HOW TO ENERGETICALLY CLEANSE VINTAGE GOODS
My Mom, Dina, is Here to Offer Up Some Witchy Wisdom
This week we welcome my mom, Dina, to BOHOCHICKEN. The woman who gave me everything I’m good for: witchy ways, a keen eye for detail and the original shoe whore (iykyk). Come along as she shares the best practices to energetically cleansing vintage goods.
Lexi may not always be one to admit this, but she very much is her mothers daughter. Together we share a deep love for antiquing and discovering found items with a story to tell. This mutual passion has taken us all over the world, always in search of the next piece that is meant to find us (most recently we went vintage sourcing in Provence, read all about our time here).
Vintage hunting is a mindful art. Everything holds energy. So how do you know if an item has good energy versus bad?
Mostly intuition, and a little bit of logic. Some objects can hold a beautiful and magical essence, while others may just give you the creeps. First and foremost you need to keep your intuition clear and strong by spending time noticing the impact people, places and objects have on you. Tune into your energy field. Learn to be sensitive. Be open to how things make you feel. When it comes to shopping secondhand, it’s important to pay attention to your initial instinct when interacting with an item. Did it ignite inspiration? Invigorate you? Bring you joy? Or did you get a pit in your stomach? These are the subtle cues to look for.
Your protection tactics should begin before your enter into a thrift, vintage or antique store. The intuition that you’ve so finely tuned is your most valuable asset, and it should be mindfully protected. What you’re going to do is close your eyes and imagine a bubble of white light around you. Soak up your aura with this light to create a protective energy field, leaving no space for negative energy seep through. As I always tell Lexi, “zip up your energy!”.
As a lover of all things vintage, especially religious relics, I’m extra mindful of the treasures I bring into my home. Some of these pieces can have a deep and complicated history. My rule of thumb is to keep anything found outside of the house at first and allow them to soak in the sun or moon to recharge. Mother nature is our most valuable instrument for energy clearing.
Following this, I will smoke out any remaining negative energy using a sage stick or palo santo. You can also use bells and ring them as an energy clearing tool. While slowly waving the sacred smoke around the item I say a little prayer: “All negative energy be gone. Only beautiful energy remains here”. If the item is something along the lines of dish-wear I’ll edit to say something more like, “may the joy, laughter and nourishment witnessed by these items stay and all negativity or low vibrations leave”. This part is open to interpretation, as prayer is personal and sacred.
Once I feel the item is energetically cleared, I will begin the final step of physical cleansing. This can involve anything from soaking the piece in hot sudsy water with a pinch of salt or sending it off to the dry cleaner.
Lastly and most importantly, I express gratitude for the items finding their way to me. I welcome all of the beauty they will bring to my life and home.
xo Dina
Love that you featured your mother, hope to hear more from her in the future! She has such ethereal energy that’s palpable even through the screen. I always clear any thrifted goods with palo santo but I’ve never thought to leave them outside before I bring them in. Love the thought that nature can clear it for us too xx