Space Clearing for a Harmonious Home

Our home is our sanctuary. It’s a space where we as a family and as individuals can take solace on our busiest of days, enjoy laughs and share our love, tears and joy without judgment and interference from the outside world. No matter how chaotic the world outside these walls can be, we know our space is ours to be our most authentic selves. Space clearing is one of those ritual practices that has helped in maintaining our sanctuary energetically, physically, and emotionally for us all. In this blog, we’ll cover how you can use space clearing to create a more loving, harmonious, and inclusive space for all who share your home.

Palo Santo is a sacred wood found in South America and originally used by the Incan traditions to clear spaces of lower vibrational/negative energy, neutralizing the space so that one can bring in more positive energies and intentions.

So what is space clearing anyway?

While space clearing can include physically clearing the space or rooms in your house by sorting, reusing, repurposing, donating or selling items (think “Spring cleaning”), what we’re going to focus on in this article is clearing and blessing the space energetically. This includes using smoke from natural earth products, such as sage, palo santo, cedar, copal, etc. to energetically clear all corners, knooks and crannies of ones room or home in order to rid the space of negative energy and replace it with positive, healing energies for a more harmonious environment for the whole family. There are various benefits to doing so, that include:

• Better sleep

• Decrease in stress

• Antimicrobial benefits (helps keep infections bacteria, virus, and fungi away)

• Increases the vibration in the space that contributes to the Law of Attraction (positive attracts more positive)

So how does one know if their space needs to be cleared?

I tend to couple my space clearing ritual with my full moon practice of releasing and letting go of what is no longer serving me. However, if you’re looking for a less regimented strategy, you will be able to clue into when your space needs clearing if you begin to feel or notice any of the following:

• A depressed immune system or “sick house syndrome” where certain flu or colds are cycling through the family members

• Interrupted sleep or bad dreams

• Changes in emotions or mood swings (noticeable changes, not just a bad day…especially amongst the littles who tend to be more sensitive to this kind of thing)

• Behavioural issues in children or pets in the home

• Body pains or tummy aches

• House plants are unhealthy/dying (and not because you don’t have a green thumb)

What you’ll need

and how to energetically clear and cleanse your home

You’ll need:

• Smoke (plants, herbs or sacred wood, or resin such as sage, palo santo, cedar, lavender, copal, lemongrass, etc.). My advice is to choose based on what is readily available in your area in order to honour the land and clear in a more sustainable way

• Abalone shell (not necessary - a clay bowl or an inflammable vessel to catch the embers will suffice)

• Feather (to direct the smoke)

• Matches

Set your intentions

The most important step in clearing your space is to set the intention. If you work with guides, angels, etc., call them in and begin with setting an intention such as, “With this medicine I intend to clear this space of any lower vibrational energies and create a loving, harmonious space (or sacred space) where we can relax and feel safe”.

Next, open the windows or doors to let the smoke out if the weather is conducive to doing so (mid winter in some areas doesn’t always allow for this and that’s ok).

Lastly, you will then go room to room (I work clockwise from the top floor down) clearing the space by directing the smoke, especially toward the edges or corners of the rooms, repeating the intention and holding space to bring in more blessings into the home.

Remember…

Safety first, so ensure the littles aren’t close to or playing with the matches or near the burning plant once it’s lit and smoking. If my kiddos want to share in the ritual with me (which they most often times do) I have them follow me with the feather to direct the smoke and set their own personal intentions to bring in peace, love, good sleep/rest, or whatever they want for their space.