Clearing Energetic Clutter (Waning Moon is Optimal)

In  order  to  do  any  healing  work,  you  must  clear  the  clutter  that  can create blocks. Banish the old, bad energy from your house by following  this  spell.  Make  a  tea  from  herb  lavender  or vervain.  Once it cools, dip your finger in the tea and sprinkle it throughout your home while reciting:

Clean and clear, nothing negative near

Only healing and positive energies here.

So mote it be.

Repeat  three  times,  and  if  you  feel  the  need  to  clear  out  any  remaining cloud of psychic clutter, add diluted lavender tea water to your  cleanser  when  you  wash  floors  or  surfaces.  The scent  of calm and clarity will lift the spirits of all who enter your space. The purpose  of  incense  is to  release  energy  into  the  ritual  space,  not  to create billows of smoke that can cause respiratory problems in the circle. If you or someone else finds incense smoke irritating or worrisome,  consider  using  another  symbol  of  air  instead,  such  as  potpourri, fresh flowers, feathers or a fan.

There exist an abundance of incense burners nowadays, so use your discretion  and  choose  one  that  pleases  you—perhaps  a  smoking  dragon or a goddess to hold the fiery embers of your incense would add to the energy of your altar.

Incenses  themselves  contain  inherent  energies  that  you  can  use  to further  your  intention  and  promote  your  purpose.  I  depend  on Wylundt’s  Book  of  Incense,  which  I  consider  to  be  the  ultimate  reference for excellent information about essences and properties of incense.  It  contains  an  enormous  amount  of  information  in  regard to  loose,  cone,  stick  and  cylinder  incense.  It  also  tells  you how to work with herbs, which part of a plant to use, and how to gather, dry, and store the plants. The following is one of my recipes for an incense to use to cast a circle.

Circle Incense:

• 2 parts myrrh
• 4 parts frankincense
• 2 parts benzoin
• 1 part sandalwood
• 1 part cinnamon
• 1 part rose petals
• 1 part vervain
• 1 part rosemary
• 1 part bay leaf
• 1/2 cup orange peel

This  incense  will  significantly  aid  the  formation  of  the  sphere  of  energy that is the ritual circle. A fine grind of all the ingredients is the key to good incense, so you should add a mortar and pestle to your list of tools if you intend to make a lot of incense. A blender or  food processor  is  a  more  modern  approach  that  may  save  on time and elbow grease, especially if you are making a large batch of incense for a group.

Clearing Incense:

• 1 part sandalwood
• 3 parts myrrh
• 3 parts copal
• 3 parts frankincense 

This  is  an  optimal  mixture  of  essences  to  purify  your  home  or  

sacred  working  space.  Negative  energies  are  vanquished  and  the  

path is cleared for ritual. Open windows and doors when you are 

burning  this  clearing  incense  so  the  “bad  energy”  can  be  released  

outside. It is also advisable to use this clearing incense if there have 

been any arguments or other energetic disruptions in your home. You can recreate a sanctuary with this incense.

Dream Incense:

• 2 parts rose petals
• 2 parts cedar
• 1 part camphor
• 1 part lavender
• 6 drops tuberose oil
• 6 drops jasmine oil

This mixture will bring on psychic dreams. If you set up a bedroom altar, place this incense in your censer and allow the scented smoke to  imbue  your  sleeping  space  with  its  unique  energy  before  you drift off. Prophetic dreams may come to you and, even better, you will remember them!

Blessed Balm Spell (Waning Moon is Optimal)

Simmer  this  mixture  whenever  you  feel  the  need  to  infuse  your home and heart with the energies of protection. A waning moon is  the time  to  banish  old  negative  energy.  This  will  safeguard  you  and your  loved  ones  from  outside  influences  that  could be negative or disruptive. Set your intention and gather together the following herbs:

¼ cup rosemary 

1 teaspoon dill weed

4 bay laurel leaves

cup cedar

1 tablespoon basil

1 teaspoon juniper berries

1/8 cup sage

Mix your herbs together by hand. While you are doing this, close your eyes and visualize your home as a sacred place protected by a boundary of glowing white light. Add the herbs to a pan filled with simmering water. When the aromatic steam rises, intone:

By my own hand, I have made this balm;

This divine essence contains my calm.

By my own will, I make this charm;

This precious potpourri protects all from harm.

With harm to none and health to all, 

Blessed be!

Renewing Ritual: Calming Breath Meditation

Murcha in Sanskrit means “to retain,” so murcha is the “retaining breath.”

Murcha will help you hold on to some of your natural energy that business drains away. Restore yourself through this ritual. Pranayama is the fine art of breathing and controlling the flow of oxygen in and out of the lungs. Conscious breathing can vastly improve your health and make you more alert. This is a yoga exercise for achieving a state of ecstasy through pranayama. Done properly, murcha will enhance your mental capacity, center you, and create a sense of euphoria.

Sit down on the floor or a mat and make yourself as comfortable as possible. Now close your eyes and calm yourself completely. Begin the process of murcha by taking a few mindful breaths. Breathe through your nose. Don’t hold your breath; just breathe in and out in a natural manner, but remain aware of your breathing.

When you are ready, take a deeper breath through your nose and visualize the new air and oxygen traveling throughout your body, cleansing and relaxing you. Hold that deeper breath, bend your neck, and bring your chin as close to your lungs and chest as possible. Keep this position as long as you can do so comfortably. When you need to, raise your head again and slowly exhale through your nose. When your lungs are empty, repeat the murcha breath. Repeat this cycle of breathing five times only. After the fifth breath, notice how you feel and be “in the moment.” Like most breathing meditations, you will experience a subtle sort of ecstasy with raised energy and a sense of bliss.

In pranayama, it is important to remember not to place any stress on your body. Don’t hold your breath beyond your comfort level. To do so would be to go against the grain of the technique and teachings of pranayama.

With practice, you will notice you can hold your breath naturally and comfortably just a little bit longer each time. As with all things, pranayama yoga breathing gets better with practice. The beginning breath cleanses the pulmonary system and raises your energy level.