Clearing a Space

From Spells for the Modern Mystic
By Kelley & Brandon Knight

Especially powerful for clearing and resetting emotional energy, the Clearing a Space ritual is highly effective for a single or multi-room home, office, or other place where you spend significant time. If there has been a bad disagreement or discord in the space, or it just feels stale somehow, performing this ritual is a perfect way to get a fresh start. 

The ritual works on the premise that “old energy” will be cleared out of the space with fire and salt, then replaced with powerful celestial energy provided by watchers, angelic beings whom you will invite into the ceremony. Those practicing spell work sometimes call on Watchers to protect the ritual space. They are believed to observe the rite; their supportive presence is thought to amplify its impact. The oldest magickal orders believe there is a direct correlation between the powers of the practitioner and the level of her connection to the watchers. The stronger the connection to the watchers, the more effective the practitioner.

In this ritual, we will enhance the power of the clearing by calling on the Watchers of the four cardinal directions to bring in their energy as it relates to each of the four elements. Rather than relying solely on your own energy, you'll be partnering with powerful beings who will continue to transform the energy of the space on your behalf after the salt burning is completed. The shift will be palpable. The energy of the room will feel lighter, and people entering the space will feel their mood elevate and their body relax.

This ritual should be treated as an act of devotion. In other words, move slowly and deliberately as you perform it, tending to the items you're using to conduct it with care, and focusing fully on each step. Because you are asking angelic beings of power to participate, it's important to show reverence and respect for their contribution.

It's a good idea to do this ritual every couple of months to keep the energy in the space positive.

SAFETY PRECAUTIONS

 This ritual involves igniting salt inside a bowl, so it is vital that the bowl be flame resistant. A four-quart stainless steel mixing bowl is the best choice, although it can be larger if that's what you have on hand. Once the bowl is used for this ritual, it should be used exclusively for burning ritual papers as needed for other spells in this book. 

Igniting the salt creates a small fire that can reach up to 2 ft in height. Be sure to perform the ritual in a space at the center of the room to be cleared, moving any nearby items or furniture well out of the way. Make sure there's ample space around and above the bowl in any space you clear -  at least 2 ft in all directions. When you pour the salt into the bowl, be sure it's spread evenly across the bottom so that the fire burns evenly, too.  Rubbing alcohol is highly flammable, so wash your hands well after pouring it into the bowl. If it spills on your clothing or the towel, replace these items before you light the mixture. It's also a good idea to have some water and a small, portable fire extinguisher or extinguishing spray nearby; many of these can be operated with one hand and are not much bigger than a household flashlight.

If you're clearing a single-story building, start with the room farthest away from the main entrance, then work room by room to the opposite end of the building. When clearing a multi-floor space, start on the highest floor in the room farthest from the front door, then work room by room to the opposite end of the building. Repeat the process on each floor below. 

SETUP

You will need

• Small hand towel
• Medium size stainless steel bowl
• ½ cup Epsom salt or sea salt, per room
• ¼ cup rubbing alcohol, per room
• Long-reach lighter or matches
• Small, readily portable fire-extinguisher or fire-extinguishing spray

1. With all supplies within an arm's reach, kneel in the center of the room. If you're unable to kneel, sit in a chair or stand. Take a moment to focus on the task at hand. 
2. Place the hand towel on the floor about 1 ft in front of you; lay the bowl on top of it. Pour 1/2 cup of Epsom salt and 1/4 cup of rubbing alcohol into the bowl;  you do not need to mix it, as the liquid is absorbed quickly. Light the rubbing alcohol and salt mixture.
3. Kneeling in front of the fire, place your hands on your heart and gaze into the flame.  Breathe deeply and evenly, and envision unwanted energy being drawn into the bowl.  Attend the fire until it extinguishes completely. If you're clearing only one room, skip to step 5. If you're clearing more rooms, continue to step 4.
4. The bowl will be very hot, so wrap the towel around it to protect your hands and move it to the next room, then gather the remaining materials from the first room and bring them in. Repeat this process in every room: layer the half cup of salt and the quarter cup of rubbing alcohol, kneel with your hands on your heart, and envision the unwanted energies being drawn into and burned by the fire.
5. When you're done, stand in the center of the space (if you're clearing only one room), or stand in the center of the most central room of the building. Invite in celestial energy by singing each angel's name:
   Face North and sing “Auriel”
   Face East and sing “Raphael”
   Face South and seeing “Michael”
   Face West and sing “Gabriel”
6.  Remain at the center of the room or the most central part of the building. Kneel and imagine these four bold, beautiful celestial beings standing in the four far corners of the space. Say aloud:
   “Celestial beings of light of the highest realms, please fill this space with liquid white light. From room to room, and corner to corner, fill the space with your blessings and remain until every inch of this space is saturated with the healing and cleansing power of grace.”
7.  In closing, thank the celestial beings for their blessing: bow in gratitude to them. Take a deep, cleansing breath. When you're ready to leave the space, gather your materials.
8.  Rinse the bowl with dish soap and warm water. The salt will dissolve but the black soot marks might remain. That's perfectly fine. Use this bowl again for ritual work only.