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Clearing
the Atmosphere
 by
Valerie Ann Worwood
Rooms can have
a different atmosphere that cannot always be
attributed to such things as decor, light,
ceiling height, or even good or bad feng shui
— the flow of Ch’i around a home, which
depends on its location and the placement of
doors, windows, furniture, mirrors, and
plants, among other things.
Rooms also
have an aroma that reflects all that is in,
and goes on, there, including: activities such
as cooking; the aroma of things such as
furnishings; and the presence of living beings
such as people, animals, and plants. Humidity
can change an atmosphere, and the aroma of
mildew can these days be treated with various
commercial products and appliances, while the
dryness of central heating can be
counterbalanced with humidifiers. Bear all
these things in mind when considering the
atmosphere of a room or home.
Another factor
is cleanliness. If a place does not feel
conducive to good energy flow, it may simply
need a good clean. We’re not talking here
about untidiness, but uncleanness, the
solution to which is obvious. When thinking
about cleaning in terms of energy, however,
add salt to the water, along with some
essential oils, whatever aroma you enjoy.
As you go
around your home, take a box and throw in all
those items of clutter that you know you will
no longer use, or you don’t really like.
According to the philosophy of feng shui, they
clutter your mind, as well as your home, and
could he given to a charity shop, which may
benefit from them more than you. Washing
windows is especially good for energy flow. It
gives a different look to the outside of a
home, and a different feel to the inside. Add
essential oils to either the water or to the
cloth -- the citrus oils are particularly good
for this job.
Spiritual
Cleansing
Spiritual
cleansing is different to the usual cleaning
routine and involves much more thought, and a
little more preparation. Here is a traditional
method of transforming the subtle energies of
a room. Before you start, focus your mind on
the job at hand, and invoke that which is the
source of your spiritual strength. Pray that
the cleansing will bring light and peace. Mix
a tablespoon of salt with two drops of
frankincense essential oil, and leave it to
dry. Open a window or a door leading to the
outside, which allows circulation of air, then
sprinkle a tiny amount of the mixture around
the room, including the corners, gradually
moving toward the open window or door.
Another
method involves using salt water in a bowl,
wetting the fingers and flicking the water in
all directions, being careful not to damage
certain fabrics and furniture. Essential oils
can be added to this water-salt mix. A very
ancient method is to dip a small bundle of
fresh herbs into salt water, shake off the
excess, and
use this to flick the water around the room.
Some cultures use a small branch of a tree;
you could also use a single flower.
The
spiritual house-cleansing process can be done
while diffusing your favorite essential oils.
Some people pray while cleansing; others use
loud noise, which has often been used to scare
negative elements away. This can be done in
the traditional way, with drums, bells,
rattles, gongs, clapping, or chanting,
although I know people who prefer loud music,
as they feel this is very effective in getting
the energy up and moving. When the atmosphere
feels lightened, use one of the following
cleansing blends of essential oils, or an
essential oil or blend of your choice — in a
diffuser, plant mister, or simply in a bowl or
mug of steaming water. Put on some tranquil
music, light a candle, then have a cleansing
bath — suggestions for which are in a later
section. Finally, put some new life and
happiness in the room or rooms in the form of
plants or flowers.
Misters
and sprayers
One effective
method of distributing the essential oil
molecules around a space is by using a plant
mister or sprayer. Using a new one, put in
half a pint of warm water, then add six to ten
drops of essential oil — or more if you wish
— screw back the cap, and shake well each
time before spraying. Spray high into the air,
making sure the water-essential oil molecules
will not fall on any furniture or furnishings
that may become damaged. The space around
people can also be sprayed with these “aura
cleansing sprays,” but the eyes must be kept
closed.
Water
bowls
Hot water
releases the aroma molecules in essential oils
and sends them rising into the air. Any glass
or china heatproof bowl or container can be
used. Put three to ten drops of essential oil
on the water, and place the bowl or bowls in
the corners of the room.
Essential
oil cleansing bundles
Make a
collection of smelling strips by cutting up a
piece of white absorbent paper into long
strips. Put your chosen essential oils on
these. They can be gathered together like a
bunch of flowers, and tied with bows, or
plaited, and in other ways made decorative.
Use them to spread cleansing- and
energy-enhancing fragrance around a room.
Energy-Cleansing
Baths
Every time we
walk into an enclosed space, whether it is at
work, on the bus, in a shop, cinema, or
theater, we are putting ourselves in contact
with other people’s electromagnetic fields.
Our auras mingle, for example, when standing
shoulder to
shoulder with other commuters in an
underground train during rush hour. Some of
these people may be disturbed, distressed, or
depressed and in other ways energetically
needy. The interaction of energies between
people involves a give-and-take. There is the
good giving, when we feel enriched
energetically, and there is the kind of giving
that comes from a very “hyper” person,
which leaves one feeling exhausted.
With
taking, the issue is willingness to donate
that energy. We don’t mind giving energy to
our children, for example, and we freely allow
the people we love to take energy from us,
even though it may leave us feeling depleted.
But there is also the taking when people draw
the energy out of us, a kind of energetic
violation, although most energy vampires may
not consciously be aware of what they’re
doing. I’ve found that many of these people
have been energetically abused at some time in
the past and have an unstable personal
boundary.
This is not
just a physical-presence phenomenon, because
we can find ourselves giving and taking in
relation to another person, even over the
phone. In fact, we don’t even need that
equipment, because we can hear the phone
ringing on the other side of the room, and
know from the change in our energy that on the
end of the line is a specific someone we don’t
want to talk to. When they say their name,
they just confirm what we had already sensed
in some inexplicable way.
The effect
of all this can be disturbing to our own
vibrational pattern, and there may be times
when we feel the need of a spiritually
cleansing bath. The purpose of this is to
"wash off" the unwanted thought
forms or energies we may have picked up.
Spiritual cleansing is about preserving the
integrity of our spiritual core. It is of
particularly great importance when we’ve had
the unfortunate experience of being in touch
— which may not be literal — with a person
whose vibration is altogether more nefarious.
Energy-cleansing
baths are not about removing everyday grime
and pollution, which should be done first, by
having a shower or bath and washing with soap.
First, clear and enhance the atmosphere by
using one of the methods in the Clearing the
Atmosphere section. Open the window or door to
oxygenate the room. Some of the old traditions
would use sound at this point, with clapping,
chanting, drumbeat, singing, praying,
laughing, shaking rattles, or shouting, and if
your inclination is to use sound, you could
use one of those methods, or check through
your music collection for something that seems
appropriate!
For people
who want to bring in the four elements of
water, earth, fire, and air, these are already
present. The water flows into the bath; the
earth comes from
the salt or crystals you place in the water;
the fire comes from the candles you now place
around the bath; and the air comes from the
fresh air you have just
allowed in the room and the aroma of the
essential oils you will use.
Essential
oils on their own are rather unique among the
gifts of life in that they incorporate in some
sense all four elements — they are liquid
and thus waterlike; they are products of
plants of the earth; they are flammable and
burn like fire; and they release a fragrance
that is part of the air.
Bathing or
being submerged in water is a sacred symbolic
ritual in many traditions, often signifying
full entry into a particular practice or way
of worship. It also symbolizes rebirth and
change, whether this is a change in the
direction of life or in its purpose. Cleaning
invisible energies with water is an everyday
occurrence at nuclear power stations around
the world, as workers finish their shift with
a shower to assist in removing any radiation.
Bathing is about being “clean” in many
senses.
 This article is
excerpted with permission from her book The Fragrant Heavens -
the spiritual dimension of fragrance and aromatherapy published
by New World Library, Novato, CA 94949. Toll free ordering at
800-972-6657 Ext. 52. Visit their website www.newworldlibrary.com.
Info/Order this book.
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PAPER INCENSE:
Paper
soaked in the resins of
frankincense, myrrh, and benzoin --
when the paper incense
is burned,
the properties of the resins are released.
Other
fragrances also available.
For more info visit
InnerSelf's
Mighty Natural Marketplace
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