I have a friend who held a blessing ceremony at her new (to her) home after her divorce. She invited a number of friends and the pastor from our church, who performed the blessing. Don't know if that's what you had in mind?

You can make up your own ritual if you want to... it's all in the ceremony.

I would think it would involve all the senses -- sight, sound, smell ... Probably it would include --

-- opening all the windows
-- walking from room to room, saying some kind of blessing (or exorcism, hahaha)
-- lighting a ceremonial incense stick and/or spritzing some scented water

Here's a nice one:

Here is a link that might be useful: new house dedication

Thanks guys - that's the stuff I am talking about :O)

Perhaps if you gave each side of the house its own name?

Just a thought -- I know how some homes just feel "wrong" -- no matter what the age of the house nor its decor or style! Always important to have fresh and good energy in a true "home" -- as opposed to a "house"

Don't forget to "fill" the home when the cleansing is done -- add some living plants -- maybe some pots of garden herbs -- to add some fresh, living energy.

Have you watched the show "flipping out". The guy (Jeff Lewis) gets his house blessed to fill it w/ positive energy. He has somebody to come help him w/ the ritual.

When we move to a new house, my husband (catholic) always have a priest come to bless our house.

I remembered one time my aunt rented this apartment that's full w/ ghosts. Everybody who comes to her house (during the day) commented that the house seems sad (and if they stay for the night - they find out why!). She invited the priests to come & blessed the house many times - She said, after a while, the ghosts are gone. Crazy huh.

My friend (who's chinese) said the Chinese do space cleansing all the time (new house, new shop, etc) and this is how it's done (see link)

Here is a link that might be useful: space cleansing

To me, the important thing is not how you do it or which cleansing mechanism you choose, just what your intention is and that you believe it will work. I have used crystals, clapping, sage, bowls of salt, bowls of water and just plain ole prayer.

The sage is a problem because it sets off the smoke alarm which in turn makes my poor dog crazy! I put a bunch of rose quartz pieces under the cushions of a sofa I inherited from my grandmother because she was quite kooky at the end, paranoid and anxious, and I didn't want that energy in my space. I have done that with furniture and also the bathroom vanity here at my summer place where there was a problem with domestic violence. Bowls of water or salt are nice because you can just leave them out. Clapping is a quick way to rev up the chi after having workmen in the house.

I don't necessarily see any of this stuff as having specific "powers" but rather that they are a physical manifestation of your intentions and merely serve as reminders. That said, my SIL is very into crystals (makes a living at it) and she has given me some very cool "rocks" that seem to be just what I need, when I need it. Go figure. :-)

The seller and I just came to an agreement. Pending a home inspection...I will be homeowner in October!

I love these ideas and stories!! I am feeling really good about this move, and want my new home to have the best energy possible. I am looking forward to trying these ideas.

We have a long tradition in our family-- I believe it is from the swedish side of the family-- that someone (usually my mother-- but I have done it as well) sweeps the house out when it is bare. It is a ceremonial sweeping to get all bad spirits and energy OUT. There is also a small container containing bread, sugar and salt that has been passed down and distributed from the same jar my grandmother had representing wishes for wealth, happiness and strength.

I have also burned white sage and lavender to "refresh" the energy in my house. I think it is as important to clean our own minds and to "start fresh" so if you believe that crystals or prayer or white sage or a good sweep will give you a fresh start, then I believe it will. :)

Crossing fingers and toes for you!

Just two weeks ago, we had a (very well respected) paranormal expert come out to try and clear away a spirit/ghost that's been bothering us for the past nine months. This was not a happy one and we're hoping that he's persuaded it to leave. You could actually feel the unhappiness and disharmony in the two rooms he liked to frequent . . . not to mention, feel an actually chill that moved from place to place (and seeing him). If this doesn't work, our next option will be to ask the shaman from the local pueblo to try.
If you'd have asked me 20 years ago, I'd have thought this was all crazy woo-woo stuff. Not anymore. I wish you the very best in your new home and with your blessing ceremony.
Lynn

Valzone, will you own both halves?

Will you live in one half?

Duplex's (how do you pluralize it?) have always fascinated me...

mclarke - I have purchased the property jointly with a friend. It is currently one PID, so both sides sold as one property, but we plan to subdivide, so that each half has it's own PID, and we can sell or rent our sides independently of one another. We will each live in our own half. The building is split down the center, each half being an exact mirror of the other.

I am linking to a photo of the property. The neighborhood was built around a cotton mill (I currently work in the old cotton mill) and the duplexes are where the cotton mill workers lived. The exterior could use some cheering up, but I will get help with that here. Inside it needs cosmetic work - they slapped wood panelling over all of the walls and put down carpet. The carpet and panelling will be coming up/down. I am excited about the old doors with old knobs, the clawfoot bathtub, the light fixtures being wired into the wall instead of the ceiling, and the brick chimney in the kitchen that I will expose (yep, covered in panelling).

The great thing about buying a duplex is that I could never afford a house as solidly built and with that kind of charm had it been stand-alone. By buying a duplex, I got exactly what I wanted, and actually for less than I would have paid for a detached house that I didn't even like that much. The downside is that you have someone attached to you and you have to make some decisions jointly (replacing a roof, for example, can't be done in sides), but since I have purchased it with a friend, I am not too worried. We both plan to live there for a long time, and when the time comes to leave, keep it as a rental investment.

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:1794140}}

That looks a beautiful old home. Best of luck on your cleansing ceremony.

What a gorgeous home!

Which side will you be getting?

Lynn - would you mind posting more about your house and unwanted visitor? I'm fascinated. Maybe over on the conversation side would be better.

Yea, Valzone! What a sweet place and a great idea to do a duplex with a friend. I wish you the best! No more yellow paint. :-)

My youngest DD does the cleansing for me with the burning of sage and a blessing, asking 'anyone not invited' to leave. We have lived in a home where we had something going on and heard a lot of knocking sounds on walls, things crashing during the night, and a heavy rocked 'moved itself'.

She'll be cleansing my new home in TX, even though no one else has ever lived in it. Sometimes it's the ground and not the house itself.

You mentioned you need to paint. I know this fabulous yellow that will really brighten things up. ;)

Congrats on the new house! Which side is going to be yours? (If you're getting the dark dingy side, are you paying less than your friend to account for the work that needs to be done?)

Here's a better picture of it. I'll be soliciting opinions on a door color. I am moving into the side higher on the hill.

{{gwi:1792510}}

My side is going to be the good-energy side, but we're both going to be doing the same amount of work. Both sides have awful wood panelling which has to be removed. Here's the kitchen on the bad-energy side.

{{gwi:1794145}}

I can't wait to get my hands on this bathroom.

{{gwi:1794146}}

The windows and exterior doors have these arches at the top.

{{gwi:1794147}}

It's going to be alot of elbow grease, but I love this kind of thing, and love this house!

Oh, and YAHOOOOOOO on being free of yellow walls!!!!!!!! LOL!!

You watch...I will end up with a yellow wall somewhere....

Your duplex looks as though it has all kinds of great possibilities, and I love those arched windows and doors! The shower looks like quite the thing for a voyeur....you may need to do something creative with the glass in the window in there, or your window treatments, so you're not showering right in front of the window. With my type of crazy luck, I'd be standing underneath the shower, buck naked at night, and the curtain would fall down....

The house looks like it has lots of potential and I'm sure you'll be able to get it fixed up really nicely.

Heidi

Yes -- after replying on your other "Crub Appeal" question -- I just "knew" which side you would choose -- and which side felt "wrong"

Anyway -- in that kitchen -- I would simply paint everything white.

And yes! cover that bathroom window with simple frosted plastic coating or paper right now -- and perhaps a bamboo shade! LOL!

I have smudged rooms in my home with the sage with prayers(asking for the nasty bad evil etc to be removed and stay gone) along with the smudging. I understand its an American Indian tradition but also heard it has been used in Ireland...not sure about that though. I was told this can be done with a candle but the sage just seems more natural .
To prevent the fire alarms from going off we cover them with those plastic bowl covers with elastic .

Curious teacats...how did you know?

I'm a stripper so the window thing doesn't bother me at all. It's great for advertising actually, and lucky for me it's the window in the front of the house.

Bwahahahahaaaaaaaaaa!!! Just kidding! (anyone remember the stripper post?!)

I'll be covering the window, partially, for sure. I'm thinking stained glass maybe, or a frosting. I want as much light as possible to come in, because I suffer from SAD and I need all of the sunlight that I can get.

What a beautiful and interesting duplex-- and so much bigger than you were originally talking about! We have duplexes in this area-- but they are more like rowhouses. They really aren't as interesting.

So many fun projects ahead-- and I knowwwwww how you'll love them.

Congratulations!

Oh wow, valzone. Congratulations! LOVE the architectural details. Can't wait to follow your progress. It's going to be beautiful.

WOW . . .those arches are amazing (swoon!). Wonderful house!

That is one very, very cool house. Love the arched doors and other detailing.

Those who find discussion of non-Christian practices bothersome or offensive should skip right on to the next post now, please, and call your clergyperson to come bless your house.

I have done cleansings and wardings on every place I've lived for the last decade-plus, since we've lived in too many places with residual "funkies" - the last house we lived in had the most miserable vibe when we purchased it because the family was very unhappy there. Houses do have personalities, IMO, and so a house can get sad or angry if that's the predominant emotion it "soaks up" over time.

My specific procedure varies depending on what I feel the house needs, but it always involves incense, salt water (tiny pinch of sea salt in spring water; because I'm a kook for local things ;-) I use Maine sea salt and spring water), something really delicious for a lunch or snack, and something for an offering to the local land spirits (flowers, fruit, etc.). The burning incense represents the elements of Air and Fire, the salt water Earth and Water, and I myself am the manifestation of Spirit. I'm hideously allergic to the sage smudges; when possible I like to use loose incense (frankincense, myrrh, sandalwood is a favorite combo) which is burned on a charcoal disk on a bed of sand, but there isn't anything wrong with a good NATURAL stick or cone incense and I use it easily as often as the loose stuff because it certainly is more convenient!

First, the house is thoroughly cleaned with all new implements like brooms and sponges (well, had to use the old vacuum cleaner, but that was thoroughly cleaned with a new filter and everything). Ideally, you also take a shower or bath yourself and think of all the emotional crud washing down the drain and put on fresh clothing so you are all clean as well, but you can also just stand quietly outside and envision it all draining away into the ground. If you try to do a purification while feeling fear or tension you're just substituting one negative feeling for another, so get yourself into a happy or excited state.

I stood in the open front door and prayed to the Powers That Be to help me bring peace and protection to this house, driving away and keeping away negative influences and allowing in joyful and loving ones. I always feel like an utter dork reciting the usual rhyming doggerel ;-) so throughout the ritual I usually just continue my silent prayers. I lit the incense and carried it throughout the house, including attic, closets, cellar, and made sure to smoke every opening into the house - windows, doors, chimney, electrical outlets, water line, blah blah blah - beginning and ending at the front door, then walked the outside perimeter of the house and then (as best I could, some of it's quite inaccessible) the perimeter of the lot. Because it's Standard Operating Procedure for my belief system, I worked in a clockwise fashion through each floor and each room. I buried the burned-down incense stick in the ground at the end of the front walk.

I repeated the circuit of the house with the bowl of salt water, dabbing a drop of water at each corner of every window, every door and every room, touching a just-moistened finger to the electric outlets (so I wouldn't get electrocuted, duh), etc. etc. Outside I dipped my fingertips into the water and flicked it on the foundation all the way around the house, then walked the perimeter of the lot flicking water droplets along my way, and poured the last few drops over where I had buried the incense remains. (There wasn't enough salt in the water to hurt anything but maybe a very sick slug.) I've used a sprig of rosemary to do this part before but didn't this time around for some reason I can't remember - probably I just forgot to get it and didn't feel like making a special trip to the store. :-)

At each corner of the house I buried a pretty stone that my coven had blessed with their good wishes and positive energy so that we would always be surrounded by their love, strength, and protection. No fancy crystals, just nice little rocks that I had picked up on a local beach.

I ate my yummy lunch/snack (food brings you back into the purely-physical realm, and the yummy part brings the first happy association to the emptied-out house), saving a little bit of it to put out in the farthest accessible corner of my house lot with the offering to the land spirits which lets them know that I am here and that I honor their presence.

Oh, and we had a ghost dog in the condo we lived in from 1999-2002. We REALLY wanted a dog but it was not permitted in that complex. One night DH and I had just gone to bed with the cat curled up between our heads, not asleep yet, and we felt the foot of the bed shake and the mattress depress like something had jumped up on it. The cat "mrrrp-ed" irritably but didn't move. I was more puzzled than worried, but I turned the light on and there was nothing there. Both of us were like "oh, that's kind of cool". Many times after that we felt something cuddling up at our feet at night and often we heard the sound of dog nails ticking on the kitchen floor, which always made us smile. We decided that the Powers That Be had sent us a "non-corporeal" dog to keep us company while we couldn't have one of our own. When we moved from that condo to a rented house where we could have a dog if we wanted to (and got one about a year later), our ghost dog did not accompany us because we didn't need him/her anymore. S/he never told us a name and we never got a sense of gender so we just called him/her Pup or Puppy.

That sounds like a lovely practice, johnmari!

We have had some 'bad vibes' in places we lived, most recently bad feelings left over from arguments with a contractor.

My simple cleansing ceremony consists of burning a sage twist while mentally releasing the bad energy from the house. I also make sure the smoke goes into every opening, corner, nook and cranny. As the smoke dissapates, so does the bad energy. It took 3 times to get the hard feelings out of our cabin, and I still light a bit of sage now and then to keep it clean.

Works for me. Good luck on your new house - it looks so cute!

Congratulations and Best wishes on your new home. I love the windows and doors.
Joann

Cool about the ghost dog!!

Where do I get the sage and incense? I am highly sensitive to scent, and cheap candles send me right into a migraine.

There's a natural spring very close to my new house. Could I use water from the ocean? Of course, I'll be doing this in November so not sure I'll feel up to collecting water in the ocean at that time.

I have been telling my friend about this and he's very excited, although he said that with all of the windows and doors open in November, the smoke rolling out of the windows, and the bells and clapping, our new neighbors are going to think we're nuts, LOL!

Well, my new neighbors will wonder too, when we move in in October. But, I figure it's best to get that out of the way right off the bat! ;-)

Sage and incense are available at a new age bookstore or most "natural" grocery stores. I think if you are prone to migranes you could consider doing non-stinky rituals. That would not be a nice way to start the blessing journey....with a cracking bad headache.

Yes -- I echo everything wisely stated by Mari's excellent posting.

Just looked at your new duplex and the right side felt "darker"

My mum (a tiny Scots lady -- now 88) always bought fresh brooms, sponges etc. for the new house. And when we lived in our original house (which was kept and rented for the time we were moving around ....) fresh items and a VERY, VERY good cleaning happened every Spring ...... and just before Hogmany (which is the Scots' New Year Eve)

Val, I'm sooooo happy for you! You must be absolutely ecstatic.

I would go for one dark teal door and one dark mustard door.

I think we are going to be hearing a lot more from you over the next few years. What a project!

Johnmari, what you just described is remarkably similar to how a house and its residents are blessed in a hindu ceremony. Isnt that great? The world is more similar than its different. I wonder why we don't realize it more often! In our culture, everything from a new house to a new car is blessed first before using it.
valzone, if you are interested you could buy camphor from an indian/asian grocery store. Burning camphor is supposed to have soul purifying properties. But be careful to light it in a big vessel as it gives out a big fire. I say it just smells good!
I have lots more info on a hindu cleansing ceremony. If you would be interested, I could share details. I am not at all religious but I guess i just imbibed it from my surroundings!

Share details!!

Sorry this is so long. Some of you might not want to read through the whole thing!
ok..here goes..first a disclaimer-this is my recollection and there are countless variations of the theme in the different sub-cultures within hinduism!
The ceremony is usually held on a full moon day either at dawn or dusk. The night before or early that morning, the house is cleaned with new brooms and the floors are mopped with lots of water(easy to do with the concrete/tile floors in india)! In the morning, the landing just outside the front door is also washed thoroughly. Then, gorgeous designs(google "kolams") are drawn on with dry rice flour or rice paste. This is supposed to be a "welcome" sign at the front of the door..not only your guests but also the goddess of prosperity! Simple rice paste designs are also drawn across each threshold in the house. All the residents of the house have to shower and clean their hair before getting dressed in new clothes.
The mini version of the actual ceremony can be done without a priest. All the windows in the house are kept open. The front door is never closed till the ceremony is over. Incense sticks are lit and placed such that the smoke moves through all through the rooms of the house. This is supposed to clear out all the bad spirits. The first thing one does in a new kitchen is to boil milk with sugar and let it spill over, again symbolizing good prosperity. Then a simple prayer to the gods is said(hindus are big on idol worship-so each house will have atleast one pic or replica of a hindu god!). Here's when one lights the camphor and praises the gods and ask for their mortal souls to be purified. One also offers fruit, flowers and the boiled milk and some milk based sweets as an offering to the gods. At the time of lighting the camphor, small bells are rung to announce the auspicious time and also to drive away the bad spirits. In some sub cultures, conches are blown for a similar effect. There is also a metal container filled with holy water(usually from the river ganges in india) that has camphor and saffron dissolved in it. After the offerings to the gods is complete, you sprinkle this water around th four corners of your house signifying the house has been blessed by the gods! Then you share the sweets with your friends and family. This is usually followed by a traditional feast.
A more elaborate ceremony involves a priest and a 'havan'. A havan is a BIG fire pit built out of bricks and (don't gross out), dried cow sh$t. On this pit, usually sandalwood or some kind of treated wood is burnt with lots of clarified butter(ghee). This is followed by a mind-numbingly long series of prayers in an ancient language(Sanskrit) offered by the priest. The offerings are on a much larger scale but essentially the same format.
I am sure you wouldn't want to light a havan and bring your fire department in on your first day! The smaller ceremony is more intimate and more meaningful in my opinion.
Gosh, I haven't thought of all this in sometime. It brings back memories!
Vinaya

"I am sure you wouldn't want to light a havan and bring your fire department in on your first day!"

Oh yes I would ... if my house filled with firemen, I would consider that very good fortune indeed! ;O)

val, since you have allergies/migraine I would suggest staying AWAY from sage smudging, it's a very, very common migraine trigger. (Ditto asthma.) Some people smudge with cedar tips but that can produce an awfully thick smoke with some funky resin-y overtones; sweetgrass is about the only one I can stand. Not being of Native heritage I have kind of a weird feeling about using Native smudging materials myself... a leftover from living practically next door to a reservation for a few years. Can you get Triloka brand incense where you are? That's one of the few commercial incenses I do just fine with as long as I don't let the smoke get too dense, all the ingredients are natural and there's no garbage filler. I remember you are in Canada; here is the manufacturer's website where you could find out where to purchase it locally. You could have your friend do the incense-carrying-around part and you could do the salt-water part, if you'll be doing the ritual together, and open windows will dissipate the incense quickly. Worse comes to absolute worst, email me and we'll work something out.

While I've done many rituals with seawater (although I've moved a bit further away I'm still quite close to the Atlantic) for this one I would recommend pure sea salt and pure spring water just because seawater has all sorts of other "stuff" in it.

Our neighbors already knew to expect strange things from us - I have a pentacle on the back of my car and the day we closed one of the neighbors ran over to excitedly ask if we were Wiccans. :-) (Eh, close enough - I was just glad he wasn't coming over waving religious tracts and shouting horrid things at us.) I assured him that we weren't going to be dancing naked in the back yard (I don't recommend it, you either freeze or get covered in bugbites) and if we were going to sacrifice anything it was going to be a steak on the grill, so they think we're pretty cool. Although we got some SERIOUS grief for not decorating our house for Halloween... "after all, it's YOUR big holiday, isn't it?" LOL

This has been a most fascinating post....Thanks Val...
Mari, can you come to Texas? :^)

Heeheehee Jaybird... I'm a non-travelin' gal, at least until they invent a teleporter. :-) (I love to be in different places. It's the actual getting there that's h*ll on square wheels, by the time I've recovered from the getting-there part it's time to go home!)

(Hey, I usedta know a Jaybird who lived in NW FL about, oh, fifteen years ago now...??)