It is no accident that "Spring Cleaning" is a practice familiar to our grandmothers that we still employ today. According to Christan Hummel, author of the Do-It-Yourself Space Clearing Kit (One Source Publications), cultures throughout history have aligned their basic activities with the rhythm of the seasons to achieve desired results. "The spring, when life is bursting forth with abundance, is a time for new projects and activities," says Hummel. "By synchronizing our home activities with the cycles of nature, we align ourselves with the natural pulsation of Life."

According to Hummel, the Feng Shui technique called "space clearing" in our home or office is just the ticket. She offers simple techniques to clear the old stagnant energies of our homes or offices to make way for new opportunities in the year ahead.

"Everyone—and every object—has energetic vibrations," says the author. "Unless those energies are cleared away, the emotions of a person can linger long after the person is gone. That's why it is possible for a former spouse to remain energetically in a place like a bed long after the physical body has left."

Hummel notes that the state of Washington requires owners to disclose before a sale if there has been a death on a property. "However unintentional, this law pays tribute to the lingering effects of a trauma like a death," Hummel adds. "Those effects still linger in an environment after their physical counterpart is gone. However, they can be cleared and transformed through our thoughts, feelings and vibrations. This is a time-honored practice called "space clearing."

"I remember a newlywed couple who moved into their first apartment. They couldn't understand why they were bickering all of a sudden. When they called for a space clearing we discovered that the apartments were located on an ancient Viking battle site. We were able to clear the imprints left from the battle that were still affecting their home. They called a week later saying that they were like lovebirds again."

Hummel is an international expert in the field of space clearing and a pioneer in earth energies exploration. In a revival of an earth-based, Goddess tradition of feng shui, Hummel takes a revolutionary look at the connection between our thoughts and our environment.

Hummel lists the "6 Cs" of space clearing to sweep away stale energies and make your home and office a harmonious, inviting environment ready to welcome the new opportunities Spring cleaning is designed to invite.

The Six Cs include:

1. Clutter: To the subconscious mind, clutter triggers images of stagnation, stuck energy and places where life doesn't move. It usually represents things we are resisting and where we don't want to put our attention. Clean out the clutter. Piles of laundry, papers, boxes, mail...whatever it is, our mind equates clutter with chaos and dead energy. Make a point of diving into your clutter like a heat-seeking missile. Once you move that dead energy in your home, you'll see how it moves the stuck energy in your life! Decide what is important and lose the rest.

2. Corners: These are special energy spots in a home or office—the places where the life energy, or Qi, comes to a stop. Put things in corners that move energy: a fountain, wind chimes, or even a plant will keep the energy moving and flowing instead of stagnating. Use common sense and your intuition. Trust how it makes you feel. If you feel more harmony, peace and joy when you look at that space, you will usually be on the right track. An altar is one way to redirect the dead energies of a corner. Another way to clear those energies in corners is to clap in them loudly or ring a bell to clear the stagnant energies.

3. Closets: Clean them out! They are the bowels of our homes and offices, the storage bins for old, dead energy. If you don't use it, lose it! Keep your closets clean, neat, and free of unwanted, old, unused items. Don't allow closets to become black holes, or they will reflect that unwanted energy into your home. Keep them clean and cleared out.

4. Ceremony: This is sadly lacking in our modern society. Where we do have any kind of ceremony it is usually around a sporting event, food, or commerce. Ceremony is a time when we honor life, the seasons, and those aspects of living beyond the physical. It brings us in touch with the worlds beyond our everyday, and reminds us of a vastness of life beyond our immediate attention. Make time for ceremony in your life and your home, and you will open a doorway to another dimension, allowing fresh new ideas, inspiration and energies to flow into your home.

5. Consciousness: The power of consciousness cannot be overstated. Where we put our consciousness, we put our life energy. Find the aspects of your home or office where you have vacated your consciousness, those closets, corners, and dead zones that you pretend are not there, or wish weren't. Put your consciousness into that space, with intention, and yes, even ceremony, and notice the magic that happens when you do! Energy flows where attention goes! Put your attention to any space in your home or office that seems lifeless and see how it transforms.

6. Cycles: There is a rhythm to life: a time for growth, and a time for death. Cycles are important to observe. Moon cycles are often used for planting, cutting hair, beginning new projects. Similarly, observe the cycles of the sun of day and night, being more active during the daylight hours, and winding down in the evening when there is less energy available. Then there are the larger seasonal cycles: solstices, equinoxes, and the times in between them (what the Celts called the cross-quarter days.) When we are in tune with and align consciously with these cycles of nature and the rhythm of life, we find more harmony and balance in our lives.

With some small investment on our part, we can dramatically change the energies of our environment making our homes a sanctuary to reflect our highest intentions and dreams.

Christan Hummel is the author of the Do-It-Yourself Space Clearing Kit. She travels internationally, lecturing and teaching people how to access nature in a co-creative spirit. She is available for interviews by contacting her via e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Web site: www.earthtransitions.com

© Qi Journal 2009 Spring issue.