10 Uses for Labradorite
It’s hard not to fall in love with labradorite. Ancient people who came upon labradorite believed it was connected to the Aurora Borealis. Just like this natural wonder in the sky, no two pieces of labradorite look quite alike with their flashes of color.In addition to its colorful glow, labradorite comes with a slew of metaphysical and spiritual uses. The best part is that this stone is easy to come by and relatively inexpensive to acquire.Labradorite is said to be the stone of magick. This title isn’t surprising due to its long list of magickal and spiritual benefits. Keep reading for ten uses for labradorite.
It’s hard not to fall in love with labradorite. Ancient people who came upon labradorite believed it was connected to the Aurora Borealis. Just like this natural wonder in the sky, no two pieces of labradorite look quite alike with their flashes of color.
In addition to its colorful glow, labradorite comes with a slew of metaphysical and spiritual uses. The best part is that this stone is easy to come by and relatively inexpensive to acquire.
Labradorite is said to be the stone of magick. This title isn’t surprising due to its long list of magickal and spiritual benefits. Keep reading for ten uses for labradorite.
Aura Cleansing
Labradorite is queen when it comes to cleansing your aura (learn more about auras here). If your aura is weak, has tears, or holes in it labradorite can help with that too. Keep that aura squeaky clean by meditating with a piece of labradorite or going around your entire body with a piece of it in your hand.
Psychic Protection
Beyond protecting your aura, labradorite can help shield you during psychic work too. Whether you’re practicing tarot, using a pendulum, or scrying with a crystal ball labradorite can help protect you from any unwanted spiritual energy. Try wearing or placing a piece of labradorite nearby you the next time you practice any form of psychic work.
Enhancing Intuition
Labradorite connects strongly to your third eye, especially if you can find one with some purples in it! This third eye connection makes this stone ideal for honing your intuitive abilities. Start including labradorite into your daily life and see if it makes a difference. You may even try placing some labradorite on your nightstand to work on your intuition at night too.
Connecting with Guides and Angels
If you’re trying to connect with your spirit guides or angels, labradorite can help with this too. If you haven’t noticed, labradorite has a thing for helping you with the spirit realm! Think of labradorite as a window to the other side. This stone will make connecting with your guides and angels easier, and the best part is that it will also offer protection too. Wear or hold a piece of labradorite in your hand as you call on the guide or angel you’re trying to connect with.
Balancing Chakras
Because you can find labradorite in just about every color, it’s a potent healer and balancer for your chakra system. If you know that you have a specific chakra that’s out of wack you can try to find a labradorite stone that matches that chakra's color. Or, you can grab yourself an extra rainbowy labradorite that has every color in it to have a powerful chakra balancer for all of your chakras!
Astral Travel
Labradorite is a must for astral travel. It will help open the doors to the other side and will offer you protection along the way. Wear or hold labradorite in your hand anytime you intend to leave your earthly body for a trip through the cosmos or to the Akashic records.
Aid for Magick and Spellwork
Of course, the stone of magick is ideal for performing any magick or spellwork. Anytime you’re performing magickal spells you’re enlisting forces on the other side to help you. Because labradorite helps open doors to the other side, it’s the ideal stone to have nearby for any magickal work you’re practicing. If you already have an altar space where you perform spellwork placing a piece of labradorite on it won’t hurt!
Creativity and Imagination
Looking for a way to get more in touch with your creative side? Think of your creative thoughts as little nudges from the other side; labradorite can help let them in. If you’re looking for labradorite to help with a serious creative block, try finding labradorite with an orange flash to it so it can work on your sacral chakra too.
Anxiety
If you have anxiety or identify as an empath, labradorite is an excellent stone to keep handy while you’re out and about, especially in large groups of people. Because this stone is so good at protecting your energy, it’s great for super sensitive souls too. Don’t let labradorite take the place of your doctor or therapist, but it can offer some added protection when you’re feeling triggered.
Light Bringer
Remember when I said ancient tribes believed labradorite was connected to the Aurora Borealis? Remember that anytime you use it. This iridescent stone is all about bringing self-awareness and opening pathways for you. Labradorite is a true bringer of light in both appearance and its many applications.
I hope you’ve found ten more reasons to adore this stone! It truly is a stone of magick and has so much to offer.
8 Ways to Thrive as an Empath
If you identify as an empath you probably already know that it comes with a slew of benefits and challenges. As an empath, you absorb the energy of others even when you don’t intend to. You might also notice that friends, family, and even strangers feel called to unload on you. Both of these instances can leave you feeling drained, depressed, and anxious. What’s an empath to do?I’m going to share eight simple ways to help you thrive as an empath.
If you identify as an empath you probably already know that it comes with a slew of benefits and challenges. As an empath, you absorb the energy of others even when you don’t intend to. You might also notice that friends, family, and even strangers feel called to unload on you. Both of these instances can leave you feeling drained, depressed, and anxious. What’s an empath to do?
I’m going to share eight simple ways to help you thrive as an empath. As an empath myself I’ve personally used all of these techniques and use them often.
Not sure if you’re an empath? Check out this previous post to find out if you are.
Learn how to set better boundaries
Becoming a boundary-setting pro is key for anyone who identifies as an empath. Because you feel so much, you must learn to set limits for yourself and what you’ll allow from others to protect your physical, mental, and spiritual well-being.
Setting healthy boundaries as an empath may include: limiting time with people who drain you, choosing to only work in environments that promote a sense of safety, limiting stimulating screen time, and being kind to yourself when you have to remove yourself from an unhealthy environment.
Being a master of setting boundaries takes practice. Think of it as a muscle and try setting small boundaries first and then work up to bigger ones. Learn more about the spiritual side of boundary setting in this post.
Schedule regular alone time
Living in a realm that never stops empaths will benefit from scheduling in alone time. If you find yourself exhausted but can’t pinpoint why it might be time to ask yourself “When was the last time I spent a few hours alone and away from stimulation?”
As an empath, you may tend to overextend yourself to others and not even realize it. Empaths care so deeply for others; it’s in our nature to always offer a helping hand. Schedule time for solo revitalizing activities, quiet meditation, baths, or any solo activity that restores your balance.
Practice protective meditations
Even though it might be tempting to avoid large crowds as an empath, it may not be realistic. Protective meditations and visualizations can go a long way when it comes to shielding yourself from absorbing the energy of others. There are a variety of techniques and methods to do this, and most involve shielding your aura (energetic field around your body).
Imagining a white protective light around your body and your aura can do the trick. Click here to learn a more detailed protective meditation and more about protecting your aura.
Have a plan for energy vampires
Do you have any people in your life that you dread meeting with because you know it’s going to be an hour or more of listening to them lament about all of the horrible things happening to them? That’s an energy vampire. As an empath, you’re a target for energy vampires because you care so deeply. You want to listen, offer a shoulder to cry on, and be there to make that person feel better; it’s one of your strong suits.
I’m not saying you can’t be the shoulder to cry on, but you need to have a plan for it. If you know you’re going to be spending time with an energy vampire, be sure to set clear boundaries for how much time you can spend with them, do some energy clearing after you meet or talk with them, and maybe pencil in a revitalizing solo activity after your time with them.
Dive into Shadow Work
Have you experienced any addictions? Empaths are constantly bombarded with the emotions of others, so it’s common for empaths to find ways to “numb out” through food, drugs, alcohol, sex, or spending. If you suspect you may be overusing a substance or feeling outside of yourself as a way to handle your feelings digging into shadow work is a good place to start.
Here’s an explanation of why shadow work is so important for empaths from Awakened Empath by Luna & Sol.
In order to heal ourselves, function well in the world. And reclaim our life purpose as empaths, it is vital that we learn how to identify and embrace our Shadow Selves. When we are not conscious of our Shadows, they have the tendency to secretly run our lives and sabotage our efforts to be happy.
Learn more about what shadow work is and how to get started with it in these previous posts by clicking here.
Use protective gemstones
There are a variety of gemstones that can help shield, block, and absorb the negative energy that as an empath you may otherwise be getting all for yourself.
Labradorite: Great for physical, mental, and spiritual protection labradorite will shield you from unwanted energies.
Smoky Quartz: One of the most powerful grounding stones, smoky quartz will help keep you anchored to the Earth and feeling safe and protected.
Snowflake Obsidian: This stone is not only grounding and protective but a great aid for diving into shadow work. Snowflake obsidian is the ideal stone to use to help you identify and release negative patterns.
Black Tourmaline: This stone is perfect to use anytime you’re planning to spend time with a lot of people. It will create a protective shield around you while also clearing and balancing all of the chakras.
Hematite: Will help to block negative energies from entering the aura and help to rid the aura of any current negative energy. This is a great stone to place on your desk at work.
Cleanse away negative energy often
The simple act of making a trip to your grocery store could leave you dripping with unwanted negative energy. As an empath, it’s important to cleanse yourself and your space often. Think of it as brushing your teeth! There are a variety of ways to do cleanse yourself, here’s a list of some of my favorites.
Meditate with clear quartz. Clear quartz is the master balancer and healer and can help cleanse your entire energy system. Learn more about clear quartz here.
Cleanse yourself and your space with smoke. Learn more about herbs and herbal wands here.
Take a shower or a salt bath and visualize any unwanted energy being washed away from your body.
Spend time in nature
Mother nature has a wealth of revitalizing energy to offer; you merely need to tap into it. Because you’re already primed to feel the energy as an empath, you’ll be able to absorb the nurturing and healing energy from Gaia with ease. Try taking a break and walking barefoot in some grass, feel the energy of the Earth below you offering her support. Learn more about getting grounded on this previous post here.
Now that you’re armed with tools to protect yourself and your energy go forth and help heal the world, sweet empath, but don’t forget to take care of yourself first!
DIY Herb Sticks + Herb Meanings and Uses
You can trace the ceremonial burning of herbs back to a variety of cultures. Though white sage is common and quite popular at the moment, there are far more herbs at your fingertips that can be just as powerful, more environmentally friendly, and related to your cultural heritage.Every herb has a variety of meanings, uses, and correspondences. Herb sticks can be tailored to your every need. Even better, they’re easy to make, which I’ll outline below.Before we go any further, I’d like to share a quick word on cultural appropriation. Notice I’m not using the term “smudge.” For many indigenous Americans smudging is a sacred practice, and many feel that the use of the word by non-indigenous Americans is not only misused but hurtful.
You can trace the ceremonial burning of herbs back to a variety of cultures. Though white sage is common and quite popular at the moment, there are far more herbs at your fingertips that can be just as powerful, more environmentally friendly, and related to your cultural heritage.
Every herb has a variety of meanings, uses, and correspondences. Herb sticks can be tailored to your every need. Even better, they’re easy to make, which I’ll outline below.
Before we go any further, I’d like to share a quick word on cultural appropriation. Notice I’m not using the term “smudge.” For many indigenous Americans smudging is a sacred practice, and many feel that the use of the word by non-indigenous Americans is not only misused but hurtful.
It’s easy to use other terms, so why not, if the alternative is causing harm? I try to stick to terms like “smoke cleansing,” “ceremonial herb burning,” and “herb stick.” They make my point without the harm, it’s a win-win!
Before we jump into the steps for making DIY herb sticks, let’s take a quick look at what the benefits are of making and using your own herb sticks.
Why burn herbs and make your own herb sticks?
Most herb sticks that you buy at the store are made using white sage. Though white sage isn’t endangered (yet) it is being overharvested and due to a variety of reasons space for it to grow is being limited.
Beyond the environmental effects and cultural appropriation, using other herbs will give you more uses and scents. You may find that you like the smell of other herbs even more than sage!
The benefits of burning herbs are many but here are a few:
Add protection to your space
Cleanse your aura
Bring positive energy
Balance the elements of your space
Bring more masculine or feminine energy into your space
Consecrate items or your space
Simply for the delicious aroma!
How to make a DIY herb stick
1. Select your herbs. Reference the list below for different herb meanings and uses.
2. Dry your herbs before or after making your stick; it will take longer for them to dry if you dry them after you make them because they’re all smooshed together. If you opt to dry before, don’t let them dry out all the way. Otherwise, it’ll be too crumbly. I like to give my herbs a few days to dry out before I make the sticks, then let them dry the rest of the way for another few days.
3. Arrange all of your items nearby.
Cotton or hemp string
Scissors
Your herbs and flowers, if you’re using them
A mat or bag to put everything on to make clean-up easier (optional).
4. Cut your herbs to a similar length or tapered, depending on your desired end design.
5. Bundle all of the herbs together. If you’re using bigger leaves or flowers, you can wrap them around the bundle or place them in different areas. You may have to replace them as you tie.
6. Tie a knot at the bottom of your bundle.
7. Wrap string up and around your bundle so anything sticking out is held in place.
8. Tie a knot at the top.
9. Let the herbs dry the rest of the way, about two weeks.
Herb meanings and uses
Sagebrush: Clear negative energy, soothe headaches, brings air element and feminine energy.
Lavender: Soothing, calming, balancing, brings air element and masculine energy.
Basil: Balancing, joyful, positive energy, brings fire element and masculine energy.
Rosemary: Purify, seal or bond relationships, brings fire element and masculine energy.
Rose: Love, affection, brings water element and feminine energy.
Lemongrass: Clears obstacles, brings air element and masculine energy.
Mugwort: Enlightenment, magic, intuition, brings air and earth element and feminine energy.
Mint: Awareness, concentration, brings fire element and masculine energy.
Spruce: Grounding, clarity, calmness, brings earth element and feminine energy.
How to use your new herb stick
Safety first! Before you light anything, ensure that you have a safe place to put your burning herb stick in between wafting and so you have a place to put it when you finish up. You can use an ethically sourced abalone shell for this or any right-sized fireproof dish.
Decide what your purpose is for burning your herbs before you start, so you have the appropriate mindset. Carefully light your herb stick and either place it in your fireproof dish or hold it over the dish while you smoke your space. A large feather can be helpful for wafting the smoke, but your hand will work too.
You can let your stick burn out in the fireproof dish in its own time if you are near it the entire time. If you need to step away from the burning herb stick, extinguish it in water to make sure there are no burning pieces left.
You may find that some herbs burn faster than others as you experiment with them, you can keep this in mind for how you construct them and where you light them in the future.
These DIY herb sticks have become a new obsession for me. I love having the smells of the herbs in the house and seeing them out while drying. I think you’ll find that this is a fun alternative to purchasing white sage!
DIY Essential Oil Cleansing Blends
If you’re reading this blog, you probably already know that essential oils are amazing plant-based magic from this beautiful planet.They have so many incredible magickal and practical uses, and today we’re talking mainly about their practical uses!
If you’re reading this blog, you probably already know that essential oils are amazing plant-based magic from this beautiful planet.
They have so many incredible magickal and practical uses, and today we’re talking mainly about their practical uses! To read a previous blog post with some rollerball blends for daily use click here.
You’re probably conscious of the foods you put in the body and the products you use on your skin. But do you ever think about the products you use to clean your clothes and home? These products can be laden with chemicals and toxins that you would never want in or on your body, but many of us use them on our clothing and in our sacred living spaces without even thinking about it.
It’s almost spring, so now is the perfect time to start brewing and mixing up some natural, essential-oil-based cleansing products to make your space as fresh and magical as you are.
Best Essential Oils for Cleansing
In general, some great essential oils for cleansing are:
Lemon
Lime
Wild orange
Thyme
Pine
Peppermint
Lavender
Eucalyptus
Tea tree
Rosemary
Cinnamon
Clove
Lavender
Sandalwood
Oregano
These oils have natural antibacterial, antiviral, and/or antiseptic properties— and they smell amazing, too!
RECIPES & USES
All-purpose cleaning spray
This is your new go-to, all-purpose cleaner. You’ll need:
2 cups of white vinegar
1 teaspoon of natural dish soap (not castile soap!)
2 cups of water
15 drops lemon essential oil
15 drops peppermint essential oil
20 drops tea tree oil
Mix all the ingredients, pour into a glass spray bottle, and use everywhere, like your tables and kitchen counters!
You’ll want to use glass bottles for all of these recipes, because although they are highly diluted, it’s always recommended to store oils only in glass (plus, let’s save the environment!).
Trash can freshener
Three days until trash day and your trash is smelling up your kitchen? Put 2 drops of lemon oil and 2 drops of tea tree oil on 2 or 3 cotton balls and place them in the bottom of your trash can under your trash bag to freshen it up.
Air freshener
There are so many options for air fresheners! Choose from the combinations below or make your own, and spray throughout your space (or car, if you have one) whenever it needs a fresh boost.
Simple peppermint spray
1 cup of water
10-15 drops of peppermint oil
Tea tree, eucalyptus & lemon spray
1 cup of water
7 drops of tea tree oil
7 drops of eucalyptus oil
7 drops of lemon oil
Wild orange, sandalwood & cinnamon spray
1 cup of water
7 drops of wild orange oil
7 drops of sandalwood oil
7 drops of cinnamon oil
The combinations are endless! Get creative and try mixing and matching from the list of cleansing oils above to hit on a combination you love.
Dish soap
You’ll need:
1/2 cup of water
1/2 cup of liquid Castile soap, like Dr. Bronner’s
2 teaspoons of baking soda
10 drops of lemon essential oil
5 drops of rosemary essential oil
5 drops of thyme essential oil
If you’re dealing with more grease, use extra lemon oil or add some wild orange oil.
Furniture polish
Polish your chairs, bookcases, desks, and any other wooden furniture with this super easy furniture polish.You’ll need:
6-8 drops lemon essential oil
1 cup olive oil
Add to a spray bottle, and spray on any wooden surfaces to clean, polish, and protect them.
Carpet cleaner
Use this cleaner to freshen up carpet, couches, and rugs in your home. Combine:
1 cup of baking soda
30 drops of lemon essential oil
and cover in a container with a lid. Shake well and sprinkle on your carpet, couches, or rugs. Let it sit overnight and vacuum it up in the morning!
Laundry detergent
This will get your clothes clean and make them smell amazing. If you’re new to essential oils, I would recommend trying one of the easier recipes above before you give this one a go.
2 cups washing soda (a simple, natural detergent booster you should be able to find in your health food store or online— it looks like this)
1 cup simple Castile soap like Dr. Bronner’s
1 cup of baking soda
15 drops lavender essential oil
8 drops eucalyptus essential oil
8 drops peppermint oil
Use about 1/4th of a cup for a large load, and as little as 1/8th of a cup for a smaller load.
Natural linen spray
This linen spray works perfectly for sheets, curtains, pillowcases, pillows, and any other fabric things you can think of. You’ll need:
1/4th cup of water
3 tablespoons vodka, rubbing alcohol, or witch hazel
15 drops of lavender essential oil
10 drops of frankincense essential oil
5 drops lemon essential oil
Clear negative energy
Of course, no cleansing is complete without an energetic cleansing. To clear negative energy from your space, diffuse 1 drop of frankincense oil, 2 drops of yarrow oil, 1 drop of juniper oil, and 1 drop of clary sage oil.
Frankincense raises the vibration of your space, yarrow provides psychic protection, juniper brings in positive energy, and of course, clary sage cleanses and purifies.
After you clean your space physically and energetically, it’s always great to place a few crystals around your home to bring in the energy you do want.
6 Herbal Bath Recipes for Winter Self-Care
Herbs have been used for centuries as magical tools for healing, meditating, and accessing the spirit realm. Whatever your need is, there’s definitely an herb for it!They are said to be so powerful because they hold the energy of Mother Earth within them.Using herbs in your bath is a great way to practice self-care, especially in the colder, cozier months. Unwinding and decompressing from the constant stimulation your senses face in the modern world is important for tuning back into yourself. Herbal baths can boost your mood and be incredibly relaxing and healing.Science actually backs this up.
Herbs have been used for centuries as magical tools for healing, meditating, and accessing the spirit realm. Whatever your need is, there’s definitely an herb for it!
They are said to be so powerful because they hold the energy of Mother Earth within them.
Using herbs in your bath is a great way to practice self-care, especially in the colder, cozier months. Unwinding and decompressing from the constant stimulation your senses face in the modern world is important for tuning back into yourself. Herbal baths can boost your mood and be incredibly relaxing and healing.
Science actually backs this up. A 2002 study found that a daily bath significantly improved the mood and optimism of the participants. Plus, hot baths can relieve muscle pain and improve your sleep.
Adding herbs to your bath brings this mind-body practice to the next level, positively affecting all aspects of your being, including physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual.
I recommend filling a muslin bag with your herbs (if you’ve ordered jewelry from us before the muslin bag that comes with your order works perfectly!). The measurements don’t need to be exact, but I recommend using about a ¼-⅓ cup of dried herbs. Then loop the bundle onto the faucet and let your tub fill with steaming water as it runs through the bag. When the tub fills, drop your bag into the water. Let the water cool down for 20-30 minutes as it infuses with the herbs, and climb in!
For an extra dose of self-care, light candles and burn incense or diffuse essential oils as you soak. If you can’t find all of the herbs listed in the recipes below you can substitute with essential oil, leave it out completely, or substitute with a different herb.
Scroll down to check out six herbal bath recipes for those cozy nights when it’s way too cold to go outside.
Herbal Bath to Tap into the Divine Feminine
Dried violet, yarrow, calendula, and lavender
Tapping into the feminine, lunar energy within you is all about accessing the energy of being, manifesting, and opening yourself to your truth, creativity, and compassion.These herbs help you do exactly that. Dried violet leaves stimulate creativity and draw prophetic dreams and visions. Yarrow promotes psychic opening and love. Calendula brings healing and energetic protection, and lavender soothes and calms to promote the passive energy of being.
Bonus: Calendula also soothes the skin and promotes cell repair.
Optional: Add a moonstone crystal to your bath.
Herbal Bath to Attract Abundance
Chamomile, lemongrass, and patchouli
Chamomile relaxes you and opens you to receiving abundance (plus, it’s antioxidant-rich and soothes your skin). Lemongrass brings focus and clarity of purpose, and patchouli is a powerful herb for helping you attract and manifest your dreams. Patchouli also balances the sacral chakra, which governs emotions, sexuality, wealth, and prosperity.
Optional: Add a jade crystal to your bath.
Herbal Bath to Promote Self-Love
Rose-hips, lavender, elecampane, and balm of gilead
Rose-hips promote healing, compassion, and self-love. Lavender balances and calms while elecampane opens the heart chakra. Balm of gilead promotes love and helps you manifest your desires.Optional: Add a rose quartz crystal to your bath.
Herbal Bath for Amazing Sleep
Vetiver, chamomile, and passionflower
Vetiver’s soothing qualities create a state of tranquility. Chamomile relaxes the mind, and passionflower eases stress and calms the “monkey mind.” If you have trouble sleeping, try this bath!
Optional: Add a selenite crystal to your bath. Please note, selenite is very water-soluble! If you want to keep your selenite as-is, keep it on the edge of the tub. It’s safe to add it to your bath but may come out a little smaller ;)
Herbal Bath for Emotional Healing
Aloe, motherwort, and lemon balm
Aloe promotes inner healing and overcoming blockages, while motherwort soothes the nerves and emotions to bring rest to your mind. Lemon balm promotes healing and helps treat insomnia from heartbreak and stress (and it soothes and heals your skin while stimulating blood circulation).Optional: Add a rhodochrosite crystal to your bath.
Herbal Bath to Tap into Intuition
Rosemary, juniper, and honeysuckle
Juniper balances the third eye chakra, the center of intuition, inner vision, wisdom, and deep perception. Honeysuckle aids confidence and sharpens intuition, and rosemary clears unwanted thoughts and negative thought patterns.
Optional: Add an amethyst or sodalite crystal to your bath.
Which bath do you need today? Take a photo of your tub while it cools and tag us at @cassieuhl!
How to Perform a Samhain House Cleansing & Blessing
Around Samhain and Halloween is the most magical and powerful time to bless and cleanse your house. So, if you haven’t performed a house cleansing and blessing ceremony, now is the time to do it! If you’ve stumbled upon this blog during another month, don’t worry, you can still perform a purposeful house blessing and cleansing any time of the year. Just be sure to perform another one at the end of October for Samhain.
Around Samhain and Halloween is the most magical and powerful time to bless and cleanse your house. So, if you haven’t performed a house cleansing and blessing ceremony, now is the time to do it! If you’ve stumbled upon this blog during another month, don’t worry, you can still perform a purposeful house blessing and cleansing any time of the year. Just be sure to perform another one at the end of October for Samhain.
Why Cleanse & Bless for Samhain?
With winter slowly creeping in, it’s the perfect time to move out any stagnant, stale, or negative vibes before the cold sets in.
October 31st and November 1st, this year, ushers in the pagan celebration of Samhain pronounced Sow-win. Samhain is the birthplace of Halloween. Modern-day Halloween has taken a bit of a different turn with its kitschy decor. Samhain is still celebrated by many and is considered by most to be a more solemn time and reflective time, perfect for divination, cleansing, and blessing.
During Samhain, the veil between the spirit world and the physical world is at its thinnest, so it is believed that spirits and ancestors come back to visit during this time. Performing a house cleansing and blessings gives a welcome space for all of your ancestors. You want to come back and protective energy for any spirits you want to keep out.
How to Perform a House Blessing & Cleansing
This is a thorough house blessing and cleansing. Give yourself adequate time and space to fully devote yourself to this exercise. If you have a large house, you may want to chunk your house into floors or rooms to perform this spread out over a couple of days.
What You'll Need
Cleaning supplies
Cleansing herb of choice (frankincense, mugwort, lavender, or sagebrush make good options)
Besom (optional)
White candle for cleansing and a black candle for protection
Saltwater in a spray bottle or a bowl
Optional: protection symbols, crystals, cauldron, broom, herbs, etc.
Steps
1. Clean physically: First, you’ll want to clean your space physically. Remove things that are no longer serving you. Objects that don’t bring you joy anymore are most likely carrying old and stagnant energy that you don’t need cluttering up your energetic space. Try gifting, recycling, or finding a purposeful way to reuse these items.
2. Cleanse with smoke or incense: Use your preferred smoke cleansing tool for this step. I suggest using an herb or plant that's in alignment with your cultural heritage. If you're using something outside of your cultural heritage, like palo santo, I encourage you to ensure that it's sourced from an ethical supplier. I like to use mugwort, lavender, and frankincense.
With your cleansing smoke of choice, walk from room to room to let the smoke float through your space. As the smoke touches, each area of your house asks it to cleanse any energy that isn't aligned with your highest good or something similar.
3. Cleanse with a besom: A besom is a tool used by witches to cleanse a space's energy. You can make one yourself or purchase one around the season of Samhain (Trader Joe's always sells affordable cinnamon brooms!) For the practice of energy cleansing, you're not intended to use the broom as a physical tool, although you can if you'd like. Open a door and begin sweeping, holding your besom slightly above the floor. Visualize any negative energy not serving you being whisked out the door.
4. Cleanse and call in with candles: Using a white candle in a fireproof vessel, walk around your house, shining the light in each room. Imagine each room filling up with white. Ask the light to clear the space and bring in energy that serves your highest good. This is also a good time to call in any ancestors or loved ones who have crossed over into your space. Once you’re finished, place your candle on your stove to burn all the way through. The hearth (our modern-day stove area) is an important area of the home, which aids in transformation, so this is a great place to let your candle(s) burn as you complete your house cleansing blessing. If you'd like to call in a specific kind of energy, you can also light a candle for that as well. Black candles are ideal for this season and offer protection.
5. Protect with salt water: Just like salt can protect your aura, it can also protect your space. Doors and windows are important areas to focus on with your saltwater because it’s where energy comes and goes in and out of your house. Spritz a bit of your saltwater in each room, focusing on windows and doors. As you do this, ask the salt to protect you and your space from unwanted energies. I like to visualize an energetic forcefield being enveloping my space during this step.
6. Add symbolism for protection: If you’re looking for a fun and effective way to add an extra layer of protection, you can decorate with protective symbols. Runes, specifically the Algiz Rune or a protective charm bag, are potent options. Learn more about making a protective charm bag here.
7. Cleanse and consecrate tools: If you have tools you often use for rituals, this is an ideal time to cleanse them as well. You can take a few extra moments with your cleansing smoke, white candle, and saltwater to cleanse your tools.
8. Create a welcoming altar for yourself and your ancestors: Once you’ve completed your house cleansing and blessing, prepare an altar space as a reminder and sacred container of the energy you shed and invited in. This altar will also serve as a welcome invitation to any ancestors or loved ones who have passed on. If you don’t have an altar space, you can also do this on or near your stove, which is our modern hearth. Here's a video of how I cleanse and prepare my altar for the season of Samhain.
Place items on your altar that would attract ancestors that have passed on, like foods or drinks they liked. Light your remaining candle in the color of your choice. Adorn your altar with any crystals, jewelry, herbs, or symbols that you see fit. Here are some options:
Crystals: Labradorite, obsidian, onyx, garnet, hematite, amethyst
Candle Colors: Purple, black, orange, silver
Tools: Besom (broom), cauldron, any divination tool
Plants and Scents: Mugwort, cinnamon, clove, patchouli
Foods: Apples, pomegranate, pumpkins, nuts, meat
Runes: Algiz, Daggaz, Ansuz, Perthro, Othalo
Gods and Goddesses: Lilith, Persephone, all crone Goddesses, Callieach, Cerridwen, and Hecate
9. Say a prayer or invocation: When your cleansing and blessing is complete, and your altar is set up. Grant yourself a few quiet moments at your altar to reflect on this experience. Offer a prayer to ancestors that have gone before you, an invocation to a deity that is important to you, or both.
Sleep soundly and perform your intuitive work confidently during this season, knowing that your house has been cleansed, blessed, and protected. Find meditations for the Wheel of the Year here.
