Are you willing to stretch your comfort zone a bit?
Walk with me as we explore something many spiritual seekers have never been aware of. It’s about the need to cleanse our sacred space and the tremendous advantage that doing so can give us.
In my previous article, I shared about the value of setting up a sacred space in your home. This time I’d like to share how to make that sacred space even more potent.
Washing the Dust Off
When you hear the word “cleanse,” what are you likely to think of?
Maybe removing physical things like dust, dirt, and the usual messes using brooms, wet rags, vacuums, and more. Physical cleanliness in sacred space is important, however, it’s just the beginning.
Most people are unaware of the fact that before gatherings occur in public sacred spaces, cleansing ceremonies are done by a spiritual leader. This is true for churches, temples, mosques, and synagogues. It’s part of the preparation.
Those ceremonial cleansings address the invisible realm of the sacred space. In your sacred space at home, you can do the same preparation to clear away the invisible energetic debris.
Energetic Debris
“Everything is energy and that’s all there is to it.”
Albert Einstein
Do you agree that all of life is made up of energy particles? While they might not be visible to most, they do exist. These particles form into fields and patterns around us. Some of them are positive, affirming, and life-giving. Others are negative, depressing, and generally destructive. The negative particles are the energetic debris.
Whichever particles are more abundant in your sacred space—negative or positive—those particles automatically attract more of the same. To have the most effective results in your sacred space, you need to clear out the energetic debris. Ideally, you’ll do this each time before using it.
I’ve often been asked, “Does sacred space really need energetic cleansing?” This is such a valid question! After all, if the space is used for sacred activity, it would automatically clear out negative energy, right?
There’s truth in this. The use of a space for sacred practice does create a higher energy vibration in that spot. Compare this to watching TV in the living room. However, for sacred space to be at its utmost effectiveness, you must clear out the negative and strengthen the positive.
Two Purposes of Cleansing Sacred Space
There are two purposes for cleansing your sacred space each time you use it:
The first purpose: keep negative energy out.
It’s like the thorns on a rose bush—the thorns discourage creatures from eating the roses. The cleansing ceremony is a declaration that the space is yours alone. Like creatures in nature, we “mark” our territory. It’s a statement that nothing’s welcome to enter—visible or invisible—without your invitation.
The second purpose: keep positive energy in.
As you spend regular time in your sacred space, you build up positive energy within it. It’s like an energetic charging station for us.
Over time though—like a battery—if it isn’t kept charged, its energy dissipates and runs dry. Containing the positive energy in your sacred space keeps the charge strong. In my cleansing ceremony, I imagine wrapping my sacred space in a cone of white light. It’s like an invisible, yet solid veil that holds the positive energy in place until the next time I use it.
Cleanse your sacred space to keep negative energy out and keep positive energy in. You’ll experience better results in your spiritual practices which leads to you experiencing better results out in the world.
Wow! How Do I Do That?
Believe me, there are many ceremonies for cleansing sacred space, ranging from traditional to brand new. They run from the very simple to the extremely elaborate.
A very basic ceremony looks like this: physically clean your space with your full attention in the now. While doing this, say out loud any spiritual mantra, chant, or prayer.
In more traditional belief systems, such as Native American and Jewish lineages, sage smoke is used for cleansing. A sage bundle is lit to create smoke and then is motioned around the circle and the individuals in the space.
Wiccan and Hermetic lineages walk around the circle of sacred space. They stop at each of the directions to say a prayer. In the Zimbabwe lineage, they might start with spilling opaque beer to mark the space. Then, they too recite a phrase for each of the directions. They finish by sitting and joining their feet in the center.
Christians use many different ceremonies to banish negativity in the church building. Some use incense or holy water while reciting a prayer to consecrate it to Jesus Christ. Others kneel or hold up a cross while saying a prayer.
In some Muslim homes, tobacco or wood smoke is used to cleanse a room that’ll be used for a sacred purpose such as the birth or naming of a child.
I’m Just a Beginner—Do I Really Need to Cleanse My Sacred Space?
No, you don’t have to cleanse your sacred space. However, if doing so might help you achieve better results in your sacred space, wouldn’t it be worth a try? I recommend you experiment at first.
The greatest challenge for almost everyone is to figure out what cleansing ceremony to use. Be creative! There are endless traditions from which to gather ideas! Combine parts from different ones and then add your own unique parts. Or create a brand new one from scratch.
Once you settle on one that you like, take time to memorize, practice, and refine it. Be patient with yourself as you craft one that works best for you. Whatever ceremony you decide to use, just make sure that it touches you in an authentic way. For it to be effective, it needs to be comfortable and inspirational to you. Remember, I’m here if you need help with this.
Ready for Takeoff!
Observe your meditation results over time and make note of how your cleansing ceremony is working. You should feel better and better in your sacred space as time goes on.
Concentration should become stronger. You should feel highly energized for longer periods after you leave it—it’s true! Your raised energy will amplify the Divine within you, inspiring and guiding you along your way. Just imagine the impact you can have on the world by having this energetic “charging station” to launch from each day.
As always, I invite you to explore these topics in your own unique way—by yourself or with others. Share with me on how it’s going and what blocks you’re running into. You can use the comment section below, or for more privacy, email me at Info@TreeofLifeSanctuary.org.
I’ve devoted my life to the uncovering of my Divine self. Because of the blissful results, I also support fellow seekers in the uncovering of their Divine self. One way I do this is through the Your Path~Your Spiritual Satisfaction group coaching program that I created. It includes a self-assessment on the topics I’ve discussed in this article.
If you’d like to learn more about it, please join me and the Tree of Life Sanctuary coaching team in one of our regular complimentary information gatherings. Click here to learn more.
Written by Laura Abernathy