Rituals to Protect Yourself and Bless Your Space
Each of us is an energy steward, responsible for our personal energy and the energy of our environment. I believe that positive energy is the best defense against negativity in any form, including negative spirits.
Protecting Yourself
There are many ways to keep your personal energy positive, and the simplest is to make sure you spend your time with people you care about, doing things you love. Love is the most powerful energy there is, especially if you’re going through difficult times.
Moving energy through your body is another way to keep your energy field strong and clear. From practicing qi gong or yoga to dancing, gardening, or walking the dog, there are a variety of enjoyable ways to keep your energy flowing. I’ve found that the energy healing practice of Reiki is a great way to channel positive energy for myself and for others. When psychic C. J. Sellers came through my house during a film shoot, she walked into my bedroom with a smile and said, “I feel the Reiki energy in this room.” That made me happy, as I do think my room has a really positive vibe. And since I start nearly every day with Reiki prayers before I even get out of bed, I was pleased that C. J. had tuned in to the Reiki energy. C. J. also asked me if I saw spirits outside my room at night, because she was picking up a lot of spirit energy in the hallway. I said yes. She told me that, as a sign of respect, they (mostly) stay out of my room.
Earlier in this book, I referred to shielding techniques, which are ways to protect yourself on the astral level. Envisioning a big iron curtain around myself was a natural, basic form of shielding. There is an excellent book out called The Ghost Hunter’s Survival Guide by Michelle Belanger, which focuses entirely on shielding and other techniques for protecting oneself from negative spirits and astral beings, if you find yourself in a situation that requires more than the basic techniques I offer here. (The book is listed in the recommended reading section as well.)
I myself use a combination of prayer, Reiki energy, and calling on my family and allies in the spirit world for assistance when I feel threatened or scared. Actually, I often ask my family spirits or Leon, the primary protective spirit for my house, for their assistance on things ranging from helping a family member through a health crisis to giving me a hand in getting the lawn mower started. When my young cousin Alexandra was living with me as she struggled with the difficult decision of whether to keep her baby Shea or place her for adoption, I was praying to my grandma Dorrie and all of our Irish relatives in spirit—Great-Grandma Maggie, Mimi, Big Uncle Thomas, and Nellie. One morning, shortly before Alexandra made the decision to place her baby for adoption with a wonderful family, I heard a whispered message: “There are five of us helping you.” And I knew my family was helping from the other side.
Blessing Your Space
The same principles that keep your personal energy positive and strong apply to your living space. I used to clean houses for a living, and I found that homes that had companion animals, plants or flowers, original artwork (usually done by children), and photographs of people they cared about generally felt much more positive and nurturing than homes that were lacking these things. If you keep your house clean and uncluttered (but not bare) and fill it with things that make you happy, you’ll have a great foundation for keeping your home protected from unwelcome negative astral visitors. Taking care of something is a way of connecting with it. I am tuned in to my house, and that helps me become aware of any astral blips or aberrations that might be the harbinger of bigger ghostly problems.
At least once or twice a year, it’s a good idea to bless and cleanse your home. First, do a regular cleaning. Then open the windows as you move from room to room with holy water or sage (the sage can be unlit if you don’t like the smell of burning sage). Ask for the house to be protected and blessed, and for all negative energy to leave through the open windows and to dissipate in the atmosphere. This is also good to do if a traumatic event has occurred. After my neighbor Wolf got badly hurt using a table saw, he and his brother and I had a small sageing ceremony in his garage, where the accident took place. Afterward, we each had a shot of tequila to celebrate Wolf’s recovery and talked about Australia, where his brother lives and where Wolf was going to visit.
If you feel that stronger actions are required to protect your space, consider putting a pinch of salt in the corner of each room and placing religious or otherwise spiritually meaningful icons in each room as well. The day after one of the most frightening experiences I’ve ever had at home, I walked through my entire house, singing loudly. I had read that singing is a shamanic technique for transforming energy. I also wanted to prove to myself (and to any astral beings that might have lingered) that I wasn’t afraid. After singing, I walked through the house burning sage and asking for blessings and protection for the house and all positive people, animals, and spirits that live here.
Take the time occasionally to walk through your house or look around your work area, and appreciate how fortunate you are to have a home and a job. Next to love, I think gratitude is one of the most powerful forms of energy there is. A space filled with positive energy is not going to be attractive to negative astral beings, but it will be an environment in which creativity and happiness can flourish.