In this article I’m going to be talking about a ritual for energetic
cleansing of amulets and other jewelry with
spiritual intention. This is a
lovely thing to do with any amulet as a blessing that can set the intent at the
first wearing or charge up the energy of the piece to make it more powerful. It
is also a great thing to do to clear crystals of negative energy, particularly
those which have cleansing aspects, but do not cleanse themselves, like
hematite.
I would recommend doing this ritual before wearing your
amulet for the first time, as it makes the experience feel really special and
meaningful. A simple ritual is something your subconscious mind will remember
each time you put the amulet on, helping its power to work through the subtle
intention you have set there, along with enhancing the energy of the crystals
themselves.
Ritual helps you to align your conscious intention with the
sub-conscious mind that works with symbols, images, smells, actions and
metaphor. The sub-conscious mind doesn’t “think”, but it does dream... It
communicates through feelings and non-verbal expression like images and symbols.
So, when we enact a ritual we are speaking to our subconscious and letting it
know what our intentions are. This is important as along with the energy of the
crystals themselves, much of the power of amulets comes from our sub-conscious
mind’s relationship with them. It is our subconscious mind which is our gateway
to spirit. It communicates with the energies of stones and brings them into our
awareness, so cleansing becomes both an action of cleansing the stone, but also
a ritual of introducing the subconscious awareness to the power of the amulet,
whether for the first time, or to reaffirm the intention later on.
Cleansing has significant purposes for our own state of mind
too. When we cleanse the crystal or stone, we are also cleansing ourselves. We
will negativity to leave the crystal, and in doing so, will any negative
influence it may have brought to us. We become less burdened by the feelings
and emotions or experience we have deemed “negative” and felt it to have
absorbed, and allow these to leave us as well as the stone through this
process.
The Elemental Cleansing and Intent-Setting Ritual uses the
idea that the world is made up of four basic elements: Earth, Air, Fire and
Water. Each of these has the power to cleanse – Earth in a compost-like
transformation of energy that is grounding and neutralising; Air like opening a
window to a fresh breeze; Fire like the burning away of that which is no longer
necessary; and Water like the washing of hands or bathing. Each has an energy
of cleansing. These elements can be symbolised in ritual or on an altar in a
few ways, but here are some examples:
Earth: a stone, a dish of sand, a piece of wood, a bowl of
salt
Air: a feather, incense, an oil burner
Fire: a candle, a small bonfire (if outdoors and it’s safe)
Water: a bowl of water, a sea shell
Use what feels right, but in this ritual I will be
describing how to use the following: a stone, incense, a candle and a bowl of
water.
Elemental Cleansing Ritual
Set up a space where you will perform your ritual. It can be
as simple or elaborate as you like. If you are already familiar with rituals or
have group rituals, this could be incorporated as a small part of the bigger
ritual. If you haven’t done much ritual before, just do what you feel
comfortable with, don’t worry about it, and know that you can always do more
next time.
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| An altar for a Nature Spirit Amulet |
Set up: I recommend finding a nice place in nature to do
this, but you can also do it in a quiet place at home. Try to make sure you
won’t be disturbed. Turn off the mobile and spend some time away from
electronic devices before you begin. You might like to set up a small altar,
but placing the items for each of the elements in front of you on the floor
will do fine too, making sure the candle and incense will be safe (you may need
holders for these depending on the types). You might like to lay out a blanket
or small cloth to put your items on. Also place the amulet on the altar.
You can add other decorations that are meaningful to the
particular amulet you have. For example, you might have a Goddess energy amulet
– do you have a statue, a picture, or a tarot card that represents this energy?
You can add that to your altar too. You might like to collect some seashells,
greenery or flowers to represent the Ocean or Earth Mother. Whatever feels
right to you.
Grounding: Once you have everything set up and you are
comfortable, sit down in your space and close your eyes. Spend a few moments breathing
deeply and letting your own energy relax. Close your eyes and just notice the
energy within your body. Notice any imbalances of energy, particularly those
which will be helped by your amulet. Consider the purpose of the amulet and
what you hope it will bring to your life. Sit with this meditation for about
3-5 minutes. Just enough time to come into the intention of your ritual. You
can of course take longer if you wish.
Now take a lighter or a match and light the candle and the incense.
Take the incense and fan its smoke with your hand. This smoke is itself
cleansing and purifying. Cleanse the altar with the smoke by wafting it over
it. Then cleanse yourself by letting it blow around you. Breathe it in and
enjoy the fragrance. Feel your energy being cleansed and when you are ready say
“I am cleansed and ready for this ritual”. (Speaking it out loud helps the
logical word-based parts of your mind understand what you’re up to as well).
Place the incense back on the altar in its holder.
Now take the amulet in your hands and place it on the stone.
Say “I cleanse and bless this amulet with the element of Earth”. Envision any
negative energy being pulled away by gravity to be neutralised in the earth.
Pass the amulet through the incense smoke (being careful not
to touch the hot bit!) and say “I cleanse and bless this amulet with the
element of Air”. Envision any negative energy being blown away.
Pass the amulet through the warm air rising above the candle
flame (not too close though) and say “I cleanse and bless this amulet with the
element of Fire”. Envision any negative energy being burned away just by being
within the flame’s influence.
Place your finger tip in the water and then place it on the
stone of the amulet. It need only touch a little. Be careful not to let water
on any clay parts. You might prefer to just hold the amulet over the water if
it’s hard to get to the stone. Say “I cleanse and bless this amulet with the
element of Water”. Envision any negative energy being washed away.
Now hold the amulet in your open palms and raise them a
little in front of you and say “This amulet is cleansed and blessed. This
amulet named “xxxxxxx” is empowered.”
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| Hold the amulet to your heart. |
Hold the amulet to your heart and think about its meaning to
you. Feel it and see it in your mind’s eye. Feel its energy as cleared and
charged with power. You might envision this as a light or warmth that you can
feel. Now consider, whether the amulet is being worn for the first time or not,
what would you like this amulet to bring to you now and how will you be changed
as a result? See your life in your mind’s eye with these changes. You might
like to create an affirmation for your amulet that you can say each time you
put it on. Eg. “I honour the Goddess with in me” etc.
Now put on the amulet and feel its energy merge with your
own. Feel the difference and know that you can create positive change in your
life. Place your hands over the necklace and say the affirmation again. Sit
with this energy and meditate on it as long as you would like. One minute or
twenty or an hour… it’s up to you. A nice amount of time might be until the
incense has finished if using stick incense.
When you are finished contemplate the altar again and thank
the elements for their help in the ritual today. Then snuff the incense if
necessary and blow out or snuff the candle. You ritual is finished.
There are ways that this ritual can be expanded, and if you
are interested, keep an eye on my blog via the www.forestspiritjewelry.com website for
more. I hope you enjoy the ritual and it enhances the experience of the jewelry
for you. If you enjoy the ritual I’d love to hear your comments about it below.
Love and blessings
Julie xx
