Rituals & Purification
Some time ago I had the opportunity to spend time with a friend I hadn’t seen in a while. There didn’t need to be a specific reason for getting together, but there was. She was moving into a new space that, when permissible, would host theater and other community events. My assistance was requested. To paint? Move boxes? Not even close. It was something much dearer to my heart.
Liz wanted to clear the building of old, stagnant energy. She wanted to bring her spirit and energy to the space — to claim it as her own. When she first contacted me she mentioned smudging and cleansing. She mentioned crystals. Yes, Liz was definitely speaking my language. Her knowledge, however, didn’t extend to the how of the clearing process. That’s where I came in.
I’ve spent years clearing and purifying my own space. This was a perfect opportunity to pause and reflect again about what I do and why I do it. Working outside of my own space required factoring in what is permissible for any particular space, what tools are portable and which are not, and how many of the rituals that I use regularly are appropriate for the situation. Eventually I created a plan.
We met at her new space and I was given a tour of the building to learn ‘the lay of the land.’ Liz returned to painting and left me to begin the rituals. I started by walking through the entire space using a rattle. The sounds and vibrations of rattling break up the existing energies and accumulated pockets of stagnation, preparing it for cleansing. This process is, for me, very calming and meditative. Next up was cleansing the space. Normally I would begin the cleansing process using smoke from smoldering White Sage and Palo Santo. Sage will clear all the energy from the space, and Palo Santo will call in positive energies. I adore both of these items, but fire and smoke weren’t prudent in that particular instance. Instead I chose to use a liquid smudging spray that has white sage as well as other herbs and aromatics. Following the same path I used to rattle, I sprayed the smudge and used a wand with feathers to help distribute the smudge throughout the air. By the time I completed the circuit, I too was cleansed and feeling light as a feather.
Although it would have been possible for me to perform the next rituals, it was time for Liz to do what she initially requested — bring her spirit and energy to the space. She had already been cleansed as I passed by her with the liquid smudge so she was all set to begin. Using raw Black Tourmaline, she walked through the space while requesting and allowing the crystal to absorb any remaining unwanted energies. Hadn’t I already cleared? Yes, but there may have been energies that only she subconsciously knew were unwanted. Her second circuit was with raw Selenite. This crystal was chosen to emit light, pure love, and protection into the environment. Held by Liz, it also projected her energy, her hopes, her dreams for the future of this new endeavor, and her creative spirit.
Feeling that everything possible had been done to and for the space, we ended with a little extra focus on Liz herself. She wrote down feelings, thoughts or emotions that she wanted to leave behind — to not bring forward into this new endeavor. The paper was dissolved in a bowl of infused water, and the water was ceremonially poured away, thus completing the releasing and purification process.
The results? Liz had this to say: “After our meeting, the space felt lighter and I felt energized as well! I spent the rest of my week feeling positive from the moment I walked through the door, and the cleansing kick-started a lot of positive progress for the company.”
“Enrichment only comes through purification.” ~ Nirmala Srivastava
“Ritual is the passage way of the Soul into the Infinite.” ~ Algernon Blackwood
“When we light a candle in our ritual space, we ignite a flame within ourselves. When we pour water or burn incense as offerings, we offer ourselves as well, to soak into the earth or rise in gentle wisps of smoke towards the sky.” ~ Alison Leigh Lilly
“At the end of our lives we hope we will look back and, like an incense stick completely burned away, will have poured forth all our fragrance into the world.” ~ Prem Prakash
