The Magic of Moving: Bringing Paganism into a New Home

Moving with kids is tricky. Getting a new home cleansed and inviting your gods and spirits to come is also tricky. Doing both at the same time with a strict time-table?

Challenge accepted!

Ok, I don't have a choice, so that's the attitude I'm taking with this.

Spirit types

That's right, I'm moving with the children, hubby, and a small but mighty collection of spirits. We always have spirits of varying types.

• Land wights and house spirits - These stay where they are, waiting for the next family to come in. Generally, they are more concerned with the physical location than the specific people who live there. However, if you don't take care of the property, or they feel threatened by too many changes, they can cause accidents. Keep them happy and you'll have a healthy, welcoming home.
• Family or personal guides, guardians and spirits - These can be found hanging out with specific people to help them with lessons. They can be around for anywhere from an entire lifetime to only a few days. Generally, they have the person's best interests in mind, so they are pretty easy to keep happy. Some guardians are at least partially the spirits of ancestors, so they may have personality quirks that can cause problems if they aren't given time to adjust.
• Other random, helpful spirits - These are beings that have come around and discovered that they like us. They stick around and are generally more helpful than land/house spirits, but more flexible than many personal spirits. They are usually pretty happy just to be acknowledged and appreciated.
• Gods - These don't usually stick around very much. They are more of the type to pop in from time to time. However, they do enjoy being made a part of any big changes, so it's always a good idea to include them in a housewarming.

Ways to move with spirits

There are many ways to show appreciation for the help and companionship of spirits, as well as to invite them to move with you. This can be done during and after the move, and children will particularly enjoy several of these methods.

• Taking down/setting up the household altar
  
• Whether this is a few statues or a full ceremonial table, the altar acts as the "guest room" for spirits in your home. It is where they are most often drawn to, and where it is easiest to communicate with them. When taking down the altar, take the time to clean each piece of dust and wrap carefully to protect it. Do this with a thankful attitude or a thank you chant, such as "Our thanks to you, for all you do, to bless and give, our home to live."
• In setting up the altar at the new home, take the time to re-anoint and/or re-bless items as you set them up. A simple oil anointing or flame blessing will do fine, though you can make it as detailed as you like. So long as anointing oils are safe, children can help with that part, or they can help place items onto the altar. If you have statues or icons of specific gods or spirits, you can welcome them into your new home with a few words as you place them on the altar, such as "[Name], welcome are you; we settle here now with a place here for you."
• Blots/offerings
  
• Give part of a farewell and/or housewarming feast to the spirits. It doesn't have to be a lot - this is a token gesture. Selecting a bite or two of each item, plus a dram of drink poured into the grass, is usually the best way to do it.
• Leave the gift in an outdoor location for them to enjoy.
• Alternately, you can set up a table with an altar to the god(s)/goddess(es), and leave a plate out for them there.
• "Set a place" for the spirits to enjoy the food during the event.
• You can also burn the offering, just be sure not to include any plastics or styrofoam in the offering.
• NOTE: If there is an issue with feral cats or strays, it is not a good idea to allow the animals to feed off of the offering, particularly if it is processed foods. In this situation, choose a method that does not leave the food away from people and accessible.
• Don't worry if it seems that they don't "take" the offering - they generally imbibe the essences not the physical foods.
• Housewarming Ritual
• A housewarming ritual is great for when a cleansing is also in order. Since few of us will live in a home that has not been previously lived in, cleansing should probably be a given.
  
• Start by setting up your ritual space, including casting of circles, etc. Using sage, sweet grass, or other cleansing item (sprays are handy for smoke sensitivities or allergies), move out of the ritual space and go from room to room letting the smoke (or spray) get into every corner. Pay special attention to portals (doors, windows, etc) to the outside. You can let children use a feather or hands to help move the smoke around (away from the burning part, of course).
• If you feel your new home needs something extra, use black salt, red brick dust, or even regular salt mixed with ashes, and sprinkle the mixture on the door frames and window frames, as well as on sink drains, bath drains and even in the toilet(s). Do this with the intention of creating a protective shield around the home. This mixture can be left until it naturally dissipates, or swept up when the ritual is complete.
• Return to your ritual space and request the presence of whichever gods, goddesses or guardians you wish to include. Ask them to keep your home and those who live there safe from malicious intentions. Ask them to discourage those who would treat you and your family badly from being comfortable in your home. Ask them to protect the home from the extremes of nature.
  
• Suggested blessing:
  "Hestia, goddess of hearth and home, we ask you to join us now, with the blessings of your hearth-fires.
  Bring to us the light of your fires, that none can see to do us harm.
  Bring to us the smoke of your fires, that those who would speak ill to us can breath no harsh words.
  Bring to us the warmth of your fires, that our home be a safe place from the winds and snow and rain."
• Complete your ritual per your beliefs.
• Decorating with intention
• You can put up pictures, window dressings, rugs, bedclothes, etc. with intention. Simply visualize the spirits there and "listen" for their suggestions on where to put things.
• With kids, talk to them about what certain spirits would like and why. Let them get into the spirit of it all, and listen for signs that the spirits are speaking through the children.
• Don't worry too much if this happens, as it is quite common and virtually never malicious. Children are often very open to "hearing" spirits, and may have something to add to the experience.