Thursday, February 14, 2008

Restoring The Flow

I finally got around to cleansing the energy in the house yesterday. I usually do this do this quite often, but I’ve let it go. I like to cleanse and charge the area around my computer when I’m writing something new or doing some major rewriting /editing. This hadn’t been done in months and the energy in the house itself was getting to be a drain on me.

Winter does not help. Windows remain closed and doors are only open long enough to let folk in and out. By yesterday I could sense pockets of stagnate energy, old energy, and dull energy. It had to be moved out.

Incense is my favorite way to cleanse and charge areas especially for writing and the best I’ve found is balsam root, balsamorhiza sagittata.

We collect our own. It grows in the ditches and on hillsides in Alberta and elsewhere. The flowers are pretty and stand out beautifully against the green grass.

The root needs to be dried and cut before it’ll burn. The easiest way to do this is to cut the root into strips before it’s dried. To dry, simply leave the strips out in a single layer on a towel. Keep it away from direct sunlight.

The fibers are quite dense. A stick will only burn a few moments before it needs to be re-lit. It gives off a lovely sweet scent that reminds me of the outdoors.

It does wonders for clearing away stagnate energy. Some stubborn areas needed a bit of extra work and that meant clapping to break up the dullness. This is easy. I went to the stubborn areas and clapped my hands sharply and quickly and as loudly as I could. Once the stubborn areas were done I went through the whole house to make sure everything moved and flowed. By the time I was done I was so sensitive to the energy flow in the house I could see it.

Energy is moving around me better and it has helped with the flow inside me, too. I feel better, smarter, and more creative. It has yet to translate to my writing, but I know it will.

6 comments:

Reb said...

Leah, by doing it that way, is it as cloying and thick as packaged incense? It seems I am allergic to most scents presented in this manner and wonder if that would be any different for me?

the Bag Lady said...

The Bag Lady probably needs to do that, too. She doesn't have any balsam root, but does have other types of (store-bought) incense, so will have to look through it to see what might help.
Happy Valentine's Day to you and Mike!

Leah J. Utas said...

Reb- It isn't thick and cloying. This one might be okay for you although I don't know. Because it doesn't burn all that well, it is easier to control.

dfBag Lady - Use a little bit and pay attention to corners. Energy collects there.
Dried sage works well, too, but is much thicker and more pungent than balsam root.

Thanks, and Happy Valentine's Day to you and Don.

Crabby McSlacker said...

I'm with Reb, most of the packaged incenses are just too intense. I'm a big fan of fresh air, but in California that's easier to come by in the middle of winter than where you are!

We also use essential oils sometimes, like peppermint, but mainly as a Cat Box Smell antidote rather than an energy cleanser. But who knows, maybe we're cleaning out stale energy as well as litter box smells.

Leah J. Utas said...

Crabby - I'm sure you're changing the energy when you take care of the cat box.
Have you tried wintergreen oil? It's a pleasant enough fragrance yet powerful enough to take out skunk.

The Merry said...

Leah, I'm curious about balsamroot. Turns out it grows around my neck of the woods too, but one website said that it was related to something called "sneezeweed", which frankly is a little scary.

I love the idea of burning it in the corners of my new home. I love my house, but it still doesn't quite seem "mine." There's a lingering smell... not bad, more like new carpet in unventilated rooms -- okay, so that doesn't sound great, but it's better than rotten fish. Still, the smell reminds me that this place doesn't quite feel like home yet.

Interesting post!