19 Apr Sacred Space – your home is your castle
Written by Katina Benis – Feng Shui consultant, Sacred Space healer and lecturer.
‘Our homes are mirrors of ourselves. They reflect our interests, our beliefs, our hesitations, our spirit and our passion. They tell a story about how we feel about ourselves and the world around us.’ (Denise Linn)
We have all had the experience of walking into a room, or building that feels good, and places that make us feel uncomfortable for no apparent reason. We can’t quite put our finger on it, it’s just a’ feeling’ we have. The space may be clean and spacious, and nicely decorated, but what we are reacting to is actually more than just the physical surroundings. On an intuitive level, we pick up on the energy of any and every space we enter. Everything is energy, this includes your home and everything in it. Your home is not just bricks and mortar, it is a living being, it is alive, and has consciousness. What happens, and has happened in this space, whether good or bad, is imprinted in its fabric. That is, the walls, furniture, furnishings, etc. spaces don’t become empty because people leave them physically, energetic patterns remain in the subtle field of the environment even after we physically leave a space, and this can affect how a particular space feels. This is why space clearing is so valuable, especially in your own home. Space clearing is more than just spring cleaning or getting rid of clutter, although those are important first steps.
Space clearing is an ancient art of cleansing and purifying a space so as to remove negative, disharmonious, stagnant energies, and replace them with positive, beneficial energies, and offers you a ‘fresh’ start. Historically honouring the spirit of a place has been acknowledged by most aboriginal cultures, as well as the Druids, in Pagan tradition and by the North American Indians. There are no steadfast rules to carrying out a space clearing ceremony, but some are more involved than others. The most important thing is to determine what your intentions are for your home and what you want to invite into your life. The more focused you are about your vision, the easier it is to manifest the home of your dreams. Reasons as to why you may need a space clearing are many, below are just a few:
- Moving into a new house
- After a divorce or death
- Before bringing a new baby home
- To clear predecessor energy left over from previous occupants
- After violence or arguments
- Aboriginal sacred site (this may require Aboriginal elders)
- Feeling of a ‘presence’
CASE STUDY: Since moving into her apartment, Ms M. felt suffocated as though she couldn’t breathe almost like the ‘rooms were closing in on her’. Clutter wasn’t an issue, however after talking to the neighbours I discovered that the previous tenant suffered from agoraphobia, and was terrified of leaving her home. These built up emotions along with frustration, anxiety, and depression over many years had imprinted themselves into the very fabric of the apartment. I explained that energy that is stuck in a place is bound to replicate and manifest in your life if you don’t do anything about it. So together we carried out a space clearing ceremony. The results were immediate and spoke for themselves. Her apartment felt lighter, brighter, and took on a clearer quality. She commented on how the space now felt as though a breeze of fresh air had gone through her home, as if a light had been turned on, and that it was much easier to breathe.
During a space clearing ceremony, a variety of tools may be used, as they alter the energy in a space, and energise your five senses. Smells can soothe, flames that radiate from candles can purify, sounds that emanate from bells, drums and singing bowls can break up and clear stagnant energies, sage can attach to and remove negative energies, just to name a few. The benefits of a space clearing ceremony are numerous:
- Can create a feeling of ease, well-being and peace
- Removes feelings of’ stuckness’, and stagnancy
- Clears predecessor energy, so as you can imprint your own energy
- Improves sleep
- Increases energy and vitality
- Improves communication
- Eliminates tension
- Leaves you feeling clearer
- Allows the body and soul to recharge
Want to learn more? Katina Benis conducts training in Sacred Space in Melbourne, Gold Coast and Sydney.
This course focuses on the ethical principles and responsibilities associated with spiritual work. Grounding techniques are strongly emphasized in order to provide students with the ability to protect themselves from unseen forces. Students will be given a theoretical and practical framework with which to enhance their intuitive abilities in order to identify and address stagnant and/or negative energies in a building. Students will also learn how to create a sacred space through the implementation of banishing and invoking rituals. This will be achieved through the use of colour, smell, sound and sacred shaman rituals that have traditionally been used by the North American Indians and Wicca traditions.For more detail, phone the Australian College of Environmental Studies on 1300 889 845.