Spring is one of my favourite seasons. Nature awakening from the winter’s sleep and everything coming to life.
We all know about spring cleaning. This is a practice that has been observed for centuries especially in the areas with cold winters. At the end of the winter everything in the house gets a clean. The windows are opened wide, the rugs taken outside and shaken well, every nook and cranny wiped, windows washed, curtains in the washing machine, beds stripped, and decluttering is a go. At least this was the routine when I was a child. We always had a “spring clean” before Easter and Christmas. This was a house deep clean. I remember also my mum asking the local priest to come and bless the house too.
Nowadays I understand these customs through the perspective of my own spiritual practice and how important it is to have a regular energetic deep clean. There is a lot happening energetically in the house especially when there are heated discussions, tantrums or a lot of anger and resentment being displayed. Whether we live alone or with our family members there is always some sort of release happening because we allow ourselves to relax and move through it. That is when we give ourselves time and space to do that and we are not distracting ourselves with TV or other things. But that is a topic for another time.
Let us talk about spring cleaning from an energetic point of view. Where do we start and how do we do it?
We start exactly where we would with any cleaning. The physical aspect is important too. Decluttering shifts the stagnant energy and opening the windows to allow fresh air in the house helps loads. There are many traditions that talk about it. Have you heard of Feng Shui? It is becoming more mainstream in the west too.
These are few of the things that I do when I clean and cleanse my space.
Declutter
This is about things that don’t have a place and they have been piling up. Clean and tidy surfaces give a nice vibe and feel a lot “lighter” and “brighter” as the energy flows well. Find space for your things. This is also a good way to appreciate your things and it is in a way a gratitude practice. You care for your things by storing them properly when you are not using them.
This also means looking at things that you do not use anymore or have not used in a long time. Decide if you are keeping them – find them an appropriate storage space or repurpose – or you are ready to let them go – sell, recycle, bin. When I say find storage for them, I do not mean put them in boxes and put the boxes under your bed or behind your sofa. I mean find a space in a cupboard or on a shelf etc. The boxes under your bed or behind your sofa are not good energy conductors.
Keeping lots of things “just in case” you might need them at some point (and have not actually needed them) is a way to tell universe that you don’t think your needs will be met and you need to hang on to every little thing in your life. Is that the message you want to send? I’m not talking about getting rid of everything. Of course you need your suitcase and you’re not going to buy one every single time you travel, but those magazines you haven’t touched in years or those pieces of material you have kept for that long forgotten project are just taking space. You know what I mean.
Water
One of the ways we clean crystals is with water. We wash ourselves and wash our clothes. We use water clean our house etc.
You can use water infused with different crystals (water has memory read about Dr Masaru Emoto’s experiments) in a room spray or even in the water when you mop the floor etc. I will write about crystal water in another post. This is a child and pet friendly option too compared to oils or smudging. There is loads of information about crystals and their properties. If you are new at this, I would recommend starting with the Crystal Bible by Judy Hall or ask someone experienced and qualified. Not all crystals can be put in water directly either because they “melt” or the water can be toxic.
There is a practice on New Year’s Day that I grew up with. The local priest visits all the houses and sprinkles holy water around to cleanse and bring a good year ahead. Saying a prayer over the water or channeling positive energy in the water will help enhance the properties of the water that you use for cleaning your home.
Sound
I remember reading the Bible when I was younger “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (stay with me there’s a point to it) and being fascinated with that sentence. The word for me means sound/voice.
There are so many unkind things that we speak to each other sometimes and that energy can have a lingering effect. There are many ways to use sound to clear the space. You can use chimes and bells, a gong, singing bowl, drumming etc. You can use a beautiful mantra that you speak out loud. You can put a song you love on and allow the sound to fill the space. If you do not have any fancy instruments do not worry. Going around the rooms and clapping your hands is a great way to shift the energy too. Remember energy follows intention and you are a conduit for energy. Set your intention to clear the space and clap away.
Smudging
Smudging means using the smoke to cleanse a space. There are again so many ways to use smoke for space clearing: herbs, resins, incense etc. There are many herbs that can be used for that, but I am going to keep it simple and accessible. You can use a sage smudge stick, incense stick or frankincense. All easy to get online. The idea is to allow the smoke to travel through the rooms you want to clear. Remember to open windows and doors and make sure you are doing this safely.
Sage is particularly good for clearing the astral plane where all the emotional release residues go, so it is particularly good after an argument or tantrum. I have a 5-year-old. I use a lot of sage 😊. Frankincense lifts the space into higher frequency. I grew up in the Christian Orthodox faith and there is loads of frankincense being burnt in the church, so it is a familiar smell for me.
Essential Oils
There are many essential oils that can help and clear the space energetically. You can use them in room sprays or essential oils burners. Make sure you do your research or ask someone qualified for advice on which essential oils are the best ones to use for that purpose. There are some oils that are contraindicated when pregnant or having health concerns. You want to uplift your space not to make yourself feel worse.
White Light
There is a beautiful procedure that we use in Transference Healing® called White Light. To do this you visualise pure White Light coming from your Earth Star chakra (chakra means energy centre), 6 inches beneath your feet. See it radiate throughout your whole body and then out into your auric field, 60 inches beyond your body. See it extend even further filling the entire room. This will take a minute or so to complete. Read more in “Beyond Doorways” by Alexis Cartwright.
These are few of the things I do on a regular basis to cleanse and uplift the energy in my space. I do not do everything all the time, but I have come to understand how essential the clearing is especially when going through challenging times. Being in lockdown and being at home constantly there will be challenging times. This is a great way to support yourself through whatever moves through you physically, emotionally, mentally, or spiritually.
I would love to hear what works for you.