Ostara 1998 Newsletter Purification - House Cleaning by Adrianne

Spring is traditionally a time when we look at the junk piling up in our house and the dust piling up all around us, and we decide to do something about it. It’s funny really that we ignore this in Winter (when we spend a lot more time inside), and look at it in Spring, when we want to be outdoors! Apart from the physical spring cleaning that happens I find this a good time of year to clean out the built up energies in the house, by doing a full house cleansing ritual. I also find the Spring Equinox is a good time to rededicate myself to the path that I am walking. I thought that in this column I would share my favourite incense recipes that I use when doing house cleaning. For physical house cleaning, I generally burn a combination of Sandalwood and Frankincense. I let this burn on a charcoal block (being careful that it is on a heat resistant surface and not likely to catch fire with anything, or get in the way of little fingers). I usually do this with the doors and windows open, visualising and remembering, while I am cleaning, that the negative energies are being lifted out of the house on the clouds of smoke. I never sweep dirt out of the house, but always into the centre, where it is picked up with a dust pan and brush. When the physical cleaning is done, then it is time for a spiritual house cleaning. We have lived in our house for over seven years, and I find doing this ritual every year is beneficial and helps keep the house in balance. It is also a good time of year to renew the protective energies you may have laid around your house. The incense I use is all handmade, and contains 3 parts Sandalwood, 2 parts Frankincense, 1 part Myrrh and a drop of rosemary, or some rosemary leaves. I grind these ingredients up with a pestle and mortar and burn them on a charcoal block. I use a censer (incense holder) that can be carried and swung around the house (you need to be careful if you are going to do this, that the censer is secure and not likely to drop hot ash on the floor, or to burn your hands when carrying it!) . I use a lot of incense during this process, so that the house is almost full of smoke by the time I am finished. While I am burning the incense I have a set of ritual words and actions that I say and do at each opening of the house (doors, windows, vents etc.,). When this is done, the house is finally clean, and it’s generally time for a shower or bath to clean the person before I consider cleaning the mind!