Summer Luvin’, Summer Cleanin’

As the days start to get longer, the crisp scent of summer gradually fills the air. But before you spend those lazy days under the sun to get your tan, give your home a doze of some summer luvin! By Rain.

Ah summer! Who can ever resist the temptation to enjoy the beach, build sand castles or simply watch the waves with a cool piña colada in one’s hand?! After the cold months that have passed, now is the time to enjoy the return of the sun.

But before you plan that out-of-town trip, first spare a day or two to take care of your home. Ostara is a perfect time for you to do some good old general cleaning or what is commonly known as ‘spring cleaning’. Since we do not have spring here in the Philippines, it would be better to call it ‘summer cleaning’ instead.

We always clean our house regardless of the season. But when was the last time you did some serious clean-up from your roof to your basement? Ostara marks the change of the season from the cold holiday weather to the hot summer sun. And Ostara is considered a favorable time to do some general cleaning.

It has been a routine in my family to do general cleanings every change of season. We do this before and after the holiday months. By summer, every inch of our home had to be cleaned to get rid of the accumulated layer of dust and grime built up during the cold months. This is the time when we put down our Yule tree and holiday decorations too. You could figure out just how long the tree was standing in our living room! There is nothing like starting the summer season while seeing the sunlight streaming through the windows of your newly cleaned home.

Not only do you get rid of all the dirt and hang-over scent of the holiday season, you can also use this time to get rid of negative energies or vibrations hovering inside your home. Summer cleaning not only cleans your house physically, but it also cleans it beyond what your eyes can see.

The secret is to incorporate magickal cleaning into the traditional way of cleaning your home. As a boost to your magickal working, return those chemical cleaners in your cabinets and use earth-friendly materials. Below are some tips I do in my home that you can also slip in with yours.

• Dissolve salt in a bucket of water with soap. (Make sure that the soap is a good cleaning substance naturally made with lye.) Salt is a good cleaning mineral that keeps negativity out of your home. Use this bucket to scrub your walls, windows and floors.
• Baking soda and vinegar are best for removing odors and stains found in floors, cooking pots, bathroom tiles, kitchen counters and even your freezers.
• Make sure that you open all windows and doors as you sweep the floor and wipe your windows. Visualize that all the negative energies are coming out of your house as you clean. While sweeping your floors, make sure that you go over all areas in your home.
• Change all the curtains, beddings, seat covers and table cloths. After doing so, spray your newly changed covers using a spray bottle that contains both water and lavender. Lavender will help induce relaxation and is a good aid in cleansing.
• After doing all the cleaning, boil your rug in water with herbs such as sage, rosemary and salt to get rid of negative energies. Throw the water in your yard and hang your rugs to dry. If you decide to throw your rugs away, bury them in your yard instead.
• Mix lemon juice and water in a spray bottle and spray around your home to get rid of the old holiday smell.
• Tie a sprig of herbs like basil and rosemary in the corners of your house for protection.
• Sprinkle salt around the outside of your home to prevent negative energies from coming in.

In addition, I would like to share a few tips that you and your family can do while summer cleaning your home.

Before Cleaning:

• Plan ahead on how to clean your house. Start your plan from the inner-most part of your house going outward or start from the top going to the bottom.
• Schedule a day for your family to do your summer cleaning.
• Improvise a division–of-labor system and outline what needs to be done in each room. Make sure that your family members understand how clean you want your house to be.
• Gather the needed supplies in a bucket so that you can easily drag them along with you as you clean.

While Cleaning:

• Keep what is no longer used in boxes or put them back in their shelves. You can always get them out when you need them again.
• Play some music and/or sing while you clean. Anything that makes the task more enjoyable and fun is helpful.
• To stay focused in what you are doing, break up the cleaning into manageable tasks, and do one room at a time.

After Cleaning:

• Bless your home by lighting a family candle and then say, ‘May the God and Goddess bless our home as we start a new season of hope, love and happiness’.
• Treat your family to a ‘thank you’ dinner for helping you.

Now that you are done with cleaning all the clutter and removing all the remnants of the cold months from your home, plan and enjoy the summer!

About the Author: RAIN is currently a Team Manager in one of the prominent contact centers in Manila. But behind the busy world she lives in, you would be surprised to see how dedicated she is in her craft as a Kitchen Witch. She is definitely a mix of both worlds - the mundane and extraordinary. One of the things she likes about Wicca is the fact that Wiccans are very tolerant of other faith traditions. Rain is outside the broom closet now. She, along with similar others, runs a Circle of Witches called Moonlight Circle.

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