Cleansing of Sanctum or Habitation: A How To Guide

The consecration (or cleansing) of an altar, workspace, meditation space, home, temple, or sanctum is nothing new. The primary reason to perform a consecration at the start and end of any period is to wipe away any type of negativity or residual ‘lesser’ energy. Sometimes you might enter a room where you feel as if there is some emotion attached or static-like sensations in the air. These two methods provide a basis in which you can wipe away anything that may be associated with that location and prevent the interference of any outside influences for whatever reason may change the overall tone. Once you clear the workspace nothing, and I do mean nothing, can interfere or enter. This boundary can be set not only around a room but around a house as well, and as such, the rituals must be adapted to reflect that. Strong visualization is the key to setting the boundaries of which you may work or even live. It is entirely up to you. With the boundaries set you can rest assured only an influx of positive energy/vibrations will remain.

The basic method for cleansing

Items you’ll need:

Florida Water or Magnetized Water (click here to read my previous article) or Holy Water or Incense or smudging stick

Before beginning it is important to first invoke the presence of God (or the Higher Divine Intelligence to which you aspire). With humility and sincerity ask God to illuminate you (or those present) and the work which you are prepared to undergo. In the case of a house cleansing it is sometimes recommended that the inhabitants of the room or house be present for the course of this ritual so that one can best achieve the desired conditions. Before reciting the following, face the east, close your eyes, and visualize a great big whitish-blue light coming down from the heavens and completely surrounding your being. Take a deep breath and say the following:

Primary invocation: “I (or we) invoke the pure blessings of the divine Creator. Grant us the necessary will and aspiration to attune with the greater light so as to conduct this (or our) ritual. With my (or our) hearts open allow the cosmic to illuminate my (or our) path and to protect me (or us) along our journey. It is Done!”

Carefully work your way from the east of the room or house, to the north, west and south directions in that order until ending up full circle facing the east where you began. I have seen several variations of this ritual done from indigenous people to those who practice curanderismo. It can be done several ways, each of them just as effective. Some people prefer a smudge stick or incense while others prefer a bowl filled with holy water in which they use their fingers to sprinkle. Some even prefer a cup of Florida Water while using a red carnation flower to dip and sprinkle, there is no wrong way. Even the incantation/invocation can be varied, some prefer to pray the rosary while others prefer to chant, it all depends on what YOU feel is right. For the following I will give a general outline of what I prefer to do while going around the room or room to room.

Starting from the east side of the room, take 3 deep breathes and in a loud projective voice say the following while smudging or sprinkling water:

Main invocation: “Oh, Creator grant unto us the divine light. Purify this room with your blessing. Allow only but the purest of influences to enter upon any point in this room and sanctify it for the generations to come. It is Done!”

As before visualize a diving whitish-blue light coming down from the heavens, however, this time visualize that light intensifying as it begins illuminating the room in its entirety. Feel the emotions as it passes down, warmth, love, peace, and harmony.

Slowly work room to room or wall to wall restating the main invocation. Once you reach back to the same place you began give gratitude to God for granting his divine presence to surround your house or room. And rest assured that no malicious forces will ever enter so long as the God within remains in connection with the highest of aspirations. It is Done!

The most effective method

The second method is a little more complicated as it involves more advanced visualization techniques, steps and memorization. There are a few slight variations to this ritual after the main invocation is conducted, however, the main invocation always remains the same. This is my preferred method and have seen it personally used to consecrate large temples. The historical origins and symbolic interpretations are too much to discuss for the purpose of this article and would need a whole page dedicated for its explanation. It’s known origins date back to the late 19th century with the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn who originally broke away from the Societas Rosicruciana in Anglia (S.R.I.A.), an esoteric branch of Freemasonry that still exists today. Supposed variations and misinterpretations regarding its origins have been long been misconstrued by so-called Wiccan groups as well as various ‘occult’ groups like Crowley’s Thelema. The main ritual/invocation itself is broken up into two sections: the Kabbalistic Cross and the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram (or LBRP for short). Some items needed are white or black robes, dagger, aspergillum (for sprinkling water) and thurible (for incense). If you do not have any of these items on hand, it is fine to use your finger in place of a dagger and regular cup and incense holder. This ritual is used for cleansing an altar or room for mystical work, however, it can also be used for households. The Kabbalistic Cross and LBRP is recommended to be done daily for best results.

The sequence: Kabbalistic Cross Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram (LBRP) Kabbalistic Cross (again) Consecration with holy water and incense (optional)

Tips: *If there is a specific period of meditation or ritual that you plan on undergoing the sequence must preformed before and after. *The Sign of the Enterer is made by placing your hands up in the air (palms facing inwards slightly above your head) and then slightly lunging forward as your hands (facing downwards) extend. *The Sign of Silence is made by coming back to attention and placing your index finger to your lips.

 The Kabbalistic Cross

Face the east holding either a dagger in the right hand or using your extended index finger.

1. Imagine that everything around you is in complete darkness, only you remain.

2. From above your head a vibrant white sphere appears and you reach up to touch it with your dagger or index finger and connect that light to the center of your forehead while you intone the word ATAH (ahhh-tahhh), meaning ‘Thou Art.’

3. Next touch the center of your chest and move your hand below your solar plexus and while pointing down intone the word MALKUTH (mal-kooth), meaning ‘the Kingdom.’

4. From the last position bring your finger or dagger up to your right shoulder while visualizing that white light becoming extended to that area while intoning VE-GEBURAH (veh-ge-boor-ah), meaning ‘the Power.’

5. Next touch the left shoulder and as before visualize the light expanding to the left shoulder while intoning the word VE-GEDULAH (veh-ge-doo-la), meaning ‘the Glory;’

6. From this point you should be able to visualize a cross of light from each of the points across your body.

7. Lastly, bring your hands together as if in prayer about less than a foot away from your body and loudly vibrate the words LE-OLAHM, AMEN (lay-o-lahm), meaning ‘Forever unto the Ages.’

Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram

(Banishing the four quadrants) 

8. Using the dagger or index finger draw a large (banishing earth) pentagram in the air starting from the lower left-hand side. The pentagrams should be visualized as a bright-bluish light. Thrust your dagger or make the Sign of the Enterer into the middle of the pentagram while vibrating the name YHVH (Yod-he-vahv-he). Drop your hands and make the Sign of Silence and once again drop your hands.  Place your index finger or dagger into the center once again and rotate (or walk) yourself clockwise to the south (while never dropping your extended arm).

9. Once your facing the south as with before draw the large pentagram in the air and thrust your dagger or make the Sign of the Enterer into the middle of the pentagram but this time intone the name ADONAI (ah-doh-nye). Drop your hands and make the Sign of Silence, and extend your arm with your finger or dagger tracing an invisible line from the center of the pentagram clockwise towards the west.

10. Facing the west repeat all the steps as before but this time intone the name EHEIEH (eh-hey-yay). Make the Sign of Silence and trace the line towards the north.

11. Once in the north, or facing the north, repeat the same as before but now intone the name AGLA (ah-gah-lah). Make the Sign of Silence and trace the last invisible line to where you began in the east.

12. Once in the east the circle should be completed from the center of each pentagram thus becoming united by the traced line.

(Invoking the archangels)

13. While still facing the east, extend your arms to form a T-shape (or cross), and say: “Before me, RAPHAEL” (Rah-fah-yell)-vibrate and hold out each syllable. As you pronounce the name visualize standing before you a great archangel representing the air wearing yellow and violet colored robes rising out of clouds.

14. Next say: “Behind me, GABRIEL” (Gah-bree-el). As with before while pronouncing the name visualize the great archangel Gabriel emerging out of an ocean covered in blue and orange robes.

15. Next say: “On my right hand, MICHAEL” (Mee-kah-yel). While pronouncing the name visualize the archangel element of fire rising up out of lava and fire holding a flaming sword wearing red and green robes.

16. Next say: “On my right hand, URIEL” (Ur-ee-el). As your pronounce the named visualize the archangel of earth rising up out of dense green vegetation wearing earth-colored robes such as shades of green and dark browns.

17. Lastly, say: “Before me the flames of the pentagram, and in the column sines the six-rayed star!”

At this point you should be able to visualize the circle of light encompassing you and along with the four bright-blue flaming pentagrams at each quadrant while a cross of light emanating from within brightly intensifies.

18. Repeat the KABBALISTIC CROSS (Steps 1-7)

19. End with the Sign of Silence.

Sprinkling of Water

The sprinkling of holy water and incense around the area is optional but highly recommended. You may proceed with either your aspergillum or bowl of holy water (or even magnetized water) and at each four quadrants repeat the following while sprinkling the water in the form of a cross:

Asperges me, Domine, hyssopo et mundabor, Lavabis me, et super nivem dealbabor.

(Thou wilt sprinkle me, O Lord, with hyssop and I shall be cleansed Thou wilt wash me, and I shall be washed whiter than snow)

Afterward the words have been spoken, give the Sign of Silence and repeat at each of the four quadrants until you’ve returned back to the east.

Incensing

As with before with the sprinkling of water, use either the thurible or incense holder to form a cross at each quadrant while saying:

Incensum istud a te benedictum ascendat ad te, Domine, et descendat super nos misericordia tua.

(May this incense which thou hast blessed, O Lord, ascend to thee, and may thy mercy descend upon us)

Afterwards, give Sign of Silence and repeat until you’ve reached back to the beginning.

Additional reading: Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram