Tuesday, August 21, 2012

House Blessings & Cleansings

House blessings and cleansings can be as complicated or as simple as you want them to be, and still be as powerful. It really depends on what you are comfortable with and what you want to achieve. Do you want to remove all the energy in the house, leaving it a clean, neutral space? If there are spirits that are not negative, do you want them to stay but everything else be banished? Do you want to simply add your own energy to the house as it stands?

All of these options are perfectly fine, but you need to make a firm decision about it before you start. Being wishy-washy about what you want with make your energy wishy-washy and not really effective or efficient.

The following suggestion is what I've done personally when asked to do a house blessing/cleansing. I've tried to make it as neutral as possible so that you can adapt it to whatever tradition you find most meaningful.

To perform a house cleansing/blessing, put out all the lights, walk through the house with sage, walking the edges of each room, and speak something like:
 "In the names of [Gods], I banish all negativity and any negative entities that are in this space. Etc." 
Basically, you want the space to be empty and neutral. Visualize that the sage fills the space and burns off any negative energy there.

In the second part, put out all the lights, gather some friends together, give each one a lit candle, and have each person walk through the house (maybe have a 1 minute gap between each one) and have them say something like
"In the name of [Gods], I bless this space with positivity, light, and joy. May these walls be witness to great joy, warmth, and the beauty of family and friends. etc."
Once that's done, have a pot-luck dinner party and invite all your loved ones. Put a pot of pennies by the front door and invite your friends to visit one or two rooms and drop pennies into them for luck and blessings.

If you have any other ideas or experiences with house blessings & cleansings, please post them in the comments.

Saturday, August 11, 2012

YAH YAH YAG POUTINE

After the last Kaleidoscope Gathering pagan festival, shenanigans ensued that spawned this song to be filked. Good Times. In case you don't know, the YAG is the name of the chip wagon that sold awesome food (Ye Audle Grub) and poutine is a side dish made of fries, cheese curds, and gravy.

YAH YAH YAG POUTINE
filked from Ra Ra Rasputin (BoneyM)
by Rick D. and Marie D.
http://youtu.be/kvDMlk3kSYg

There lived a Pagan Pope at KG long ago
He was big and bald, in his eyes a flaming glow
Most people looked at him with humour and with fear
But to KG chicks he was such a lovely dear

He could teach the Craft like a Pope could wave his beer
Full of hopes and fizzy ale
But he was also the kind of teacher
Women would regale

YAH YAH YAG POUTINE!!!!
we all love the Fraser queen
That Hobbes really tried to make a scene
YAH YAH YAG POUTINE!!!!
KG's greatest love machine
It was fab how he carried on

He ruled the Raven’s Gnoll and minded Auz and Ma
From monkeys on the wing he fled really really far
In all affairs Bardish he was the man to sneeze
But he was real great when he had a babe to squeeze

For Flirtatia he was no wheeler dealer
Though she praised the things he’d done
She believed he was a bard of something clever
Who would watch her son

YAH YAH YAG POUTINE!!!!
we all love the Fraser queen
That Hobbes really tried to make a scene
YAH YAH YAG POUTINE!!!!
KG's greatest love machine
It was fab how he carried on

(Spoken:)
But when his drinking and lusting and his hunger
for fame became known to more and more people,
the demand to do something about this outrageous
man became louder and louder.

“Something must be done!” declared his competitors
But the ladies begged, “Don’t you try to do it please.”
No doubt this Hobbesy Bard had no sort of hidden charm
Though he wasn’t very cute they just fell into his arms

Then one night some men of uncertain standing
Set a trap they’re all to blame
"Come to visit us" they kept demanding
And he really came

YAH YAH YAG POUTINE!!!!
we all love the Fraser queen
They put him up on a silly soap box
YAH YAH YAG POUTINE!!!!
KG's greatest love machine
They shaved his head and his hair was gone

YAH YAH YAG POUTINE!!!!
we all love the Fraser queen
They wouldn’t quit as they wanted his hair
YAH YAH YAG POUTINE!!!!
KG's greatest love machine
They shaved and shaved
But always kept his raiment clean

(Spoken:)
Oh those Pagans...