By Madame Ja
IS BURNING INCENSE A PROBLEM FOR YOU?
It is not uncommon. You want to clear the environment of the yuck, but due to health or other concerns (read as: coworkers or nosy parkers), you can’t just spark up some incense or a stick of sage. What to do, what to do!? Well, fortunately there are a number of things, depending on your requirements.
Aperging/Misting/Sprinkling
The Catholic Church has long made a ritual of blessing and cleansing people and places by asperging them with Holy Water. The same can be done at home. Salt Water, Florida Water, Rue Water, or Peace Water can also be used. In fact, any water or alcohol combination into which you have added cleansing essential oils will do. Great essential oils for adding in are: Hyssop, Lemongrass, Camphor, Citronella, Rue, Lavender, Basil, Bay, Mint, Pine, and Angelica. Placing a tiny bit of ammonia in a mister bottle works as well. I have even seen people use branches and leaves of cleansing plants like Basil and Abre Camino to dip into spring water and sprinkle it about for the purposes of cleansing.
Sound
Generally speaking, most spirits and ikiness cannot abide loud noises. This is where tools like bells, singing bowls, party poppers, firecrackers, bull horns, Gregorian chants, and other disrupting sounds come into play. Negativity also hates laughter and sounds of joy, so sing along to a funny tune and see how the vibe changes. Even heavy rock can run off the baddies, so long as it is something you dig! Yeah, the choices here range from melodic to embarrassing, but if smoking things is your hang-up, you might just be in business by making some noise.
Air Fresheners
No, I’m not talking Glade Pluggins here. I mean things sitting around in bowls or hung from the corners that absorb the negativity. Salt in a bowl or sachet, either by itself, or with other cleansing herbs or essential oils, not only draws moisture from the air, but it can also be tasked with drawing negativity. Alum, with its puckering action, can be placed in water and set out to draw negativity in and diminish/remove its power. Camphor, either by itself or dissolved in Florida Water, can also effectively cleanse the air while at the same time making it smell wonderful! Simmer pots with assorted herbs, spices, and fruits can treat the air and make it smell great, as well.
The Spoken Word
The words, “GET THE HELL OUT!” are pretty-well understood. Just as you would claim your space with a live person, the spoken word can be used to claim your space with other creepies as well. Just state your wishes in a commanding tone and tell the ickiness to leave and never return. Screaming is also effective. I always add, “In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.” It is also helpful to read Bible verses or other words of power. Psalms 23, 40, and 91 are good for protection and casting out evil (among others), as are The Apostles’ Creed or The Lord’s Prayer. Performing the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram is also very effective. For friends of the Muslim faith, performing the Ruqyah takes care of banishing negativity as well as a host of other forms of evil and unrest. Each tradition or belief system will have its own thing, as the need to remove negativity and restore peace is such a universal thing.
Addressing the Issue from the Ground Up
Floor washes and carpet sprinkles are a means to get physically clean while getting spiritual clean, or vice versa. Just work from the top floor of the house to the bottom, and from the back to the front door to get the nasties on the run in no time! Salt or rice can be sprinkled on the floor and then later swept up and tossed at the curb or crossroads. A trick I learned from Santeria is to take a coconut and roll it over the floor and around the house. Kick it from room to room and out the front door and into a paper bag to be later left at the crossroads or placed in a dumpster somewhere.
Bowl of Water, Eggs, Lemons/Limes, Red Onions
Place a bowl of water—with a little salt, camphor, or Florida Water in it—on your bedside table to catch bad energies while you sleep. Be careful not to drink the water. Also, cover any drinking water you may place on the table as well. Put a raw egg, in a bowl of water, under your bed to do the same; change it once a week. Lemons and limes left out on the counter or by the front door absorb negativity. A red onion, with the root end cut off, will draw in negativity and restore sweetness to the household. A bowl of saltwater by the front door can absorb negativity as it enters the home.
Miscellaneous Ideas
Assuming it is only incense to which someone would object, a white, beeswax candle burning in the middle of each room, with the intention that it pull in and consume all negativity, is a solid means of ridding the house of bad energies. Symbolically sweeping the walls, air, and the corners with an actual broom or ritual besom allows you to gather the negativity and sweep it out the door. Salt lamps are another solution for spiritually cleansing bad vibes, and when placed next to your bed, they can also help eliminate disturbing dreams. Lastly, radiant sunshine and fresh air not only banish the blues but the negativity as well. The next time things feel “off” throw back the curtains and open the windows and doors; let nature’s positive vibes lift your spirits and spiritually clean house.
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This article originally appeared on the Love, Peace, and Chicken Feet Blog. lovepeacechickenfeet.com.