Cleansing Rooms?

[Starry Di]

I know that cleansing rooms has been mentioned around here, but I have no idea what it really is or how do to it, so, could someone please explain it to me? :$ thankies :$

[Myst]

There's probably something on that in the lesson on cleansing stuck to the top of New Pagans.

[Tammy Sullivan]

I would start with a good cleaning of the room. Top to bottom.
Sweep away cobwebs, wash the light fixture, work your way on down to the baseboards and then the floor. Don't forget the windows and the sills. Remember to dust everything, pictures and all. When the room is fresh and clean, I proceed with the cleansing. I have found that when I wash the area or object, it has a firmer grasp in my mind as being "clean" and it is easy for me to cleanse it in my phsyche. I realize that I am most likely stating the obvious but.... I hope it helps.

[Tammy Sullivan]

OH! I almost forgot...
Baking soda, vinegar, and salt are excellent cleaners in themselves, you can use the soda or salt to scour with and the vinegar for almost everything else.

[ChelleOfShadows]

To cleanse a room means removing negative energy and power. I t requires a ritual broom, the proper incense, candles and spell.

[Tammy Sullivan]

Actually, Chelle, I have to disagree. I don't think that it requires a ritual broom, etc. Many people cleanse rooms of negative energies without candles, brooms and such. I have always felt the key to cleansing is to find the right ritual for you . For some it may be as simple as opening the window, and letting the breeze blow through. Others feel they need more (and in some cases more is required) and prefer a full ritual. JMHO

[Emy]

You don't have to use ritual tools, but some prefer to use them. I sometimes cleanse while I vacuum. :) Just visualize all the negative energies vanish into your vacuum cleaner. :) You can also put some cleansing herbs into the water when you are scrubbing the floor. Sprinkling saltwater is also effective. :)
You might ofcourse use incense or a substitute for incense if you wish. There are many methods, some just visualize a light filling the room that sort of banishing old negative energy...

Try different methods to see what works best for you. A little tip though, actually cleaning the room while cleansing it works really good for most people, if a room is filled with junk and dust visualizing light and burning incense or whatnot doesn't seem to be as effective as it could be if the room is clean. At least not for me :)

Blessings

[Faery-Wings]

Emy, that is pretty much what I do to. I try to do the vacuum cleansing each time I vacuum. When negative energy gets really built up, I will light a candle and burn insence and carry that throughout the room. And then to do the big part- I'll get a few hours w/o the kids, really clean, physcially, the rooms, then bless and cleanse the rooms with all of the Elements. Salt water, incence and a candle carried through each room, while visualizing white light filling and surrounding the rooms. :)

[Witchy Cowgirl]

Don't forget that chimes can also be used to cleanse a room. It seems the vibrations break up negative energies and makes them easier to be rid of.

And I agree that a clean room is also easier to "cleanse"

[Mithrea]

I have a big shallow kettle that I put charcoal in and burn really smoky resins and herbs. I shut all the windows and really smoke up the place. Then I open all the windows and doors and start the fans. I do other things too but thats the fastest, quickest way ;)

[Twilight Garden]

Just to add couple pennies to the conversations... I like to dab a bit of sandalwood or lavender oil on the bag in the vaccuum cleaner to add to the effect. This is my regular routine. In general visualization is a major part of it.

When the energies in the house (or a particular room) feel especially yucky, I cleanse the room with salt water, then smudge it with a sage bundle or dragon's blood incense.

For me Dragon's Blood is exceptionally good at ridding the excessive energies. I use it when things around the house are getting chaotic. I don't quite understand why Dragon's Blood is more potent to me. If anyone has any possible explanation, I'd love to hear it.

[Mnemosyne]

You guys have so many great ideas about how to invite positive energy into the rooms through cleansing. To be honest, I got this refreshing feeling just from reading your posts. :)
Like Chryssi, I make sure that the room is cleansed and blessed with all the elements. Here are some things that you can do. You can have a crystal, such as amber, that will reduce the negative energy in the room. Besides chimes, bells are a great way to bring in positive energy. If you don't have chimes or bells, hey, you can even clap your hands.
I totally agree with Emy that the room should be free of clutter. I believe that good spirits have room to enter the room when the room is free of clutter.

[Tammy Sullivan]

Ah yes, the dreaded clutter. My solution had to be a simple one as I live in a small home. I bought a steamer trunk from my local wal-mart, I keep all of my ritual items locked away in it, the whole thing will slide right under my bed, and I am currently looking for a slab of marble, slate, or something like that to fit on the lid, making it into a table. Then my entire altar setup will be locked away safe from kid's busy hands, and grown ups nosiness.

[WandererInGray]

Originally posted by LunarMist
For me Dragon's Blood is exceptionally good at ridding the excessive energies. I use it when things around the house are getting chaotic. I don't quite understand why Dragon's Blood is more potent to me. If anyone has any possible explanation, I'd love to hear it.

*grins* I find that facinating, LunarMist! I adore Dragon's Blood incense but have never thought of using it in cleansing. I'll have to try it this time around.

Something I read in a book that has worked for me the last few times I've moved....place a bowl with water and salt in the middle of each room (mind you this is in an empty house, I'd say if you're doing it in a house you already live in put it up out of the way) and leave them overnight.

Then pour the salt water down the drain with moving water (note: if you have a Septic Tank instead of a sewer line, don't dispose of it that way, you're left with your house sitting on top of pile of negative energy).

Then I do the traditional smudging and use my broom...but that's just cause I happen to have one. :D So I put it to good use.

[Azure]

Just to build on Wanderer's suggestion, sometimes when I feel like the room I'm sleeping in has a lot of pent up or negative energy, for whatever reason, I leave a glass of salt water overnight on the table by the bed. It tends to help with that sort of thing. In the morning, I flush it :)

[Tammy Sullivan]

You can also enlist your air conditioner by placing a few dabs of essential oil on a small piece of felt and placing that over the filter. Each time the air is on it blows the scent all over the room.

[Arzhela]

Okay, this is a little weird, but I guess I just sort of drop a rapidly expanding ball of energy into the room. As the ball expands, negative stuff is either neutralized or pushed out. Sounds funky, but it seems to work for me. This can double as a room protection excercise if you let the ball take on the contours of the room, and stay there as a negative energy barrier.
All that said, I do love really resonant bells. I have one that absolutely HUMS for a long time after the clapper hits one of the sides :)

[Three Feather]

Hi. I read all of your posts...and my two cents are:
I am Cherokee...we like to smudge. We are big smudgers. Most favored method is by burning sage in the area we are ridding of any negative energies. My hubby says is smells like italian sausage in here....every time I smudge.

But it works for me...

[Starry Di]

*UPDATE* : I did cleanse my room using my lavendar purfume and salt water (I sprayed it). No Idea if I did anything right, but even if I didn't, I got the result I wanted :D I stopped having nightmares and i'm no longer scared to sleep, lol. I was too lazy to clean my room (still am, I should've done more when I was in the cleaning mode :(), so I mostly sprayed. I made a big deal over spraying the salt water on my dreamcatcher which prolly helped (y) :D

And now to cleanse my room (since i'm incredibly lazy :p), I spray lavendar and salt water on my fan and put it on high and oscolating (so it goes all around the room).

[Flar's Freyja]

Here's a ritual that came to me via an e-list:

*House Cleansing Spell*
by David Piper

To be performed during at the New Moon, but may be performed at any time in need. You will need a new White candle, small bowls for Water and Salt, and a large bowl of water as well, and the censer and an appropriate incense. Choose one that brings to your mind qualities you wish to have in your home.

*Banishing Ritual*
Meditate for a few moments on the task ahead; then make a brief
invocation to the Goddess and the God, asking for Their aid and power in the work you will do.
Light the White candle in its holder, and charcoal in the censer.
Consecrate Water and Salt in the usual way. Consecrate the water in the bowl in the same manner, but do not add salt; place this bowl in the center of the room.

Take the consecrated water, elevate it to North, and saying:

'In the name of Goddess and God
I banish with Water and Earth.'

Sprinkle the Water lightly widdershins around the perimeter of the room. Bless the incense, then elevate the censer to North, and saying:

'In the name of Goddess and God
I banish with Fire and Air.'

Censer the perimeter of the room widdershins. Take the candle and cast a Banishing Earth Pentagram at North. { Draw the Pentagram with the censer starting from the bottom left point up to the top point, and so forth.

As you cast the Pentagram say:

'With this Sign I banish ye, foul shades of the { Quarter }!
Let this home be freed of your baneful influences!'

Then go widdershins around the perimeter of the room, casting a
Banishing Pentagram at each Quarter beginning at the West and ending back at North, repeating the above at each Quarter.

Now turn and face the center of the room, where the bowl of water sits. With your hands, draw any negative energy or vibrations remaining, and cast them into the water in the bowl by flicking or snapping your fingers at it. Repeat this action until you are satisfied the room is cleansed. Do not touch the water in the bowl, as it is being filled with the negative forces you are eliminating.

Move the consecrated water, the salt, the incense, the candle, and the bowl of water into each room in your home and repeat this ritual. After banishing every room in the home { including bathroom, closets, pantry, etc. } you have finished. Empty the large bowl of water into running water. Wash the bowl thoroughly with cold water, scrubbing with some of
the consecrated salt.

[Silver Venus]

Id also like to add, seems as Ive been doing so much of it recently ~ painting! I know its an extreme but to clean, cleanse and re-energise a room you can also always paint it a new colour, giving it a new lease of life :) & playing your favourite happy music, opening all the windows and just the energy going into your brush strokes will cheer it up!

[Flar's Freyja]

You're right! And Silver RavenWolf has something in one or more of her books on how to make cleansing cleaning products, etc. to help make things like spring cleaning or moving into a ritual!

*runs off to find them*

[Silver Venus]

That sounds fun! I guess you could incorporate the full moon's energy and leave your household cleaning sprays out for a few hours to soak up the rays :)

[Flar's Freyja]

bump for Neptune

[Tammy Sullivan]

Originally posted by Silver Venus
That sounds fun! I guess you could incorporate the full moon's energy and leave your household cleaning sprays out for a few hours to soak up the rays :)

to add to this....
you can place protective stones and crystals, essential oils, etc. in a clean vaccum bag used only for cleansing of sacred space......