Here during holiday season, many folks are having to confront family situations and places that’ve come to be negative or toxic. And, for most folks, they’ll be trying to navigate these environments around folks who aren’t magically operant. So, I offer to you some stealth cleansing techniques that can help you clear off the lingering gloom and negativity from environments and try to call in some apt help. I would combine these with whatever emotional centering and grounding techniques you’re already doing. Adapt. Be agile.
Assess
Firstly, try to be agile and resilient against any eclipse shenanigans during Eclipsemas 2019, but recognize that’s going on.
Center and ground yourself: you need your intuition and senses as unclouded as you can get them.
Take a “nap.” Do some journeying or “astral travel” in the immediate imaginal version of the house you’re visiting.
Identify trouble spots: shadowed areas, places that look bad or get your attention or even if you spot any parasites or entities. Flush them out through whatever means seems to work on the imaginal side of things: light, fire, spiritual allies, cleansing rains, etc. I’d avoid going with the Spirit Warrior approach unless you’re good at doing that, but also be advised you might be noticing hungry or problematic ancestors rather than demons. Indeed, you might “just” be noticing “bad spots” that, from your perspective, you’ve personified. (That’s fine, but don’t go blaming ghosts or demons unless you’ve got substantive reasons to do so. And for fuck’s sake, don’t go blabbing about evil spirits in the family home at your Winter Holiday of Choice.)
Cleanse
Come back out. Mix some salt (preferably sea salt, but definitely salt) in water in a cup, and go from room to room flicking droplets of salt water to the four directions while whispering a basic cleansing prayer: “I cleanse, I purify this place of all unclean spirits, all shadows and poison…” I did this against the gloom and negativity that had settled over my flat after the 2016 election, and it worked well enough. It was enough that we could get out from under it.
If you can get away with spritzing Florida water, go for it, but the sea salt water is pretty stealthy. Be sure to hit the problem spots you identified, as well as you can. Don’t panic if you can’t get everywhere, and try to focus on places folks will gather: kitchen, dining, family rooms, your room, etc.
Remember, you’re trying to avoid awkward conversations about “cursing” the holiday or anything, okay?
Bless
I would then “go to the bathroom” and call in light into the house. Call in your allies or gods and spirits you might work with. Were it me, I’d probably do the Cyprianic protection prayer, pray to Martha for the house, call on the Holy Fam (definitely the BVM). If you’re not rolling with the saints, then you want spirits and gods of family and hearth and home. Whatever you do, bless this place.
Then, go take another “nap.” Call in light and call in your bright, shining, blesséd ancestors. If you’ve not done this kind of work before, then be patient and discerning. You may encounter unhealthy ancestors, toxic ancestors, but move past them and keep looking for or calling for those healthy shining ancestors. (I’m definitely pulling on Daniel Foor’s Ancestral Medicine here.) Desire them to come, have that intent in mind, and desire them bless the home and family, to fill the home at this time.
If you haven’t done this kind of thing before, then be patient. Don’t expect it’ll be your favorite dead aunt or anyone you recognize. Don’t be surprised if it’s not who you expect, and if you’re a Westerner, you’re gonna go have to go back a ways. If you haven’t done this work before, this is emergency ancestral balm on a moment, a holiday, not some kind of ancestral healing of the family. But ask them to come and be present and bless this holiday and family gathering. Sit with them until you feel confident that you’ve got those bright, shining, blesséd ancestors, and they’re there with you.
Finally, if you want a bit more or to top everything off, sit back and just feel the house and family all around you, open your heart, and do a Power of One McTaggart-style intention for “peace and joy for my family and I.” About 10 minutes and some Choku-Rei should do you.
Help Yourself
Hydrate. Meditate. Rub some of that salt water on your hands, and take a shower and pour the rest over your head.
Identify and shore up your emotional boundaries. Don’t go with Star Trek shields. If the ancestor business above seemed to work, then ask their help to keep you emotionally healthy (though expect that you may wind up doing some ancestral business in the waking world on their behalf) and keep those boundaries strong but pliant. Don’t close yourself off. Alternatively, or in addition, you can tether your boundaries to the earth, down deep.
Be social, within the best of your ability. Notice that if you’re doing the above, then you’re the wizard or witch who’s doing the spiritual medicine for your family. Don’t knock yourself out if you’re not that good at it yet.
Take time to recover through the stay, as you can. Have a bit of rum and nog, but probably avoid getting wasted with Uncle Ralph.
Afterwards, if you did the ancestor business, then I’d definitely thank them for any help you might’ve gotten/noticed (and consider an ancestral shrine at your home).