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Winter Solstice/Lunar Eclipse 2010 Clearing & Manifesting Ritual

by

Layla Morgan Wilde

This year’s historic full moon and lunar eclipse packs a powerful punch. We haven’t had one like it in 456 years. For anyone on a spiritual path, it’s ideal for setting one’s intentions for the coming year. Think of it as planting the seeds for what you really, really want to manifest in the coming year.  I’ve adapted this ritual into a universal one to help you clear, bless, and sanctify your home regardless of your religious or philosophical believes. While shamanic in origin, over the years I’ve added, tweaked and played with the steps. All ritual is personal and the only rule is to do what feels right for you, and do it with intention.  I prefer working alone, but if you do choose to share this with others please make sure everyone is like-minded. Doing a ritual creates sacred space and integrates body and spirit into an elevated state of clarity, focus and self-awareness.

Do not perform any ritual if ill, menstruating, or pregnant.  Cleansing can be done as needed; monthly, quarterly but at least twice a year, preferably on the winter and summer solstices (times when charged with the energies of transformation). It's also a good idea to do a clearing whenever there is illness, violence, misfortune, or conflict in the home. Remember to work with love and joy, which are containers of the sacred.

Any full moon is ideal for a clearing or ritual cleansing but this one is the creme de la creme. The eclipse lasts for three and a half hours with a peak at 3:13 AM on December 21, 2010 in EST time zone. I find it’s most powerful to complete rituals before something is at its peak, so I’ll be doing my ritual the evening before, but some will do the ritual during the eclipse and some after during on the evening of the 21^st. Do what works for you. Ritual balances the sacred and the mundane, integrating body/spirit with your Higher Self to induce clarity,focus, and insight.  

1. On the day of the ritual (or ideally the day before), clean and vacuum your home thoroughly. If pressed for time, do a quick sweep of surfaces, change the linen and take out the garbage. Then, take a ritual bath (I like Epsom salt with essential oils) and imagine all the negative energies going down the drain. Dress in clean, comfortable clothing. Choose a time when you won't be interrupted and turn off your phone. Some pets like joining in but if you have pets that might get underfoot, sequester them in a room. I like to smudge myself before and after the ritual, asking for protection. Do not eat a heavy meal before. A light snack is okay.
2. Take any food that’s out, seal into a container and place in a cupboard or the refrigerator.
3. Create a mini-altar on a plate or tray with a white candle, fruit, flowers, a glass of wine or water, sweets, incense and place in the center of your home either on the floor or a table. Assemble and leave by the front door: a bowl or spray bottle of holy or purified water, incense or sage stick, a bowl of sea salt, any drums, rattles, bells, tingshas and/or Tibetan singing bowl. Beside the altar place matches or lighter and a pen/pencil with a  piece of paper/pad.
4. As you light the candle and the incense at your altar, try to connect with whatever spiritual power or force you believe in. Invoke help from Source/God/Goddess, spirit guides, power animals, guardian angels etc. i.e. “I ask your assistance in consecrating and clearing this space. Let nothing but love and joy linger here.” Thank them and the house for providing protection, nourishment and shelter.
5. Sprinkle sea salt across the thresholds of all exterior doors in your home and exit through the front door taking with a small offering of tobacco, cornmeal, dried rose petal or herbs for the elements/ nature spirits. If you have a garden, stand in your favorite area. If you have only a porch or small outdoor space, stand there. If you live in an apartment, stand in the corridor or outside the building.
6.  Honor and give thanks to the six directions. If you have a power animal(s) invoke them now. Standing with arms outstretched above your head, face east and say, “I honor and gives thanks to the East, to the element of Air, to the rising sun, the place of all beginnings. Turn and face south, “I honor and give thanks the South, the element of fire and the warm sun which sustains all life.” Turn to the west. “I honor and give thanks to the West, the element of water and the setting sun, the place where all things go to die.” Turn and face north. “I honor and give thanks to the north and the element of Earth, the place of all material abundance.” Reach your arms to the sky, “I honor and give thanks to all that is above; the moon and stars and heavens.” Touch the ground, “I honor and give thanks to all that is below, to Mother Earth and all who have walked upon Her and all She has given me.” Leave your offering and return indoors.
7. Take your bowl of salt at the front door and begin walking counter-clockwise through every room, sprinkling pinches of salt. Repeat your intention: to banish, invoke etc. i.e. “In the name of the God and Goddess, may only love, peace and abundance enter this home. All else is banished.” Go into every corner, closet, around every window and mirror. Take care with delicate objects or things that might stain. Repeat for each floor. Repeat ritual with water and finally with incense. If the energy still feels stuck, or negative, repeat walking through each room banging a drum or rattle loudly, imagining the negative energy repelled and leaving allowing fresh new energy to take its place. Imagine happy, healing energy filling the home. If you don’t have a drum, you can clap your hands and chant. Use your voice with intention. If you can’t burn any incense/sage/herbs use the clapping, drumming, bells instead. For a quickie version; combine elements and go through the rooms twice. Once with salted water and once with burning incense/sage while shaking a rattle or bell.
8. Wash your hands in cold water and imagine any negativity washing down the drain. Return to the altar. Smudge yourself with Sweet grass or spritz yourself water with added essential oils if desired. 
9. Return to the altar and spend a few more minutes in gratitude to everyone you invoked for the many gifts of the home and the land beneath. Say out loud something like, “By the power of the Divine, this home is blessed. Blessed be!
10. Take your pen and paper and draw a vertical line down the middle of the page. On the left side write; what I am releasing. On the right side write: what I am attracting. Things to release are anything that no longer serves you, anything that prevents you from having what you want. It can be as mundane as the clutter on your desk to releasing illness, bad habits or leaving an abusive marriage. Think deeply about what you want to attract or manifest and be precise. It’s doesn’t need to be a long laundry list. Keep is simple. When done, read it out loud and place the paper in the candle flame. Watch the fire transform your desires and say something like, “It is so.” Pagans can say, “So mote it be and Blessed be!”
11.  Allow the candle and the incense burn to the end taking care to avoid any fire hazards. Leave the offerings of sweets and flowers. Discard them any remaining candle wax or debris the following day in an appropriate place. I usually bury things into a wild area of the garden but remember, this is YOUR ritual. This is just a blueprint. Customize it to make it yours.

      Enjoy your fresh home and a bountiful new year!

     You are free to circulate this, but only if you credit me, Layla Morgan Wilde and link back to blog.laylamorganwilde.com. Thank-you!