Some of the ingredients/tools you will want to purchase/have on hand are:

•   White Sage (wands and/or loose leaf)
•   Palo Santo wood sticks (to be shaved into small burnable pieces or pre-shaved bits)
•   Lighter for sage & wood
•   Abalone shell to place sage and wood in
•   Holy Water or Holy Oil (try to search for a very reputable source such as Lourdes – see end of article regarding where to obtain – the water direct from the grotto in Lourdes, France has been used for many years and has been involved with healings and miracles – the first one was documented in 1858)
•   Frankincense and Myrrh incense sticks (and a holder)
•   Bible (or other religious text that suits your needs/copies of specific prayers or scriptures that fit your belief system). (Psalm 91, 23, 27:1, Isaiah 41:10, and the prayer of St. Michael are all very good).
•   Small white candles (and holder)
•   Crystals – metaphysical properties have been greatly studied in the last few decades and specific vibrational properties and the chemical makeup of numerous stones have been shown to be highly effective in changing the overall energy of a location. Each stone carries its own specific energy signature coming from the geological processes which created it. Just as an improper balance of electromagnetic energy in a home can cause sickness, confusion, etc. (scientifically studied and verified) – the stones can balance those energy fluxes.

Some stones to be buried on the four corners outside of the home, and some to keep on your person or near your bedside:

  For “Gridding” the property – bury a full set of these four stones on the corners of your home, if an apartment, place them in small bags in the four main corners of your residence. Use SMALL pieces – you can buy these rocks in larger pieces and break them with a hammer – or some can be found already in small chunks:

  WHITE aragonite (may have to be ordered online if you cannot find a piece in rock/mineral shop (must be the white kind).

•   Selenite (wands/shards usually can be found easily and broken up into smaller pieces for gridding).
•   Jet (search online and rock shops) (can switch out for small pieces of Black Tourmaline as well).
•   Rose Quartz.
•   For yourself – carry in your pocket, purse, set on your night stand: Black Tourmaline (Very protective stone, my favorite, transmutes negative energy into positive & light) (I carry it on every investigation).  Selenite (cleanses the aura and dispels the negative).

Optional stones:  Tigers Eye

 Any other stone you find that feels good and the metaphysical properties match your needs at that specific time.

Sea salt (lots of it) or pink Himalayan salt  Items that you may not need/be able to find but a reputable cleanser may use/have on them during an investigation or house blessing may be: Red brick dust, Tar Water, holy/blessed medals, etc.Once you’ve assembled your items, get everything laid out (a kitchen table or counter is usually great, with plenty of room to work with.).

INTENT is KEY in ALL blessings/cleansings. Whether we as a team come and assist you with it, or you do this yourself, YOU CAN do this – because it is your home. Your intent to reclaim and keep it as your space and your intent of coming from a good place of love and light mean everything to the success of a cleansing. If you are angry, yelling, or excessively fearful, you can undermine the process. Some natural base level fear and being upset is normal, and perfectly ok, allow those emotions – but do not consume yourself with them. Focus on the fact you are doing something GOOD and proactive for yourself, your family and your home. Know that with good intent – YOU can work miracles.

Start with blessing each occupant present with a sprinkle of holy water on the head or draw a cross upon the forehead with water or holy oil. Or say a prayer that fits your needs and bless with sage or incense. Once you feel you are in a safe bubble of white light and blessed, you may commence the house cleansing. Before and After, you also may waft sage around the entire body of each person, clearing their aura.

Begin with opening a few windows and a door or two if you can, to allow any entities or energies to EXIT during the cleansing. Start at the front door and move clockwise through the entire house for each stage of the cleansing.

Light one white candle in the home and let it burn all the way down. Do Not blow it out. If you must extinguish it for any reason, snuff it with a snuffer or spoon. Blowing it out blows away the energy you are putting into the cleansing. Light the incense near the candle and allow it to burn down as well.

Take holy oil or holy water and on EACH doorway and window opening, place the sign of the cross on the door and window frames. Also sprinkle/splash holy water in each corner of each room. While doing this, you are stating that this is your home, your space, and it is blessed in His name (or that of your higher power/deity).

Once each room is properly blessed with the holy oil or holy water, you may then assemble the sage and Palo Santo wood. If you have a sage wand, you can start with that – again at the front door going clockwise through the house – getting into EVERY corner, every closet, every cabinet, attic openings, all the while claiming the space, saying prayers and scriptures. If you have sage pieces you may combine them with the shavings of Palo Santo in the abalone shell and light them – blow them out so the smoke wafts. If you did the sage separately, follow up with the Palo Santo wood in the same exact fashion, getting the smoke into every corner, nook & cranny of the home you can reach – with prayers, good intent and claiming the home. (“This is my home, my family’s home, my space, only Good energy and love is welcome here, I cast out all negative energy, you do not belong here, only Angels and light may dwell in this place”… etc… fit it to your needs and what feels good to your heart).

After that has been done, go through the home with the sea salt and sprinkle a light amount in every windowsill and every doorway, sealing the home. You may also sprinkle a light border all the way around the entire outside of your home if you have a large amount of activity or suspect the land is involved with the haunting.

When outside – take the crystals mentioned earlier and bury a set of the 4 stones on the 4 corners of your home. If you have additional odd corners of the house, you may also place a set of the 4 stones there. It is also helpful to place something of yourself in those burial spots if you can – even a petal from a flower you grew. Some herbs that are also good would be lavender, rosemary, or sage leaves. It is not mandatory, but it adds to the process. This placing of the stones grids the property in an energy bubble that is very repulsive to negative energies, and they become sealed out of the house.

Once you’ve completed the tasks above, you may still have the candle still going, which is fine, and will finish the process (let the candle go out by itself if possible – the sage may now be extinguished).

During this whole process you may say the prayers, the casting out and space claiming mantra, all at your comfort level. Again, intent is key.

If your land is affected, consider burying stones at the four corners of the property line as well – in addition to the house. Also consider having the land blessed by a shaman or Native American tribe member of some kind – if your land has Native American ties.

It is important that the family work together as a TEAM and face this bravely together, knowing they are very loved and protected by a Divine source. You are not alone.

What a paranormal team or medium/cleanser can add to the process:

•   A medium that can cross over lost spirits – they may not be negative, just confused. Mediums can also communicate with familial spirts that may be there protecting you or offering a message.
•   Gifted energy workers to close a portal that may exist in your home (the average homeowner does not necessarily have the experience to close a portal).
•   Extra cleansing tools that are not “typical” and from other spiritual practices (Voodoo, Wicca, Roman Catholic blessed items, special Native American only items, etc.)
•   Investigative tools to gather and document specific activity and evidence.

Considerations to take:

•   Most paranormal teams have day jobs and their immediate availability can be a factor; having the tools on hand for yourself gives you the time and ability to claim the space yourself.
•   Travel time for teams/expense could prevent a quick turnaround time.
•   Do full research on the team you plan to have in – Do they have a medium? What experience do they have in house blessings? What are their qualifications?
•   Do they charge? Or do they run only on donations and their desire to help the public?Whether you invite a team in to your home, or you bless the home yourself, this may be a process that has to be repeated a time or two, or be kept up like “housework.” Maybe you do not have to do the ritual full-time, but occasionally saging or using the Palo Santo wood to refresh the energy and spiritual borders is always a good idea. Keeping daily meditations or prayers in your life is also very helpful in maintaining those energy borders. You may salt your home and property as often as you like as well. Any time you feel things are becoming too heavy, it’s time to break out at least the sage & Palo Santo wood to lighten the air.

Disclosures: 

Every haunt is different and sometimes you have to tailor a blessing. Some items you may need to do more of, or less of. Adding religious or spiritual items to the home and coming back to your specific faith can often restore some balance in your life and home. On occasion, repeats of full blessings have been necessary. Additionally, keeping up a routine of monthly saging or burning Palo Santo wood is a great idea, and will help to keep up the positivity and lightness in a location. Not all haunts will require a full- on multi-faceted cleansing as described above. Consulting with a local paranormal investigation team might be helpful in guiding you as to what could be required for your situation. New homes with decent energy may only need a gentle dose of sage to refresh the space.

Also, avoiding oujia boards, darker practices or unsafe paranormal dabbling is highly advisable. Anything with a negative intent or desire to harm, hex, curse, or hurt will usually bring back severe karmic results to the individual doing the activity. Using extra spiritual practices to cleanse a home is fine – if you are of a different practice or religion, that still works equally well. We like to combine 4 – 5 spiritual practices to combat things from EVERY angle. It’s when the person takes a route of harm and ill will that usually darker things emerge and portals open. Or when the impressionable and inexperienced dabble and do not practice “safe paranormal” – various dangerous things can and do occur. When in doubt, just don’t do it.

Some cases require further intervention beyond that of a paranormal team. Adding mediums, shaman, spiritualists and other religious practitioners can be very effective. The Catholic Church has to be brought in for some exceedingly rare cases, especially for a full Rite of Exorcism. Expecting one cleansing by one team to fix it all can be an unreasonable expectation for many cases. Always remember to keep up your faith and spiritual boundaries, and keep your intent positive while a team or you as an individual cleanses the home.

**This is a compilation of techniques tried, tested and successfully used in a number of cases by Sacramento Paranormal Intuitive Research Investigation Team “S.P.I.R.I.T.” – and the Lead Medium, Melissa Lockett**

We are not official exorcists, but we do have extensive knowledge and experience with dark cases, “demonics,” and are well-read in various areas of paranormal activity and paranormal attacks. The Catholic Church usually only becomes involved in proven fully demonic cases where a major Rite of Exorcism is required. Standard day to day churches will likely not have the knowledge base you require when experiencing something very traumatic such as a severe haunting or negative entity attack. Regular practice & attendance in your local spiritual or religious community of choice will add to your protection, confidence and faith, and that should definitely be kept up if you are already doing so. Only you know if your local community or pastor would be able to assist you beyond that of what a paranormal team offers.

Places to find supplies – Local metaphysical and rock/mineral shops, or Wiccan stores