Tag Archives: advice

Cleansing: Without Displacing Wanted Spirits

Posted by Sephira in Misc, Paganism, Reader Question, Spellwork, Witchcraft and tagged with , , , , , , , ,

I have recently moved into a new house. We’ve just had family and friends in our home for our Harvest Festival. I would like to cleanse my home, but something happened the other day. (Bear in mind, I have a strong tendency toward skepticism.) I feel fairly certain that I encountered a spirit in my house a few days ago. Shortly after our guests had left, I happened to be walking past the foyer when I caught something out of the corner of my eye that appeared to be a young girl, teenage, probably. I got this strong sense of someone perfectly safe and benevolent, just looking for a place to belong. We had gone to great lengths to make our house feel welcoming and comfortable for our guests, and it had a very strong feeling of family love, so I guess it wouldn’t be surprising that a wayward spirit might find it an attractive place to settle. I want to cleanse the place, but I don’t want to drive this spirit out into the cold. How might I protect them? I felt her presence again last night, and although I felt a little crazy doing so, I just addressed the room in general, saying that I know they’re present, I can’t see them, but I can feel them, and that they’re welcome to stay here.

My suggestion would be to the cleansing in multiple parts so that you don’t inadvertently banish her as well. Start by designating one room of the house as a safe space (so to speak) for the spirit. Let her know that you are going to be cleansing the rest of the house, but that she is welcome to stay in that particular room during the ritual. Once you’ve cleansed the rest of the house, you can then let her know that she is welcome to move into the other areas, and let her know that you will be cleansing that room next so that she knows to avoid it temporarily. Then after that part is complete, you can let her know that she is welcome freely in all areas of the house.

Unfortunately though, there’s no guarantee that she won’t be affected, even if you take precautions. At best, just make it as clear as possible that she is welcome in your home, and that you aren’t doing this to send her away – only to clear out negative energies/entities. Additionally, you could add an intention statement to your cleansing ritual to the effect of “I banish the negative energies/spirits and welcome the positive.” (or similar) But I would also be careful that you don’t end up leaving an open invitation for other random spirits (unless you are ok with that). Otherwise your home could get a bit more crowded than you were expecting.

TIP – Wiccan Rede

Posted by Sephira in Paganism, TIPs and tagged with , , , , , , , ,

When it comes to Wicca, there are many aspects that are often misunderstood, and the the “Wiccan Rede” is a big one. Considering that it often incorporated into Neo-Pagan practices (without being properly understood), it’s sometimes a bit scary to contemplate the ways in which people attempt to apply it, not only to themselves, but to those around them. What many people don’t seem to realize is that the term “rede” simply means advice, which means that the “Wiccan Rede” is not an unbreakable law, or even a strict requirement – it is just exactly what it states it is… a bit of guidance along the path.

As to the “Rede” itself – “an ye harm none, do as ye will” (and yes it is just those 8 words, not the longer poem that many quote) it doesn’t actually tell us that we can’t cause harm, it just says – “if you harm none, do what you want”. So clearly not causing harm is acceptable, however if we look closely at that statement, at no point does it say “if it causes harm, don’t do it”. The truth is, that as long as one has carefully considered one’s actions and is willing to accept the consequences of taking those actions, then one can do whatever one feels is necessary. In the end, it’s all about taking responsibility for one’s actions, not about prohibiting a particular action when it is needed.

It is always acceptable to defend oneself from harm, and to protect one’s family and loved ones, and the Rede was definitely not meant to imply that one cannot do that. Too many people take it as some sort of blanket prohibition, which it really isn’t, and in truth it is impossible to go through life without causing harm to someone or something.

For more information on the origins of the Rede, and the meaning behind it, you can check out the following… The Wiccan Rede: A Historical Journey