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

Cleansing and Warding your home Major Action~~~~

Now Ms. Q,

I am also going to recommend that you read all the posts that have the labels "warding" or Protection in them.  Read them carefully as a matter of fact print them out.

Reason is I do not want to have to re-type all that information all over again, it would make my fingers hurt.

Each and every bit of information in those earlier posts are important for your warding your home,  but first you have to cleans your home before you ward it.

Now if you have a lot of stuff in your house, and wall to wall carpeting it's going to be very hard to clean,
that is why I prefer a house that has hardwood floors.  And some hardwood floors do not take to being washed very well, ruins the finish, so this is where it's going to be handzie-kneezie yup, you're going to have to get down on your hands and knees to do this.

If this is a new place you're moving into, see if you can keep your stuff in the moving truck for one day, or plan on being there the day before you move in to do this.  This is espeically true when you are renting an apartment or a house, do take those photos for your own personal records.  You may have to get permission from the landlord or the real Estate agent, make an excuse, say you want to take time-stamped pictures of the condition of the place before you move in for your personal records (that is really a good practice to do).  And that you want to measure for drapes and curtains espeically if the place doesn't have any.

If you are lucky to have the place empty then you can do this cleansing ritual and then follow it with the warding ritual before you move anything into it.

However if you have already moved in you must first un-clutter your home/apartment, you must get rid of what you are not using, don't need, never used, broken etc, donate it  or toss it.  This includes your closets, clothing, pantry, storage etc.  I mean why do you keep that old bike with the busted wheel and broken chain if you are never going to fix it, don't even think of the "well maybe I might"  that does not exist,  so the first part of your cleansing is CLEANING. 

Then put your home into order and have it organized.  If you have craft things in bits and pieces and You KNOW you are going to work with it, then put it all into a plastic bin with a lid and label what it is, etc. everything.

And if you haven't done that, espeically after I bloged about it in my previous post, then any spiritual work or protection will NOT work for you,  you have got to do the physical before you can do the spiritual, because once you do that physical cleaning you will begin to feel the energy improve, so everything will fall into place and begin working on the spiritual level as well.


So consider simplifying your life, so very important.

Now that is if you are already moved in.

The 2nd thing whether you've moved in or are going to move in is you need to get these supplies first for cleansing and 2nd for warding.

FOR THIS YOU WILL NEED----


New Buckets at least 2,

new mop,

new broom that's the oldfashioned broomstraw type broom
(not the modern ones with plastic bristles),

new clean white cloths,

either white vinigar or Pine-Sol with lemon,

Lemon Pledge or a funiture cleaner with lemon in it,

Sea or Kosher Salt,

enough white tea lights for each room of the house,

one tall white candle for the front door that has been anoited with Van-Van or Firey Wall of Protection oil

holy water from a church,

a speical floor wash made of distilled water--Pine-sol----Van-Van oil--and the salt,

An oil called Firey Wall of Protection,

copies of the 23 and 37 pslam to read,

Sage smuge stick and a dish to catch the ashes or sparks,

a bic lighter to light the candles and Smuge stick,

a spray bottle to hold holy water,

and a bouquet of fresh flowers in a vase to purchase later.
The ritual is very time consuming and what I am describing is if the place is completely empty but it will also work if you've already moved in but everything has been physically cleaned and is in order.

It can be done by one person, but it will be a long process if possible have at least 2 people to help you, perhaps a 3rd person to keep an eye on the doors so no stranger will come in, because you will need to have the front door and back
door open, and all the windows so doing this in the winter or during a rain
storm is not a good thing to do. It must be done in daylight and sometimes it
can take up to two days to do RIGHT.

After you have physically done a complete physical house cleaning of your home
what you are going to do next will seem like you're repeating yourself but this time
will be spiritually protecting your home.
First

Open all the doors to the cabinets, closets, doors to other rooms, open drawers

and leave them open, anything closed---open it, expose it to the light and air.

Any storage space inside your home, and if you have a washer and dryer open

those doors or lids as well.

Put some sea or Kosher salt into a muslin bag. Then take a shower wash youself with a pure soap such as Ivory, rise and then take the muslin bag of sea salt as the water is flowing down on you allow it to wash over you,

Say as you are being rinsed by the water with sea salt "Cleanse me with Hyssop Oh Lord, so that I will be as clean as the whitest snow", after you have done that get out of the shower and air dry as much as possible or pat yourself dry if need be.

Put on clean clothes to do this next phase.
Into one bucket pour in a large amount of distilled water (you can buy this at

the grocery store), add to that the Lemon Pine-Sol or white vinigar, a table spoon of sea or kosher salt,

a table spoon of Van-Van oil, a few drops of Holy water. Say over this the 23 psalm.
Pour the holy water into your new spray bottle, say the 23 psalm over that as well.
The other items have in reserve to use after the spiritual washing is done.
Starting at the back of your home or back door if you have it, if not then the

room that is the farthest from the front door wash in a clock-wise direction with water

you have mixed in the

bucket and the clean white cloths,

start washing from the top of the room and that means the ceiling and light fixtures and work

all the way down the windows, doors, door frames, baseboards floors, walls, the insides

of closets, open drawers, cupboards,

window sills and window frames, door sills, the knobs on the

doors and handles on the drawers, base boards, open the shower door and wash the bath tube,
the inside of the shower, remove and replace the
shower curtains with new ones every year, and VERY CAREFULLY wipe down outlets,
and light switches, WARNING---DO NOT STICK THE DAMP CLOTH INSIDE THE LIGHT FIXTURE YOU WILL GET AN ELECTRIC SHOCK THAT WILL KILL YOU so when you clean around the area where the light bulbs screw in to the light fixture be very, Very Careful----NOW
WARNING TAKE GREAT CARE TO NOT HAVE IT WET, JUST USE A DAMP CLOTH, YOU DO NOT WANT TO GET AN ELECTRIC SHOCK.

As you are washing the rooms repeat the 23 and 37 psalm as you are cleaning the rooms you must continously do this, with each step of the spiritual cleansing.
That is why it is important to have a 2nd or 3rd person with you for safety,

now some people will use a spiritual cleansing wash made with Florida Water and that will work too, but there is something very antisptic about using Pine-Sol as a matter of fact many Hoodoo and Voodoo practioners in the U.S. will substitue that for a wash made of Pine needles.
Use your mop to mop the floors your kitchen, bathroom, laundry room and finally your basement if it has a cement floor or linolium floor, if you have hardwood floors get on your hands and knees and wipe with a damp cloth but not so damp that it will  cause the floor to warp or take any hardwood floor finish off. If you have rugs or espeically wall to wall carpeting, take your new  broom dip the straw end into the water and gently sweep your rugs with it, be careful because this wash can cause a rug to be stained  so use good judgement, if your rugs are light colored then take the spray bottle with holy water and spray the rugs with that and then sweep in a clockwise movement sweeping the negative energy out of the house. Don't forget to pray.

You should end at the threshold of the front door, wipe down the entire molding of the door and the threshold, finish at the threshold of the door, wipe down the molding from the outside of the house and the threshold. As you pour some of the remaining salt/water mixture in a line in front of any doors leading in and out of the house be sure to recite the names of all who live in the house and all those whom you wish to pass freely in and out, including all pets that need to go in and out. This allows them to move with ease across the boundaries that you are setting up. Now this might be hard if you are living in an apartment so what you want to do is take a more wet clean cloth and wipe that line across the threshold, this would include any sliding doors. Continue to pray.

Now set the bucket(s) of water to one side and go back into each room, take your budle of sage carefully light it and then have  it smolder raising smoke, if you have smoke alarms turn them off temporaily, and in a clock-wise direction circle each room and smuge it reciting both the 23 and 37 psalm, at each widow and  each mirror move the sage-smuge stick in the clock-wise direction, also smuge the inside of the closets, inside drawers and cabinets (including  the medicine cabinet), do this from attic to basement, ending at the front door.
But before you leave each room light a tea light in a safe spot, have it in an enclosed glass jar to burn safely, now you do not have to do it in the attic  but if the attice has a light turn it on and leave it on for 48 hours and spray it with holy water, in the basement you can burn a tea light but also  turn on an electric light and leave it on for 48 hours, smuge it and spray it with holy water in both areas as in your rooms recite the 23 and 37 psalm, allow the tea lights to burn themselves out. Continue to pray.
Then as a final measure take your bucket of mop water and mop your front porch and steps if they are made of wood, then from the sidewalk inward toward your front door, subsitute an an outdoors straw broom dip it into the water and sweep from the sidewalk that leads to your front door, use that broom exclusively for this purpose. This is to bring in the desired influences (positivity, luck, money, protection, etc.) now if you live in an apartment building with an outside upper level walk way then sweep at least the lenght of your apartment on both sides   down the walk way, if you own or rent a house and you have a drive way, do the same with that broom all the way to the street. Continue to pray.

Now as I said work from the back of the house towards the front of the house, the last place to wash will be the bottom of your door sill or door

Threshold then on a table at your front door threshold, light the white pillar candle and say "I banish all negative energies from this place, this place will be a home of love, and peace, those who come in love and peace are welcomed, those who come in negativity are denied and banished from here." Let that candle burn itself out in a safe enclosed glass container, and if its night and you need to close the door do so.

Then go back into each room that has a door and a window, this includes Attic and basement and bathroom, at the top and bottom of each door frame, of each window frame, draw a cross with your finger tip with the oil and say "In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, All that is negative and harmful is banished from here in the name of the Holy Trinity I so will it."
Finally, take the bucket(s) of used mop water to a crossroads far from your home and throw it over your left shoulder into the center of the crossroads toward the rising sun and walk away without looking back.

But if you cannot do that without calling attention to yourself, then just before the sun rises, take that water far from your home where no one will see you and tossed it at the base of a very large and sturdy tree, as it will absorb into the earth the residual energy.

When you toss the water say "In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost I banish thee", walk away and don't look back.
Then follow up with putting a bouquet of fresh flowers in the center room of your home.

Now this is a major house cleansing, and should be done once a year, you can do minor spiritual house cleansings through out the year,but if you have one room that you do your major magikal workings you may have to do that at least 4 times a year, some people will do it at the equinoxes and  solisites, some on the holidays as celebrated by witches such as All Hallow's Oct 31, Candlemas Feb 2, Beltane May 1, and Lammas Aug 1.
I personally prefer to do it before major Catholic Holidays such as before Ash Wednesday, Before Advent, The ascension of Jesus, the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin, But when you are going to do a Major House Cleansing do it before Easter, the time of Lent works very well to prepare for the Resurection of Jesus.

When I have a chance I'll post how to do a minor house cleansing.
Now if you are all ready living there and decided to take that step it's a bit harder.
First doing one room at a time move all the furniture out of the room, roll up the carpet, take the drapes down and have them cleaned, wash the curtains, be prepared to be roughing it for at least a week or more, you will be physically cleaning the house, but it will take longer. 

Once you have all your funiture, appliances, rugs, curtains, drapes cleaned, then toss out all your used sponges, replace you shower curtains with new ones the same with your dish cloths that you use for drying your dishes, and have everything organized, then you can do the major spiritual house cleaning.

If you have a yard, clean out all the debrie, and weeds, if you have a patio include it as part of your ritual house cleansing as I describe if you were doing the driveway and/or walkways,  Bless your yard with holy water, and light a candle in a glass container and burn sage in a fireproof safe container.

Then you can follow up with using Iron spikes to nail down your property (see other postings) and include a holy water font to bless yourself each time you go out to work, visiting or running errands and upon your return.  Once your house is cleansed and you've used firey Wall of Protection you are in the process of warding your home, the spikes, holy water font and other things that I have mentioned in previous posts will be far more effective.  This would include crystals and mirrors placed in windows to reflect back negativity.

See my other posts on that.

And once I recover I will post how to do a minor house cleansing.

Blessings Ms. Q