Every ritual working or energetic practice should start with a clean slate — energetically, that is.
Whether you’re preparing for ritual, clearing out stagnant vibes, or just feeling the need to hit “reset” on your space, cleansing is one of the most essential tools in a mystic’s toolkit. And the best part? There’s no single way to do it.
Cleansing can be as simple as a deep breath and a whispered intention… or as layered as a full elemental ritual. You might prefer the ancient ritual of smoke, the hum of a singing bowl, or the silent clarity of selenite resting on your altar. The method you choose should suit your needs, your tools, and your spirit.
In this post, I’m sharing six of my favorite energetic cleansing methods — all beginner-friendly, deeply effective, and rooted in real, accessible magic. Whether you’re brand new to the practice or just looking to expand your toolkit, there’s something here to support your spiritual hygiene and deepen your connection to your craft.
Ready to clear the air? Let’s begin.
Some links on this site are affiliate links. This means I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting the Circle. – Alden
So, What is Cleansing?
Essentially, it’s reworking or resetting the existing energy of a space or object to it’s baseline, and optimizing it for whatever energetic work or ritual you have in mind. You can cleanse your home, your ritual space, your spiritual tools or personal belongings, even your own aura.
Most well-established energy-workers and ritual practitioners will tell you that cleansing is one of the most foundational practices in a magical life. And luckily? There’s no one right way to do it.
Various Cleansing Modalities
Below are six of my favorite cleansing methods — each with its own set of tools, traditions, and quirks. Mix and match what works for your practice, or choose the one that resonates most right now.
Need a little extra help getting started? Stick around ’til the end for a bonus goodie I’ve prepared specially for members of the Circle!

No. 1 – Smoke
Smoke is one of the oldest and most widely practiced methods of energetic cleansing — and for good reason. Across time and tradition, mystics, shamans, priests, and witches alike have turned to rising smoke to clear spaces, tools, and even spirits. Maybe it’s the versatility. Maybe it’s the way it engages the senses. Or maybe it’s something older — something sacred — in the way smoke rises and carries intention upward, outward, and away.
Smoke can help carry intentions, dispel negativity, and reset the tone of a space. Here are a few of the most common smoke-based tools you’ll find in modern magical practice, and how to use them with care and respect.
Incense Sticks & Cones
If you’re new to smoke cleansing, incense sticks and cones are a beautiful (and beginner-friendly) place to start. They’re easy to find, come in dozens of scents and formulations, and burn at a slow, steady pace — making them ideal for cleansing smaller spaces or setting the tone for ritual.
To use incense for cleansing, light the tip and let the flame catch before gently blowing it out. Allow the smoke to waft through the room, or pass your tools, crystals, or tarot deck through the trail of smoke with intention. You can even walk the perimeter of a space to create a subtle smoke barrier, gently pushing stagnant or chaotic energy out as you go.
When working with incense, I personally prefer a stick over a cone. A stick gives you a bit more flexibility — almost like a magic wand. I use it to move through the space, pass over my tools, or trace protective symbols in the air above my altar or working area.
Different resins and herbs carry different energetic signatures, so don’t be afraid to experiment. Frankincense and myrrh are great for spiritual clarity. Sandalwood is grounding and meditative. Lavender, rose, and lemongrass are perfect for lifting emotional heaviness and inviting peace back in.
There are also tons of pre-blended scents with established energetic associations — like dragon’s blood for protection, or incense crafted around tarot archetypes or planetary influences.
Keep it simple, stay present, and remember: it’s not just about the smoke — it’s about the intention you carry with it.
Herbal Bundles
Herbal bundles — often called “smudge sticks” — are another popular and powerful tool for smoke cleansing. Typically made by bundling together dried herbs and wrapping them tightly with cotton thread or twine, these little wands of plant magic are designed to be lit at one end and allowed to smolder, releasing fragrant, cleansing smoke as they burn.
The most widely recognized version of this is the white sage bundle — a sacred tool in many Indigenous North American traditions. However, it’s important to know that the use of white sage for cleansing, and the word “smudging” itself, come from specific ceremonial practices that are considered closed by many Native communities. That means they’re not meant to be replicated outside of their original cultural and spiritual context.
But here’s the good news: cleansing with plant smoke is a global, ancient practice — and there are countless other herbs you can use to create bundles that honor your own path, your land, and your practice. Just start with a base of ingredients that set the intention to cleanse and rebalance, and then customize or embellish intuitively.
Try dried rosemary for protection, pine for resilience, cedar for spiritual grounding, or lavender for emotional soothing. You can source herbs that grow locally in your region or that you feel energetically drawn to. The beauty of herbal bundles is how customizable they are — you can blend specific ingredients to suit the vibe of a spell, the season, or a particular ritual need.
Loose Herbs on Charcoal
Speaking of mixing and matching — you can take this idea a step further by creating and storing custom dried herbal blends tailored to cleanse your space or tools and then balance that afterward with specific intentions, moods, or energetic needs. These loose blends can then be burned over charcoal in a heat-safe bowl or cauldron to produce thick, fragrant smoke that fills the space and sets the tone.
To use this method, you’ll need a charcoal disk — the kind often used in incense or hookah burners — and a fireproof vessel like an abalone shell, cast-iron cauldron, or ceramic dish filled with salt or sand. Light the charcoal until it starts to spark and begins to turn gray. Once it’s glowing, sprinkle a pinch of your herbal blend on top and let the magic rise.
This is one of my favorite ways to prepare a space for ritual or meditation. It’s excellent for ambient cleansing — especially when you want to clear the air and infuse the space with a particular frequency. Use a fan, feather, or your hand to waft the smoke where it’s needed most, or pass ritual tools and objects through the rising plume.
I love using this method when I want to infuse a space with a particular energetic tone — not just clear it, but bless it with a certain frequency. You can create blends for peace, protection, prosperity, psychic openness… anything you want to invite in. A little pinch goes a long way, and the scent combinations can be downright enchanting.
Always use caution — the charcoal gets hot quickly, and your fire-safe setup is a must. Also, be sure to store your blends in sealed jars in a cool, dark place to preserve their potency.
Bonus Smoke-Cleansing Tips From Alden
When I make my own herbal bundles or loose blends, I love tossing in dried flower petals for a little extra enchantment. A few favorites? Daffodil petals for bold, assertive cleansing, or sunflower petals to infuse a space with warmth, joy, and optimism after the clearing is complete. Don’t be afraid to get creative — nature offers more magic than most people realize.
I like to buy flowers for my home and collect the dried petals after they die, but if you’re ready to start working flower petals into your practice sooner, you can grab this dried flower petals kit online!
And no matter which method you choose, don’t forget to open a door or window during your cleansing. It gives the smoke somewhere to go and offers a clear exit path for the energies you’re releasing. That tip applies to every cleansing modality in this guide — not just smoke.

No. 2 – Sound
Sound — raw, resonant, and powerful. From the rhythmic beat of drums in shamanic rituals to the ringing of bells in temples and churches, sound has always been a force for clearing, centering, and calling sacred space into being. Across countless traditions, it’s been used to mark beginnings, banish unwanted energies, awaken the spirit, and return balance where it’s been lost.
Today, sound remains one of the most direct and versatile tools for energetic cleansing. Whether you’re working with singing bowls, tuning forks, chimes, bells, or even your own voice, sound creates vibration — and vibration is a potent cleanser. It breaks up stagnant energy, shakes loose psychic debris, and restores harmony on a deep, resonant level.
In the sections that follow, I’ll walk you through some of my favorite sound-based cleansing tools, how to use them, and what kinds of energy they’re best suited for. No smoke, no fire — just frequency, intention, and a little sonic magic.
Singing Bowls & Tuning Forks
Some tools cleanse through smoke or scent — others through pure vibration. Singing bowls and tuning forks fall into the latter category, using frequency to balance unstable or stagnant energy and bring body, space, and spirit into harmonic resonance.
Many of these tools are tuned to specific frequencies that align with energetic centers or natural resonances. You’ll find singing bowl sets crafted to balance each of the seven chakras, with each bowl corresponding to a different note and energy center. Others are tuned to powerful anchor frequencies, like the vibration of the Earth (136.1 Hz, associated with the sound of “Ohm”) or healing frequencies used in sound therapy, such as 528 Hz for transformation or 432 Hz for deep calm.
Tuning forks operate on the same principle but in a more focused, precise way. Striking the fork and placing it near (or gently on) the body introduces a clean, stable vibration that can help the energetic field reset and flow more freely. Some forks are made specifically for healing the nervous system, clearing blockages, or bringing balance to particular areas of the body or aura. Here’s a set that’s tuned to the chakra points in the body!
Personally, I love using singing bowls when I’m preparing a ritual space — or when I’m working in a group. A few slow, circular strikes of the mallet can fill a room with resonance, signaling that we’re shifting into sacred time and space. It’s a beautiful way to clear the air, energetically and emotionally.
Tuning forks, on the other hand, are my go-to for energy maintenance within my personal field or my own body. Here’s a set of those attuned to your chakra points as well. They’re excellent for clearing tension or sluggish energy from specific areas or pressure points. I’ll often run a fork over the section of my body that I want to stimulate — not touching the body, but letting the vibration dance just above it — and it’s incredible how quickly things begin to shift.
Bells & Chimes
While singing bowls and tuning forks help set and stabilize the frequency of a space, bells and chimes are more about movement — disruption, redirection, and clearing. Their sharp, resonant tones cut through energetic stagnation like a knife through fog, breaking up dense or lingering vibes and making the space more malleable for cleansing, blessing, or reworking.
Bells are especially useful when something feels stuck or heavy. A single, bright ring can ripple through a room like a gust of fresh air, dislodging murky energy and clearing the way for something new. The clear, crisp sound is like an energetic reset button.
Some people like to put a bell on their front door, so it rings whenever someone enters or exits the home, this acts as a sort of energetic sanitizer for energy coming into or leaving the space.
Chimes, on the other hand, work a bit more passively. They aren’t as direct or forceful as bells, but they’re wonderful for gentle maintenance and subtle shifts. Think wind chimes on a porch, catching the breeze and keeping the space feeling fluid and light. I like to hang chimes near my favorite window, by the front door, or over a cozy reading nook — anywhere I want the energy to stay soft, bright, and in motion. And I love when windchimes are used thoughtfully to enhance the vibe of outdoor spaces.
Special Frequencies
Sound doesn’t have to be struck, rung, or chimed to work its magic — sometimes, all it takes is the right frequency resonating through the air.
Solfeggio frequencies are a set of ancient tones believed to carry unique energetic properties that promote healing, balance, and spiritual alignment. Each one is associated with a specific effect on the mind, body, or energy field — like 396 Hz for releasing fear and guilt, 528 Hz for transformation and DNA repair, or 741 Hz for clearing toxins and negativity. These tones are often used in sound healing, meditation, and energetic cleansing, and many practitioners report feeling lighter, more grounded, or more attuned after working with them.
In a similar vein, binaural beats can help guide your brainwaves into different states of consciousness — from deep relaxation to heightened focus or even lucid dreaming. By listening to slightly different frequencies in each ear (usually with headphones), your brain responds by “bridging” the gap between them, syncing to a new rhythm that can support your energetic or spiritual work.
These frequencies can be powerful tools for energetic cleansing, whether you’re playing them softly in the background during a ritual, bathing your aura in sound during meditation, or setting the tone of a space before guests arrive. Think of them like vibrational tuning forks for your energy field — subtle, yet deeply impactful.
You can find Solfeggio frequency tracks and binaural beat meditations for free on most music or streaming platforms. I like to keep a few go-to tracks on standby for different purposes — one for clearing my space before a reading, one for dropping into meditation, and one for shaking off residual energy after a long day.
If you’ve never tried working with sound in this way, give it a go — you might be surprised by how much a simple frequency shift can change the feel of your space, your mood, or your magic.
Bonus Sound-Cleansing Tips From Alden
You don’t always need a fancy tool to work with sound — your body is already its own sacred instrument.
In a pinch, intentional actions like clapping, snapping, humming, or even singing with intention can shift the energy in a space just as effectively as a bowl or bell. Mix this with a steady beat on a small hand-drum. Trust your body, your voice, and your instinct — your magic lives there too.
When cleansing a space with sound (or even smoke), don’t forget the small, tucked-away places: cabinets, closets, under the bed, behind doors. Low-vibrational energy loves to settle where it won’t be disturbed — like dust in corners. If you don’t stir it up, it’ll just sit there, waiting to seep back in after your cleanse is complete.
I always recommend opening everything up during a cleansing — even the junk drawer. And for those stubborn little nooks where energy tends to get clingy, I swear by a small silver bell. There’s something about the crisp, bright clarity of that tone that slices right through the murk and gets things moving. It doesn’t just clear the space — it shifts the mood, sharpens the focus, and invites a fresh frequency to take its place. Here’s a silver bell with a triple-moon design that’s a steal, if you want to add one to your magical toolbelt.
Sound is movement. And movement is magic. So don’t be afraid to get loud.

No 3. – Crystals
Crystals are like batteries for energy — each one carrying its own subtle vibration, influence, and effect. And when it comes to cleansing, some crystals don’t just hold energy… they help reset it.
Unlike smoke or sound, which actively move and clear energy, cleansing crystals tend to absorb, neutralize, or radiate steady vibrational frequencies that help realign the energy of a space, object, or person over time. They’re excellent allies for maintaining energetic hygiene in a passive, low-effort way — especially when you want something working in the background, quietly doing its job.
Some stones specialize in clearing and purifying. Others help recharge or rebalance the field. And when placed with intention, they can subtly shift the atmosphere of a room, altar, or energy body — like an energetic beacon humming just beneath the surface.
In the sections below, I’ll share a few of my favorite go-to crystals for cleansing and charging — and how to use them to support your spiritual practice.
Selenite
If you only keep one cleansing crystal in your toolkit, let it be selenite.
This luminous white stone is considered the master cleanser — not just because of what it does, but because of what it doesn’t need. Unlike most other crystals, selenite doesn’t require regular cleansing itself. Its frequency is so pure, so high, that it naturally stays energetically clear while simultaneously clearing the energies of whatever is within its energetic field.
That makes it an ideal companion for restoring balance to ritual tools, crystals, sacred spaces, and even your own aura. Simply placing items on or near a selenite slab, wand, or tower is often enough to clear out stagnant, disharmonious, or low-vibrational energy.
I keep selenite near my altar, over the doorways in the rooms I use most, and often in my hands after energy work — it’s like taking a deep energetic breath. Pure, calm, and clear.
Clear Quartz
Clear quartz is the blank slate of the crystal world — versatile, powerful, and highly programmable.
While selenite passively clears, clear quartz can be actively programmed with a specific intention, making it a perfect partner for targeted cleansing work. Want a stone that clears space between readings? Or a crystal that resets your deck after each session? Program your clear quartz with that exact intention and let it do its thing.
What makes quartz so special is its ability to amplify energy and bring things into alignment. That means you can also use it to set up energetic structures within a space — gridding a room for clarity, placing quartz points to direct energy flow, or pairing it with other stones to enhance their effect.
Clean, focused, and endlessly adaptable, clear quartz is a must-have for cleansing and beyond.
Black Tourmaline
Black tourmaline is your energetic sponge — a gritty, grounding powerhouse that loves to soak up whatever’s lingering in the air.
While selenite transmutes energy and quartz amplifies it, tourmaline absorbs it. Specifically, the heavy stuff: dense, chaotic, toxic, or stagnant energy that’s overstayed its welcome. It doesn’t deflect negativity — it pulls it in, stores it, and holds it safely until it can be cleared.
That makes black tourmaline ideal for passive cleansing over time. Place a chunk by your front door to filter incoming energy. Keep a piece near your desk, your altar, or anywhere that energy tends to build up. I even recommend tucking a small piece into a drawer or closet — the spaces we forget often hold the most stuck energy.
Just remember to cleanse your tourmaline regularly. It works hard, and it deserves a refresh. It can become brittle and unstable if not energetically maintained and cared for.
When I worked in crystal shops, we used Black Tourmaline as stone guardians by the entrances and exits to ward off thieves and cut down on shop-lifting.
Citrine
Imagine holding a sunbeam in your palm. That’s citrine.
This bright, golden stone hums with solar energy — light, warmth, vitality, and joy. It’s strongly connected to the solar plexus chakra, making it a natural amplifier of confidence, willpower, and energetic flow.
But citrine isn’t just radiant — it’s also deeply cleansing. Think of it like sunshine burning through fog. Its clean, high frequency can cut through energetic gunk, clear away low-vibrational noise, and infuse a space with positivity. It doesn’t just remove — it replaces.
I often use citrine to charge a space after a cleansing or to prepare my tools with fresh energy before a big working. It’s also a great companion during group rituals or events when you want to radiate that “everything’s gonna work out just fine” energy outward.
Bonus Crystal-Cleansing Tips From Alden
Crystals can also be placed in service to other tools you work with. Try storing your cleansing stones on your altar or in the same pouch as your tarot deck, pendulum, or spiritual jewelry between uses. This keeps the energy fresh and responsive the next time you reach for them.
One of my favorite low-maintenance ways to cleanse is with a selenite charging tray. I use mine almost daily — it sits on one of my nightstands and acts as a safe, consistent place to cleanse anything from pocket stones and jewelry to ritual tools and divination decks. Yes, even tarot decks! Just leave your deck resting atop the tray for a few hours (or overnight) to clear it between clients or after heavy emotional readings.
It’s a quiet, steady little helper — and I always keep one in my home or at my alter. Get one for yourself here!

No. 4 – Natural & Elemental Energies
Sometimes, the most powerful cleansing tools aren’t tools at all — they’re the elements themselves. Long before we had bells, bundles, or crystals, people turned to nature for renewal and release. The sun, the moon, the salt of the sea, the soil beneath our feet — each of these holds a cleansing current of its own. These methods are simple, intuitive, and often right at your fingertips. In this section, we’ll explore how to work with the elements and the natural energies around you to restore clarity, rebalance energy, and reconnect your tools (and yourself) to something deeper, older, and wonderfully alive.
Sunlight
Sunlight is Source energy in its most radiant, tangible form. It awakens, uplifts, and revitalizes — not just the body, but the spirit and energetic field as well. When it comes to cleansing or charging yourself or your magical tools, sunlight is a powerful ally.
To cleanse or charge with sunlight, simply place your item in a beam of natural light — whether it’s a sunny windowsill, a patch of light on your altar, or outside under the open sky. The key is intention: are you asking the sun to cleanse lingering energies from the object? Or are you inviting it to fill the object with life-force, power, and focus for your next working? Both are possible — but the sun responds best when you’re clear about what you need.
Use with care, though — some tools or crystals (like amethyst or rose quartz) can fade with prolonged sun exposure. When in doubt, limit the basking time to an hour or two.
Moonlight
If sunlight is the realm of clarity and vitality, moonlight is the domain of magic and mystery. It’s the silver thread between the seen and unseen — and one of the most beloved natural tools for magical cleansing and charging.
Where sunlight works primarily through sheer radiance, moonlight invites alignment. To cleanse or charge using moonlight, it’s helpful to tune in to the lunar phase that matches your goal:
- New Moon: Ideal for cleansing tools, releasing stale energy, and beginning fresh. Great for setting intentions for growth.
- Waxing Moon: Charge tools with expanding energy — perfect for spells of manifestation, attraction, or abundance.
- Full Moon: The powerhouse phase. Excellent for both deep cleansing and supercharging magical items or intentions.
- Waning Moon: Use this time to banish, release, or weaken unwanted energies and influences.
- Lunar & Solar Eclipses: Eclipses shake things up. They’re potent times for breaking patterns, initiating major energetic resets, or shadow work — but the energy can be chaotic. So use them for cleansing or charging only if you’re prepared for big shifts and unexpected truths.
You can set your tools on a windowsill, outdoor altar, or even in a bowl or other vessel under the moonlight. Trust your instinct — moonlight is subtle and intuitive, just like the magic it governs.
Be sure if you’re leaving your items out in the sun or under the moon that you do so somewhere they will be safe from tampering or theft.
Salt
Salt is the great neutralizer — humble, grounded, and endlessly effective. Like Black Tourmaline, it acts as a sponge, absorbing dense, stagnant, or chaotic energy from your space, your tools, or even your own aura.
Place small bowls of salt in the corners of a room or near your front door to passively absorb lingering negativity. You can also line windowsills or doorframes with a thin layer to act as a filter, neutralizing harsh energy as it tries to enter. Salt can even be sprinkled around your ritual circle to define a sacred boundary and seal in the energetic tone of your work.
Some modern mystics use salt as the base in spell jars or herbal grids — but be careful. Salt’s nature is to neutralize, so unless your intention specifically calls for protection or nullification, it may weaken or cancel the energy of your working.
I tend to use it as most often as a ritual ingredient for un-crossings, hex-breakers, and energetic road-openers — when I’m clearing something out completely to start again on fresh, fertile ground.
Water
Water is the sacred current — endlessly moving, polarizing, balancing, and clarifying. It cleanses not just with flow, but with presence. Whether you’re physically washing your tools or spiritually rinsing away energetic residue, water is nature’s original ritual bath.
Running water — from a faucet, stream, or shower — is especially helpful. Hold your crystal, tool, or item under the flow, and visualize the energy being gently stripped away, carried down the drain, and returned to the earth for recycling. Speak a simple intention aloud if you like: “May all that no longer serves be washed away.”
And don’t forget: your body is your most sacred tool. When you’re feeling off, overwhelmed, or disconnected, a hot or cold shower can work magic. It clears the mind, settles the aura, and brings you back into alignment with yourself.
Not all tools enjoy water, though — check your crystals before soaking them, as some (like selenite or halite) can dissolve or crack when they come in contact with water. Some can even undergo chemical reactions and leach toxic byproducts or fumes, so make sure to do your research before submerging any crystal in water.
Earth
When all else fails — or when your energy just needs grounding and realignment — turn to the earth. Soil is stabilizing, nourishing, and incredibly receptive. It’s not just a surface — it’s a whole network of energy, memory, and quiet power.
You can bury crystals, ritual tools, or even notes and petitions in the earth to reset or purify their vibration. Leave them buried for a full day-night cycle (or a full moon cycle if you’re doing deeper work), and let the soil pull out any stagnant or interfering energy.
Even something as simple as walking barefoot, touching the grass, or pressing your hands to the ground can work wonders for your spirit and your energetic field. Earth energy brings you back to your center. It reminds you that you’re part of something larger, something steady — and that everything, in time, returns to balance.
Try calling on the natural rhythms of the earth — her breath, her pulse, her turning — to help rebalance yourself or your space before a working. She’s always listening.

No 5. – Your Body as a Cleansing Tool
At the heart of any tool, ritual, or tradition lies the most potent source of magic you’ll ever work with: you!
While the other modalities we’ve discussed today can be quick and easy and may feel a bit more divinely aligned at a surface level — the reality of the situation is you don’t need anything fancy to cleanse your space or reset your tools. Your body, your breath, your voice, and your energy field are all powerful instruments of intention — capable of shifting and shaping energy with focus alone. Before there were tuning forks, crystals, or herbal bundles, there were hands raised in prayer, whispered intentions, and breath drawn with purpose.
In this section, we’ll explore simple yet potent ways to use your own innate energy to cleanse and prepare your spiritual tools, ritual space, or your energetic field. These methods are perfect when you’re in a pinch, traveling light, or simply wanting to reconnect with the raw magic flowing through you. No matter what path you walk, this is magic that’s always available — and always evolving alongside you.
Intention
At the core of every cleansing method — from bells to bundles to the Moon itself — is your intention. This is the root of all magic: the energetic blueprint of what you wish to create, shift, or release. When you set a clear intention, you give direction to your energy and permission for change.
To cleanse a space or tool with intention alone, take a quiet moment. Name your purpose out loud or silently. Something like:
“I cleanse this space of all stagnant and unhelpful energy.”
“I release what no longer serves.”
“I invite clarity, peace, and protection.”
Let your words, your focus, and your will do the heavy lifting. It doesn’t have to be elaborate. You can even speak intuitively. The magic happens when your spirit aligns with your desire.
Visualization
If intention is the seed, visualization is the sunlight that helps it grow. Our minds are powerful conductors of energy, and what we imagine, we begin to manifest — especially when charged with emotion and focus.
To cleanse with visualization, close your eyes and picture the energy shifting. You might imagine a glowing light washing over your altar like a tide. You might see smoke pouring through a space and carrying away shadows. You might picture a thread of golden Source energy pouring into your body or your ritual object and flushing it clean.
Don’t worry about “getting it perfect.” Your imagination speaks your spirit’s language — it will do the work.
Voice
Your voice is one of the oldest magical tools you carry — a vibration uniquely tuned to your body, energy, and spirit. When used with intention, your voice can cut through stagnant energy, command a space into harmony, or call in sacred support.
You can chant, speak a cleansing affirmation, hum a grounding note, or simply say something aloud, like:
“This space is sacred and clear.”
“Be gone, all that does not serve.”
“Let peace settle here.”
Sometimes, a firm tone is needed. Other times, softness does the trick. The magic isn’t in the words alone — it’s in the way your spirit shapes them.
Breathe
Breath is life — and also one of the simplest and most powerful energetic tools at your disposal. When we breathe with purpose, we move energy. We ground. We cleanse. We awaken.
Try this: inhale deeply and picture yourself drawing in fresh, clear light. Then exhale slowly, imagining you’re releasing static, heaviness, or tension. Or breathe in, asking your higher power to fill your lungs with divinely cleansing energy, then breath outward — sending that energy toward your tools, your space, your loved ones with your intention.
Repeat until you feel a shift. Sometimes a few cycles is all it takes. And if you like, you can pair your breath with visualization, intention, or even sound to strengthen the effect.
Hands
Your hands are channels of energy — expressive, sensitive, and innately magical. Think of how we place a hand on someone’s shoulder to offer comfort, or raise them in prayer or protection. That’s energy work in action.
To cleanse with your hands, try clapping loudly in a space or near an object to get the energy moving. You can also hold your hands above a tool or crystal and imagine light pouring through them, washing the object in that energy.
If you observe a dominant (active) and passive (receptive) hand, try using your dominant hand for infusing places or objects with projected cleansing energies such as white Source light or spirit-flame. Avoid using your passive or receptive hand to draw in energies that you’d like to cleanse unless you intend to transmute or release them from your own energetic field soon after through ritual, visualization, breath-work, inner-space work, etc.
Some practitioners rub their hands together briskly to “wake up” the energy before cleansing. Others trace symbols or sigils in the air to redirect or transmute energy. You can also pat your body, a surface, or a drum in a steady or escalating tempo and instruct the sound waves to push unwanted energy out of the space.
Follow your instincts. Your hands remember more magic than you might think.

No. 6 – Your Own Personal Magic
At the end of the day, the most powerful cleansing rituals you’ll ever use are the ones that you create for yourself.
Why? Because they’re crafted from your intuition, shaped by your lived experience, and attuned to your unique magical signature. These rituals don’t just work — they resonate. They know your rhythm, your edges, and your needs.
Over time, through practice, experimentation, and observation, you’ll begin to refine a cleansing system that feels like second nature. And while we’ve covered some core methods and modalities for cleansing here today, don’t stop exploring.
Try candle cleanses. Create cleansing sigils. Take ritual baths with cleansing herbs and balancing oils. Experiment (safely) with fire, water, smoke, light. Mix and match. See what sings.
Your craft should be as alive and evolving as you are — and cleansing is one of its most intimate forms of self-care.
Bonus Goodie: The Black Hole Candle Cleanse (Portable & Powerful)
Need a quick, discreet, and energetically potent way to cleanse a space, situation, or conversation — especially when you’re on the go?
This week’s bonus offering is The Black Hole Candle Cleanse — a simple black candle ritual from my personal grimoire, designed to banish tension, anxiety, and energetic interference in a pinch. It’s one I’ve returned to time and again before family gatherings, tough talks, or whenever I find myself stepping into a space that just doesn’t feel quite right.
This ritual is compact, customizable, and easy to tuck into your spiritual toolkit — whether that’s a travel altar, your purse, or your back pocket.
In the bonus email, you’ll find savable files containing:
🕯️ The full ritual with ingredients, steps, and intention
👁️ A guided visualization to lend further form to the working
✨ Suggestions for quickly and easily customizing the spell as needed
🏃 Tips for keeping the ritual portable
Join the Circle below to get the exclusive Black Hole Candle Cleanse + weekly mystical goodies delivered straight to your inbox — no fluff, no spam, just magic.
Already a member of the Circle? Check your email — your bonus download is waiting for you there.
Some links on this site are affiliate links. This means I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting the Circle. – Alden
Did You Miss Last Week?
In last week’s post, we explored some specialized divination practice in Tarot Reversals Made Easy: Tips for Decoding Inverted Cards. Plus, I shared my Magic Mirror Tarot Spread for deep introspection and learning to read reversals.
Leave a Reply