Suggestions for performing a space clearing
March 26, 2016 10:18 AM Subscribe
Mefites who have performed a space clearing ritual: how did you do it?
In the near future, I'm going to be performing a space clearing ritual. I have exactly no experience of doing this. Googling turns up a lot of "smudge with some sage" and "do what feels right to you", which is kind of like telling someone who has never eaten to eat tasty food. I'm looking for something a little more specific than that.
I'm not coming from a particular cultural view on this, I'm pretty much open to ideas. That said, the idea of calling on a specific deity seems inappropriate to me, given that I don't believe in any.
In the near future, I'm going to be performing a space clearing ritual. I have exactly no experience of doing this. Googling turns up a lot of "smudge with some sage" and "do what feels right to you", which is kind of like telling someone who has never eaten to eat tasty food. I'm looking for something a little more specific than that.
I'm not coming from a particular cultural view on this, I'm pretty much open to ideas. That said, the idea of calling on a specific deity seems inappropriate to me, given that I don't believe in any.
To be clear: I'm asking why are you doing it because I think it will help people come up with some relevant ideas on how to make it meaningful to you and those participating.
posted by jammy at 10:30 AM on March 26, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by jammy at 10:30 AM on March 26, 2016 [1 favorite]
That said, the idea of calling on a specific deity seems inappropriate to me, given that I don't believe in any.
Language I find useful as someone who doesn't believe in a specific deity:
The universe
Whatever intelligence there is behind the workings of the universe
posted by Michele in California at 10:48 AM on March 26, 2016
Language I find useful as someone who doesn't believe in a specific deity:
The universe
Whatever intelligence there is behind the workings of the universe
posted by Michele in California at 10:48 AM on March 26, 2016
Best answer: If indoors: clean everything. Ev-er-y-thing. Wash the walls, clear the dead bugs out of the light fixtures, scrape off tiny paint splatters from the trim, scrub the little crannies. Then it'll all be yours.
posted by teremala at 10:58 AM on March 26, 2016 [8 favorites]
posted by teremala at 10:58 AM on March 26, 2016 [8 favorites]
You could call up a local priest and have a holy water blessing put on your house.
You could use incense in a scent of your choice and leave windows/doorways open for air flow.
Or there's candle clearing,which is pretty much what it sounds like. Light some white or grey candles around the room lined up with the corners of the room, let them burn overnight(don't leave them unattended of course). Open the windows after the candles are blown out.
These are the clearing techniques I saw being done by heavily superstitious family/friends. They seemed to know their stuff. The only thing I've tried personally was incense, and it certainly comforted me if nothing else.
Also, clean the room and organize it. Clutter is generally a recipe for "bad vibes" in many religions and spiritualities.
posted by InkDrinker at 11:12 AM on March 26, 2016 [1 favorite]
You could use incense in a scent of your choice and leave windows/doorways open for air flow.
Or there's candle clearing,which is pretty much what it sounds like. Light some white or grey candles around the room lined up with the corners of the room, let them burn overnight(don't leave them unattended of course). Open the windows after the candles are blown out.
These are the clearing techniques I saw being done by heavily superstitious family/friends. They seemed to know their stuff. The only thing I've tried personally was incense, and it certainly comforted me if nothing else.
Also, clean the room and organize it. Clutter is generally a recipe for "bad vibes" in many religions and spiritualities.
posted by InkDrinker at 11:12 AM on March 26, 2016 [1 favorite]
I hadn't heard that term to describe it before, but looking it up, I know the concept, under other names or none at all.
I am not someone who finds ceremony and ritual to be helpful to me; in fact, the more "on" or "showy" something is, whether it's due to additional people, setting a scene, a belief that it's necessary for it to be exactly so - those are all very energy-draining to me.
So "ritual", as such, isn't my type of thing. But there are things that I DO that I think fulfills that same need for me personally. I've noticed that there is some pattern, though it's by no means exact.
After winter, as soon as I get a warm enough day, all the windows and doors are open. It's even better if there's a slight breeze. Though the air inside isn't truly stagnant or stale, I feel as though it gets that way - and I need it all swished out. That's my "new year" or "spring". Or maybe like the first snowdrops peeking through... it gives me a breather.
Often, the weather is fickle, or the timing doesn't work, or I was just impatient to air out the house, so that's a short one. At some point after that, I get a much better day - and everything is open all day, and "much cleaning", as my kids call it, happens. That feels full and real.
And thankfully, we live somewhere that I can feel comfortable having most of the windows open most of the time so long as it's warm enough. That's important to me.
When a relationship ends, or someone moves out, or even just a feeling that something really needs to change - furniture gets moved. Furniture gets rearranged for practical reasons, sometimes - but most of the time, it's simply to CHANGE.
Cleaning - at any point where the five of us are feeling stressed and non-creative or non-productive or just plain grumpy... a good deep cleaning helps. Active deep cleaning just makes us feel better. Especially a really thorough, full house clean, even the yard is mowed and raked and everything, it's warm, windows and doors are open - that's like absolutely perfect and fresh and positive to me.
For me, the extra work of adding some sort of ceremony to these things would actually make them less effective and useful to me. In fact, if I HAD to do some sort of ritual as part of them - it'd make me less likely to do them. So keep in mind that if that part doesn't help you - you really don't have to do it. Do what works for you and feels right to you - THAT is where the power is.
posted by stormyteal at 11:20 AM on March 26, 2016 [4 favorites]
I am not someone who finds ceremony and ritual to be helpful to me; in fact, the more "on" or "showy" something is, whether it's due to additional people, setting a scene, a belief that it's necessary for it to be exactly so - those are all very energy-draining to me.
So "ritual", as such, isn't my type of thing. But there are things that I DO that I think fulfills that same need for me personally. I've noticed that there is some pattern, though it's by no means exact.
After winter, as soon as I get a warm enough day, all the windows and doors are open. It's even better if there's a slight breeze. Though the air inside isn't truly stagnant or stale, I feel as though it gets that way - and I need it all swished out. That's my "new year" or "spring". Or maybe like the first snowdrops peeking through... it gives me a breather.
Often, the weather is fickle, or the timing doesn't work, or I was just impatient to air out the house, so that's a short one. At some point after that, I get a much better day - and everything is open all day, and "much cleaning", as my kids call it, happens. That feels full and real.
And thankfully, we live somewhere that I can feel comfortable having most of the windows open most of the time so long as it's warm enough. That's important to me.
When a relationship ends, or someone moves out, or even just a feeling that something really needs to change - furniture gets moved. Furniture gets rearranged for practical reasons, sometimes - but most of the time, it's simply to CHANGE.
Cleaning - at any point where the five of us are feeling stressed and non-creative or non-productive or just plain grumpy... a good deep cleaning helps. Active deep cleaning just makes us feel better. Especially a really thorough, full house clean, even the yard is mowed and raked and everything, it's warm, windows and doors are open - that's like absolutely perfect and fresh and positive to me.
For me, the extra work of adding some sort of ceremony to these things would actually make them less effective and useful to me. In fact, if I HAD to do some sort of ritual as part of them - it'd make me less likely to do them. So keep in mind that if that part doesn't help you - you really don't have to do it. Do what works for you and feels right to you - THAT is where the power is.
posted by stormyteal at 11:20 AM on March 26, 2016 [4 favorites]
If you don't believe in any deities and you don't have any cultural practices that cause you to hold beliefs about how to do this, what exactly is it you're trying to do? That is, if you believe the space needs "clearing," what do you believe is "unclear" about it that the ritual would "clear" from the space? I think the answer is going to be very different if the answer is germs vs. evil spirits vs. a bad smell vs. friendly ghosts of past residents who died in the space. So, what is it about the space that needs "clearing?" That will help us give you better answers.
posted by decathecting at 11:21 AM on March 26, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by decathecting at 11:21 AM on March 26, 2016 [2 favorites]
Best answer: I move every couple of years or so. I'm not religious or terribly superstitious or part of an established cultural heritage but I like to claim my space. Here's what I do:
1. Wipe down every surface: Using your own cleaning supplies, wipe down EVERY surface like teremala says. Even if the space looks clean. If it's warm enough, throw open the windows and let the place fill up with fresh air.
2. Do some variation of smoke cleansing. Sometimes I burn herbs or incense, sometimes I get some candles going. My last two moves, I warmed a big pot of spices in water on the stove for HOURS (clove, cinnamon, lemon, vanilla, orange peels, etc.) which fills the space with a heavenly smell. This Q&A helps articulate the difference between smoke cleansing and smudging.
3. Invite someone over, even if it's just hosting a small dinner or serving tea to a friend. Inviting friendly people into your space has a way of bringing in the familiar.
One thing I haven't done regularly but plan to do next time is putting something on the front door, like a wreath. A change on the outside of the house invites change within.
posted by mochapickle at 11:22 AM on March 26, 2016 [6 favorites]
1. Wipe down every surface: Using your own cleaning supplies, wipe down EVERY surface like teremala says. Even if the space looks clean. If it's warm enough, throw open the windows and let the place fill up with fresh air.
2. Do some variation of smoke cleansing. Sometimes I burn herbs or incense, sometimes I get some candles going. My last two moves, I warmed a big pot of spices in water on the stove for HOURS (clove, cinnamon, lemon, vanilla, orange peels, etc.) which fills the space with a heavenly smell. This Q&A helps articulate the difference between smoke cleansing and smudging.
3. Invite someone over, even if it's just hosting a small dinner or serving tea to a friend. Inviting friendly people into your space has a way of bringing in the familiar.
One thing I haven't done regularly but plan to do next time is putting something on the front door, like a wreath. A change on the outside of the house invites change within.
posted by mochapickle at 11:22 AM on March 26, 2016 [6 favorites]
Best answer: I did this the other day after switching into a new bedroom. I have no idea even what made me decide to want to do this as I'm not religious or even particularly into such things. I just made up my own ritual. I physically cleaned the room top to bottom first. I kept the room windows open over night to let fresh air in. It's been raining a lot here, so I caught some rainwater in a glass and mixed it with my favorite essential oil and put a drop in each corner of the room while I said a few words about asking the universe to clean and protect the room.
I really enjoyed doing it even though it felt a bit silly to me (and I feel silly posting here about it. lol). I But it just felt nice to make up my own ritual and to deliberately go through some motions with the intent to make a space clean.
posted by ilovewinter at 11:23 AM on March 26, 2016 [5 favorites]
I really enjoyed doing it even though it felt a bit silly to me (and I feel silly posting here about it. lol). I But it just felt nice to make up my own ritual and to deliberately go through some motions with the intent to make a space clean.
posted by ilovewinter at 11:23 AM on March 26, 2016 [5 favorites]
Best answer: Get rid of any bad reminders of things, if relevant. Clean everything else. Put something that smells good to you (e.g. you could put a pan of freshly baked brownies in the room!) there. Play music that makes you feel good. Sit quietly in the space and think about things that make you happy.
posted by rtha at 11:27 AM on March 26, 2016 [3 favorites]
posted by rtha at 11:27 AM on March 26, 2016 [3 favorites]
Best answer: If you want to make up something "pagan," you could look up flowers, herbs or gem stones associated with your birthday or the state you live in and incorporate those into some kind of brief ritual.
posted by Michele in California at 11:34 AM on March 26, 2016
posted by Michele in California at 11:34 AM on March 26, 2016
decluttering, deep cleaning and airing are the most important things. Maybe a fresh coat of paint for the room if the appearance and vibe could use a change. After that, I would find an aromatherapy candle or two that smell good and are recommended for whatever the new goals are for the space (peace, wellbeing, clarity, whatever it is) and burn them.
posted by fingersandtoes at 11:53 AM on March 26, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by fingersandtoes at 11:53 AM on March 26, 2016 [2 favorites]
I recently got the very last remnants of an old relationship out of my space. Boy did that feel great. Nthing "clean all the things."
posted by 2soxy4mypuppet at 11:59 AM on March 26, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by 2soxy4mypuppet at 11:59 AM on March 26, 2016 [1 favorite]
First of all, someone up top is correct that if you do not physically clean the place, then you can not clean the place - if you catch my meaning?
So quite literally, cleaning the place thoroughly by hand + playing some spa music (check YouTube or Spotify, look for music featuring specific frequencies or chakra resonances or chants or whatever you are into, nature sounds would be great too) would = Space Cleared/Cleaned as long as you held that intention while thoroughly going over the place. That's a ritual for you. Done.
Second... If you don't want to play music to establish a "vibe" as you work, go ahead and use sage if you want to or some other incense or scent. Use chants. Use rocks, seashells, quartz crystals, orgonite you buy from Etsy... use whatever! Open windows and doors, place fans and get fresh air (energy!) moving through the space. It doesn't matter what implements or techniques you choose, you do you.
A neat and easy technique might be to "seal" the space with a ring of salt after you clean/clear it. But you know what? Just keeping the place physically clean and tidy on a regular basis is 99% of the equation. Don't let old junk accumulate in closets or cupboards. Keep it physically clean. Repair broken furniture, anything shabby or worn. That's it, really.
If the problem is more serious, please update the thread. If it is more serious, you'll know what I mean. That said, most issues will resolve with regular cleaning/clearing which includes actual physical cleaning and tidying. It's not something you do once and forget, you have to keep up with the maintenance once you start the process or the results won't last.
It's not complicated. The idea is to clean the place on all levels, so you can't tidy the place up spiritually but leave dust or clutter around. Do the work. Keep it simple.
posted by jbenben at 12:15 PM on March 26, 2016 [4 favorites]
So quite literally, cleaning the place thoroughly by hand + playing some spa music (check YouTube or Spotify, look for music featuring specific frequencies or chakra resonances or chants or whatever you are into, nature sounds would be great too) would = Space Cleared/Cleaned as long as you held that intention while thoroughly going over the place. That's a ritual for you. Done.
Second... If you don't want to play music to establish a "vibe" as you work, go ahead and use sage if you want to or some other incense or scent. Use chants. Use rocks, seashells, quartz crystals, orgonite you buy from Etsy... use whatever! Open windows and doors, place fans and get fresh air (energy!) moving through the space. It doesn't matter what implements or techniques you choose, you do you.
A neat and easy technique might be to "seal" the space with a ring of salt after you clean/clear it. But you know what? Just keeping the place physically clean and tidy on a regular basis is 99% of the equation. Don't let old junk accumulate in closets or cupboards. Keep it physically clean. Repair broken furniture, anything shabby or worn. That's it, really.
If the problem is more serious, please update the thread. If it is more serious, you'll know what I mean. That said, most issues will resolve with regular cleaning/clearing which includes actual physical cleaning and tidying. It's not something you do once and forget, you have to keep up with the maintenance once you start the process or the results won't last.
It's not complicated. The idea is to clean the place on all levels, so you can't tidy the place up spiritually but leave dust or clutter around. Do the work. Keep it simple.
posted by jbenben at 12:15 PM on March 26, 2016 [4 favorites]
(Also: Avoid "smudge with some sage" unless you are Native American.)
I would see if there is someone local that can smudge for you, but, if not, I see nothing wrong with you smudging yourself. I assume the above statement comes from the concern of cultural appropriation/disrespect but every single person I know from First Nations is appreciates when their spiritual beliefs are respected and used appropriately. This may come from them knowing me personally and hiring them to smudge my meetings and your local population may have different values. So do what feels comfortable to you. The sale of the smudge sticks also supports small businesses in their community.
posted by saucysault at 12:59 PM on March 26, 2016 [12 favorites]
I would see if there is someone local that can smudge for you, but, if not, I see nothing wrong with you smudging yourself. I assume the above statement comes from the concern of cultural appropriation/disrespect but every single person I know from First Nations is appreciates when their spiritual beliefs are respected and used appropriately. This may come from them knowing me personally and hiring them to smudge my meetings and your local population may have different values. So do what feels comfortable to you. The sale of the smudge sticks also supports small businesses in their community.
posted by saucysault at 12:59 PM on March 26, 2016 [12 favorites]
Best answer: Well, just think about what you're trying to do. Probably, there's some element of these three intentions:
1. Shoo out bad stuff (mental clutter, unpleasant thoughts, "bad vibes", whatever)
2. Establish a sense of safety (or a perimeter of protection, or a feeling that the space is yours)
3. Invite in good stuff (mental clarity, pleasant thoughts, good luck, "good vibes", whatever)
Your ritual will work best if it involves taking practical (and if you like, symbolic) action to achieve those three goals in whatever way seems most appropriate and direct. "Doing what feels right to you" is important in this context because part of what you're trying to do is change your own feelings about the space -- so you need to find something you feel connected to. Think about what may be available to you in your cultural tradition. If possible, ask your mom or your grandmother if there are traditions around this in your family, as those may resonate better with you than something you appropriate from someone else's culture without understanding/connecting to it.
Here are some ideas to get you started. Do your ritual by first attending to the practical step for each intention, then (if you like) taking whatever symbolic action(s) you wish to supplement the practical step. That should cover you for a basic space-clearing ritual.
Shoo out bad stuff:
- Practical steps: Open all windows and doors. Clean thoroughly from the place farthest from the front door all the way to the door. Be sure to check all nooks and crannies and hard-to-reach cupboards -- get some fresh air and sunlight into every part of the space and use some elbow grease to get it really clean. You might be surprised to find what kinds of things have been left and forgotten in disused corners -- I once found a box containing the ashes of a previous tenant's pet (!!) under a thick coating of dust in the back of a high cabinet. Sweep and/or mop the space from the place farthest from the front door all the way out the front door and beyond.
- Symbolic steps: lighting incense or a candle, sprinkling the floor with salt or throwing a handful of salt out after the floor sweeping, ringing a bell or making another head-clearing sound, etc.
Establish a sense of safety:
- Practical steps: Close all the windows and doors. Ensure that they're in good repair -- do all the latches and locks work? Are there holes in screens that may need to be patched? Do you need curtains or blinds to block the view from the street? Fix this stuff right.
- Symbolic steps: burning a candle or incense in a scent or color you like, "sealing" the doors and windows with a sprinkle of salt or a dab of salt water, reading a poem or prayer or dedication out loud, hanging a piece of art or personal item that makes the place feel like yours, installing a protective charm (for instance, you may be familiar with the Turkish blue evil eye amulet), etc.
Invite in good stuff:
- Practical steps: Invite your friends/family over and break bread with them in your space, or have a special time to begin using the space for its intended purpose!
- Symbolic steps: say a poem or prayer or dedication out loud with this intention, do a meditation in the new space, bring something in that's symbolic of new beginnings (like a live plant) or good luck (like a rabbit foot), or bring in a positive religious icon that's part of your tradition, etc.
posted by ourobouros at 1:52 PM on March 26, 2016 [4 favorites]
1. Shoo out bad stuff (mental clutter, unpleasant thoughts, "bad vibes", whatever)
2. Establish a sense of safety (or a perimeter of protection, or a feeling that the space is yours)
3. Invite in good stuff (mental clarity, pleasant thoughts, good luck, "good vibes", whatever)
Your ritual will work best if it involves taking practical (and if you like, symbolic) action to achieve those three goals in whatever way seems most appropriate and direct. "Doing what feels right to you" is important in this context because part of what you're trying to do is change your own feelings about the space -- so you need to find something you feel connected to. Think about what may be available to you in your cultural tradition. If possible, ask your mom or your grandmother if there are traditions around this in your family, as those may resonate better with you than something you appropriate from someone else's culture without understanding/connecting to it.
Here are some ideas to get you started. Do your ritual by first attending to the practical step for each intention, then (if you like) taking whatever symbolic action(s) you wish to supplement the practical step. That should cover you for a basic space-clearing ritual.
Shoo out bad stuff:
- Practical steps: Open all windows and doors. Clean thoroughly from the place farthest from the front door all the way to the door. Be sure to check all nooks and crannies and hard-to-reach cupboards -- get some fresh air and sunlight into every part of the space and use some elbow grease to get it really clean. You might be surprised to find what kinds of things have been left and forgotten in disused corners -- I once found a box containing the ashes of a previous tenant's pet (!!) under a thick coating of dust in the back of a high cabinet. Sweep and/or mop the space from the place farthest from the front door all the way out the front door and beyond.
- Symbolic steps: lighting incense or a candle, sprinkling the floor with salt or throwing a handful of salt out after the floor sweeping, ringing a bell or making another head-clearing sound, etc.
Establish a sense of safety:
- Practical steps: Close all the windows and doors. Ensure that they're in good repair -- do all the latches and locks work? Are there holes in screens that may need to be patched? Do you need curtains or blinds to block the view from the street? Fix this stuff right.
- Symbolic steps: burning a candle or incense in a scent or color you like, "sealing" the doors and windows with a sprinkle of salt or a dab of salt water, reading a poem or prayer or dedication out loud, hanging a piece of art or personal item that makes the place feel like yours, installing a protective charm (for instance, you may be familiar with the Turkish blue evil eye amulet), etc.
Invite in good stuff:
- Practical steps: Invite your friends/family over and break bread with them in your space, or have a special time to begin using the space for its intended purpose!
- Symbolic steps: say a poem or prayer or dedication out loud with this intention, do a meditation in the new space, bring something in that's symbolic of new beginnings (like a live plant) or good luck (like a rabbit foot), or bring in a positive religious icon that's part of your tradition, etc.
posted by ourobouros at 1:52 PM on March 26, 2016 [4 favorites]
Best answer: This is what I do.
First, I set my intention. This can be a mantra, like "Out with the bad, in with the good". Or it can be an image or a prayer or whatever has a strong emotion behind it, and the mantra/prayer/image helps to carry that strong emotion and intention throughout the ritual. I generally use just a simple saying or set of words like, "peace, joy, and health." (I have a very short attention span, this is about all I can handle to stay focused - it's like my twitterized version of a prayer).
I use sage (not for any particular cultural/religious reason - just because it's easy to acquire and smokes very well). Then I walk through the space and imagine that the smoke is carrying my intentions, and so I try to make sure the smoke covers all the nooks and crannies with those intentions. In effect, the smoke for me is a kind of physical representation of my intentions/wishes/prayers for the space. I want to "wash" the space with those intentions.
I either work back to front or around in a circle, ending at the main entrance.
In general, I try to only think of positive intentions. Some of the things I've read focus on kind of telling the bad energy to beat it. For me, that feels like spreading more negativity. I don't want bad feelings, so I don't project bad feelings.
This is my own form of woo, based on nothing in particular.
posted by slipthought at 3:17 PM on March 26, 2016 [1 favorite]
First, I set my intention. This can be a mantra, like "Out with the bad, in with the good". Or it can be an image or a prayer or whatever has a strong emotion behind it, and the mantra/prayer/image helps to carry that strong emotion and intention throughout the ritual. I generally use just a simple saying or set of words like, "peace, joy, and health." (I have a very short attention span, this is about all I can handle to stay focused - it's like my twitterized version of a prayer).
I use sage (not for any particular cultural/religious reason - just because it's easy to acquire and smokes very well). Then I walk through the space and imagine that the smoke is carrying my intentions, and so I try to make sure the smoke covers all the nooks and crannies with those intentions. In effect, the smoke for me is a kind of physical representation of my intentions/wishes/prayers for the space. I want to "wash" the space with those intentions.
I either work back to front or around in a circle, ending at the main entrance.
In general, I try to only think of positive intentions. Some of the things I've read focus on kind of telling the bad energy to beat it. For me, that feels like spreading more negativity. I don't want bad feelings, so I don't project bad feelings.
This is my own form of woo, based on nothing in particular.
posted by slipthought at 3:17 PM on March 26, 2016 [1 favorite]
You don't say in your question, but since you don't seem to have any ideas about what to do or why you want to do it I'm guessing someone else is wanting you to do this ritual.
Talk with them and figure out what they are looking to get out of it. Generally, for creating your own ritual you want something that is going to be meaningful in some way to the participants. (And if that is just you, well -- it's like asking MeFi "What kind of food would be my favorite?")
I've never heard of smudging with sage being an appropriation issue, and I've never seen someone non-native even imply any claims that they are using it according to native traditions. It grows in a lot of places and smells nice.
Some people smudge with juniper, but please find out if anyone present is allergic to juniper before doing this.
If you are doing it alone, and have any suspicion you might be allergic to juniper, avoid it.
posted by yohko at 6:22 PM on March 26, 2016
Talk with them and figure out what they are looking to get out of it. Generally, for creating your own ritual you want something that is going to be meaningful in some way to the participants. (And if that is just you, well -- it's like asking MeFi "What kind of food would be my favorite?")
I've never heard of smudging with sage being an appropriation issue, and I've never seen someone non-native even imply any claims that they are using it according to native traditions. It grows in a lot of places and smells nice.
Some people smudge with juniper, but please find out if anyone present is allergic to juniper before doing this.
If you are doing it alone, and have any suspicion you might be allergic to juniper, avoid it.
posted by yohko at 6:22 PM on March 26, 2016
When my wife and I bought our house a few months ago, we walked room to room together with sage. In each room we each stated aloud our intentions for the space. It was a way to claim the home as our own, and share our hopes and dreams with one another and the universe. I loved it.
posted by donnagirl at 8:14 PM on March 26, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by donnagirl at 8:14 PM on March 26, 2016 [1 favorite]
Best answer: After cleaning, I clap. Clap in the corners or the room, near windows, anywhere you feel like you need to. Easy to repeat if you feel like you need to re-clear or you missed something. I think it's supposed to scare evil spirits, but it feels like claiming the space to me.
posted by momus_window at 8:20 AM on March 27, 2016
posted by momus_window at 8:20 AM on March 27, 2016
Best answer: Mrs mule uses cedar boughs and sage, weaves them into a garland, and hangs them right above our walking stick caddy in our front entry. This little alcove provides a subtle fragrance when entering or leaving the house. We do this in the spring, when it's warm enough to leave doors and windows open to the new air. We have a couple other fragrant plants at the front walk, near the porch (mock orange), and mints between the pavers on the front walk. Guests scuff the mints on the way to the door, and when they leave.
As rituals go, putting in the aroma-inducing plants works fine for us. Guests make of it what they will.
posted by mule98J at 10:08 AM on March 27, 2016 [1 favorite]
As rituals go, putting in the aroma-inducing plants works fine for us. Guests make of it what they will.
posted by mule98J at 10:08 AM on March 27, 2016 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Some fantastic answers, here: thank you!
To answer some questions: I didn't really have any strong idea of what I wanted from this before reading some of the answers, but it's become very clear to me that I want to encourage a sense of safety in the space, and also a sense of it being my "territory". This is going to be the first space I've ever had that's been entirely mine, with nobody else able to access it unless I specifically invite them. As such, I want to mentally drive out everyone else who has ever been there, spruce the place up and then set my own mark on it.
I'm definitely interested in adding some kind of ritual to my years, even if it's just noticing the seasons passing and finding an excuse to celebrate and have a good time regularly. This is going to be the first time I've felt comfortable and secure enough to do that. I'm going to be performing the ritual alone, possibly over several days/weeks, as I take charge of my new home. I've not done anything like this before, hence the lack of knowledge of the basics (and this question).
posted by Solomon at 10:33 AM on March 28, 2016 [3 favorites]
To answer some questions: I didn't really have any strong idea of what I wanted from this before reading some of the answers, but it's become very clear to me that I want to encourage a sense of safety in the space, and also a sense of it being my "territory". This is going to be the first space I've ever had that's been entirely mine, with nobody else able to access it unless I specifically invite them. As such, I want to mentally drive out everyone else who has ever been there, spruce the place up and then set my own mark on it.
I'm definitely interested in adding some kind of ritual to my years, even if it's just noticing the seasons passing and finding an excuse to celebrate and have a good time regularly. This is going to be the first time I've felt comfortable and secure enough to do that. I'm going to be performing the ritual alone, possibly over several days/weeks, as I take charge of my new home. I've not done anything like this before, hence the lack of knowledge of the basics (and this question).
posted by Solomon at 10:33 AM on March 28, 2016 [3 favorites]
Best answer: but it's become very clear to me that I want to encourage a sense of safety in the space, and also a sense of it being my "territory".
As a metaphor for social problems and other pernicious problems, I find the following concept useful:
" A Demon needs an invitation."
So, since this is the first space that is all your own, I would focus on getting it clear in my mind that it is all mine and I don't have to invite anyone here out of "courtesy" that I don't actually feel comfortable with. This also includes not being obligated to bring things into the space that you do want there, including gifts.
I would focus on creating a mental association with this space that it is okay to just say no because you do not share it with anyone else. It is okay to exercise agency and shape it as you wish. Beyond very broad social approval, such as complying with the law and with zoning, you can do exactly as you wish here.
Enjoy your new space.
posted by Michele in California at 11:09 AM on March 28, 2016
As a metaphor for social problems and other pernicious problems, I find the following concept useful:
" A Demon needs an invitation."
So, since this is the first space that is all your own, I would focus on getting it clear in my mind that it is all mine and I don't have to invite anyone here out of "courtesy" that I don't actually feel comfortable with. This also includes not being obligated to bring things into the space that you do want there, including gifts.
I would focus on creating a mental association with this space that it is okay to just say no because you do not share it with anyone else. It is okay to exercise agency and shape it as you wish. Beyond very broad social approval, such as complying with the law and with zoning, you can do exactly as you wish here.
Enjoy your new space.
posted by Michele in California at 11:09 AM on March 28, 2016
This thread is closed to new comments.
(Also: Avoid "smudge with some sage" unless you are Native American.)
posted by jammy at 10:28 AM on March 26, 2016 [3 favorites]