CLEANSE | Salt
I’ve moved into a new space.
It is a beautiful house. The renovations have been going on for months and I can say that this new home is exactly what I was hoping it would be: stunning floors, solid doors, elegant lighting, intentional choices of all finishes and plenty of storage. There have been dozens of people traipsing in and out since January.
My first order of business was to cleanse the energy of the space, shoo away any of the negative energy that might be hanging about. There are hundreds of boxes ready to be brought in from the garage and emptied, but I wanted to clean everything up before I started to move things into their proper spots. I know that many people would smudge the space but somewhere in those hundred boxes is my sage and smudge kit! I had one option - salt.
Traditionally salt has been used all over the world as a cleansing agent, both physically and metaphysically. A salt bowl can kill bacteria, emit ions and absorb moisture.
The good thing about moving is that you have to be creative as your choices are slim. I needed a container, salt, a few extras, intentions and a place to set it out.
CONTAINER: I have a heavy glass vase that is not too big but being non-porous it was perfect. You can use whatever you like, of course. Remember that salt will eat away at any porous material (ie, wood, pottery, unsealed stone).
SALT: I chose black lava salt from Hawai’i. Two reasons: my colour palette in this home is primarily black and white and I’ve never been to Hawai’i and maybe putting this energy into the universe I’ll get there someday! You can use whatever salt you have on hand: regular table salt or fancier sea salts. It all works.
EXTRAS: This is the creative part, I went out to the garden and chose to snip off some cedar from the back hedge. Cedar is known for its protective qualities. Then saw that I have a ton of lavender coming in. Perfect! (Feel free to use Google to find natural elements that will repel negative energy.) Make up your own recipes!
INTENTION: While stirring in the cedar and lavender with my fingers, I stated my intention. Remember, always state your intentions in the present tense, as though what you want has already happened. I often put it in the form of a “thank you” to the universe. “Thank you for providing me with such a beautiful space in which to spend my life. In this home, I invite upbeat, good and healthy people, events and things to share in my experience. Let this salt absorb any negative energy and protect me from what might hurt me.”
SET OUT: I put my “charged” container of salt on top of the mantle in the great room, and will likely put another in the kitchen - and possibly one by the back door as it is used most often, bringing in and out energy all the time. I am careful not to put it where the dogs can reach it. When I walk by the container, I put my fingers in it to absorb any negative energy I could have picked up through my day. Some put salt in the corners of the room or on windowsills but it can be corrosive, so I tend to simply use a bowl.
If you have some stubborn spots, sprinkle your charged salt on your carpets, leave for an hour (not much longer) and vacuum it up. You will feel a change in the energy in the room. Be sure not to ingest the salt - it has been absorbing negative energy for a time and you don’t want that in your body!
Trust your intuition, when you feel that the salt is spent, you can dispose of it anywhere you don’t want plants to grow (cracks in concrete, interlock) or simply toss it in the garbage. It is my practice to thank the salt for protecting me, my home and my energy.
There are many ways to cleanse your space. You can smudge or you can use your pendulum to clear energy. Or learn at a Clear Heart Workshop. Maybe place a few energy-clearing crystals and set them around your home (I do this rather than salt at the corners of the room).
Does this work? I know a few things in life, primarily: if you believe it, that’s enough, indeed, that’s all there is. Do things that make you comfortable and confident in your own skin, your own home, your own community. That’s all that matters, right? Yes. This works.