Cleaning Up Our Acts
There is a symbiosis between human and home that is ancient and undeniable. It is subtle and perhaps we take it for granted, but I always say that home is the place where every part of life intersects. What happens to one happens to the other. Our joys, sorrows, traumas, relationships, and dramas all play out under its roof. The people you love, the people you can’t stand, the ones you trust, the ones that will betray you, and even those that will remain strangers may all eventually cross your threshold. For every emotion, event or human being that enters, there is an energetic imprint that is left behind. Those lingering energies can leave us feeling serene, agitated or even physically drained or ill.
I have always been very sensitive to energy, whether in people, objects or space. On many occasions I have excused myself from a place (or declined entering all together) because the energy felt dark and oppressive, and on several occasions, has even made me feel sick. I have seen so many people living in energetically stale or un-cleared homes and wondering why things always seem in such tumult, why they have mental fog, why their kids have attention disorders and why they often feel so down. Even our beloved little pets can feel the effects of a home that’s carrying too much of a negative load. Left unattended, toxic and negative energies can build up leaving us with our own little Chernobyls.
Because energy doesn't have a physical form that we can see (although I have seen it take shape and color several times), we need to be mindful of all the interactions we have throughout our day and how we can track negative energy into our homes like dog poop on a sneaker. The guy that cut you off in traffic, the boss who was in a foul mood or the friend that complained all through lunch energetically all come home with you. And negative energy in the form of divisive or just plain annoying television or social media is a guest that we also invite in, as is the energy of gossip, trauma or drama. And people who enter your home can leave behind a negative residue. I once had a member of my cleaning crew replaced by another woman with energy that was so negative and disruptive I asked that she never come back. Later (and unprompted), a houseguest who was here at the time asked if she was a regular crew member. When I told her no, she seemed so relieved and told me she could feel the negative energy the woman was emitting – and she was on the other side of the house!
I am a big believer in keeping a home clean, being discriminating about who enters and doing ritualistic clearings to minimize or eradicate the effects of negative energy. To gage the balance or imbalance in your home you need do nothing more than sit quietly in a space and observe how it makes you feel. Does one room make you feel at peace while another never quite feels comfortable? Does one make you feel optimistic or melancholy or stuck in times gone by? Aside from your emotional body, note what’s also happening in your physical body. Do you feel rested and invigorated or achy and sloth like? Do you feel clear headed or cloudy? Feeling though our senses gives us true information of where energy is most likely getting stuck and where to start cleaning and clearing.
If the thought of house cleaning is right after root canal with no Novocain on your list of priorities, then consider that the act of touching, caring for, and re-connecting with our physical space and our physical possessions actually shifts energy and has the ability to transmute negative to positive. I’d say that’s worth our time and attention. To prove that theory, just ask if you’d rather spend your time in a clean home or a filthy one? A loved one, or a neglected one? If the home is a metaphorical representation of ourselves, wouldn't we want to insure it is well cared for, loved and attended to?
Clearing is ancient meditative ritual (used in conjunction with prayer or mantra) that involves burning of dried herbs, like sage or the wood from the palo santo tree, and is believed by many to be a powerful tool to move negative or blocked energy. Spraying salt water, blessed water, essential oil blends, using crystals and employing the principles of feng shui are all modalities (and there are many, many more) that may have seemed far out decades ago, but are now being understood and, if used with the proper protocols, are being used as very effective means of clearing negative energy. I do periodic clearings on my home and my land to keep molehills from turning into mountains and people frequently report that they feel very calm, and even sleep well, in my home. And, although they might not admit it, I know of several realtors that have properties smudged when they feel negative energy is impeding a homes sale.
To me, the quality of the energy that surrounds us determines the quality of our lives. Learning to tune in to that energy is a powerful tool we can use to re-calibrate our worlds. Especially now, when the world outside is toxic on a scale beyond measure, we must be our own gatekeepers.
