Housecleaning with Magic

[Lady River Dragonsong]

Housecleaning with Magic

Adapted from Witch in the Kitchen, by Cait Johnson (Inner Traditions, 2001).

The antidote to housecleaning drudgery is magical fun. When we bring a little earthy magic to our spring cleaning, the result is a deeply nourished spirit as well as a cleaner house!

Here are a few simple ways to discover the joys of cleaning with spirit:

1. Sing a special song as you clean. If you know an earth-centered song, great. If not, make something up. Repeating even the simplest of tunes (with or without rhyming words) can help you relax, deepen, and open. You don't have to sound like a professional- -don't judge yourself, just have fun with it.

2. Clean barefoot. This changes one's perspective, somehow. As you clean, visualize rootlets growing from the soles of your feet, going down through your (clean) floor into Mother Earth.

3. Make yourself a Cleaner's Crown. After all, you deserve a crown for all the work you do. Ribbon, paper, fake flowers--anything that strikes your fancy--can be used to make one. While you're at it, make up a silly name for yourself. If you're a warrior-type, you could be Spic n' Spanna, Fighter of Grime; invent stories about your battles and adventures. Or become Our Lady of Perpetual Mopping; see yourself as a healer and soother, a sort of Mother Teresa of the kitchen. Your crown would be more of a halo. Maybe you'd be happy as the Wise One of the Woods, wreathed with wild grapevine. Find a character that suits you.

4. Clean green. Nothing discourages feelings of connection to the earth like toxic and carcinogenic chemicals. If your cleaning products are filled with them, your inner self can sense it, and it won't be happy. Check out our care2 channels for lots of simple kitchen-cupboard cleaning formulas, or try some of the earth-friendly products from your local natural foods store.

5. Add a strong herbal tea to your cleaning water. Sweet scents and good vibes go a long way toward making your home feel connected to the Great Power. Just boil a couple of cups of water and throw in a handful of herbs, steep for several minutes, and strain the tea into your cleaning bucket. Here is a list of some traditional herb correspondences; choose one or more
according to your desire. We don't usually think of sea salt and basil and apples as magical, but our more earth-centered ancestors knew they were. It is a wonderful affirmation of the magic in the ordinary to use kitchen-cupboard ingredients in magical ways.


Apples: Food of the Goddess, love. Add a few pieces of fresh or dried apple to your water (but not too much or you'll end up with sticky surfaces!)

Basil: Love, fidelity, wealth, protection. A nice all-purpose herb with a luscious summery scent.

Chamomile: Serenity and calm; purification. Smells like a blend of apples and new-mown hay. While you're at it, make yourself a cup of tea to drink after you've finished cleaning; it's very relaxing.

Cinnamon: Happy home, safety, healing, protection. The primal home-and-hearth spice. Use pieces of cinnamon stick for your brew (the powdered kind will turn into a gelatinous glop in the bucket).

Clove: Purification; promotes love and spirituality. Try it with cinnamon--delicious !

Eucalyptus: Health, protection. Warm and fresh, actually kills germs.

Evergreen: Health, purification, vitality. A few sprigs of pine, cedar, or juniper growing nearby, a few sprigs placed in boiling water will add green freshness to your housecleaning brew.

Lavender: Love, friendship, peace, happiness, protection. Such a sweet, relaxing, and calm-inducing scent--and it's also an antidepressant.

Lemon peel: Purification. It's no accident that so many cleaning products are lemon-scented; lemon smells fresh and uplifting and cleanses negativity.

Marjoram: Love, protection, antidepressant. You can sprinkle a little of this dried herb in the corners of every room to promote love and safety.

Peppermint: Purification, healing, soothing. A wonderfully relaxing and refreshing scent.

Rosemary: Cleansing and protection; clears negativity; encourages clear thinking.

Sage: Purification, wisdom. It's no coincidence that the word for "wise one" is the same as the herb's name. A traditional ingredient of many Native American smudge bundles, a strong sage tea will help clear your home of negativity.

Sea salt: Traditional for purification and protection. If you've been feeling vulnerable or weird and you only have time to add one ingredient to your wash-water, this could be it.

Vanilla: love, happiness. A piece of the bean or a few drops of extract will make your home smell and feel delicious.

6. Smudge. See our article in the care2 channels on smudging to clear and harmonize the atmosphere. Burning bundles of dried herbs is a traditional way to do this.

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Inner Traditions - Founded in 1975, Inner Traditions is a leading publisher of books on indigenous cultures, perennial philosophy, visionary art, spiritual traditions of East and West, sexuality, holistic health and healing, self-development, as well as recordings of ethnic music and accompaniments for meditation.

Copyright: Adapted from Witch in the Kitchen, by Cait Johnson (Inner Traditions, 2001). Copyright (c) 2001 by Cait Johnson. Reprinted by permission of Inner Traditions Press.