-
,.
.
.Choosing
Your Essentia}
Oils
.q
speed th-e souls~"of-the de·ad:to heaven. It is very soothing and, cansbe .Gsed"instead cifl~vende~'ln
bathtime
bedtime blessings. Becaifse sandalwood
helps release the
'paSt ana encourages
transiti.on, it is ideal for' use in' .
'..rituals comn;emorating 'cr'RAP-EFRUIT;
;nd
-the dead,
LEMON,
Citrus oils
ORANGE:
are 'ail, wo.nderful-for iifting -the spirits. They ar~ bright, cheery,' stimulating
oils that~work well ~s
party oils and for ~ntivening
the home. Also"think of th~se oils ,
when you want to 'deal, with "StresS-t'mtneed to ••
jl!;,Ci·
.\
:.;.
kefp alert: they
-'
-
are great balancers. Lemon helps Listo accept change and let go"
..,;,.
J
se i~ i's v~ry useful
in rituals of releasing and ~epar~tion . ;
U'N I PER:
juniper
.. -'
is a deeply cleansing and protective
- so .em'inently s~ited 'to most .rituals.lt smudge -sticks. 0'; mixturesvjuniper ,
is sometimes
stimulates
oil, .
added to ,:'
the mind so can>'
be usefulif
yol,J ~re' studyi'ng or. working hard. It helps raise '.. . . self-est~em and ~an support you in difficult times. ..... .
-
..
';
•
<!.
-.'
"
.
'
,i,
, yourself or your hornefree
"
,
'.
Tea .tree is a friend
TE A: TREE: .
,
,I
iji ','
need if you want to keep
. ari~ifungal, antiviral, a:1.dantibacterial ,-
._
from Infection.
It isa 'powerful' "
','
"practical' ally in .any- heali~g o:r:...o.ickroom· cleansings.
aphrodisiac -~. '.~o invaJooble in any ri.t;.ualsinvolving love or 'sex. It is also ,
"
'
oil that makes it a
YLANG'-YLANG: ,
Ylang-ylang'is "
....::'
a renowned "
;oot,p.ibg and balmip.~fso:us'e it\n ·bedti,me blessings orin, patty blends, Ylang-ylang jJromQtescoilfid'ence too. .. .;' -...;. -.:--. \ - ~ . ...--
7"
>'"
,",.
,.
-
,.;
"-
"-
. Home
.
Bles,sings
-,
:
THE ANCIENT -
HISTORY ·OF·SPACE .
CLEANSING'" ... '"
In cultur~~ where thi's concept of vital energy is understood
.,'.
-~
. and honored, people, spend as much time' on psychic 'cleansing -. ~ -' ~ .. . as they do bathing and washing their physical bodies. You will ./
-,
- '. -, r
.
'.
.
'"
. find versions. of-space cleansing as far afield as Hawaii' and· . . ., -' ~; Bali, China-and Siberia, and .India and the Middle Fast. The ... :-... . ancient Native North American cultures understood thatall .~
•.•.,L
~.
-
forms of life are inherently d',.
-the
",.
based on' energ¥
.
/
.
universe
.
~
This : nineteenth-century wood engraving depicts Native North Americans performing a ritual dance .outside their nome .
..•
. '
is not fixed and 'static, but i~ constant fluxand
movement.
,
. Their smudge ceremony ~was precisely designed: to cleanse
.
.
the energetic 0-.
-
.
aura of.the.ritual area. Nowadays theuse _,~ \ _
of~
smudging has been extended ;-to cleanse and bal~nc.e the. _energy in our everyd~y. hornes.: ~
..... ~ .:
.. :., ,,_
~
.' c
01"
\
-,
\ ",.
.
41
~
.
B E C,O ~ I N G o F S,'U 'B T'L E . THE
FIRST
IS'TO
..
STEP ,,[aWARD
·.aECOME
.
IN THE
AWARE
ATMOSP·HEUE.
SUCCESSFUL
7
~MUDGING
OF S'UB1'LE E,NEUGY
..
1;Hi5
..
1.5 A''P.ROCE;;S
-
AND
BOTH
WITH
A LITTLE
SPACE
AND
.-.-
yOLt'''CAl'J. "LEAUN 'QUITE
.
EASIL~'i', ~. '"
;:,
.PRACT.r·CE 'AND
-.
- .. --
CLEANSING,
lN ,'oq;nsELvES
'
-
. AND,
,
.
DEDICATION,
Y9U
SHOULO, ......
SOON
BECOME
ADEPT
AT SENSING
SUBTLE
ENERGY.
S ENS IN G ENE R G.Y. I~ YOU R S E L'F 7'
.
"
'.
.-
1. Choose a time when you can be quiet .
-
..
a~d alone ...:~this exercise requires ~~peacefl;ll environment
~nd. concentratio~.
"arid take off any r'ings, ,bra'~elets~wafches, other accessor ies.
.'
.
.
:. !t 'Hold your hand. about six ' inches above . your pet's fur
Wa;h your hands
or any' I
t.
"
and see if'you ,..' can sense Its ,~ energy.' : '
.
2. Sit down with your hands' resting 'on your Iap, palms facing ~l~wa:d. Close your eyes::." You can sense energy within yourself by holdinq your, hands slightly apart and bouncing them toward each other,
. 3. Relax your hands and foc:ls your attention Turn your palms to face.each
a'.
.'
on your palms
other, hold ~hern.about
". iilches"ilpart. Slightly curv~,themas
'.
18.
",. .r
i,
if y-ou ~ere holdi~g,.a soft'
ball. You may, we~l fe,el a warmth 'or a tingling between ·Your hands - that is 'subrle- energy.
.
.'
.•.
, .
"" .
4. Bounce your .pal;ns towa~d each other sq ueezing· and releasing]he
/
-,
tS if. YOlJ.~;~e .gently
.' :....
invisible ba;l: Feel ~th~.-;nergy shift . ~.
,
as you move - it may feel like a 'cool breeze. Imagine the ball- : - ..:." ..... •
-
-
<
gently expanding, ~.ntil it reaches rhe sizeofa 5,. Now b.ring your palms together "
-
•
as if you --Were
holding a tennis ball, Ask yourself whether ,
~
-
-.,
~
b~ach: ball.
theenergy
:
_.f
..
-
:..
:.~.
feels any, different. r·
42
"
:.,
r
',.
•
:.,..;.:."
- ,r
•
..'
.
B~co~'tins-Awa;e
ofSuotle-Ene'ygy
.
~
'
. -: SEN' SIN G ENE RG '( E L SEW H E R"E
to f~~l energy
You ca?- s"~ftly-l~arn practicing
OJ)
in the house. S.tirt by a ci.r Dr dog
animals and p1ants, Try "stroking"
with your fingers about six inches away from -itenergy, Tryputting
your/hands
O'ver a living plant
N9~ ~o-;npare
._- sense ~,he·eFle~gy. ,-. ':'
feel it?
"
it "~ith' the
\ energy ~iven off'by .~ bunch of fresh flowers; .
-
/
--;:...
,/
learn to detect the subtle differences. , . . Frorn -hereyou c.ould progress-to' sensing die ,
.. energy in ,objects aroundthe
·home. See if you
, can detect the diffel:en'~e betwe~n
<object and a ~1a~~-p'f~d~ced one.
"
a hand(?rafted
If you
becOIif~
adept, you may fin;d you can tell the history ofan object. This. practice, -c~Hed psy'chometry, r
r
,
bf
, 1. Start at the' entrance
a few
Try to sense ',/' energy In a
, roofll before.
f H-E H 0 ME" ,.
S.EN S.IN G ENE R,G Y IN harid
is 'used by psychics.'
you smudge it.,
':-' .. '.
the' .roorn and hold your :
inches frorn the wali in a In'otioh .-
~hat is similar to stroking
a dog, '~
2. Be -sensiti~e, and' c6ncentrate: "listening"
'
with your hand fo~ the,
en~rg ;You ma~ find' ~ome areas ar~ quit~-c<tln1.·andsmooth;
stuc;jZ,_ or stale, Talk to the
disturbed, /'
,
house andreassure -;
, \'
'"
,
.•
.
'.,'
you return
\" st~l~k ~i:;az. These-are .
--
it that you are going to cleanse
~~d-purify' it'-to release' it f(Om.any"-ne.ga.tivi~y, .
3. ,When '!,
energy whenyou
'
to
:
others will be
'_.~'
the ~ntr;ln(:·e,irl.ake anote
'"
.;r,.. of any
~h~re you win n~ed ~o direct the most, ",
,-
"
-srnudge the room:
/<
.c " ..
, "
'
! "
.'~
.,..1
- ~'~
\3b- " _~~f 43",
BLESSING NEW
YOUR THIS
CLEANSING
STAGNANT HOME YOUR
AND
BLESSING
ENERGY.
AND HOME
AT
USE
LEAST
IT
CLEARS
WHENEVER
ONCE
FEELING
HOME
A YEAR
FRESH,
THE
ATMOSPHERE
YOU
MOVE
AFTER
THAT.
COMFORTING,
AND
OF
INTO IT
OLD
A NEW
WILL
LEAVE
ENERGIZED.
INSTRUCTIONS
.you will need
1. Collect everything your home. Remove
you need at the center of your shoes and any jewelry.
• Smudge stick .. ; MatGhe~-:
"
Light your smudge stick and smudge yourself and
• Bowl-or shell
those items you will be using. Leave your smudge
• L-arge f~atlier'
smoking in its bowl.
• Caridle and holde~' .;.
2. Quietly
center yourself and think
about your purpose
in blessing
1
.
• Lavender
it
burner
'-
orl and
or'bo""l
of
your home. Say: "I call upon Remember to take off your jewelry before starting the cleansing ritual.
the guardians of the elements, of Earth, Fire, Water, and Air, to help me cleanse this home." (Or substitute
your own prayer.) Wait for a
moment
and feel the presence of these
four great guardians lovingly surrounding
you.
3. Light your candle, saying: "I light the fire that glows in the heart of the home. May peace be here." 4. Go around the house, smudging
each room. Say:
\
\.
L
.
I
Blessing
All the elements Earth, Fire, Water, and Air - are called upon to cleanse a new home.
"Cleansing
Your
New
Home
power of the spirits of the smoke, drive away all
negativity. Bless this home and bring it joy and laughter." Walk back to the center of the house. Light your oil burner or fill the bowl with hot water. Take the lavender oil and let seven drops fall into the water, saying: "May this home be a haven from the world." Imagine
the scent of the lavender,
mingling with the smudge, carrying joy, security, and a profound
sense of peace throughout
your home.
5. Stand quietly for a moment. Look at the candle and bring your hands toward your heart (as if you were taking the flame inside) saying: "Let the protective
flame burn steadily in the
heart of my home." I
6. Softly blowout
the candle. Put out your smudge, thanking
the spirits of the smudge for their help. Finally, say a word of grateful thanks to the guardian spirits.
45
SHIELDING WE THIS HOME
ALL IS
WANT
TO
FEEL
A POWERFUL
INTO
A KIND
WHENEVER NIGHT
FEEL
OR
PARTICULARLY
WHEN IF
YOU
you wi~l need ~ • Smudge .; Matches'
stick
::
SAFE
AND
PROTECTIVE OF
YOU
SPIRITUAL THE YOU ARE
H O'M];
YOUR
NEED
SECURE RITUAL
IN THAT
FORTRESS. -
LEAVE GOING
USE
MAYBE THE
OUR
LAST
HOUSE
AWAY
ON
HOMES.
TURNS
YOUR
THIS
RlTUAL
THING -
AT
AND
A LONG
TRIP.
INSTRUCTIONS ,'<
1. Stand in the center of your home. Sense the energy of your environ-
. '.
ment, then smudge yourself and
• Bo\vCor shell
"
cleanse your aura (see pages 26-27). 2. Expand your bubble of protection
until it fills the entire building. Move to the East corner of your home. Visualize yourself holding a beautiful, bright sword of light between hands. It is like a light-saber
your
shown in the movie
Star Wars, sending out a beam of pure energy. 3. Visualize a huge guardian figure behind you this is the great Eagle Spirit. Imagine
yourself,
with a sweep of your arm, pushing a forcefield of energy into the ground beneath you. Say: "Great Eagle, Spirit of Air, protect
the East."
4. Do the same in the South corner of your home. This time summon
clever Coyote. Bring
down the forcefield of energy, saying: "Great Coyote, Spirit of Water, protect
the South."
Native North Americans decorated their totem poles with Animal Spirits such as Great Eagle. Totem poles are representative of individual tribes and their ancestors.
Shielding
Grizzly Bear
Figure out the bearings of your own house before calling on the spirits to protect it.
Your
Home
Buffalo
5. Now shift to the West where you will summon the power
NOTE:
of the fierce Grizzly Bear. Bring down the forcefield of
if yO/l are going away from home
energy, saying: "Great Bear, Spirit of Fire, protect 6. Finally move to the North protection
the West."
where you summon
the
of Earth and the powerful Buffalo Spirit. As you
bring down the forcefield of energy, ask: "Great Buffalo, Spirit of Earth, protect
the North."
7. Now visualize the four forcefields of shimmering merging
together
energy
to create a safe haven. If you like, you can
I
ask the four guardian animals to stay and guard their corners. 8. Respectfully
thank the powers for their help. Your home
should now be safe.
for some time you mal' have to visualize even further. If you have someone coming ill to look after a cat or plants, you will need to visualize that perSOll entering and leaving without disturbing your forcefield.
47
CONSECRATING YOUR
BEDROOM
YOU
CAN
CALLS
ON
YOUR
SHOULD
RELAX YOUR
BE
AFTER
A PLACE
A HARD
GUARDIAN
OF
DAY'S
ANGEL
TO
REST
BEDROOM AND
WORK.
REFUGE,
THIS
SOMEWHERE
LOVELY
CONSECRATE
YOUR
BLESSING BEDROOM.
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Sit in the center of the room and breathe
.; Smudge ~tick
quietly and calmly. Smudge yourself, the items
.,--Matches-
you are using, and the room.
• Bowl
2. Light your candle and say: "May my guardian
•"L.arge. ~<;-at~er
angel come near and bring love and peace to this
·.W'hite.'iandle . ,-
room." You might have a sense of a divine, loving being embracing
OT
~~ shejl
.
'.1
• ~~,:e.~der '0;.1 plus a burner or. bowl .-
you with its soft wings.
3. Let five drops of lavender oil fall into the water of your burner
or bowl. As each drop hits
• Pour pebbles.
the water imagine a spark of loving energy (like a As you light a candle, invite your guardian angel to come and bless your bedroom.
tiny fairy) flying out from the oil to each corner
-, -,»
of the room. The last drop's energy shoots to the center of the room. Imagine your angel smiling with pleasure at the lavender spirits.
4. Ask the gentle spirits of the lavender to bring you peace,
-..--~".,...--
rest, relaxation,
••......
and sweet dreams . Perform
the Aura Cleansing
ritual
(see pages 26-27), but this time fill your aura with a beautiful
soft pinkish-
gold color. Let that soft-colored
light
expand beyond your aura to embrace the entire room.
48