Energy Cleansing: Based on our Cultures

Protect yourself from the Mal de Ojo.

STORY: Alyssa Ortiz PHOTO: Gianna Horvath DESIGN: Liam Aquininog

Do you ever feel like things aren’t going your way? Do you ever feel like someone is praying on your downfall? You might be experiencing some bad energy surrounding you or someone is using Mal De Ojo on you.

Here are three different cultural ways to cleanse, heal or protect your aura so that you no longer feel the bad energy.

Limpia con Huevo

Growing up in a Latinx household means you wear a red bracelet your entire life on your wrist to protect yourself from Mal De Ojo, but what happens when it’s already cursed on you?

Mal De Ojo, named differently across cultures, is the evil eye. It is focused on envy and curses and could potentially make someone very sick. Across many cultures, it’s a popular practice to cleanse the energies of people or homes.

In Latinx culture, we have the limpia con huevo, also known as the egg cleanse. All you need to do is rub the egg on yourself in circular motions and all the bad energies and dirty auras will be removed.

After the cleanse, you crack the egg open in a cup or bowl of water and read the egg. If you see black, you likely have been cursed. Then, you must flush the egg down the toilet as soon as possible.

Pausok

In Filipino culture, the art of Pausok, or fumigation, is practiced commonly when you move into a new home. A priest or shaman will walk around and wave incense in each room.

This fumigation is performed to chase off bad energy and negative spirits surrounding a person. Along with the incense, the priest or shaman performing the ritual will also recite chants or prayers to aid the ceremony.

Feng Shui

In Chinese rituals, Feng Shui has been passed down through generational knowledge. Firstly remove the trapped negative energy throughout the house by opening doors, windows and boxes — basically open everything that is closed.

Sprinkle salt in each room or scrub it on the walls to get rid of bad energy. In a pinch, a salt lamp will do. You can also throw rice around the perimeters of the room, starting at the door and moving clockwise, to prevent the energies from seeping in. TU SK

“In Filipino culture, the art of Pausok, or fumigation, is performed to chase off bad energy when you move into a new home.”