Tess Whitehurst
Yule is characterized by polarity: celebration and introspection, endings and beginnings, the blinding brightness of snow sparkling in sunshine and the silent darkness of the year’s longest night. Similarly, when it comes to clearing and blessing the home in the days leading up to Yule, two contrasting intentions intertwine. The middle of winter guides us to create a safe haven for stillness and rest, while the forthcoming rebirth of the sun inspires us to welcome in the expansive, energizing forces the solstice is about to usher in.
Cleansing and Blessing the Home at Midwinter
This ritual incorporates both intentions, with the added benefit of harmonizing the polarities within you, your household, and your home in order to promote inner balance and serenity, and to steady you for a healthy, wealthy, and successful new cycle ahead. It will also break up any stuck or heavy energy that may have accumulated during the winter season and transmute it into happiness, positivity, and luck.
First, clear your home of unwanted items. Either place them in a trash or recycling bin or, if they’re reusable, get them ready to donate or sell.
Then take some time to tidy, organize, and clean. If weather permits, also sweep your doorstep and wash your front door, first inside, then out. (Dunking a clean rag in a bucket of warm water with a few drops of essential oil of spearmint is my favorite way to do this. Cedar, sage, peppermint, and rosemary are also good choices. But if your skin is sensitive to essential oils, either use plain water or wear rubber gloves.)
Once your home is physically clean and clear, you’ll be ready to perform the following ritual.
Supplies
Sleigh bells
1 stick woodsy incense like cedar, pine, frankincense, or juniper
1 stick sweet or spicy incense like cinnamon, vanilla, or clove
A dish or a plate
A lighter or matches
Sunflower oil (for cooking)
Assemble all ingredients on your altar or in a central or significant location in your home, such as a counter, table, or stove. (Anywhere that feels right to you will work.)
Stand or sit before the ingredients. Take some deep breaths and hold your hands in prayer pose as you relax your body and center your mind.
Say:
Ancient Mother, Glorious God,
Womb of Creation and Creation Itself,
Deepest Darkness, Brightest Light,
I call on you now to watch over this working.
Thank you for helping me create clear and sacred space in my home,
For relaxation and for rest,
For safety and protection,
For health and wellness,
And to usher in beauty, brilliance, abundance, and the light.
I now perform this clearing and blessing ceremony for my highest and truest good, and the highest and truest good of all.
Ancient Mother, Glorious God,
I call on you.
I honor you.
I invite you in.
Thank you.
Hail and welcome.
If weather permits, open your windows at least a crack. And if you don’t have pets or small children who may run out, open the doors as well.
Pick up the sleigh bells. Open your front door wide and shake the sleigh bells within the threshold. Close the door (or leave it open a crack) and begin moving in a counterclockwise direction through each room and area of your space while shaking the sleigh bells. This will raise the vibration and get formerly stuck energy moving.
Set the sleigh bells back down and light the woodsy incense. While holding the dish or plate beneath the incense to catch ash and burning embers, retrace your footsteps: begin at your front door and open it wide. Cleanse the threshold with smoke. Shut the door (or leave it open a crack) and move through each room and area in a counterclockwise direction while cleansing the space with smoke. This will create a portal of light and positivity while transforming any remaining challenging energy into positivity. Safely extinguish the incense.
Next, light the sweet or spicy incense. While holding the dish or plate under it, return to your front door and open it wide. Cleanse the threshold with smoke. Close your door (or leave it open a crack) and cleanse your home with smoke while moving through each room and area of your home in a clockwise direction this time. This will invite in sweetness, abundance, and luck while further raising the vibration in your home. Safely extinguish the incense.
Now pour a little bit of sunflower oil on the dish or plate. (It’s okay if it mixes with ash from the incense.) Return to your front door, but stand outside this time. Close your door and use the oil to trace a small five-pointed star (pentagram) on your door to seal in positivity and spiritually protect your home. Repeat with any additional doors that open to the outside. (You can approach them from the outside of your home or the inside, but make sure to anoint them on the outside. Also keep in mind that it’s ideal if you go from one door to another in a clockwise direction.)
Close any windows that you have opened.
Now, return to the location where you began the ritual. Once again, hold your hands in prayer pose. Breathe deeply, relax, and center your mind. Feel rooted into the earth and connected with the cosmos. Envision a sphere of golden light completely filling and encompassing your home like a cocoon. See and sense it gently rotating in a clockwise direction to seal in the energy and further promote positivity and protection.
Say:
Ancient Mother, Glorious God,
Womb of Creation and Creation Itself,
Deepest Darkness, Brightest Light,
You have supported me in consecrating this space.
I dedicate it to you with love.
May it be a sacred temple of peace, serenity, and healing.
May it be a portal that brings forth wealth, abundance,
and success.
May all who live here prosper and thrive.
Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Blessed be.
And so it is.
Lie down on the floor (or a couch or bed if that’s not comfortable) to release any extra energy you may have called into your field and to reconnect to the earth. Then have at least a little bit to eat or drink to recharge and ground your energy.
Dispose of any remaining sunflower oil, hang the sleigh bells on or over the front door, and feel free to burn the remainder of the incense at any point throughout the Yule season.