So you’re looking to move into your own place or are trying to find a new one but the going’s little rough. Well here’s some information that might help you:

To Obtain a Home/Apartment:
Colors: green, brown
Herbs: pine needles, patchouli, fern, vervain
Stones: obsidian, apache tear, hematite, onyx
Simply wear the colors or create a small charm to carry with you. An example would be to take some brown cloth, fill it with some pine needles and a piece of hematite, tie it off with a green ribbon or string and carry it with you while you’re house hunting.

Once you have you’re place the first thing you’re going to want to do is clean it. I’m not talking incense clean, not yet. You’ll want to get out a rag and a bottle of cleaner and get to work. I know most of us don’t like using harsh chemicals, there are alternatives. My favorite is to take the rind (skin) of an orange or other citrus fruit and boil it in water. I believe the ratio is 1:1 (one orange to one quart water). Boil for about a half hour getting all the juice out of the orange. Let it cool then strain it into a spray bottle. Let this sit over night then give it a shake and you’re ready to go. You can use this on everything from wood floors to counter tops and it leaves your house smelling wonderful. For something a little stronger try a citrus essence. You can buy these where ever essence oils are sold. Your best bet would be to try a health food store. Make sure they are pure otherwise they may contain oils that could stain. A true essential oil should not feel greasy, just wet.

The second step in cleaning your home would be to get rid of negative energies. You may wish to draw a circle and work within it. I normally don’t since I am moving energies around anyway. My normal protection from the negative energy is a simple personal circle or shield. I usually start by pulling out my ritual broom and getting at those dark corners. I’ll sweep everything into a designated area of the house or out the front door. Out the door sends the energy directly back to the earth, if you are going to pile it in the center of the house make sure you get rid of it or you’ll be very sorry. The broom is, of course, a symbol of air, but you can use what feels comfortable for you. For fire I usually use incense, I don’t really have a favorite but Janet Thompson suggests jasmine in Magical Hearth but Cunningham suggests eucalyptus, lemon, orange, and rosemary. Again, walk through the space not forgetting any corners or closets. When sprinkling water I find using it easiest to use something to sprinkle with, a small branch of a fur tree works best. If you find that you don’t want to sprinkle soil throughout your freshly cleaned home I suggest using a stone. Quartz works best but Cunningham states the salt is also very good for purification.

When we were discussing what this summer’s lessons should be about Sabine mentioned a concern for ghosts in her new home. I’d like to state that ghosts aren’t necessarily bad. My parents large 5 bedroom farm house has two ghostly residents that I adore. Granted, both of them are related to me but they are still a comfort to have. Our older ghost is actually my grandmother, my father’s mother, who died when my father was 6. My father was raised in this house and my grandmother had seven children here. She stayed around to make sure they were all okay. Now she’s here because she is welcomed, loved, and has no place else to go. Our second specter has been viewed by many visitors, especially my more psychic and magically inclined friends. She is a young girl, about 3 years old, with blond hair who haunts our guest room. She is my cousin who was killed along with her mother and older sister in a car accident not to far from here on her way home. I guess she didn’t know where else to go so she came to her favorite place. I’ve had several friends who’ve come up to me after sleeping in the room and asking me where we were hiding the little blond during the day. One friend found out recently that if she really likes you she’ll cuddle up and sleep with you.

These are harmless spirits, granted Kelly, my cousin, can be a little nerve wracking for if you are unwarned. These are the types of spirits that make a home feel lived in. I have noticed when I enter newly built homes that they feel empty though they may be filled with furniture, it is because they have no spirit to dwell within them. If you are concerned about the spirits living in your home simply draw a protective circle, raise energy that will push away the unwanted, and send it out saying that kind and good spirits are welcome but mean and cruel spirits are asked to return to where they came from.

If you are moving into a new house or the space you are moving into feels empty you can call spirits to it in the same manner we have just asked spirits to leave. Instead of sending out an energy to push away send out an energy to draw in. Make sure to state that you only want kind and friendly spirits, malevolence is not welcome. If you are building your own home or helping a contractor put crystals in the eves as they are building. I suggest one in each corner because they will not only draw spirits but help to repel negativity. If you are building on a spot that once had a home take a piece of the original house and place it within the walls or fit it into your decorating. This will let the spirits who lived in the old house know that they are still welcome, make sure you tell them this as well.

If you find that your spirits, although nice enough, are causing some mischief, set ground rules. I work in an old hotel that is haunted by dozens of ghosts. My office is an old guest room and is haunted by a mischievous man who enjoys hiding my paperwork. One day after several important papers had come up missing I set some ground rules. I told him that I understood that this was his way of communicating with me and I enjoyed having him around but this was important paperwork and if he didn’t return things when I asked him he would have to leave. I took a short walk, came back, and found all my papers on my desk. My papers still turn up missing but I simply state clearly that I need them returned, take a quick stroll, and there they are.

Homemade/Enviornmentally Friendly Cleaners

Drain Cleaner:

1/2-cup baking soda
1/2-cup vinegar
2 cups boiling water

*Cannot be used to clean a clogged drain, just to keep them from being clogged.

Pour the baking soda down the drain followed by the vinegar. Allow to sit for 5 minutes. Flush the pipes with the two cups of water.

Citrus cleaner:

The zest (skin) of 2 citrus fruits (orange, lemon, lime, etc.)
1-quart water
Strainer or cheese cloth
Empty spray bottle

Bring the quart of water to a boil and add the skins (the more skins you add the stronger the concentration). Boil for 5 minutes and shut off heat, leave everything together and let the water cool. Strain out the skins and store in spray bottle.<>

For Ant Problems:

Rub chalk along areas where you see ants marching.

Food Stains:

To remove foods stains from your fingers, rub with a potato.

Store Bought Solutions:

Sun & Earth
Orange Clean
Simple Green
Alka-Seltzer (don't laugh)

The Alka-Seltzer Solutions:
2 tablets in the toilet, wait 20 minutes, brush, flush.

To clean jewelry place two tablets in a glass of water, add jewelry, and allow to set for two minutes.

Add four tablets to a thermos, fill with water and let sit for an hour or more.

Clear a drain by dropping in 3 tablets followed by 1 cup of vinegar. Wait a few minutes then run hot water.

One cleansing item or items I like to use is baking soda for really dirty stuff in the bathroom and kitchen. When cleaning windows, I like to use a diluted solution of apple cider vinegar, and apples because they smell nice. Regular white vinegar will also work. This solution of diluted vinegar is also effective for use as a mopping solution for non-wood floors, (a.k.a. linoleum, tile, and stone-based products.) Dusting can also be a problem and using a magnetic duster (think Pledge Grabbit cloths, I know they are a mass market thing but they do work without harsh chemicals.)