her to ride into battle for you. Think of the personal “demons” that you may be battling and ask Durga to stand by your side. Prayer to Durga
Sekhmet – the Egyptian Goddess Sekhmet is fierceness embodied. Her name is derived from the Egyptian word “Sekhem” which means Power or Might. Sekhmet represents the searing heat of the mid-day sun and one of her names is Nesert, the Flame. She is the Protector of Ma’at (Justice) and is known as “The one who loves Ma.at and detests evil.” She is also the “Lady of Pestilence”, meaning that she can send plagues upon her enemies but she also protects from plagues and pestilence. Because of her association with healing, Sekhmet is the patron Goddess of physicians and veterinarians – her Priests were even referred to as doctors in some instances. Sekhmet is a powerful Protectress and may also be used for protection of health.
Tara – the Goddess Tara has protective qualities in all of her manifestations. One of her epithets is “Saviouress” and I can personally attest to her amazing healing and protection qualities. Tara opens our hearts and gives the gift of detachment to see what is paining you. As White Tara, there is a form called Svapna Tara that is a guardian and guide for the dream and astral realms. Use her mantra, Om Tare Tuttare Ture Svaha, to invoke the power of Tara as Guardian.
Cardea is the Roman Goddess of the Hinge – one of the “Doorkeepers of the Earth” that protects the passage and threshold from the Otherworld to the earthly realms. As protectress against malevolent spirits and vampiric creatures, she was especially protective of children and would hang a branch of hawthorn in the children’s windows or over their beds. Cardea is a potent Goddess of Sacred Space and can assist in fixing boundaries and setting protection.
Look to Goddesses of battle and war, like Athena, Ishtar, and the Morrighan for active protection. Goddesses of hearth and home like Hestia and Vesta offer their energies to maintain your sacred space.
There is always a Goddess for every situation – who is your go-to Protection Goddess?
9. CHANTING MANTRAS
Mantra practice is a powerful way to shift energy. Playing mantras, chanting mantras may be used to clear energy and invite blessings. One of my favorite Spring Cleaning mantras is to the elephant-headed God, Ganesha.
Ganesha is the son of the Shakti Goddess Parvati and the “stepson” of Lord Shiva. He is the God of Wisdom, Knowledge, Harmony, and Bliss, as well as being the Remover of Obstacles. He is revered at the beginning of all ceremonies and rituals in deference to his creation of new beginnings. Ganesha is also the Lord of letters and learning and is said to be the scribe for the Vedic texts. He is OM embodied. His mantra asks for Ganesha to remove obstacles and bring us blessings.
Om Gum Ganapatayei Namaha
Om Guhm Guh-nuh-puh-tuh-yea Nah-mah-hah
—Om and salutations to Ganapati (Ganesha)
Check out my Ganesha playlist on Spotify to energize your Spring cleaning!
See Mantra articles on MotherHouse
10. BE MINDFUL
Identify people, places, things, activities that feel draining or repulsive. Take conscious steps to call your energy back to you and then protect yourself against the identified triggers. Our bodies are sometimes the first alert that something is negatively affecting our energy. We may experience frequent illness, headaches, depression, anxiety, pain in areas of our body without cause, feelings of distraction, and difficulty sleeping. Pay attention to your embodied warning system and honor the feelings. Sometimes you just need a good smudge!
11. CREATE YOUR OWN HERBAL& ESSENTIAL OIL INCENSE
Ready to channel your witchy self? Gather the herbs and resins that are for banishing AND to create your own personal herbal incense blend to consecrate your space. You can use the herbs or essential oils or a combination.
Banishing and Blessing Herbs: amaranth, angelica, balm of gilead, basil, bay leaves, calendula, cedar, chamomile, cinnamon, copal, dandelion, frankincense, ginger, juniper, lemongrass, lilac, mistletoe, mugwort, myrrh, peppermint, pine, rose geranium, rosemary, sage, sweetgrass, thyme (means to fumigate!), vervain
12. BLESSINGS OF THE SACRED WATERS
Using water to clear negative energy and to bless your space and your person is a magickal ritual unto itself.
- Take a dip in the sacred waters of Goddess. Rivers, lakes, springs, and oceans are the most potent cleansing waters on our planet! Gather some of Her water to use at home in floor washes or as holy water for ceremonies.
- Prepare a cleansing bath with salt, herbs, and oils. If you do not have a bath, make a sachet and attach it to your shower head for a sacred shower!
- Check out the resources below for sacred mists and sprays that can be used for your body and your space.
13. GAIA MEDICINE
Tapping the Earth energies of Gaia not only allows us to release negative energies, but allows recharges us, fills us back up with a Holy Gaia infusion. Spend time in nature, in sunshine. Bring fresh flowers into your space. Gather natural talismans on your nature walks and place them around your home to invoke the protective force of Gaia and the Earth Mothers.
Remember to banish and bless your property – outside as well as inside. I love to make boundary blends with salt, corn, herbs, and woods to circle and protect my property. I invite the nature spirits to come and bless. Maybe leave some honey and milk for the faerie realm on your land!
What are your best practices for clearing negative energy? Share it in our MotherHouse of the Goddess Facebook Group!
Happy Banishing and Blessing!
xo Kimberly
Support Kimberly and MotherHouse of the Goddess on Patreon
**JUST A NOTE: if despite your best efforts, you still have an issue with how your home feels or if there are phenomenon occurring, contact a Priestess in your area to assist in a house cleansing. Same goes for your person – if you feel like there is an energy or attachment blocking you, contact someone for assistance. The problem will not go away on its own. Bring in bigger guns 🙂
RECOMMENDED GODDESS SUPPLIERS:
MotherHouse Goddess Shop (I stock more than 100 herbs)
BOOKS:
Psychic Self Defense by Dion Fortune
Casting Sacred Space by Ivo Dominguez Jr.
Utterly Wicked: Curses, Hexes, and Other Unsavory Notions by Dorothy Morrison
Boundaries and Protection by Pixie Lighthorse
Cunningham’s Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs by Scott Cunningham
The Book of Stones by Robert Simmons and Naisha Ahsian
MotherHouse of the Goddess and MotherHouse Goddess Temple are honored to serve Goddess in all of Her aspects and provide community for devotees worldwide. Bringing Goddess to our world has never been more important. Thank you for being here and you are invited to join our free Goddess Temple events!
MotherHouse Goddess Temple is a devotional community and a living altar to Goddess in all of Her emanations. Through ritual, myth, magick, and sacred inspiration, we offer sanctuary for those seeking transformation through the Divine Feminine.
Our Patreon Page is a way to support MotherHouse Goddess Temple monthly and join our Goddess circles
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