The autumn equinox is upon us here in the northern hemisphere. As the days begin to grow shorter, and the colors around us change from vibrant greens to dramatic oranges, yellows, and reds, it is a wonderful time to honor this fresh seasonal beginning in our homes as well.
Autumn is a time of harvest; a beautiful opportunity to hold space for growth and transformation. It is a time to reflect on the goodness in our lives, knowing that we reap what we sow. In seeking to find the good in others (and in the world) it motivates us toward a new culture of caring and compassion.
We can choose to rewrite the code of culture for ourselves. Instead of constantly chasing perfection, or being the best, we can shift our focus to find comfort in simply being good enough. This is a radical idea, but one that has incredible power over our sense of joy and wellness in day-to-day life.
We’ve all been through a lot already this year. Not just with the current pandemic. We have all seen the tragic consequences of climate change this year, in the form of record heat, drought, fires, hurricanes, and more. This change of season affords us the chance to reconsider goodness as it applies to the care of our planet, and use this time to make fresh commitments about reducing our individual impact.
Let this equinox be a moment to recalibrate our sense of hope, as we prepare ourselves for this year to close and look forward to the next. Let it shift your perspective toward seeking out, and holding onto, to the goodness in life.
With all this goodness in mind, the equinox is a lovely time to cleanse the energy of your home, in preparation to spend more time indoors over the cooler, darker half of the year. It’s a time in which we aim to invite warmth and goodness into our spaces. As the trees shed their leaves, we too, can shed negative and stagnant energy from our surroundings.
I always recommend conducting the smoke ritual of energy clearing at the turn of each season to my clients. Energy clearing is the ceremonial burning of either Palo Santo, white brush sage, cedar or lavender, allowing their smoke to purify and cleanse the energy of a space and invite positivity to the areas touched by the smoke.
Gather your energy clearing bundle, a lit candle, and a small heatproof dish filled with sand. (You can handily purchase energy clearing kits online that contain everything you need.)
Center yourself with a few deep breaths, and hold an intention of clearing in your mind, rooting yourself in the wishes of cleansing and positivity for your environment and the people within. Energy clearing is an act of mindfulness, so your present spirit and focused attention are a crucial part of the process.
Begin at the entrance to your home. Light your energy clearing stick with the candle flame, let it ignite, then blow it out leaving just the red tip of embers burning, similar to a stick of incense. Hold the dish underneath to catch any ashes or embers that might fall as you go.
Move clockwise through the house, room by room, and clockwise within each room as well. This circular motion is known as “circumambulation” which is an ancient practice used in rituals across countless cultures. As you proceed, move your hand up and down to help the smoke reach from the floor to the ceiling, paying special attention to corners, where energy easily gets stuck. Carry this on, from room to room. Be sure not to miss your closets, spaces behind furniture, and cupboards.
As you waft the smoke around, whisper this mantra in your mind: “I invite goodness to this space. May what remains here be of support to the people within.”
When you have covered each area of home in cleansing smoke and reach the beginning again, envision your home bathed in cleansing, pure light, whisper your mantra once more, and extinguish your energy clearing stick in the sand to close the ceremony.
May your autumn be filled with goodness, friends. From my home (and heart) to yours, I wish you wellness.
