Preparing for Spring Equinox

a house cleansing ritual, an invocation, and more

The weeks before the Spring Equinox are for sweeping away the shackles of winter. For my family, this winter’s shackles have been illnesses; colds, flus, and unfortunate diagnosis. Just yesterday I found myself wandering around my home, assessing the heaviness of each room, wishing for sunlight to penetrate through the blinds and burn away the haze that seemed to have taken up residence. It’s time for a house cleaning and blessing!

Before I launch into a guide to house clearing, I want to suggest that you tune into your own personal spaces and ask them what they need from you. Does your house actually need cleansing? Or does it need more laughter? Does your space need to be rearranged, or do you need to spend more time worshiping at the little corners of beauty that exist when left to their own devices? 

What does the spirit of your home desire?

Sometimes a cleansing ritual can effectively bypass the root of some larger energetic issue. When feeling the call to cleanse, first pause and take inventory of your life. Before cleansing, review your routines and habits for areas of transformation. As we near the Spring Equinox, and the call towards energetic resets gets louder, it’s wise to slow down and check-in with what types of magic will be most supportive of your current evolutionary process. 

A house cleansing begins with a clean and tidy home. Putting away the laundry, clearing out the fridge of those out-of-date condiments, making the bed, and sweeping the floors. The process of cleaning house for a ritual purpose is slower, more joyful, and above all intentional. Wipe down the counters with visions of the well nourished ecosystem you are a part of. Wash the floors with your own home brewed herbal and vinegar wash. Open the windows as you work and air out your home as you prepare for the energetic cleansing work. Smell the air as it shifts the cocoon of your nest.  

Intuitively assess the areas of your home that feel like they are holding the most stagnant energy. You can do this by slowly walking clockwise around your home with all your senses awake and using all your wisdom centers. Notice how each room makes your body feel. Notice if there are areas of a room that spark any particular emotions (negative or positive.) You are creating an energetic map as you move, so that when you begin the energetic clearing work, you know where to focus. 

When you are ready to energetically cleanse your space. Open the windows and doors (as possible) so that the energy you are casting out has a place to go. There are many many ways of cleansing spaces, and my personal favorites are smoke and sound. I light some beeswax candles for my cedar smoke, and turn to the task of clearing out the dead energy. Before doing so, I call on my ancestral guides, my spirit helpers, and the energy of the coming Equinox to support my magical process. I thank them for assisting me in the work of cleansing my home. 

Moving slowly and intentionally, I begin to circulate through my home with smoke and cymbals. I was taught to move clockwise for calling in and blessings, and counter-clockwise for banishing. As I move I speak forcefully to the spirits and energies, “All stagnant and heavy energies be banished from my home space, now. May all energies aligned with health and love stay, you are welcome here.” You should come up with your own version of a chant or incantation that works for you. What I’ve shared is just a suggestion. Continue to chant, smoke, and move all throughout your space, paying greater attention to those areas where there feels like more energetic buildup. Work intuitively, use your body and your breath to guide this work. 

Once you have cleared the whole home, sign a song, recite a poem, or give thanks to your helping spirits for assisting you in ridding your home and yourself of unwanted energies. Celebrate this accomplishment with a bow, a kiss, or a victory cry! Then get to the task of closing all the windows and doors. It’s now time to fortify your home with blessings. Fill the energetic voids with your Spring intentions, with beauty, with music that brings you joy. 

Stay tuned for house blessing ideas for Spring Equinox ~ soon!

Celtic Invocation 

“I will pluck the smooth yarrow stalk, 
That my finger may be sweeter,
My lips warmer, my voice full of rejoicing.
May my voice be like a sunbeam,
My lips like the juice of strawberries.
I would be an Island in the sea, 
A hill on the land, a star in the dark time, 
A staff to the weak one.
I shall wound every man, 
And he hurt by none.”

An Interview on Hearth & Hedge Podcast

It was a delight to be interviewed by Amberleigh of Hearth & Hedge! We chatted about bookish things and the Wyrd Sisters oracle, which is being released by Weiser Books in April!