When Ghosts Speak - Mary Ann Winkowski [99]
It is very important that you do not put these quince seeds up in your home unless you are 100 percent sure that your house is free of earthbound spirits. If you put the seeds over doorways while ghosts are in the house, those ghosts will become trapped. And believe me, you don’t want an unhappy earthbound spirit stuck in your home.
Smudge Stick
Another simple technique for removing negative energy and reducing the effects of earthbound spirits in your home or business environment is to cleanse the atmosphere with a smudge stick. These are bundles of herbs, such as sage or sweetgrass, that generate a lot of smoke when burned and have a very distinctive odor. Light the smudge stick using a candle or match and gently blow out the flame so the stick is still smoking. Keep a tray or bowl under the smudge stick so ash and cinders do not fall to the floor as you use it. Walk around your house, from the highest floor to the lowest, waving the smudge stick around the perimeter of all the rooms. Make sure that you have allowed for enough time to smudge the entire house in one session. Keep all windows closed and leave them closed for at least one hour after you’ve finished the house.
Start in the attic, if you can, and end in your basement. If you have an attached garage, don’t forget to smudge there. Be sure to smudge behind doors, in corners, in closets, and in cabinets. If the smudge stick goes out—and it will if there’s a lot of negative energy in the house—relight it and continue smudging from the spot where it first went out.
You can also fan the smoke so that it surrounds your body. Make sure that it touches all parts of you. When you are finished, place the smudge stick in a fireproof container filled with sand. Always be sure that the smudge stick is fully extinguished before leaving the room where it is stored.
To get a sense of how effective smudging is for you, be sure to mark your smudging date on a calendar. At first, it may be only five or six days before you realize that negative energy seems to be returning or that the ghost in your house is becoming active again. As soon as you notice either of these things, smudge immediately. Again mark your calendar. Pay close attention to how long it takes before the activity begins again. The more regular you are with smudging, the longer you will be able to go between treatments. Depending on how much of a foothold ghosts have, or how negative their energy is, you may end up having to smudge only once a month or less.
If you smudge on a regular basis and there are ghosts in your home—even ghosts who’ve been there for a while—you can make them leave. They’ll eventually get sick of feeling lethargic and will leave to seek a place where they can get more energy. It’s really a question of being persistent and waiting them out.
If you have small children or anyone with breathing problems, such as asthma, make sure they are out of the house while you smudge. Wait until the smoke has fully cleared before you bring them back home.
Blessings
It is never a bad idea to ask an ordained minister, priest, shaman, or other experienced religious leader to visit your home and bless it. The positive energy from such a blessing can help counteract the effects of an earthbound spirit in the home.
Other Forms of Protection
The items and rituals I’ve listed above are those that have always worked for me personally. I haven’t had to try others—and as long as the ones I use keep working, I don’t see the need to. Nevertheless, different people use all kinds of things to diminish negative energy. If it works for you, you should do it. Think of ridding your house of this harmful energy as a process of trial and error. Here are some other suggestions that you might like to try:
• Marigolds.