With the Spring Equinox on the way, it is a good idea to start planning out your spring cleaning.
In the old days spring cleaning meant after a cold winter you could finally open the windows and let the fresh air in. After months of smoke from the fireplace you could get fresh air and sweep out the soot and dispose of ashes. The old tallow candles created a lot of sticky soot.
These days spring cleaning means getting into all the nooks and crannies of our homes dusting and cleaning out cobwebs. We go through our clothes and kitchen items and make piles for donations and lists of what we need to replace or repair. We wash windows and scrub out our fridges and freezers. There are many tasks on our spring cleaning to do lists each year. I do these big cleans every change of the season, but most folks do a spring clean and a fall clean. Whenever you are doing a big clean there are magickal things you can do while performing these mundane chores.
The first thing to keep in mind while you’re cleaning, is that you are also cleansing your spirit as you clean your home. If you detest cleaning, focusing on the spiritual aspect may make the physical cleaning easier to get through.
Drinking lots of water while you clean is a good idea. Water cleanses our bodies and helps our bodies eliminate toxins. Water we physically drink also connects to the element of water which is tied to emotions and cleansing. Be mindful of this as you drink water during your cleaning. Show gratitude for water and let yourself feel it’s cleansing energy. Bless your mop water and dish water etc.
Light a cleansing incense or diffuse an essential oil with cleansing properties. As you breathe in the aroma, know that the energies are not only making your home smell fresh, but also getting rid of negative energy build up. Open your windows to let the fresh air in and the negative energy out.
Start small if you get overwhelmed easily by housework. Choose one room to clean at a time. You can even do one drawer at a time if that’s what you need. It doesn’t have to be done all in one day. Once one space is cleared out, keep it clean while you work on the next space, so you don’t back track.
This is also a good time to really take inventory of our possessions. We often save things thinking we may some day use it. Or we hang on to broken items believing one day we will repair them. You need to be realistic. Do you really have the time (or even the tools) to repair this item? Or does it keep getting put off? Have you used the items you are saving in the last year? If the answer is no, chances are, you’re not going to. Do you have a storage unit you haven’t been to in a year? If things are in storage and you haven’t gotten them out, chances are you don’t need the items. If you’re paying for off-site storage you are wasting money housing items that you don’t need.
Seasonal decorations are an exception so long as you are actually using them each season. However, for instance, if you have a Yule wreath that you have not put up in a few years, let it go. We often have sentimental attachments to our “stuff” and that can make it hard to let go of things. We have to remember though, holding on to the past and keeping these items may be stopping us from moving forward in our lives. The state of your home often reflects your state of mind. If your home is cluttered, your life may continue to be cluttered as well. Bringing cleanliness and balance into our homes can also bring those things back in to our lives as well.
Selling or donating is a personal choice. I won’t go into that here. It’s up to you.
As you clean, make a list of repairs you need to do around the home and list them in priority. Caulking around windows and new weather stripping around doors greatly reduces our heating and cooling costs. Repair leaky faucets and pipes. So much water is wasted by a leaky faucet. Not only does this cost you money if you have to pay for water, but it’s terrible for the environment.
As you clean out, organize what you’re keeping. Is your kitchen so chaotic that it’s stopping you from cooking for you or your family? Is your bathroom so messy you can’t have a tranquil soak in the tub? Do you have witch supplies all over the place so you don’t really know what you have and you just keep buying new candles because you can’t find the ones you already have?
Spring cleaning can really help you put your life back together and make room to plant new seeds for the coming year. Don’t underestimate the power of a clean and organized home.
One final note, looking at what we already have can be an opportunity to show gratitude for what we possess instead of worrying about all the things we want or can’t have.
Next week, I will discuss home cleansing rituals after you’ve completed the physical clean.
Many blessings,
Lady Black