Let’s Discuss: Energetic Cleansing
Let’s get some clarifying details out the way before we get into the material.
This article assumes that you already know + can execute the basics of energy work without the hang-ups that a beginner would get stuck on.
It’s not going to hold your hand discussing theories about energy, the astral realm, etc. Intermediate practitioners are the target audience for this passage.
Don’t know if you’re intermediate or a beginner? Here’s a difficulty benchmark for this article:
Do you know how to safely cast a functional + effective spell without having to be supervised by an elder for safety?
Are you able to direct and cast that energy with absolute confidence in your ability to do so?
If yes to both, this article is relevant to your skill level.
If no to either:
You can use this article as study material to go over with a spiritual elder.
If you’re a solitary practitioner, use this article as supplemental material for your research under your own discretion.
If you’re a complete beginner and feel like you’re going to end up with more questions than answers, continue doing more research + practice on the basics and save this for later when you feel ready.
Now that we’ve gotten those important details out the way, we’ll begin our discussion.
About cleansing
“Spiritual cleansing” is a term frequently thrown around in witchy and spiritualist spaces alike. “Energetic cleansing” is commonly used interchangeably with “spiritual cleansing.”
The general definition of cleansing is removing/clearing any energy that’s considered “negative” or “toxic” – which in turn causes spiritual blockages that could hinder manifestations, health, growth, prosperity, etc.
It’s a broad definition. For practical application of cleansing in your craft, I want to offer some extra details that can support you in crafting your cleansing works.
Factors to consider in your cleansing works
Why you’re cleansing depends on the situation. Sometimes you need a sterile environment for raising a specific energy in your circle. Other times, you’re aiming to “reset” the ambience of a space (e.g - after a house party, you cleanse any lingering foreign energies that have been brought in by your guests.)
The form of your cleansing rituals will depend on the following factors:
What energy you’re intending to cleanse / “wash” away
The subject you’re directing cleansing energy to (e.g talisman, room, shoes) + your relationship to the subject AND the energy that you’re cleansing away.
The magnitude (power) of the energy you’re trying to cleanse away.
Depending on what you’re facing, you could end up with a simple cleansing ritual, or a more aggressive and targeted ritual. We’ll go over the factors in detail.
– What energy you’re intending to cleanse / “wash” away
A lot of power lies in names. Naming a person, naming a phenomenon, naming an energy… a name can reveal a lot of context and information you wouldn’t be able to get otherwise.
The clearer you name an energy you’re trying to cleanse away, the more effective that the cleansing will get. Even if you don’t know the name of what you’re trying to cleanse away, describing its presence, physical manifestations, and energy signature is enough to distinguish it from just any other energy around you.
Identification of what you’re working with allows you to better understand:
Your relationship to that energy (harmonious? chaotic? stable? unpredictable?)
The magnitude of that energy (how pervasive its energy is astrally AND physically)
How that energy affects the subject (which you should take into consideration while crafting your cleansing!)
Not only does it help with the above, distinguishing the negative/undesired energy will help you have a better time with your recordkeeping. Whether you keep note of your rituals through a notebook, binder, or online journal, having specific energies charted down can help you recognize symptoms of its presence again.
(A rather loose) Example: Natalie is moving into a new apartment, and she feels an unsettling heaviness in the master bedroom. She can’t tell if the heaviness is an entity, or residual energy from an event that happened before she moved in – nobody mentioned anything about someone dying here or anything…
Regardless, she sets out to investigate for an answer on how to clear it up. After taking necessary precautions (insert Natalie doing a protection prayer here), she stays in the room to observe what emotions and sensations come up. She records the following:
The longer she sits there, an unexplainable feeling of bleakness comes up.
The room feels like it’s closing in, almost suffocating.
She doesn’t pick up any usual signs of an active entity inhabiting a space.
Based on the observations she made (+ if applicable, any input from her ancestors / guides) she concludes that the dense energy she’s feeling is residual emotional energy that has culminated over time in this space. After determining this amount of information is enough, she labels this specific heaviness as “this room’s emotional past.”
Now that she has successfully identified + named the specific energy she’s wanting to clear away, she can move on to crafting the cleansing energy she will cast within this room.
Now, think about the last time you cleansed the energy of a space. At that moment, you were Natalie.
How did you handle it?
What did you use to distinguish that undesirable energy from everything else?
What did you use to record your findings about that energy? Was the energy ever recurrent?
If you have a solid grasp on this part, we’re moving on to the next one.
– The subject you’re directing cleansing energy to (e.g talisman, room, shoes) + your relationship to the subject AND the energy that you’re cleansing away.
It’s important to recognize the subject that you’re directing cleansing energy to, since you want to ensure that your cleansing energy isn’t interfered with / nullified by other forces. With recognizing the subject, you’re also tasked with the duty of acknowledging your relationship to the subject.
If you’re cleansing something like your house, something filled with your own personal energy – you likely don’t have to worry about anything getting in between your cleansing ritual unless you’re dealing with more extreme circumstances (e.g possession, haunting, etc..).
If you’re cleansing something that has heavy past energetic/spiritual ties to another’s energy, you’ll want to make sure you read the energy of that subject thoroughly to ensure that you’re sending the proper amount and type of energy necessary to cleanse away your undesired energies.
Due to how situational energetic ties to specific subjects are, it’s better for me to give factors for you to consider when crafting your cleansing spell.
Consider your relationship to any existing history with the subject (e.g if you were cleansing a talisman, are you initiated within the tradition / culture necessary for you to work with said energy?)
Note any prominent energy signatures you pick up within the subject.
Note any prominent spirits and archetypes related to the subject, along with you / your cleansing energy’s relationship to it.
If you pick up any energetic points that give off high activity (abnormally high amounts of a specific type of energy, or in some cases some energetic points acting like a portal) note that down as well.
Use all the recorded details to come to a conclusion about how to effectively counter (which in turn, allows you to cleanse) said factors in your cleansing spell.
– The magnitude (power) of the energy you’re trying to cleanse away.
The main reason I wanted to point out magnitude is because I know that there are a lot of practitioners out here doing the work in the mud for their communities – for this group of people, it’s easy for them to come across heavy energies that are way too difficult and potentially unsafe for the average practitioner to address. For example:
Situations where ancestral curses run DEEP in the energetic field of your subject.
Subjects where extreme trauma + ill intentions (murder, sexual assault, suicide, etc) are significant in their signature.
When you start practicing outside of your daily life, you get exposed to just how fucked up reality can get + just how malicious entities can be. It's important to know your depths and what you’re able to handle.
Do NOT entangle yourself in any energetic situations that you know little about.
I’ve observed that when this happens, it’s usually because someone else dragged them into it (whether it be intentionally or not).
Know your limits, educate yourself on what you’re entering, and double down on your protections.
If you’re being initiated into something, make sure to get the “fine print” of what you’re truly getting yourself into.
If you find yourself becoming overwhelmed by specific energies to the point that it’s affecting your physical wellbeing, STOP and withdraw to recover ASAP.
Keep your protections, spiritual hygiene, and energetic cords updated and strictly moderated, especially if you are frequently involved with any work that regularly requires tapping into external/foreign energies. Staying on top of spiritual hygiene is a given, but the severity in consequences varies by the practitioner’s activities. Slacking can be a minimal issue for some, but a devastating mistake for others.
Conclusion
Feel free to use this as a general reference when crafting your cleansing works, or a little checklist to see if you’ve covered all the cornerstones that you’ve needed. Hopefully this document serves you well.
XOXO, PRISMO <3
