Cleansing and Warding your home continued~~~

Dear Ms. Q,
To answer your question why use Pine-Sol with Lemon to clean walls, ceilings, floors, window and door frames, doors and thresholds and why use Lemon Pledge or even Old English wood oil with lemon to clean furniture the reasons are very simple especially in today’s busy world.



In old days like in my Granny’s time, it was not unusual to trim and wash fresh pine needles and having growing in one’s back yard a lemon tree, or any other plant that would give an antiseptic smell and have antiseptic actions.



Even the use of Eucalyptus leaves were also considered as a positive force as they could repel fleas, a carrier of disease.



In the old Days once the fresh pine needles were cleaned of debris and trimmed off the branches they would be boiled in water that never ran through a pipe, either Well water, spring, stream, creek, river water or rain water this was to get the oils trapped in the pine needles.



The same with lemons, the juice would be squeezed out, and set aside, the peel grated completely, and with the grated peel and the pulp from inside the lemon they would also be boiled in the same way and then the lemon juice added.



Both waters would be put into a bucket with more water added as well as soap a pure soap, usually it was Ivory soap because of the way it was made, and this would be in flake form.



With that the floors in the kitchen, laundry room, and bathroom would be mopped, the ceilings, walls etc would be wiped down with a damp not wet, rag, the same damp rag would be tied to a broom and taken over the wooden floors to catch all the dust, but careful enough to not wet the floors and warp them.



With the rugs the broom ends (straw ends) would be dampened and the rugs thoroughly swept from the back to the front door of the house, windows and mirrors would be wiped first with the cleaning water and then again with clear water.



Then after the rest of the ritual was done as a final addition and you can do this too, a pinch of sea salt and pepper was put into each corner of each room with a pinch in the center of the room under the rug, and then under the rug layers of Eucalyptus leaves cleaned of debris and bugs.



I did not mention these last two steps because some people do them and some do not, but they along with blessing your house with holy water, railroad spikes, fung shui mirrors, crystals, witch bottles, hen and chick plants, jars with pebbles, Tibetan bells, wind chimes and other things are all means to keep negativity out and good energy in.



But over the years, many practioners discovered that regular Pine-Sol with lemon juice added and then later Pine-Sol with Lemon and Lemon furniture polish were excellent substitutes especially for those who lived in the city and in apartments and didn’t have the access to such natural products nor with many people holding down two sometimes 3 jobs to make ends meet do they have the time to make them from scratch.



The reason for the use of Pine or Pine oil and Lemon oil was this---

Pine Oil is a cleansing, purifying scent that can be put in bath or wash water to wash away one’s past mistakes and negative feelings or sins, permitting one to start afresh without wasting one’s energy on useless recriminations.

Lemon Oil has been used by mediums as an aid in calling in the spirits as it is a favorite of many spiritual beings, using the oil or an incenses or candle that smells of Lemon invites or entices protective spirits into the home.

The use of Black Pepper as a powder or an oil is for Protection, and Sea Salt or Kosher Salt is a barrier against negative influences.



I myself found a powder at a pet supply store Pet Co. that one can use to dust floors with to get rid of fleas, it has such a wonderful antiseptic smell that I started using it under my rugs as part of my ritual and have found it to work very well, the name escapes me, but I do know I need to get more, when I find it I will post the name of it.



Modern products and even organic spices, such as organic cinnamon, black pepper, etc can be substituted as one needs to. All you have to do is just look around your grocery store, even white plates for offerings I’ve found at large major grocery stores such as Nob Hill, Raley’s, and Safeway. Candles plain and with Saints pictures can also be found there, if it is impossible to get to a metaphysical supply store.



Olive oil virgin press of the best kind can be found at your grocery store and small amounts can be infused with those spices as needed for magikal workings, distilled water works well as holy water when you say prayers over it calling in the powers of Jesus, St. Michael, Mother Mary and of course God and making the sign of the cross over the water as you invoke their names.

You are never defenseless as long as you can get to a grocery store or even an all purpose drug store.

Once a month on the full moon, you should take the fiery wall of protection oil and re-do the cross marks on your window frames and door frames.



The prayer to St. Michael should be said as you do each window and door and then at the front door finish with not only the St. Michael prayer but also the 23 and 37 psalm, do this once a month to keep your wards up.



In the room where you do sacred magikal workings do the cleansing as often as needed, for sure at least twice a year, and then do your entire house once a year.



A friend of mine also takes it a step further, not only does she have a blessing fount with holy water at her front door but she also has one just inside her room where she has created sacred space.



Another friend of mine could not have a room but was able to set aside a corner of her living room to set up her altar, on a small table next to it she has a blessing fount and a vigil light dedicated to St. Michael for protection. She hides it from general view with a beautiful Japanese screen when she is going to have friends over who are of a more ‘mundane’ view point. When she is going to do magikal workings she then places the screen so it is behind her to form an area to help focus her energy and it aids in her concentration.



And an acquaintance of mine showed me her indoor sacred space in the basement of her home, she made a deal with her husband, he could have his man-cave next to the family garage, but she wanted her own space, just off the laundry room in the basement, so with sealing it against damp, doing earthquake retro-fitting, putting up walls and painting the walls white and laying down linoleum that looks like wood and installing a Franklin type stove she has her sacred space that is hers and only hers.

It can be done it just takes imagination.

Now Ms. Q I am going to look over my previous posts and see what else I need to talk about, I know you have given me a lot of questions but my fingers can only type so much and only so fast, and I also want to make clear to you not only what works but also any pitfalls you may encounter.

March 5, 2014 is going to be Ash Wednesday, a perfect time to start your spring cleaning and afterwards doing your spiritual cleansing of both your home and your sacred space.

You should have it all done by Holy Thursday which is the day before Good Friday, because there will be a Full Moon on April 15 and it needs to be done by then if you wish to do it during the season of Lent, because you will need the last few days leading to Easter Sunday to rest, meditate and draw in those positive energies to aid you.

If however you cannot do it at that time, but later, at least do a spring cleaning, get rid of clutter and organize your home it will be the first step that you will need to take

Blessings Ms. Q