Negative Energies in the Home

Energies in the home behave in the same manner as dust. Think about how dust distributes itself: some particles scatter around, while others gather to make larger piles. Logically, if you don't cleanse away the dust and dirt, the accumulation accelerates and becomes an insult to both sight and smell. Sometimes, the insult is so drastic that it impairs our ability to move freely because we fear contamination.

Just as dust circulates all over the home, so do the different types of energies. We have all walked into other people's homes and felt a range of good, neutral, uncomfortable, and bad feelings. For instance, when people have recently argued, we can actually feel the ambiance of that tension, which makes us yearn to leave as soon as possible. On the flip side, if the energies are positive, we sometimes overstay our welcome! This is because our own energy fields are capable of sensing other energies and react accordingly.

Without aura cleansing and protection, even minor annoyances will attract negative energies that will ultimately enter your home. We have all had days of resistance that affect our psychological well-being, such as:

• having bad days at work

• traffic backups

• lack of cooperation from others

• delay or resistance in plans

• minor health problems such as headaches

When we get home, we eventually recover. However, even after our personal recovery, such negative energies do not just suddenly disappear, They instead disperse and remain somewhere in your home, hiding and accumulating more of the same.

Negative energies are also introduced into your home in other ways. Consider your visitors or service people. Haven't you ever interacted with someone and felt uncomfortable around them yet you could not identify the problem because their behaviors seemed to be kind and gentle? Or maybe you just didn't like the person but couldn't identify the source of dislike. They were probably good people but, unfortunately, carrying negative energies that could be dispersed in your home. Perhaps they were not taking care of their own auras and so were carrying around a lot of spiritual dirt.

House Cleansing Ritual

It is a typical Hoodoo cleansing ritual to begin your house washing at the top level of your dwelling and working downward. Below is my personal house cleanse recipe:

Herathe"s house wash recipe:

• One 32-ounce bottle of Murphy Oil Soap

• One 1 / 2-ounce bottle of quality Van Van Oil

• 2 ounces of liquid pure castile soap

• One frankincense incense tear

• 1 tablespoon of lemongrass

• 13 new broom straw (aids in spiritual cleansing)

• a little bit of your saliva (to bind all of the ingredients under your influence)

As you work from room to room, start by washing the walls. Then, work downward and pay special attention to cleaning any windows, windowsills, doors, and thresholds. If this is an empty house, the last surface to clean is the floor before going to the next room. If there is a clutter in the home, remember that negative energies hide in clutter. Prior to rearranging the disorder and scattering these energies, pour Florida Water in a spray bottle and lightly spray the clutter to first eradicate these particles. It is then safe to move or rearrange what was clutter and introduce organization and space. Remember that the floor is the last surface to wash before moving to the next room. As you work from room to room, recite aloud any prayer that feels comfortable and relates to purification or house blessings.

Protecting Your Home

While negative energies enter the home by being carried in by people, they can also enter through doorways, windows, or other openings from the outside world. Therefore, we must pay special attention to these specific areas.

Making straight lines with a protective agent across door thresholds, windowsills, and near other entrances such as fireplaces acts as both a barrier and deterrent for unwanted energies. Some of most commonly used protection agents against harmful energies include the following:

• Black Salt is used in negative salt but also works in drive away evil.

• Holy Oil has connection with God.

• Protection Oil keeps away harmful energies.

• Rue Oil is used for protection and eliminating harmful energies.

• Sea Salt will do anything that you will it and drives away negativity.

• Sulfur drives away any unwanted negativity and kills jinxes.

Remember that drains, such as those of sinks, bathtubs, showers, and toilets are also openings to and from the outside world. Additionally, bathrooms are notorious for harboring harmful germs, which will attract harmful energies. Keep your house clean and organized, spray the areas connected with the outside world with some of the protection agents mentioned above will keep the negative energies away.

Guarding Doors and Windows

A bell hung on the door protects the home not only from evil spirits but also from malicious intent.

Salt drives away negativity. Open bags of salt, or even rock salt, can be placed outside your doors for protection. I have seen hundreds of spiritual stores do this to protect their business.

Red brick dust is a modern version of the ancient red ocher clay used for rites. Sprinkling red brick dust across the doorstep of your home provides protection.

Basil is considered a sacred herb in many cultures and performs numerous functions including protection. It is believed that evil cannot step where basil has been. Sprinkling dried basil leaves across the doorstep will provide safety from negative energies. Alternatively, make a wash to scrub the doorstep. Boil water and basil, then strain the fluid into a bucket of water. Mop across the doorstep with this wash. Respectfully dispose of the boiled basil by placing it outside of the ground.

Amulets, Talismans, and Curios to Hang over Your Entranceways

Amulets are objects that protect a person from trouble, are employed by almost every culture around the world, and exist in an array of types. A talisman is also a magical object, usually inscribed with magical codes, used to avert evil and bring good luck. A curio is basically an object considered novel, rare, or out of the ordinary - such as plant root, or animal body part that has a specific meaning to the owner. Due to their vibrational properties, they will also protect a home or any area where they are placed. The following items are most common types of protection amulets, talismans, and curios seen at entranceways:

• St. Benedict medal: St. Benedict of Nursia, the patron saint of Europe, is venerated in the Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and Anglican Communion, and other churches. He performed an array of miracles during his lifetime including restoring life to a dead teenager, walking on water, and warfare with the Devil and his temptations. His powerful medal contains the symbolism, depicted in code, to combat spiritual and physical dangers and to ward off evil. I have this medal over every door in my house, as well as every window, so that no spiritual danger may enter my home, However, one medal over the main entryway will suffice.

• St. Michael the Archangel medal: Venerated in Juidaism, Christianity, and Islam, St. Michael is a warrior saint who battles for righteousness in the name of God. There are various biblical accounts of his victories over evil and injustice. He is often depicted conquering the Devil in war. Medals of St. Michael can be placed over your entrances as a potent defense against evil.

• Mezuzah: In all the Jewish homes I have visited, there has always been a mezuzah, meaning "doorpost" in Hebrew, affixed to the outside of the door on the entrance side. These are cases containing Hebrew verses from the Torah. I have been told that their primary purpose is to establish a home that follows the Jewish law, but additionally, they direct the Spirit of God to the home and provide protection.

• Star of David: Also known as the "Shield of David" or the "Magen David," this is a hexagram-shaped star, identified as the divine protection of King David. In Jewish folk magic, it is a strong protection symbol.

• Pentagram and Pentacle: Sometimes these two terms are used interchangeably, but that is incorrect. In Wiccan and other Neopagan traditions, a pentagram is usually, but not always, portrayed as a five-pointed star. The pentacle, on the other hand, is a pentagram within a circle. The pentagram has magical symbol meanings, and often it is also inscribed with magical protection symbols. I have frequently seen pentacles displayed at the entrances of spiritual stores.

• Devil's Pod (bat nut): This looks like to me like the head of the Devil! However, it is a dried seedpod that's widely and successfully used by Hoodoo practitioners to ward off evil, and you will typically find these hung over a main doorway.

Maintaining Protection and Positive Energies in the Home

if you have spiritually cleaned your home, blessed it, then positioned protection measures, any feelings of restraint and discomfort should have dissipated. Now your home should feel and seem more peaceful, harmonious, and welcoming.

However, in time negative energies will return just as dirt finds its way back into an unsoiled home. Unfortunately, it is virtually unavoidable. All of us will ultimately experience bad days at work, family disagreements, disputes with others, illnesses and/or frustrations, and so on, and we bring that negativity home, or we experience these stressors within our dwelling. Additionally, other people may disperse their negative particles when they visit. Therefore, we try to maintain spiritual cleanliness just as we try to maintain a spotless household: by avoiding buildup and growth.

Immediate cleanup is the ultimate preventative against buildup. How do we know when a maintenance cleansing is needed? My philosophy is: "When in doubt, clean it out!" Here are a few tactics to eradicate the early arrival of unwanted energies:

• White sage: Also known as "sacred sage," this shrub is native to the United States and Mexico. Many Native Americans tribes burn these sacred leaves for spiritual cleansing in a ceremony called "smudging," a successful practice adopted by Neopaganism and other spiritual traditions. A smudge stick is easier and does not require a container for the leaves. Either way, state aloud that negativity will leave your home while you are smudging.

• Incense: Incense has been used in ritual practice since the ancient times. Read my article about incense here.

• Lighting a charcoal disc.