20 April 2013
Sun: 01' Taurus Moon: 0'Virgo (Waxing Gibbous)
Spring cleaning - I have yet to meet anyone who actually enjoys this activity. But from a magickal perspective, not only is it necessary, but this is a great time to do it and it can become a family activity as well.
Let's face it: there really is no "bad" time of year to get rid of clutter, though working by sun or moon phase can help keep it from building back up again. By sun phase, I mean what time of year it is. Starting at Yule, the Solar energy builds through Candlemas, Ostara and Beltane, reaching its peak at Litha. At Litha, growth energy begins to fade, the cycle drops to resting phase through Lughnasadgh, Mabon and Samhain, ultimately reaching its lowest "peak" at Yule: a full sine wave is completed, one cycle finished.
Cleaning house is good physically, by getting rid of breeding grounds for overpopulations of potential health-hazard bacterium. It's also good for us psychologically to clear out the skeleton closet from time to time, let go of old memories that still hurt, and spiritually to remove harmful or stale energies from the defined (thus confined) area known as the house. It also makes room for the new energies to come in by clearing out the old: energy is like Air or Water, both of which stagnate when confined too long without motion.
Where we stand as I write this, between Ostara and Beltane, is particularly good. Candlemas is preparation, the quickening. Ostara is the balance point, and also the tipping point with the trend rising. From here to Beltane, when the drives for completion begin, is generally a good time to start something big, though better begun under Aries. Now that the Sun has entered Taurus, it's also a great time to begin any long-term project (just don't do it under a void-of-course Moon).
Those of us in earth-centered religions should be aware of the things we use on a day-to-day basis and attempt to limit the damage that we do to the Earth. Pursuant to this, all products that we know to be toxic, made with toxics, or which release toxic byproducts should be strictly out (this does rule out 90% of the household cleaning goods aisle). By definition, something that is toxic, or may leave a toxic residue or byproduct in your home, is not safe for use in your home! Just because they come in thick plastic bottles does not mean that the toxins can't leach through the plastic! Clorox, Windex, Lysol, 409 - and goddamn that Purell...
On the subject of antibacterials, now that I've mentioned it. Considering that our immune systems work on the principle of "exposure creates resistance," it might not be the absolute best idea to be scrubbing everything with antibacterial soap. Some things, sure - food prep areas in particular need thorough cleaning, but there is no way you're going to perfectly disinfect your floors, most homes do not have the equipment necessary to gauge whether any cleaning product truly lives up to its claims of destroying "all" of this or that type of microbe - and if you do manage 99.99% like Lysol claims, you'll just set up a perfect environment for any surviving bugs to set up colonies that will resist being wiped out the next time you go to clean them out. Nature abhors a vacuum. Life will find a way. The point should not be to eliminate all forms of microbial life in the house (because you can't), but to find a way to live in harmony and balance with them so that you can maintain your health. And your sanity.
Soaps containing sodium laurel or laureth sulfate do work, but those two chemicals are industrial-strength cleaners. Do we really need to be putting a chemical soap on our floors that is meant to degrease the nastiest concrete factory floors? Beware of the chemicals your usual soaps contain (most are not listed).
Even still, you've probably got some things around the house that are not harmful to humans or animals, but which do work as very potent cleaners. Baking soda. White vinegar (any kind, really, but white is cheapest). Lemon juice. Maybe you have some essential oils around: tea tree, rose, lemon, orange, grapefruit, mint, peppermint, pine, rosemary, fir, lavender. All of these are excellent cleaners and disinfectants (for those people who absolutely cannot do without disinfecting everything they own), and they smell amazing. If you really need a soap to bust through some caked-on dirt, try a liquid castile soap like Dr. Woods or Dr. Bronners.
Also, be aware of what you're using to clean up with. Did you just wipe down those dishes with a sponge that's still wet from last night's after-dinner cleanup? You've probably done more to contaminate your dishes than to clean them. Hang up your sponges to dry when not being used: they're a great breeding ground for mold and bacteria that really can get you very sick - and that's no good for anyone. Close the toilet bowl lid before you flush: it won't eliminate the possibility of fecal bacteria spraying all over the place when you flush, but it will catch a lot more of it (and please use your white vinegar to clean that sucker).
Go ahead and mix your organic cleaners, the non-toxic ones like white vinegar (which usually comes at 5% acidity and can be further diluted to ease the smell without losing effectiveness) with an essential oil that matches the intent of your magick. You can't do that with Clorox.
Need luck? Wash your floor with Four Thieves Vinegar or Florida water. Getting rid of an illness? Tea tree, eucalyptus, rosemary or pine oils in a warmer. Ants invading your home? Wipe the affected areas and their trails down with a wet sponge and a couple of drops of original Tabasco sauce (cayenne + salt + white vinegar, they hate it and won't come near it again). Banishing depression from your home and aura? Citrus, particularly lemon. Cleaning the tub with the intention of making it a place to relax in more easily? Lavender, jasmine and chamomile oils are your go-tos.
Essential oils are not exactly cheap (and, being the pure distilled essences of the herbs from which they came, are not to be confused with "fragrance oils," which might contain anything) but they are quite efficacious in bringing about the mental and spiritual effects desired and usually only require a few drops (tea tree = maybe ten drops, for a 5-gallon bucket of hot water and vinegar).
Be forewarned that not all essential oils are safe for contact with the skin or in certain conditions. I am not a medical professional, but the following I have learned either from study or from experience myself. Pregnant or nursing women are advised to stay away from handling cohosh, tansy, pennyroyal, or dong quai in any form. Tea tree oil is not safe for use on dogs or on items they frequently eat from or handle with their mouths. Any portion of ANY plant of the Lilium family is a lethal toxin to cats, including the essential oils (lily-of-the-valley is a popular essential in this category to beware of for feline keepers). And some oils (like cinnamon or cayenne) can cause fairly serious chemical burns of their own if skin contact is not seen to right away (lavender oil can help counteract this burn).
I will close with a simple note that recipes for organic cleaners which can be made and used safely, cheaply, at home, and with easy-to-find or readily-at-hand materials are easily Googled. If you're still more comfortable with going with something out of a bottle from the store, brands like Seventh Generation and Mrs. Meyer are reasonably safe and reasonably priced.
Sun: 01' Taurus Moon: 0'Virgo (Waxing Gibbous)
Spring cleaning - I have yet to meet anyone who actually enjoys this activity. But from a magickal perspective, not only is it necessary, but this is a great time to do it and it can become a family activity as well.
Let's face it: there really is no "bad" time of year to get rid of clutter, though working by sun or moon phase can help keep it from building back up again. By sun phase, I mean what time of year it is. Starting at Yule, the Solar energy builds through Candlemas, Ostara and Beltane, reaching its peak at Litha. At Litha, growth energy begins to fade, the cycle drops to resting phase through Lughnasadgh, Mabon and Samhain, ultimately reaching its lowest "peak" at Yule: a full sine wave is completed, one cycle finished.
Cleaning house is good physically, by getting rid of breeding grounds for overpopulations of potential health-hazard bacterium. It's also good for us psychologically to clear out the skeleton closet from time to time, let go of old memories that still hurt, and spiritually to remove harmful or stale energies from the defined (thus confined) area known as the house. It also makes room for the new energies to come in by clearing out the old: energy is like Air or Water, both of which stagnate when confined too long without motion.
Where we stand as I write this, between Ostara and Beltane, is particularly good. Candlemas is preparation, the quickening. Ostara is the balance point, and also the tipping point with the trend rising. From here to Beltane, when the drives for completion begin, is generally a good time to start something big, though better begun under Aries. Now that the Sun has entered Taurus, it's also a great time to begin any long-term project (just don't do it under a void-of-course Moon).
Those of us in earth-centered religions should be aware of the things we use on a day-to-day basis and attempt to limit the damage that we do to the Earth. Pursuant to this, all products that we know to be toxic, made with toxics, or which release toxic byproducts should be strictly out (this does rule out 90% of the household cleaning goods aisle). By definition, something that is toxic, or may leave a toxic residue or byproduct in your home, is not safe for use in your home! Just because they come in thick plastic bottles does not mean that the toxins can't leach through the plastic! Clorox, Windex, Lysol, 409 - and goddamn that Purell...
On the subject of antibacterials, now that I've mentioned it. Considering that our immune systems work on the principle of "exposure creates resistance," it might not be the absolute best idea to be scrubbing everything with antibacterial soap. Some things, sure - food prep areas in particular need thorough cleaning, but there is no way you're going to perfectly disinfect your floors, most homes do not have the equipment necessary to gauge whether any cleaning product truly lives up to its claims of destroying "all" of this or that type of microbe - and if you do manage 99.99% like Lysol claims, you'll just set up a perfect environment for any surviving bugs to set up colonies that will resist being wiped out the next time you go to clean them out. Nature abhors a vacuum. Life will find a way. The point should not be to eliminate all forms of microbial life in the house (because you can't), but to find a way to live in harmony and balance with them so that you can maintain your health. And your sanity.
Soaps containing sodium laurel or laureth sulfate do work, but those two chemicals are industrial-strength cleaners. Do we really need to be putting a chemical soap on our floors that is meant to degrease the nastiest concrete factory floors? Beware of the chemicals your usual soaps contain (most are not listed).
Even still, you've probably got some things around the house that are not harmful to humans or animals, but which do work as very potent cleaners. Baking soda. White vinegar (any kind, really, but white is cheapest). Lemon juice. Maybe you have some essential oils around: tea tree, rose, lemon, orange, grapefruit, mint, peppermint, pine, rosemary, fir, lavender. All of these are excellent cleaners and disinfectants (for those people who absolutely cannot do without disinfecting everything they own), and they smell amazing. If you really need a soap to bust through some caked-on dirt, try a liquid castile soap like Dr. Woods or Dr. Bronners.
Also, be aware of what you're using to clean up with. Did you just wipe down those dishes with a sponge that's still wet from last night's after-dinner cleanup? You've probably done more to contaminate your dishes than to clean them. Hang up your sponges to dry when not being used: they're a great breeding ground for mold and bacteria that really can get you very sick - and that's no good for anyone. Close the toilet bowl lid before you flush: it won't eliminate the possibility of fecal bacteria spraying all over the place when you flush, but it will catch a lot more of it (and please use your white vinegar to clean that sucker).
Go ahead and mix your organic cleaners, the non-toxic ones like white vinegar (which usually comes at 5% acidity and can be further diluted to ease the smell without losing effectiveness) with an essential oil that matches the intent of your magick. You can't do that with Clorox.
Need luck? Wash your floor with Four Thieves Vinegar or Florida water. Getting rid of an illness? Tea tree, eucalyptus, rosemary or pine oils in a warmer. Ants invading your home? Wipe the affected areas and their trails down with a wet sponge and a couple of drops of original Tabasco sauce (cayenne + salt + white vinegar, they hate it and won't come near it again). Banishing depression from your home and aura? Citrus, particularly lemon. Cleaning the tub with the intention of making it a place to relax in more easily? Lavender, jasmine and chamomile oils are your go-tos.
Essential oils are not exactly cheap (and, being the pure distilled essences of the herbs from which they came, are not to be confused with "fragrance oils," which might contain anything) but they are quite efficacious in bringing about the mental and spiritual effects desired and usually only require a few drops (tea tree = maybe ten drops, for a 5-gallon bucket of hot water and vinegar).
Be forewarned that not all essential oils are safe for contact with the skin or in certain conditions. I am not a medical professional, but the following I have learned either from study or from experience myself. Pregnant or nursing women are advised to stay away from handling cohosh, tansy, pennyroyal, or dong quai in any form. Tea tree oil is not safe for use on dogs or on items they frequently eat from or handle with their mouths. Any portion of ANY plant of the Lilium family is a lethal toxin to cats, including the essential oils (lily-of-the-valley is a popular essential in this category to beware of for feline keepers). And some oils (like cinnamon or cayenne) can cause fairly serious chemical burns of their own if skin contact is not seen to right away (lavender oil can help counteract this burn).
I will close with a simple note that recipes for organic cleaners which can be made and used safely, cheaply, at home, and with easy-to-find or readily-at-hand materials are easily Googled. If you're still more comfortable with going with something out of a bottle from the store, brands like Seventh Generation and Mrs. Meyer are reasonably safe and reasonably priced.
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