Clearing a space

A new year brings new energy with it, and the tradition says a house does best if it starts the year with a clean slate. In feng shui that means a space clearing.

Have you ever walked into a house and felt that something was off? Maybe not the whole house. One room, or one corner, and a funny feeling you could not explain.

The idea is that we all leave an imprint of our energy where we live and work, and the heavy kind tends to linger. It can come from the people living there now or from the people who lived there before. A space clearing is said to move the old energy out so fresh energy can come in. Think of it as a spring clean you cannot see.

After many years in one house there is a lot of living in the walls. Most of it is good. Some of it you may be ready to let go.

When to do it

The tradition is particular about this. Do it in the morning. Never at sunset, and never on an overcast or rainy day. It also says to do the clearing yourself rather than hand it to someone else.

In January that can mean waiting a while for a bright morning. In Ontario, possibly a week or two.

With sound

Start at the front door. Walk counterclockwise around the whole house, going into every room and following its walls, while you ring a bell or tap a small gong. Use one you love the sound of. Temple bells are lovely for this.

Mirrors, fresh air, sunshine and light are all used for clearing too, so open the curtains as you go.

With scent

This is called smudging. A smudge wand is a bundle of dried sage, pine or other plants tied with thread. You light the end, blow out the flame and let it smoke. Carry it in a fireproof bowl and walk the same route you would with the bell, counterclockwise from the front door. A feather or a small branch helps you wave the smoke into the corners.

The tradition gives each plant its own purpose.

• White sage. Cleansing and protection.
• White sage with pine. To attract prosperity.
• Sweetgrass. To drive out bad influences and draw good ones in.
• Frankincense and myrrh. To bring yin and yang into balance in the house.

Keep a window open a crack, keep the bowl under the wand, and put it out properly when you are done.

When you have finished, the house is said to be clear and ready for new energy. Ready, as I used to put it, for love.

From the archive. First written for my journal years ago, and rewritten for life after 50.