Items and Tools

Rosemary

Rosemary is perfect for burning for purification rites. Rosemary is often burned to create a "fresh start" in life. Whether it is breaking a habit, embarking on a new path, or opening up to more creativity, powerful and fragrant rosemary can help open doors to the new.

Rosemary can come in sticks or loose. Lighting the Rosemary and allowing it to fill your space or room, letting the smoke go throughout to cleanse the air and area of negativity. 

Frankincense & Myrrh

Frankincense has been used in cultures dating all the way back to the ancient Egyptians, and the Christian tradition says the wise men brought frankincense and myrrh to the baby Jesus. Always revered as a mystical resin, frankincense is known to purify and cleanse not only energy, but has even been used as a disinfectant. It has also been known to help to open airways, reduce blood pressure, reduce stress and anxiety, and promote tranquility.

Myrrh is known as the oil of Mother Earth, connecting us not only to the earth, but also strengthens and improves our relationship with our biological mothers. Its sedative-like effect provides peace in meditation and sleep.

You can use these as oils and put them into a diffuser. 

Palo Santo

Palo santo literally means "holy wood" in Spanish. Traditionally, palo santo has been used by Amazonian shamans in sacred ritual, dating all the way back to the Incas.

Censing with palo santo is said to bring blessings to the space, eradicating negative energy and chase away evil spirits. All good quality palo santo is sustainable because the oil needs years to mature within the dead branch.

Juniper

A wonderful wintertime herb, Juniper is known for balancing and evoking the divine masculine energy in a space, as well as drawing in abundance and prosperity, all while clearing negative energy. Burning Juniper is a lovely way to invite in warmth and positivity, while maintaining balance and respecting the shadow.

In ancient times, Juniper was burned in temples during purification rituals. Burning Juniper in your sacred space can help you to view your vessel as a temple to your own divinity.

Salt

You can use whatever salt you have in your cupboard, however sea salt may be better.

You can use black sea salt, pink Himalayan sea salt, kosher diamond crystal salt, Japanese big-flake salt, or any other kind.  If you don’t want to set out a whole dish of that kind of salt, Mix the salts with regular table salt. 

Mix the salts together and say an incantation, 

an example: 

“May this salt cleanse the energy of my home and protect me from negativity.” 

 If you can go into an altered state at this point, do so.  Feel yourself become more cleansed, and align your energy with the purpose of the salt bowl.

Dipping your items into a bowl of salt or spreading salt around your home or area can be done as well.

Singing Bowl.

A special kind of bell known as the singing bowl produces a pure, resonating tone and is an effective instrument in clearing negative energy. Tibetan singing bowls are frequently used in cleansing the home and ridding it of low and confined energy. In feng shui, singing bowls are often utilized to create positive sounds which causes negative energy to disperse.There are specific steps to follow when using a singing bowl for space-clearing sessions. Firstly, position the bowl on the palm of your hand, taking your time to feel and appreciate the bowl’s weight. Then, when you are ready, start to play the bowl by striking its rim gently. Hit the bowl a few more times and get familiar with the sound that is produced. This is a good time to immerse yourself in the bowl’s sound and let its purifying effects flow through your body. Another way of playing the bowl is by circling the rim clockwise with the mallet. You can do this one room at a time, or just do your space. 

Crystals

Some crystals great for cleansing are:

Citrine, which can be beneficial in a work space.

Rose quartz, best used in the bedroom for cleansing.

Black obsidian is great for all places, but best in the entryways.

Clear Quartz is the most common crystal with many purposes, keeping it on your person, altar, or anywhere in your home is beneficial.

Smudging and Censing

Smudging has many different meanings to different people.

In a general sense, it means to cleanse the air (whether it is believed to be physical or metaphysical in nature), or to offer or ask for a blessing, usually through the user of smoke from herbs or other plant materials.

As well as, Specifically, the Native American practice of burning herbs or other plant materials as part of a ceremony or rite. 

To make it even more confusing, what many people may refer to as smudging is technically called “censing” or 'Saining' (in Celtic traditions.), which is to burn an incense (made of plant materials) for the purpose of producing a fragrance only — an aromatic clearing of the air, if you will, with otherwise no spiritual or energetic intention. 

The distinction is subtle, but stands. Done for cleansing purposes. 

It can also be referred to as  “smoke cleansing”, “smoke blessing”, “space clearing” then there is, of course, “saging” (regardless of whether actual sage is used), which is often used synonymously with “smudging”.

Sweeping

Using a broom to sweep energy out of the home or to stir up energy. a traditional broom constructed from a bundle of twigs tied to a stout pole. These brooms are called Besom. There are many different variations and purposes for sweeping across cultures and history. Usually done for rituals by wiccans and done in some European countries to insure a healthy land and home. Some variations include physically sweeping the floor while others are held with the broom a few inches from the floor. Moving the broom Counterclockwise, counterclockwise “un-does” things and clears negative energy.

https://www.shantibowl.com/blogs/blog/clearing-your-home-of-negative-energy-with-singing-bowls#:~:text=Tibetan%20singing%20bowls%20are%20frequently,can%20flow%20through%20the%20house.

http://earth-magick.com/blog/9-sacred-herbs-for-purifying-cleansing/

https://www.stonedcrystals.com/best-crystals-for-the-new-year/?v=7516fd43adaa

The Witches Shield, by christopher penczak

Hobson, G. "The Rise of the White Shaman as a New Version of Cultural Imperialism" in: Hobson, G., ed. The Remembered Earth. Albuquerque, NM: Red Earth Press; 1978: 100-108.

https://wicca.wikia.org/wiki/