House Blessing with Incense
One of the most beloved and ancient uses of incense is to purify and bless a person or place. It is a good idea to do the following ceremony every year in your home - traditionally in the first part of February, or after your spring cleaning. It is also a good way to clear a new home of unwanted "Old Stuff" and negative energy. Doing it as a family can bring everyones intentions of future happiness together, releasing any old patterns or presences.
It is quite simple to do....
- Have all involved decide together upon the night to do the ceremony and agree upon what you what the ceremony to accomplish. You can do this alone or with family and friends. This work is good for almost any spiritual tradition, or just to do a general "house cleaning".
- Have your censer, lit charcoal, incense, and a single white candle ready before you begin. I recommend Frankincense, White Sage, or Mermade's "White Light" purification blend made especially for this ceremony
- Afterdark , gather together and take a moment to focus on your intention - it should be very clear in all your minds
Is it to cleanse and clear the house for the coming year?
"Banish" some energy that does not feel right?
Bless a new home to make it your own and cut any connections to the past occupants?
You decide....
- Now room by room turn off all the lights in the house until you are in the last illuminated room.
- Light the candle (or each person present could have lit a candle as well), and then turn off the last light. Try to have the candle(s) in a holder that will catch the wax drips.
- When ready take a few moments for complete silence, a time to focus on calling in the Sacred to help you in this work or picture in your mind what you to accomplish.
- Place a pinch of the incense on the hot coal, (or light your Sage bundle) don't use too much all at once, a little bit for each room. You don't want TOO much smoke
- Beginning with the room you are in, carry the light of the candle and the smoke of the incense to every corner of the room, and don't forget to open closets as well. Imagine the light and smoke completely ridding the space of all that is not desired. Let them act as the symbolic bringers of peace and tranquility.
- Walk silently to every room in the house, letting the light and smoke do their sacred work.
- If one place feels extra " uneasy", spend some more time there until it feels clear.
- Do this until all rooms have been purified....It is a good idea to open a door or window to the outside at this point - picturing all negativity you "banished" rushing out of the house.
- Come back to the room you started in, (turn the lights back on if you want) Blow out the candle while saying out loud something like, "So be it!" or "It is done!" Take in and release a deep breath and know that it is completed.
- Give thanks for the unseen help you called to do this work and to the spirits of the medicine plants that aided you.
Blessings, Katlyn
2012