Cleaning like a Witch Pt. 2
Last week I shared some ways I like to energetically cleanse my home (aka sacred space) in the HOW TO CLEAN LIKE A WITCH post. Today we’re going a little deeper down the rabbit hole and introduce some more ways to add magick to your cleaning routine.
First, start off with a purge. I know, it’s a big task. But once you’ve cleared out some forgotten and no longer needed items the next phases are significantly easier. It’s also important to note that this doesn’t need to be done in a single day. Taking on these tasks one at a time helps to stay present and enjoy the process. We’ll start off with the purge because it gives us the opportunity to shed a little skin. To lighten the load and let any accumulated energy move. We check in with our current belongings and appreciate the time we’ve spent with them thus far and decide if we will keep it or give it a new home. Marie Kondo is inspirational for completing this process. Her book or her show on Netflix will surely get you motivated!
Declutter
Anything that remains after the purge but isn’t in its home needs to get put away! Random cell phone chargers, today’s mail, your mug from this morning’s coffee - all of it needs to find its place. Making a habit of incorporating these routines will keep things tidy and make cleaning less daunting.
Otherworldly Window Washing
That’s right! This witch is making window washing magickal. With a few simple ingredients you’ll have streak free windows. You’ll need 1 cup of hot water, 1 cup of rubbing alcohol, 4 tbsp cornstarch, lemon essential oil, orange essential oil and an amber glass spray bottle. Add all ingredients in spray bottle and shake to combine. I use about 40 drops of each oil but adjust to your liking. Spray windows and use a microfiber cloth to wipe clean. During a deep clean I also like to vacuum out any debris from the base of the window before sprinkling with baking soda and spraying with vinegar. Make sure to get in the corners good with the baking soda, when the vinegar is added a reaction occurs and will fizz up built up dirt to be wiped away.
Home Blessing Spell
A clear vessel with a cork/lid
Salt for Protection
Lavender for Peace & Love
Rosemary for Rest & Rejuvenation
Sage for Purification
Candle
Funnel (optional)
Light a candle and clear your mind. Focus on gathering your energy at your center while you collect the materials. Use a funnel (or sheet of paper rolled into a cone shape) fill the jar in layers with herbs and salt. As you fill the jar think about each addition and the properties it brings and infuse the jar with your intentions. You could write a poem or simply keep positive thoughts at the forefront of your mind while you cast the spell. To complete the process and seal the jar, close the jar and extinguish the flame of your candle. Use the melted wax from the candle and carefully pour over the jar lid to seal fully.
Magick Floor Wash
Mop with sun water in the spring to welcome the vibrant spring and summer energy into the home. Moon water in the fall to welcome the introspective fall and winter energy.
To make sun water fill a vessel with clean water and place outside in a sunny location for 4+ hours. Store in sealed jar for use.
To make moon water fill a vessel with clean water and place outside under the moonlight for 4+ hours or overnight. Store in a sealed jar. Don’t forget to label your jars sun or moon and the date. Note: water charged under the full moon or during equinox would be especially potent for this task!
Add a sage and lavender infusion to the mop water to promote healing energy within the home and bring peace of mind to the residents. Sage helps to banish negativity while purifying the space and lavender is for love and luck. The week of the New Moon is the ideal timing to complete the physical act of mopping.
Sweep of Intention
Sweep daily. At the beginning of a New Moon week, a sweep of intention. Whilst sweeping your home (this can be done just hovering over the floor or actually touching for double duty) visualize yourself actually sweeping away negative energy. Start in the furthest corner from the door always so the energy is ushered outward, I recommend opening a window for the energy to exit as well. When sweeping this way, you are funneling an energy into your space of positive intention and clearing it of stagnant energy. When the task is complete, you and the space should feel more open.
Enchanted Bathrooms
At Waxing Moon House, we regularly make our own bathroom cleaners with a magickal touch. White vinegar infused with orange peels does wonders! Mixed 3 parts infused vinegar to 1-part water in a glass or reused bottle (bonus points if you infused your water with rose quartz for self-love!) Use on showers, tubs, sinks and toilets for a sparkly clean lavatory. Rose quartz can also be a lovely crystal to place in the bathroom, as mentioned it promotes self-love, as well as love for others, tenderness, and femininity. Adorning spaces throughout the home with crystals can serve as delicate reminders while we occupy those spaces.
Flick and Fluff
This next task is more about fluffing than it is flicking but if your heart so desires, you can push the button on your washing machine with your wand. Otherwise, grab all your bath towels and instead of using detergent I want you to use white vinegar and wash everything in a hot cycle. Over time, towels will start to lose absorbency and feel scratchy because of frequent washes and buildup of detergent. Washing with hot water and vinegar will unclog the towel, leaving it soft and absorbent once again. After the towels are dry, they won’t have any lingering vinegar smell and they’ll feel as fluffy as the day you bought them. Try this method with bedsheets and pillows too!
Happy Houseplants
Spring is an excellent time to pay extra special attention to our plant friends, inside and out! If you don’t have any houseplants, may I recommend a snake or spider plant? Both are super easy to care for and require little light. They make great friends and help to purify the air in your space. For the already established plant mama, take a moment to check in with your babies. Do they look healthy and vibrant or are they in need of a little TLC? Have a little chat or sing a tune (seriously, plants actually thrive when you talk to them) and give them a drink and some nutrients. An organic all-purpose house plant fertilizer in a spray bottle or pellets for slow release are two types we like to use! Upgrade plants to a larger pot if roots are overtaking or divide into multiples – no one likes to be stuffed into a too small space!
Shred City
We’re not snowboarding, though I would 100% rather be! Today in Shred City it’s all about some other white stuff… paper. We’re seriously trying to reduce our waste across the board but somehow paper is something that ends up accumulating into massive piles, tucked into folders and shoved into filing cabinets. We appreciate that where we live, twice a year, our town’s Green Team hosts a shredding day. It’s a pretty awesome thing that we realize most people don’t have. To keep up with papers you’d ideally want to read over the material, respond to whatever needs attention and filed it or shred it (or simply recycle if it does not contain sensitive information.) With papers and with emails if the response requires less than five minutes of your time, you should attend to it immediately. This frees up clutter from your space and your mind. MAGICK!
Doorways and Windows
Stagnant energy has been mentioned a few times now but what about energy that’s constantly moving? Passing through doorways and open windows, vibes can sometimes get muddled. After you’ve done the otherworldly window washing your windows should be sparkly and clear – the next phase simply requires you to grab some salt and sprinkle it along the windowsills while you envision the salt absorbing any negative energies that attempt to cross the threshold. Sound and smoke are our allies once again for regular cleansing the frequently shifting energies in doorways. Placing a large piece of tourmaline near doorways or small pieces balanced on the trim to act as a protective filter.
Conjured Closet
The way we dress is often an extension of our personality. Thrift store skirts and conscious clothing companies make me squeal with happiness but I’m constantly struggling with wanting a minimalist wardrobe. Going through my closet and parting with articles that were no longer serving me allowed me to free up so much space and cut cords with brands and memories that didn’t fit anymore (literally and figuratively.) While I may not be cut out for the totally minimalist wardrobe a huge weight has been lifted. I’d also like to mention the importance of shopping from small, ethically minded businesses whether new or second-hand and mending whenever possible. Consumerism is a whole other topic but being mindful in these few small ways makes a big difference.
The Alchemy of the Altar
It can be as simple or as complex as you wish. It can be permanent or displayed as needed. I didn’t know it then but some of my first altars were the edges of the bathtub – I’d arrange my collection of seashells and light candles before taking a bubble bath with the intention to relax luxuriously. I believe the reason we create altars is to create a physical space to tether us to our intentions – whatever they may be. There really are no rules to assembling an altar, you can use what you feel calls to you for the purpose, but I offer you some open-ended inspiration. When adorning my altar, I like to welcome in objects to represent each of the elements. If it feels appropriate to focus on a specific element for your intentions, go for it! The only true requirement for it to be deemed an altar is if you feel called to do so and feel good about it.
Crystalize
What kind of crystal fairy witch would I be if I didn’t offer some mineral magick?! Each crystal has an individual personality and energetic properties and those energies can align well in certain spaces throughout your home to amplify and attract positive vibes while ushering out any low frequency energy.
Tourmaline in doorways for protection and to filter negative energy
Rose Quartz in bathrooms and closets to promote self-love
Tigers Eye in entertaining spaces to facilitate harmonious exchanges
Celestite in the bedroom for its calming vibes and communicative spirit
Pyrite and Citrine placed upon the desk or workspace to encourage creativity and discipline
Azurite/Malachite in the library or reading area to aid in retention during study
Amethyst in living spaces or bedrooms to dissolve negativity and activate spirituality
Clear Quartz and Selenite on your altar to cleanse and amplify the energy of surrounding specimens or act as a neutral stone to suit your needs
Smokey Quartz in the kitchen or hearth of the home to represent stability and security, acting as a grounding, foundational stone
High Vibe Zone
Every house usually has an area with an especially magnetic pull, everyone seems to congregate there and it’s where some of the best conversations might happen. The dining room is that space in my house, the living room and dining room are separated by a wide archway, so it feels spacious and whether we are hosting or it’s family time – this is where the magick happens. Hopefully, you’re not actively entertaining guests (April 2020) and practicing social distancing but I still ask you to focus your attention on this area of your home because you and your family are still spending most of your time here and it’s likely you’ve gravitated to that special spot many times. When you have a high traffic, high vibe space like this it’s safe to assume that it already has good vibes since it’s attracting your tribe – make sure to keep it that way by regularly cleansing it. I love to take a moment to appreciate the space and the memories made there while tending to the cleansing.
While a few of these tasks might not fit your typical deep cleaning list I’ve added them because my home doesn’t feel completely clean without them. The energy is such an important task in the overall “feel” of the house and if my home is scattered with stagnant energy, usually so am I.
Are any of these methods part of your usual cleaning routine? How do you tackle the mundane tasks in your home to make them more magickal? Share how you clean like a witch with us on Instagram @waxingmoonhouse or drop a comment!