Sacred Spaces: Spiritually Cleansing Your Home
Our homes are sacred—bridging the spiritual and physical worlds. Across cultures, homes have served as a sanctuary and a portal to realms as concrete as the outside world, and as ethereal as other dimensions—places that connected our physical, emotional, and spiritual existence; a safe haven that links us to both our humanity and the divine.
Note: this was originally published in SPELLbook Spring Vol. 1 available for purchase here.
And just as it is sacred and all things mystical, home is so firmly rooted in our material world. It offers us a constant reminder of our humanity and existence in this world. The rituals of making a home allow us to infuse the most basic, worldly activities with magick and spirituality.
While your house may be new to you, there have likely been many lives that have crossed its threshold and passed through its walls. Surely if not the home itself then the land where it rests was lived on long before you were a twinkle in your parents’ eyes. The house itself is an energetic being of its own filled with the imprints of everyone who has been there before you. And now that dwelling is your home, too.
Talk to Your Home
In many magickal traditions (especially those rooted in animism), there’s a widely held belief that your home is a living, breathing entity with an energy all its own. Holding the belief that everything is energy, it becomes essential to tend to your home’s energy just as you tend to your own energy and spiritual hygiene.
If you accept this belief, the way you talk to and about your home has a HUGE impact on the energy of the space. Like plants, animals, and people, your home will flourish and thrive when you speak to it lovingly with words of appreciation. Sure, talking to a seemingly inanimate object might initially sound a little out there. I assure you it most certainly makes a difference in how your home feels. Besides, what’s the harm in giving it a whirl?
So go ahead and whisper sweet nothings to your walls in the mornings. Thank your home for its protection and sturdy foundation. Compliment it on its lovely colors or the way sunshine pours through the windows on the west side of the house as the sun sets. You can even go so far as to ask your house what it needs from you and listen for the answers.
Windows & Doors
The windows, thresholds, and doors of your home serve as the portal between your sacred space and the outside world - both physical and spiritual realms. As such, it is an excellent idea to protect these entry points as the first line of defense against unwanted spirits or energies. Many people do this annually or seasonally, but you can complete this kind of ritual any time you feel called to do so. Keeping these liminal spaces spiritually clean is also a lovely way to bless and cleanse guests as they enter and leave your home.
Apply the general methods from the Home Purification Ritual here to cleanse your doors and windows, and then use the Sealing Oil Recipe (coming soon!) to seal and protect those entry points from unwanted energies.
Floors
Even the simple act of sweeping does so much to move the energy around your space. It’s a favorite activity when the energy becomes sticky at home or heightened emotions linger. The therapeutic rhythm of it. The movement. It all contributes to shifting the energy and keeping your home’s spiritual well-being in top shape.
When you add water to these activities, it imparts another layer of magick. The element of water carries spirit energy. It’s why ritual baths are so powerful because Spirit has a channel to move through. Adding protective herbs, salt, and/or oils to your floor wash can impart additional support for spiritually cleansing your space. If you have carpets, you can mix these with baking powder, sprinkle the mix your carpet, and vacuum.
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Mirrors
Mirrors are very sticky energetically and have long been used for magickal practices and as a portal to other worlds. Due to their intense spiritual nature, they tend to trap and keep energies for a long time. It becomes vital to spiritually cleanse your mirrors on a seasonal or annual basis to clear any lingering energies. The need to wash your mirrors holds especially true for old, thrifted, or antique mirrors.
You can just run water over your mirror for the simplest of cleansing rituals. This method is usually sufficient for new mirrors where you’re just trying to clear out any run-of-the-mill energies it may have picked up in the store or warehouse.
This is Part One in a series of posts that speak to different ways you can tend to the spiritual hygiene of hearth and home. Check out Part Two here.
Check back for new posts to be linked here as they come out.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Erin Harker (she/her) is a hedge witch who delights in the magick of hearth and home. She believes in a world filled with wonder and that there's magick in each of us and everything we do - even our simple, everyday tasks.
Despite working with tarot and witchcraft for over 25 years, she only recently came out of the broom closet when she launched The Magick Makers in early 2020.
Based in Durham, North Carolina, this charmed space is a pop-up shop and community where modern witches and craft-curious folks can inspire and supply their everyday magick. She is also the author of SPELLbook, a seasonal publication and upcoming book, and the fairy godmother behind, Kindred Club.
As she continues to explore her ancestral roots and identity, she’s found a passion for self-discovery through hearthcraft, tarot, symbology, and other esoteric practices.