,. - ..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 ;nd

bedtime blessings. Becaifse sandalwood helps release the

'paSt ana encourages transiti.on, it is ideal for' use in' .

'..rituals comn;emorating -the dead,

'cr'RAP-EFRUIT; LEMON, ORANGE: Citrus oils

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 kefp alert: they•• jl!;,Ci· :.;. -' -

are great balancers. Lemon helps Listo accept change and let

go" se i~ i's v~ry useful in rituals of releasing and ~epar~tion ...,;,. ; .. -'

J U'N I PER: juniper is a deeply cleansing and protective oil, .

- so .em'inently s~ited 'to most .rituals.lt is sometimes added to ,:'

smudge -sticks. 0'; mixturesvjuniper stimulates 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.'; ..... . .. ,.;

,-

• <!. -.' '.TE A: TREE: Tea .tree is a friend iji need if you want to keep" . ' ,i, ',' ._

, yourself or your hornefree from Infection. It isa 'powerful'" , . , ,I " '. ari~ifungal, antiviral, a:1.dantibacterial oil that makes it a

"practical' ally in .any- heali~g o:r:...o.ickroom·cleansings.

','

YLANG'-YLANG: Ylang-ylang'is a renowned aphrodisiac, , " ....::' " -~.'.~o invaJooble in any ri.t;.ualsinvolving love or 'sex. It is also -

" ;oot,p.ibg and balmip.~fso:us'e it\n ·bedti,me blessings orin,

patty blends, Ylang-ylang jJromQtescoilfid'ence too.. . .;' -...;. -.:--. \ - ~ .

...-- 7">'"

,",. ,.

-,

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-, . '. '" .

. 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 .~ . - ",. - . ~forms of life are inherently based on' energ¥ -the universe ..•

d',. . / . '

is not fixed and 'static, but i~ constant fluxand movement.

. Their smudge ceremony ~wasprecisely designed: to cleanse. - .the energetic aura of.the.ritual area. Nowadays theuse of~

. 0-. _,~ \ _

smudging has been extended ;-to cleanse and bal~nc.e the._energy in our everyd~y. hornes.: ~ .....~

.,'.-~

- '.

•.•.,L-, r

.. :.,

,,_ .' c

~ 01"\

\ -,",. .

"- ."- . Home Bles,sings

This: nineteenth--century woodengravingdepicts NativeNorth -Americansperforming aritual dance.outside theirnome .

.:

41

:

, ~

.B E C,O ~ I N G

o F S,'U 'B T'L E. ,

7-. .

- .. --

. THE FIRST STEP ,,[aWARD SUCCESSFUL ~MUDGING AND SPACE CLEANSING,..IS'TO ·.aECOME AWARE OF S'UB1'LE E,NEUGY - BOTH lN ,'oq;nsELvES AND. .. .. ' .-.- .

IN THE ATMOSP·HEUE. 1;Hi5 1.5 A''P.ROCE;;S yOLt'''CAl'J. "LEAUN 'QUITE EASIL~'i', ~.- ;:, '"

. AND, WITH A LITTLE .PRACT.r·CE 'AND DEDICATION, Y9U SHOULO,

. . .

2. Sit down with your hands' resting 'on your Iap,

palms facing ~l~wa:d. Close your eyes::." .' a'. '. ",.

. 3. Relax your hands and foc:ls your attention on your palms .r

Turn your palms to face.each other, hold ~hern.about 18. i, .•.

". iilches"ilpart. Slightly curv~,themas 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 tS if.YOlJ.~;~e .gently .' :....

squeezing· and releasing]he 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 b~ach: ball. : :.,..;.:."

5,. Now b.ring your palms together as if you--Were _.f - •

holding a tennis ball, Ask yourself whether theenergy :.. :.~. ..', " - ..

feels any, different.

SOON BECOME ADEPT AT SENSING SUBTLE ENERGY.

S ENS IN G ENE R G.Y. I~ YOU R S E L'F7' . " '.

1. Choose a time when you can be quiet .

a~d alone ...:~this exercise requires ~~peacefl;ll

environment ~nd. concentratio~. Wa;h your hands

"arid take off any r'ings, ,bra'~elets~wafches, or any'other accessor ies. .' t. I "

You can senseenergy withinyourself by -holdinq your,hands slightlyapart andbouncing themtoward eachother,

r·

42 :.,

......

.- - ..

:.!t'Hold your hand.about six 'inches above .your pet's furand see if'you ,..'can sense Its ,~energy.' : '

/-,

',.

- r,

" r

B~co~'tins-Awa;e ofSuotle-Ene'ygy .

~ '

. -: SEN' SIN G ENE RG '( E L SEW H E R"EYou ca?- s"~ftly-l~arn to f~~l energy in the house. S.tirt by

practicing OJ) animals and p1ants, Try "stroking" a ci.r Dr dog

with your fingers about six inches away from -it- feel it?

energy, Tryputting your/hands O'ver a living plant

._- sense ~,he·eFle~gy.N9~~o-;npare 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 a hand(?rafted

<object and a ~1a~~-p'f~d~ced one. If you becOIif~

adept, you may fin;d you can tell the history ofan

object. This. practice, -c~Hed psy'chometry, is 'used by psychics.'

,-. ':'

r

r S.EN S.IN G ENE R,G Y IN fH-E H 0 ME" ,, .

, 1. Start at the' entrance bf the' .roorn and hold your :

harid a few 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; others will be

disturbed, stuc;jZ,_ or stale, Talk to the, /' -- .• .

house andreassure it that you are going to cleanse

-; ~~d-purify' it'-to release' it f(Om.any"-ne.ga.tivi~y, ., \' '" , '.,' '_.~' .;r,..

3. ,When you return to the ~ntr;ln(:·e,irl.ake anote of any

\" st~l~k ~i:;az. These-are ~h~re you win n~ed ~o direct the most,. '!, ' ", ,- " .c " ,

energy whenyou -srnudge the room: /< .. '!

.'~ .,..1

Try to sense',- /'

energy In a, roofll before.

you smudge it.,

':-' ..'.

'"

"

"

\3b- "- ~'~ _~~f

"

:

43",

BLESSINGYOUR NEW HOME

THIS CLEANSING AND BLESSING CLEARS THE ATMOSPHERE OF OLD

STAGNANT ENERGY. USE IT WHENEVER YOU MOVE INTO A NEW

HOME AND AT LEAST ONCE A YEAR AFTER THAT. IT WILL LEAVE

YOUR HOME FEELING FRESH, COMFORTING, AND ENERGIZED.

1. Collect everything you need at the center of

your home. Remove your shoes and any jewelry.

Light your smudge stick and smudge yourself and

those items you will be using. Leave your smudge

smoking in its bowl.

2. Quietly center yourself and think

about your purpose in blessing

your home. Say: "I call upon

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:

INSTRUCTIONS

Remember totake off yourjewelry beforestarting thecleansingritual.

.you will need

• Smudge stick.. ; MatGhe~-: "

• Bowl-or shell

• L-arge f~atlier' '-

• Caridle and holde~'.;. 1 .

• Lavender orl and

it burner or'bo""l of

\\.

L

.I

All theelements -Earth, Fire,Water, and Air- are calledupon tocleanse anew home.

I

Blessing Your New Home

"Cleansing 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."

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 YOUR

WE ALL WANT TO FEEL SAFE AND SECURE IN OUR HOMES.

THIS IS A POWERFUL PROTECTIVE RITUAL THAT TURNS YOUR

HOME INTO A KIND OF SPIRITUAL FORTRESS. USE THIS RlTUAL

WHENEVER YOU FEEL THE NEED - MAYBE LAST THING AT

NIGHT OR WHEN YOU LEAVE THE HOUSE - AND

PARTICULARLY IF YOU ARE GOING AWAY ON A LONG TRIP.

you wi~l need ~ INSTRUCTIONS

• Smudge stick :: ,'< 1. Stand in the center of your home.

Sense the energy of your environ-

ment, then smudge yourself and

" 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 your

hands. It is like a light-saber 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."

.; Matches' . '.

• Bo\vCor shell

H O'M];

Native NorthAmericansdecorated theirtotem poleswith AnimalSpirits such asGreat Eagle.Totem poles arerepresentativeof individualtribes and theirancestors.

Grizzly Bear

Shielding Your Home

Buffalo

Figure out thebearings ofyour ownhouse beforecalling on thespirits toprotect it.

5. Now shift to the West where you will summon the power

of the fierce Grizzly Bear. Bring down the forcefield of

energy, saying: "Great Bear, Spirit of Fire, protect the West."

6. Finally move to the North where you summon the

protection 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 energy

merging together to create a safe haven. If you like, you canI

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.

NOTE:

if yO/l are goingaway from home

for some timeyou mal' haveto visualizeeven further.If you havesomeone comingill to look aftera cat or plants,you will needto visualize thatperSOll enteringand leavingwithoutdisturbingyour forcefield.

47

CONSECRATING YOUR BEDROOM

YOUR BEDROOM SHOULD BE A PLACE OF REST AND REFUGE, SOMEWHERE

YOU CAN RELAX AFTER A HARD DAY'S WORK. THIS LOVELY BLESSING

CALLS ON YOUR GUARDIAN ANGEL TO CONSECRATE YOUR BEDROOM.

quietly and calmly. Smudge yourself, the items

you are using, and the room.

2. Light your candle and say: "May my guardian

angel come near and bring love and peace to this

room." You might have a sense of a divine, loving

being embracing 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

the water imagine a spark of loving energy (like a

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,

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Sit in the center of the room and breathe

As you light acandle, inviteyour guardianangel to comeand bless yourbedroom.

.; Smudge ~tick

.,--Matches- ~ ~

• Bowl OT shejl

•"L.arge.~<;-at~er

·.W'hite.'iandle . '.1. ,-

• ~~,:e.~der '0;.1 plus

a burner or. bowl .-

• Pour pebbles.

-, -,»

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