Holiday Home Clearing

@KaremIBarratt

As you prepare for Christmas, take the chance to de-clutter as much as possible. Decide what is “family heirloom” and packed in an attractive, beautiful box. For the rest, follow the “two year” rule: if you have not used in the last two years, let it go, as the song says. As you pack the stuff to be given away or recycle, mentally give thanks for the service and joy that they once provided. If you are given it to charity, also give thanks for the good th…ey’ll provide to other people and a particular cause.

The night before the clearing, put some sea salt on as many corners as you can. The next day, sweep away the salt. As you do, imagine all the year’s challenging moments being drag out of the home by the salt crystals. Throw away the dirty salt and clean your home as usual.

Encase the inside of a small pot with foil paper. Put some dry bay leaves, cinnamon sticks and cloves. You may need to add a little of olive oil to make sure it lights up. Light the spices and then walk about your home, visualizing all the holiday joy you want to experience as well as the new prosperity your are opening to for 2015.

Make sure to pass the pot around corners. You may want to use a fan or feather to spread the smoke around. Please, be sensible: you just need a little bit of smoke, not so much to activate fire alarms or create chocking hazards, If you want to make a family tradition out of this, you may have children or other family members ringing bells behind you or play/sing festive songs.

Be sure to say some welcoming words to the spirit of the holidays. It can be something like: “Welcome be joy, welcome be union, welcome be love, welcome be generosity, welcome be understanding to our home this holiday season. May this home be full of love and peace; May this home be a place of union and joy for all who come and live in it. And so it is.” As you say this, imagine your home protected in a beautiful bubble of light, warm and cosy and ready to celebrate the winter festivities.

Now decorate your home to your heart’s content.