Hello Aquarean Readers! Welcome back for part two of our Cleansing Series. Last month we went over a few cleansing practices while deep cleaning your sacred space(s). What we’re going to hone in on this month is banishing and protecting yourself from negative energy.
Negative energy manifestations are frequent in today's society. Just stop and think about your own triggers for a moment. Do you get angry when you hear about another social injustice on the news to the point you’re stewing about it for days? Are there members of your family you can’t stand during gatherings and you ruminate on conversations you could have with them as a means to prepare yourself for the encounter? Does your job overwhelm you to the point you have trouble sleeping because there’s too much to do even though you’re working 10-12 hours a day? If you can relate to any of the above scenarios then you understand just how easy negative energy can start manifesting within you and around your space.
With mental health awareness on the rise, we see just how common anxiety, depression, bipolar, obsessive compulsion disorders (OCD), and other diagnoses are among the populace, and with good reason given the world we live in. I have been diagnosed with anxiety, depression, and OCD; I can say first hand the struggle is real trying to contain the negative thoughts and behavioral patterns so that they don’t dominate my day; I use a combination of therapy and medication to help me manage symptoms. But I also have banishing and protection practices I utilize to ensure the negative energy doesn’t become stagnant and manifest further.
Banishing
1.) Smoke Cleanse yourself and your home once a week. Open up a window, a door, or any exit leading to the outside so that the energy has a clear path to leave after you start your smoke cleanse. You can use sage, a collection of protection herbs, palo santo, or anything that works best for you and your intention.
2.) Visualizing while Showering. When I’m feeling particularly stuck in negative energy I will hop in the shower and start to visualize the negativity coming out of my pores and washing away with the water.
3.) Meditation. Deep breathing and visualizing how you’re going to banish negative thoughts and feelings is a great way to cleanse. My personal favorite is to visualize I’m on the bank of a stream and I’ve gathered the negativity and placed it on a giant leaf with some dynamite. As soon as the leaf is released and gets far enough downstream …. I blow it up. The funny imagery usually makes me smile and I start to feel better knowing I can purge the bad vibes.
Protection
1.) Crystals. I LOVE CRYSTALS! I have a nice collection between loose stones, totems, and jewelry. When I want to protect myself (especially heading out in public) I will have on me a combination of protection and grounding crystal jewelry. My personal favorites are my black onyx bracelet (protection), fluorite necklace (negativity blocker), and a piece of raw garnet (grounding) tucked somewhere on my body. You can also place crystals and stones around your home for the same purposes as well. I keep black onyx arrowheads on my windows to repel unwanted energy (and entities) from entering my home.
2.) Gratitude. I am a firm believer that the best offense is a good defense. Take time to either say out loud or write down, a few things you are grateful for can keep negative thoughts and behaviors in check before they can manifest into something greater.
3.) Spell Jars. I am a big fan of creating spell jars you can shake when you need a protection or positivity boost. Spell jars can be as large or as small as you want to craft. For protection jars, I will cleanse them with sage and fill it with dried lemon peels, mint, emerald, and/or onyx, and then I’ll draw a protection rune on the outside of the jar and seal it with white candle wax. You can anoint the jar with a protection oil if you wish after the wax has dried. Pending the size of the jar you can shake it when you need to ward off any negative energy, or keep it on yourself when you’re out and about.
That’s it for now magickal souls. Join me next month regarding energy-charging rituals for your sacred space(s). Be well and stay safe everyone.
