House Clearings & House Blessings: Big, Major Work in Shamanic Headspace!

Over the past few months, I have worked with many wonderful people on House Clearings/Blessings. I've noticed an interesting surge in these type of requests around the beginning of Fall, to coincide with "Back to School" season. In my Coyote-Brain, this time of year was always easiest to clear away clutter and make new goals (at least compared with New Year's Day, which reminded me of vacation, not resolutions!).

I often get asked numerous questions about House Clearings (what are they? how do they help? what is the process? how much? etc.), and felt that it would be wise to put everything in an entry for future discussion (tiny blip here from a year ago):

"What is a House Clearing/House Blessing? Is there a difference between the two?"

A House Clearing is a type of shamanic healing for a building/structure. Many of us live, work, play, and socialize in buildings that are not new, and have history in them. In my philosophy, humans leave energetic imprints constantly, which can easily attach themselves to buildings (as well as other animals/humans: see blog post about different bodies here). Many terrible things can take place in the privacy of a building, which can completely affect the atmosphere of the building in the future. A few examples are suicide, murder, drug addiction, emotional/physical abuse, trauma, etc. Depending on the history, and/or who may have died within the building, some Thing may attach itself to the structure, and need professional removal. The shamanic techniques used in House Clearing include energy resets, psychopomp work, wards, and depossession (oh yes, a home can definitely be possessed!).

A House Blessing is a type of shamanic healing that takes place immediately after a building/structure has been cleared (see above).  As I've written before, Nature hates vacuums (unless you're a black hole), and it is just as important, if not more so, to Invite In the types of energies that should exist within a structure (i.e., healing energies for a doctor's office, focus and concentration for a school library, etc.). Anyone, whether shamanically trained or not, can concentrate and Invite In certain energies with his/her willpower and intent, but shamans are able to facilitate this process, set up effective relationships between residents and buildings, and work with House Guardians (to insure that nothing untoward tries to make a home again).

"How long does a House Clearing/Blessing take?"

As you may have seen from my Services Offered page, it really depends on the building. A two-bedroom apartment in suburbia may take 1.5 hours, while a Brownstone in the West Village in NYC may take upwards of 2.5-3 hours! Not only does the location contribute to the energetic imprint of the building, but the amount of space/rooms is really key. I work with a partner, and we check every room, closet, plumbing, fuse box, basement foundation, window, door, adjoining wall (if connected to other apartments), toilet, drain, fireplace, etc. to make sure that everything is sealed up tight!

"Why do you work with a partner?"

Because of the instruction I received from school, and my Helping Spirits, I always complete both a House Clearing and a House Blessing within the same appointment. I work with a fellow graduate who was at the Top of his Class in resetting the energetic blueprints of buildings and structures, and it really helps to have an additional person check your work behind you!

"Can a House Clearing/Blessing be done remotely (like over Skype)? How effective is it?"

Now this is an incredibly tricky question, and I may piss off a few fellow shamans in the way that I answer it (Coyote laughs, and licks his teeth). The most effective House Clearings/Blessings are done in Person, hands (and paws) down. Problematic energies can be identified and taken care of much quicker in person, as well as conversations with the Land Spirits that are part of/surround the building/structure. Offerings can be made immediately, and there is a smaller chance of spirits tricking the shaman inside his/her own headspace.

This doesn't mean that House Clearings/Blessings done remotely are ineffective; it just means that the shaman needs to be fully focused and have great communication with his/her Helping Spirits. However, opening a dialogue with the Land Spirits can be very difficult if the shaman is not physically there. If the House Clearing is done completely remotely, then the vitally important Blessings (see above) is not done with those residing in the building, which can sometimes allow Other Energies to take the place of the ones just cleared! Finally, it is extremely difficult for any shaman to be able to Ward each faucet, toilet, window, door, wall, floor, ceiling, fuse box, etc. when s/he is not physically there. Essentially, it is best to do House Clearings/Blessings in person, but a Skype connection, with video, can work if travel is not possible.

These are some of the most-asked questions when scheduling House Clearings/Blessings. Please comment with additional ones, if you have any, and I'll update this blog post in the future!