Rooms can have a different atmosphere that cannot always be attributed to such things as decor, light, ceiling height, or even good or bad feng shui — the flow of Ch’i around a home, which depends on its location and the placement of doors, windows, furniture, mirrors, and plants, among other things.

Rooms also have an aroma that reflects all that is in, and goes on, there, including: activities such as cooking; the aroma of things such as furnishings; and the presence of living beings such as people, animals, and plants. Humidity can change an atmosphere, and the aroma of mildew can these days be treated with various commercial products and appliances, while the dryness of central heating can be counterbalanced with humidifiers. Bear all these things in mind when considering the atmosphere of a room or home.

Another factor is cleanliness. If a place does not feel conducive to good energy flow, it may simply need a good clean. We’re not talking here about untidiness, but uncleanness, the solution to which is obvious. When thinking about cleaning in terms of energy, however, add salt to the water, along with some essential oils, whatever aroma you enjoy.

As you go around your home, take a box and throw in all those items of clutter that you know you will no longer use, or you don’t really like. According to the philosophy of feng shui, they clutter your mind, as well as your home, and could he given to a charity shop, which may benefit from them more than you. Washing windows is especially good for energy flow. It gives a different look to the outside of a home, and a different feel to the inside. Add essential oils to either the water or to the cloth -- the citrus oils are particularly good for this job.

Spiritual Cleansing

Spiritual cleansing is different to the usual cleaning routine and involves much more thought, and a little more preparation. Here is a traditional method of transforming the subtle energies of a room. Before you start, focus your mind on the job at hand, and invoke that which is the source of your spiritual strength. Pray that the cleansing will bring light and peace. Mix a tablespoon of salt with two drops of frankincense essential oil, and leave it to dry. Open a window or a door leading to the outside, which allows circulation of air, then sprinkle a tiny amount of the mixture around the room, including the corners, gradually moving toward the open window or door.

Another method involves using salt water in a bowl, wetting the fingers and flicking the water in all directions, being careful not to damage certain fabrics and furniture. Essential oils can be added to this water-salt mix. A very ancient method is to dip a small bundle of fresh herbs into salt water, shake off the excess, and use this to flick the water around the room. Some cultures use a small branch of a tree; you could also use a single flower.

The spiritual house-cleansing process can be done while diffusing your favorite essential oils. Some people pray while cleansing; others use loud noise, which has often been used to scare negative elements away. This can be done in the traditional way, with drums, bells, rattles, gongs, clapping, or chanting, although I know people who prefer loud music, as they feel this is very effective in getting the energy up and moving.

When the atmosphere feels lightened, use one of the following cleansing blends of essential oils, or an essential oil or blend of your choice — in a diffuser, plant mister, or simply in a bowl or mug of steaming water. Put on some tranquil music, light a candle, then have a cleansing bath — suggestions for which are in a later section. Finally, put some new life and happiness in the room or rooms in the form of plants or flowers.

Misters and sprayers

One effective method of distributing the essential oil molecules around a space is by using a plant mister or sprayer. Using a new one, put in half a pint of warm water, then add six to ten drops of essential oil — or more if you wish — screw back the cap, and shake well each time before spraying. Spray high into the air, making sure the water-essential oil molecules will not fall on any furniture or furnishings that may become damaged. The space around people can also be sprayed with these “aura cleansing sprays,” but the eyes must be kept closed.

Water bowls

Hot water releases the aroma molecules in essential oils and sends them rising into the air. Any glass or china heatproof bowl or container can be used. Put three to ten drops of essential oil on the water, and place the bowl or bowls in the corners of the room.

Essential oil cleansing bundles

Make a collection of smelling strips by cutting up a piece of white absorbent paper into long strips. Put your chosen essential oils on these. They can be gathered together like a bunch of flowers, and tied with bows, or plaited, and in other ways made decorative. Use them to spread cleansing- and energy-enhancing fragrance around a room.

Energy-Cleansing Baths

Every time we walk into an enclosed space, whether it is at work, on the bus, in a shop, cinema, or theater, we are putting ourselves in contact with other people’s electromagnetic fields. Our auras mingle, for example, when standing shoulder to shoulder with other commuters in an underground train during rush hour. Some of these people may be disturbed, distressed, or depressed and in other ways energetically needy. The interaction of energies between people involves a give-and-take. There is the good giving, when we feel enriched energetically, and there is the kind of giving that comes from a very “hyper” person, which leaves one feeling exhausted.

With taking, the issue is willingness to donate that energy. We don’t mind giving energy to our children, for example, and we freely allow the people we love to take energy from us, even though it may leave us feeling depleted. But there is also the taking when people draw the energy out of us, a kind of energetic violation, although most energy vampires may not consciously be aware of what they’re doing. I’ve found that many of these people have been energetically abused at some time in the past and have an unstable personal boundary.

This is not just a physical-presence phenomenon, because we can find ourselves giving and taking in relation to another person, even over the phone. In fact, we don’t even need that equipment, because we can hear the phone ringing on the other side of the room, and know from the change in our energy that on the end of the line is a specific someone we don’t want to talk to. When they say their name, they just confirm what we had already sensed in some inexplicable way.

The effect of all this can be disturbing to our own vibrational pattern, and there may be times when we feel the need of a spiritually cleansing bath. The purpose of this is to "wash off" the unwanted thought forms or energies we may have picked up. Spiritual cleansing is about preserving the integrity of our spiritual core. It is of particularly great importance when we’ve had the unfortunate experience of being in touch — which may not be literal — with a person whose vibration is altogether more nefarious.

Energy-cleansing baths are not about removing everyday grime and pollution, which should be done first, by having a shower or bath and washing with soap. First, clear and enhance the atmosphere by using one of the methods in the Clearing the Atmosphere section. Open the window or door to oxygenate the room. Some of the old traditions would use sound at this point, with clapping, chanting, drumbeat, singing, praying, laughing, shaking rattles, or shouting, and if your inclination is to use sound, you could use one of those methods, or check through your music collection for something that seems appropriate!

For people who want to bring in the four elements of water, earth, fire, and air, these are already present. The water flows into the bath; the earth comes from the salt or crystals you place in the water; the fire comes from the candles you now place around the bath; and the air comes from the fresh air you have just allowed in the room and the aroma of the essential oils you will use.

Essential oils on their own are rather unique among the gifts of life in that they incorporate in some sense all four elements — they are liquid and thus waterlike; they are products of plants of the earth; they are flammable and burn like fire; and they release a fragrance that is part of the air.

Bathing or being submerged in water is a sacred symbolic ritual in many traditions, often signifying full entry into a particular practice or way of worship. It also symbolizes rebirth and change, whether this is a change in the direction of life or in its purpose. Cleaning invisible energies with water is an everyday occurrence at nuclear power stations around the world, as workers finish their shift with a shower to assist in removing any radiation. Bathing is about being “clean” in many senses.

Published by New World Library.
Visit their website www.newworldlibrary.com.

Article Source:

The Fragrant Heavens -- the spiritual dimension of fragrance and aromatherapy
by Valerie Ann Worwood.

Shows how fragrance is used in modern spiritual practices and describes ways to use aroma in healing prayer and meditation

Click here for more info and/or to order this paperback book. Also available as a hardcover.

About The Author

Valerie Ann Worwood has practiced cutting-edge aromatherapy for over twenty years. An aromatherapist to royalty and heads of state, she teaches and conducts workshops around the world and is an active member on the executive council of the International Federation of Aromatherapists and runs her own clinic in England. She is the bestselling author of The Complete Book of Essential Oils & Aromatherapy which is widely considered to be the definitive reference book on aromatherapy. She is also the author of The Fragrant Mind, Scents and Scentuality and the newly released Aromatherapy For The Healthy Child.