Cleansing & Protection

Cleansing

March begins in one season and ends in another. Other months bring transitions, but March may very well bring the most radical changes. Many a blizzard has halted the commerce of a region one week in March, while sunshine, greening grass, and budding trees overrun the weekbeforeorafter.

Spring cleaning is a task almost everyone can agree on.April 1 is known asApril Fool’s Day, which falls on a Saturday in 2023. Let us leave the fools behind and swing into action. In many countries and cultures, Saturday is a day for cleaning. This year, April 1 may very well be a perfect day for cleaning, as it falls on the day before Palm Sunday—adaywithmanytraditions.

To begin: Go through closets and cupboards and inventory what cleaning products you have and what you need. Discard any long-held, almost-empty containers; you will never use them. Create a shopping list. Is this the year you finally turn to a more earth-friendly line of cleaning products,orcreateyourown?Don’tforgettowashcleaning rags,discardingthoseirredeemable.

This is a good time to include the cleaning of items often put off or overlooked: windows inside and out and window treatments, change out the cold weather bedding to lighter comforters and blankets, dust off ceiling fans, air intake and output grates, baseboards, and corner cobwebs. Change filters in HVAC and water pitchers. Replace batteries insmokedetectors.

Of course, this extensive housework may take more than just one day, so plan accordingly, perhaps for a few Saturdays.You might begin the work early in order to end on April 1. In any case, by May 1, your home will be ready for a Beltane celebration. Or if you, like me, are a household of one,planthisextensivecleaningeveryweekendintoMay, and greetJune1withashiningfreshhome.

Personalrefurbishingmayalsobeonyourlist.The pandemic forced many to forgo the outside world and shelter in place, working from home. This imposed isolation presented physical challenges to many. Some have not been as diligent in maintaining fitness and others stepped up their work-out routines. My personal experience with this is both. I gained weight and then lost it. All of this leads to the clothing closet. Whatever your situation, do two things: 1) do not force your body into uncomfortable clothing, but do not discard and 2) with lower numbers on the scale, you will then have a “brand-new”wardrobe.

March being named for Mars, the god of war, means that protection of self and home also figures large at this time.Ancient calendars focus on March as the start of the new year.The 15th, or the “Ides of March,” brought ill fortune to Julius Caesar, and is considered by many to be unlucky. The last three days of March, long thought to be“borroweddays”ofApril,alsocallforcaution.

Prior to the cleansing or in the midst of the house work,renewhouseprotection. Visualizeandcalluponthe fourelementsforassistance.SprinkleWater(obviously),Earthintheformofseasaltsprinkledlightlyabout the perimeters of rooms, Air in the fresh breeze from open windows, and Fire in the body heat you will generate while cleansing. Sage or smudge the rooms as tidiness is complete. (Many options for smudging canbefoundontheinternet.)

Should you wish to go a step further, consider creating a “witch” or protection jar. A very simple project is as follows, using the following: one small clean jar, hair or fingernail clippings from all in the home. (If that makes you squeamish, simply place the first name of all in the home on a small piece of paper, pets too!)Also, straight pins and a nail for every resident—may be rusty if you wish. Purify the jar with intention and simply and gently blow your positive energy into it. Cap and seal with candle wax. Place inadarkcornerofaclosetclosetothemaindoor,orburyinthegroundbythefrontdoor.Replacethistime

As previously cited, Palm Sunday isApril 2, therefore, Easter Sunday isApril 9. To the best of my knowledge, Easter is the one holiday the Christian church was unable to change. Every year Easter falls on 1) the first Sunday 2) after the full moon 3) after the vernal equinox. The vernal equinox is always earlier thanEaster,andthemoonfigureslargeinthecalculationofthedate.

If you’d like, praise the moon goddess Diana, Artemis, Selene or the goddess of your choice. In addition,rabbitsandeggsaresymbolsofmanyfertilitygoddesses.Celebrationpossibilitiesarenumerous!