Cleanse, Protect, and Bless Your Home, Using the Four Elements

House blessings and cleansings are prevalent throughout all cultures throughout all of history. Making your home and the place you dwell in and reside in a safe, snug, clean, space full of love, and peace has always been a deep need for all creatures. When you looked at your home and chose it did you get a good feeling? As magickal practitioners we are always looking at the aesthetics as well as the energies of a place.

Before we can cleanse, protect, and bless a dwelling it is important that we pay attention to the past memories of the place; what was the space used for, who occupied it, were there any significant events there? We need to pay attention to the energies that linger. How old is the place? Does that make things more complicated? Over time a location absorbs the energies that occur within that place.

Out in nature location matters the plants, streams, trees, mountains, all land remembers and absorbs the energies of what has occurred there. Is it a sacred well? Is it a place of an old battle? Was it a graveyard? Is it a place where the Fae or Land Spirits dwell?

In a dwelling it is no different. Over time through the years the walls, floors, doors, ceilings of a dwelling absorb the energies of events and emotions and are still affected by the land it was built on and the materials it was built with. Do some research about your new home and the surrounding area. Did you know that Cheeseman Park was a graveyard and that not all the bodies were moved? Having bodies under or near a house isn’t the end of the world, rarely do spirits linger but knowing is good and helps us be prepared.

Cleansing, protecting, and blessing a home is traditionally done when you first move in and maintained during your residency. However, you can do it whenever you like and whenever you feel it might need it, or YOU need it. If you can’t do research on your new home or you didn’t learn much, check it out energetically. Take a moment and sit in your dwelling close your eyes and feel into the walls, carpets, windows, corners, closets, cupboards, and doors do this in each room if necessary. What do you feel, are there any dark places or uncomfortable energies? Take note of any areas that will need extra cleansing or warding. Feel deep into the earth beneath your home down below any rooms or apartments deep into the earth and reach out to the surrounding area, what do you feel? Does your home boarder a park? Is it on a corner? Are there buildings around it or are you in an apartment and have close neighbors? Journal what you pick up or feel. In one of our homes, I found a flow of energy coming from the alley like a river and it left through a portal in one corner of the house. This had to be diverted and the portal closed.

We also need to concern ourselves with the actual space inside the dwelling, its shape, and flow. How we move from room to room, is it awkward? Are there blockages or bottlenecks, can we assist and aid good flow by placing furniture or items in good areas?

When you first move into a new home there is the “empty walk through”. This is a good time to perform the cleansing, protection, and then blessing of the home, while it is clean and empty, but it can be done and redone throughout your residency.  If you already inhabit the place begin with cleaning or decluttering your home. This helps set the tone and your mindset having your home and space in order and physically clean. You will need to locate all doors, windows, electrical outlets, pipes, cable cords, or any place that is an entrance to your home.

The four elements bring balance when used together in equal measure. They each have qualities that support our energetic wellbeing. Together they are the source of organic life and encompass all the states of matter in nature.

• Air brings the qualities of new beginnings, the mind, knowledge, clarity, and intellect. It is the source of breath. Air cleanses through fumigatory practices and has been since humans first began burning plants and herbs for scent and smoke.
• Fire brings the qualities of warmth, heat, the vital life force, passion, and creation. It is the source of the spark of life. Fire cleanses through burning away that which no longer serves and is the partner of air in the fumigation process removing negative energies and evil influences.
• Water brings the qualities of emotion, love, intuition, and instinct. Humans are made up of 75 – 85 % water at any given time. Water has a memory. It cleanses and washes away the memories that came before, and its voice resonates through our blood.
• Earth brings solidity, grounding, and strength. It roots us in our space. We use salt an item of great protection throughout history and dissolves in its partner water to cleanse our spaces of all lingering negative energies or evil influences.

Instructions to Cleanse, Protect, and Bless Your Home

Free PDF Download of Instructions Here

Read through completely before beginning, so you understand the process.

Supplies Needed: Salt, Protection oil, Incense, (Candle, Bowl, Sand and Charcoal if needed for loose incense) cup of water, and matches or light stick.)

Cleansing: You’re cleansing and removing the old energies you do not wish to remain. To make it fresh and clean for you and your family using earth, air, fire, and water.

Keeping your intentions focused on casting out all negativity, evil influences, energies of past memories of the space, all negative entities are unwelcome, etc.

To begin, you will cleanse the house with the four elements.

1.     Fire and Air:

• The incense should be aligned with cleansing, purification, blessings, and protection herbs and/or resin. Herbs & Arts staff can help with this. Or you can use any smudge or incense stick or cone that you like the scent of. This is important! You should like the scent you use to dispel the negative energies.
  • If you’re using loose incense: Take a bowl add sand, and one charcoal disc on top. Light the charcoal disc from a candle flame being very careful not to keep it in your hand beyond the first sparking lights. (Metal tongs may help with this.) Set it down as soon as it sparks halfway through. It will spark and burn the rest of the way through sitting on the sand. Take an herbal blend or powdered Incense and with a spoon sprinkle some on the lit charcoal.
• For Fumigation or smudging: (It is good to open some windows for this part). Take a bowl with the burning herbs on the charcoal and walk through the home clockwise starting at your front door and ending at your front door, going up and downstairs circling around in every room walking every wall and closet, wafting the incense, imagining and willing all darkness or negativity to be blown out by the smoke. (If you run out of incense or herbs on the charcoal just add some more or light a new stick.)
• If you wish speak words of intention, be commanding in your speech, claim your space!
  • “Fire and Air dispel away all evil shadows, all negativity, all phantasms. Cleanse my space, so mote it be!”

2.    Water and Earth:

• Get a cup of water and add three pinches of salt in it. Mix it in with a spoon or finger, stirring three times, it does not need to dissolve instantly.
• Cleansing: Repeat walking the home from front door through each room and ending at the front door. Sprinkling the salt and water mixture on the walls and floors, again imagining that you are cleansing all your spaces. With your will and intent wash away and remove all shadows or darkness.
• If you wish speak words of intention, be commanding in your speech, claim your space!
• “Water and Earth dispel away all evil shadows, all negativity, all phantasms. Cleanse my space, so mote it be!”

Protection, Shielding, & Warding: Once the house is clear and clean, you want to seal it from the outside to provide protection and shielding you are warding away future negative energies, and keeping any or all bad entities out.

• To begin select a symbol of protection. Choose one that resonates with you. This could be a pentacle, a rune, a cross etc.
• Optional:
  • You may cast a circle or not as you choose. If you do, cast a large circle around the whole house or apartment. (Visualize this!)
  • Call any personal guides, guardians, spiritual allies, or angelic beings if you wish to.
• Beginning inside the house again at the front door going clockwise, take a bottle of Protection oil and place a few drops on your finger, you will draw the protection symbol you chose at all the openings to the outside of the house. (This can be purchased though Herbs & Arts or you can make one.) Drawing it on and around all doors, windows, outlets, or electrical openings of any kind including light fixtures, cable cords, pipes, drains, mirrors, anything that is a conduit to the outside of the home or a place where entrance can be obtained to your home in any way. You are sealing these areas with the oil, protecting the opening so no energy may enter without your permission. Focus your intention of protecting the home from any unwanted energies or energetic visitors, blocking anything from entering. Ending back at the front door.

Inviting Blessings into the Home: Chimes, bells, rattles and music are traditionally used to bless and protect a space.

• This can be done in the main living area or in each room. Ring a bell to bless the space with music. You could also use a drum or play your favorite song on your phone or sing.
  • Chimes are traditionally hung outside and are believed to ward off some negative energies and entities including the Fae.
• Invite divine energies, in whatever form that takes for you, into your dwelling to bless the home. Below is a poem you can say for the blessing of your new home. (Adjust it as need for your needs)

A Celtic Blessing for a New Home (Source: Carmina Gadelica.)

A blessing upon our new home,

A blessing upon our new hearth,

A blessing upon our new dwelling,

Upon our newly kindled fire.

A blessing upon our goods and income,

A blessing upon our kith and kin,

A blessing upon us in light and darkness,

Each day and night of our lives.

Closing:

• When you are done, say a loving farewell to the divine, thanking them.
• Release your guides and/or guardians, thank them, and take down the circle if you cast one.
• Make sure your charcoal burns out and do not leave it unattended!

Additional Options for continued protection or blessing a home:

• Protective Wreaths can be made to hang on your door or windows or above your hearth. Use protective herbs, flowers, woods, and oils to weave and build your wreaths. Herbs & Arts staff can help suggest some if needed.
• Besoms or Brooms are hung above entrances to protect and bless your doors or hearth openings.
• Hanging a sachet or cloth bag of Roses and Elderberry in the home will foster love and healing in the home.
• Light a candle to bring in light and warmth. (Practicing candle safety never leaving it unattended).
• Use black salt in bowls and/or stones on all the windowsills or in the four corners of your house.

Some Herbs for Purification and Cleansing: Chamomile, Lavender, Rosemary, Peppermint, Sage, Lemon peel, Thyme, Cedar, Pepper.

Some Herbs for Protection: Nettle, Mugwort, Rose, Frankincense, Juniper, Cedar, Cinnamon, Calendula, Mistletoe, Rosemary, Pine, Pepper, Rowan.

Free PDF Download of Instructions Here

Blessed Be!