Thinking about the best for my husband's two boys, I moved into the house where he had lived for 8 years with his ex-wife. The first years I did not feel comfortable and wanted to move. Now 6 years has passed, we have had two girls and re-decorated the house and my urge to move has disminished.
My question to you is: Is there a 'time-limit' for old energies to disappear? I want to either commit to this house and make it 100% mine (because it has a lot of advantages!) or move. At the moment I feel stuck in my thoughts and feelings about this and do not do anything (except checking house ads).
Thanks - Eva, Sweden
Karen's reply:
It is precisely because energy imprints do not disappear over time that I developed Space Clearing. I've been in properties that are hundreds of years old and the imprints of all the previous occupants are still there in clearly defined layers, imprinted into the walls.
That's the bad news. Now the good news:
Space Clearing very effectively clears out old energies, and clearing the energies of a partner's previous partner is one of the most common requests I receive in my professional work. You can do the ceremony yourself by following the steps outlined in my book, Creating Sacred Space with Feng Shui (published as Skapa Harmoni I Ditt Liv med Feng Shui in Sweden), or you can call in a professional space clearer, which many people in your situation prefer to do.
I am a trainer, and go into many different environments to deliver courses. Some rooms are small for say 10 people and others large for 100 people. Just wondered if you had any advice for space clearing a room pre training. I have read in one of Denise Linn’s books how she first met you pre her session at the mind body festival and just hoped you could give some more details about what I could before starting a training in a room that I have little influence over.
Many thanks - Debbie, London, UK
Karen's reply:
I love this question. There is so much that can be done with Space Clearing to set the space for a workshop or seminar in a meeting room. I have a lot of expertise in this area, having working in many different meeting rooms all over the world. I have also used it for board room meetings, other types of business meetings, meditation groups, therapists' rooms... there are so many situations where Space Clearing is invaluable.
Replying to your question in a few short sentences here won't work but I will be including a whole section on this topic in the updated and revised version of my book, Creating Sacred Space with Feng Shui. The best I can suggest at this time is that you join my emailing list and then you'll be among the first to know when the revised version is available. I'm busy writing it now (Sept 2006).
Our home was recently broken into and many things were taken. Our shelves and drawers were dumped to the floor. The things that were taken from me were highly personal and many were very sentimental. I seem to be unable to replace things where they belonged as I am too emotional and I feel that there is too much bad energy.
I need to do clutter clearing, etc., but due to my type of seasonal work, I cannot make the time right now. Do you have any suggestions for me?
Thank you - T.M., USA
Karen's reply:
Your question asks about clutter clearing but as you can see, I have put it in the category of Space Clearing.
Most people experience churning emotions after a burglary, accompanied by a sense of violation of personal space and sometimes feelings of lack of safety too. Your email certainly describes emotional churning and it is this that needs to be addressed rather than how to tidy your home.
My advice to you is as follows:
1) Space Clearing is the best way I know to clear out the sense of violation associated with having your home broken into. You can do this yourself by following the instructions in my book, Creating Sacred Space with Feng Shui, or if you are too busy or too upset to do it yourself, check my Directory of Practitioners to find a professional who can help you. Tidying your home will follow naturally after that, as the ceremony will deeply settle your emotions and allow you to get on with your life again.
2) Read Chapter 7 of my book, Clear Your Clutter with Feng Shui, which gives information about how to deal with the emotional effects of a burglary.
How can I space clean the police station I work in?
- C.Z., USA
Karen's reply:
If you are the highest ranking person in the police station and it is possible to empty the building for the duration of the ceremony, then it can be space cleared.
But even if you are the top authority and the building can be vacated for a few hours (impossible, I'm sure), then I still wouldn't recommend that you space clear it yourself. The information in my book is simply not enough to cope with the kinds of energies that are found in police stations, especially in urban USA. You would definitely need to employ a space clearer I have trained to professional level.
How can I encourage my son-in-law to start a family, by using the space in my home. My daughter wants a baby and he does not? It is causing untold grief.
Many thanks, M.G., England
Karen's reply:
There is a strict ethical principle that Space Clearing is NEVER used to manipulate anyone's energies, even if you feel it would be for their own good. It is always done for the highest good of everyone concerned, not just to fulfill the wishes of one person.
You do not say whether your daughter and son-in-law are living in your home or whether they live in their own place. If they live in their own place then your daughter could space clear it and this would facilitate the best possible outcome for everyone. If they live in your place then you can space clear with this intention, but it wouldn't be right to include their personal living space unless they both invite you to do so.
Agreement about having or not having children is a a core decision in a marriage and it really needs to be decided between the couple without any outside influences (and preferably before marriage!). If it is causing as much distress as you say, marriage guidance counselling may be required.
I have already read Karen Kingston's book about Space Clearing.
We live in a house where (about ten years ago) a husband murdered his women. Is it dangerous for me to do Space Clearing here? Would it be better for me to get professional help?
- Nadège, Germany
Karen's reply:
I'm glad you emailed to ask me about this. The first step of the ceremony described in Creating Sacred Space with Feng Shui is:
1. Do not attempt Space Clearing if you feel any fear or apprehension. These techniques are perfectly safe but are designed for personal everyday use, not for the purposes of exorcism – leave that to trained professionals.
You are clearly feeling fear or apprehension about doing this Space Clearing, and rightly so. The techniques described in my book are fine for general use but not for clearing such heavy imprints.
So yes, you definitely need to call in one of my professionally trained space clearers to do the ceremony for you. As you live in a part of the world where there are (at the time of writing) no Space Clearing practitioners based near you, email my International Office to find out if/when a practitioner will be visiting your area.
I read with great interest your book Clear Your Clutter with Feng Shui. Five years ago my mother was killed by my schizophrenic brother. That hideous offence happened in my mother's house. I later sold the house because I had no good feeling there, but I brought some objects of her home to my household. Some of them were in the room where the offence took place - they would have"watched" the criminal act if they had eyes. Do you think that these objects harm me? I would very much appreciate your answer.
Best wishes - D.L., Germany
Karen's reply:
In my clutter clearing book I introduce the topic of Space Clearing that is described in detail in my first book, Creating Sacred Space with Feng Shui. This is now available in over 12 different languages, including German (Heilige Orte erschaffen mit Feng Shui).
My best suggestion is that you purchase a copy of this book and do the prescribed ceremony in your own home. It very effectively clears out old frequencies from buildings and objects and is designed to work in conjunction with clutter clearing.
Those objects you have from the room in your mother's home will certainly have absorbed imprints from that tragic day and can be cleared by Space Clearing. However you also need to re-read Chapter 15 of Clear Your Clutter with Feng Shui (entitled 'Clutter and Feng Shui Symbology') to determine whether you still have negative associations with these items. If so, it would be better to let them go and begin your life anew.
How do I use Space Clearing techniques to overcome the negatives caused by people doing bad workmanship in the house we have just renovated?
- David Pankratz, Canada
Karen's reply:
Space Clearing is excellent for this. Hold it in mind firmly throughout the ceremony that you want to clear out any residual energy left by the workers, and put particular emphasis on the final part of the ceremony where you use a harmony ball to put your own frequencies into the building.
Is it better to space clear before or after redecorating a room?
- Roswitha Bonthrone, UK
Karen's reply:
The answer is "yes!".
The process of stripping wallpaper, sanding old paintwork and applying new finishes will dislodge some energies stuck in the walls so it is best to do a short Space Clearing ceremony before redecorating to clear these energies out first. Just make one offering for the whole space and do one circuit of clapping and one of bell-ringing. Then decorate. Afterwards do a full Space Clearing, with special emphasis on the consecration part of the ceremony that is done with harmony balls. It is usually best to do this the following day rather than when you are still weary from working but if you decide to do it the same day, be sure to take a full bath or shower and put on clean clothing before doing the ceremony.
Note that if you are decorating a new building that has never been lived in before it would not be necessary to do Space Clearing before decorating.
I am housesitting for a friend for 3 months. I had been to the house twice before as a guest but living here is entirely different. I do not have a bell and have been toning (and feeling silly while doing it) - I don't really understand the function of the sound portion, but I do hear a different resonance in the tone as I move around that isn't coming from my voice.
- T.G., USA
Karen's reply:
From what you describe of your Space Clearing, it is unlikely to have been effective. You would need to be very proficient indeed at both Space Clearing and toning to use this method. You need a bell, and the best I have ever found for this purpose are Balinese bells - they truly are in a class of their own.
It certainly is desirable to space clear a home that you are housesitting. However it is always difficult to establish your own frequencies in a place that is full of another person's belongings. At best you will only partially put down your own energy anchors. It won't feel like a real home. So my best advice to you would be to plan to move to a place of your own as soon as it is practically feasible and in the meantime regular Space Clearing can help.
I lack motivation, have done for the last year. My life has been very dramatic (teenager in the family) and now I seem to be in a state of limbo. Is there anything that I may have accidentally moved/brought in using Feng Shui which may have precipitated this? What can I do to bring some direction back into my life?
- F.C., Jersey, Channel Islands
Karen's reply:
The feeling you are describing speaks of a lack of spiritual connection - sadly a very common condition in western society. The remedy for this does not lie in moving your furniture!
Space Clearing can help you clear out the stagnant energy that has accumulated (full instructions are in my book, Creating Sacred Space with Feng Shui). I also suggest you read Samuel Sagan's Awakening the Third Eye and begin the practices he describes in the book.
Can Space Clearing my house help me with my health problems?
- Jane Furner, USA
Karen's reply:
The reason why Space Clearing is so effective is because there is such a strong energy connection between a person and their home. Clearing stagnant energy in your living space will have a corresponding effect on you, and will therefore help with any health problems relating to blocked or stagnant energy in your body. It is a wonderful aid to healing.
However it is important to be fit and healthy in order to do Space Clearing safely and effectively, so it will be necessary for you to call on the services of a professional space clearer, or have a close friend or relative do the ceremony for you. Space Clearing when you are unwell can make your symptoms worse, and it is not recommended that you are even in the house while the ceremony is taking place.
Be sure to consult a health professional too. Space Clearing can greatly help your healing process but is not a miracle cure-all.
We have bought our first house which has a history of divorces. The people we are buying the house from are playing all kinds of unfortunate mind games in relation to their separation. As newly weds we are worried about the energy in this house. I have been reading Creating Sacred Space with Feng Shui and just got to the part advising that one shouldn't space clear if they are not familiar with the people whose space they are clearing. I would really like to clear out the energies in this house and offer loving nurturing intentions before we move in.What is the best way to do this without creating any dangerous or negative situations?
- Anna Page, USA
Karen's reply:
It is perfectly OK to space clear your own home. The warning in my book is about not space clearing other people's homes without proper training and is aimed at people who decide to set themselves up as professional space clearers after just reading my book and thinking that will be enough (it definitely isn't).
I am about to get my house tented for termites. I don't want to mess with those toxic chemicals, but termites are eating my house. Any suggestions?
- Laura Hensley, USA
Karen's reply:
I have never claimed that Space Clearing can be used to combat insect infestation. However, at clients' requests, I've sometimes performed Space Clearings in different parts of the world for people experiencing problems with ants, spiders and other pests. I usually find there is an element of geopathic stress in the building that needs to be worked with too.
Whenever I have taken on jobs like this, I ask the client to pay for the materials (flowers, harmony ball, incense and candles), and only pay me my fee for the consultation later on, if they find the infestation clears. I'm happy to report that in most instances it does work.
Unfortunately I haven't had much success so far in teaching this very specific technique to any of my practitioners. You certainly wouldn't be able to do it yourself, and there is no guarantee that you would get a result if you go to the expense of calling in a Space Clearing practitioner whom I have trained. The techniques are still very new and untested.
Is there anything I can do to help my home sell faster? We've had it on the market for a while now without any offers. I've cleared my clutter, but I have a feeling that there is a bit of negative energy in the house. Please tell me what I can do to remedy this problem.
- K.B., USA
Karen's reply:
Space Clearing can be used whenever you are feeling stuck in your life and especially when you are ready for major changes. It's therefore ideal for situations such as selling an old home and moving to a new one, and I've received countless e-mails from people over the years letting me know how effectively it works. In many cases the building has been on the market for years, and then the owner space clears and it sells within a matter of weeks.
Just follow the instructions in my book, Creating Sacred Space with Feng Shui (the brief description in Clear Your Clutter with Feng Shui is nowhere near detailed enough), and also make sure that you are really ready in yourself to make this move (examine any fears you may have, etc).
Thank you for your two wonderful, inspiring books. I have almost finished clearing my clutter and I am looking forward to space clearing my house.
In your book, you say that one should be healthy and 'emotionally balanced' to carry out the ceremony. However, I have recently been diagnosed with post natal depression and therefore, I suppose, I do not fall into that category. I live with my husband and three children. While my husband would probably agree to do the ceremony on my behalf, I'm not sure that his heart would be in it, and I would really like to do it myself. If I pick a good day, would it be O.K. for me to do it myself, or at least could we do it together?
- Angela D, England
Karen's reply:
Yes, you're absolutely on the right track here. Pick a 'good' day and do enlist your husband's help, if he's willing.
I have recently broken up with my girlfriend in a very bad way and I still live in the house. I wanted to know about things that I could do to be free of the 'bad' symbols of things in my life.
- C.L., USA
Karen's reply:
Space Clearing will clear out the frequencies of the old relationship and allow you to bring in new frequencies to build your life anew. You'll find details of how to do the ceremony in my book, Creating Sacred Space with Feng Shui (read Part One).
The next thing to check is whether there are Feng Shui problems with the Relationship area of your home, which may cause the same kind of thing to happen again if you start a new relationship. You'll find information about this is the same book, in Part Five.
Finally, I suggest you read Clear Your Clutter with Feng Shui, and in particular, Chapter 15 entitled Clutter and Feng Shui Symbology. This will show you how to free yourself from negative or non-productive associations with objects in your home.
I am a medical student and am currently living with two other women in my class. They are not my friends, they are merely cohabitators in the school's housing. I can clear my own bedroom, but what should I do about the common area. It is as far from "homey" as a living situation can be! I'm not sure there is a way to handle the situation without causing discord, but there are certainly things that need changing. How should this situation be handled?
- Jessica, USA
Karen's reply:
If you are all sharing this common area on an equal basis then you all have an equal right to change the energy of it.
Ideally it is best for room mates to agree on and even perform the Space Clearing ceremony together but in this circumstance it doesn't sound as if that would be possible.
To avoid friction, I would suggest that you space clear the common area when your room mates are out. As you do the ceremony, have the intention that you are clearing and consecrating the space for the highest good of everyone concerned. When you do the harmony ball meditation, intend that you connect to your own higher self and have it in turn link to the higher selves of your two room mates so that you can bring through the frequencies which will benefit you all the most. Transforming the energy of the communal area you share can greatly enhance the way you all relate to each other, so don't be surprised if you all become friends after this!
When a couple does space clearing for their house together is it best to work separately in completely different areas of the room, to each clear the same areas, or clear different rooms?
- Susan Harrow, USA
Karen's reply:
When more than one person is involved in doing a Space Clearing ceremony it is vital that they do it together as a team rather than independently in separate areas, which sounds very discordant and results in a lack of harmony.
In a small building, it is best for one person to do the clapping, another person to do the bell ringing, and so on. In a larger building, one person could start the clapping and when they get tired the next person steps in and takes over, handing the energy over to the new person in the same way that a baton is handed over in a relay race. This works beautifully.
I have been following your work for years and have conducted many successful space clearing ceremonies in my various houses.
Next year I would love to do a Space Clearing specifically for my health which has been very up and down, and also for the well-being of the family. Is it safe to conduct it with a young baby? I would have to carry him around in a sling. I have a tremendous urge to go ahead as soon as my 7 year old daughter returns to school. This house is totally stagnant right now. I would appreciate a reply. Thanks and keep up the fabulous work. I am a huge fan.
- J.B., Australia
Karen's reply:
You will need to find someone to look after your baby and take him/her out of the house while you are doing the Space Clearing ceremony.
In Bali, it is customary for people to address babies using the high level of the language normally reserved for priests and gods. This is because they know that it takes time for a baby to fully incarnate on earth and its consciousness is mostly still in the higher realms. Because of this a baby's energy field is extremely open and therefore susceptible to picking up etheric and astral debris during the Space Clearing.
My advice is never to have any young babies or toddlers present during Space Clearing, partly for the reasons explained above and also because you need to be free to focus totally on the ceremony rather than on the needs of your children.
Providing you use a high quality bell Balinese bell for maximum safety and the energy of the place isn't too heavy or unpleasant, it's usually fine for children of age 6 or 7 and upwards to be present if they want to be. However don't involve them in performing the actual ceremony. You must do that yourself. The parts they can participate in are picking the flower heads to make the offerings and the whole of the harmony ball process at the end.
You also mention in your letter that you are not in the best of health. Space Clearing, as you will know by now, requires quite a bit of "ooomph" and so the person doing it needs to be in good shape, physically and emotionally. It would be best for your partner to do the ceremony rather than you, but if you are intent on doing it yourself then I would recommend that your partner at least does the first round of clapping while you step outside.
I recently found out that I am pregnant and it was the best birthday gift ever! Anyway, I was scheduled to space clear our apartment but I decided to write you first to ask if that is okay. I am doing Reiki and I'm still doing it right now because I think the baby likes it. Is there a way I can still do space clearing by protecting myself with Reiki? What are the concerns why pregnant women can't space clear? Do you recommend stopping energy work all together while I'm pregnant? Your insights will be deeply appreciated.
- S.G.C., USA
Karen's reply:
Reiki does not offer any kind of protection during Space Clearing. Even my most experienced practitioners cease Space Clearing during pregnancy and breastfeeding because of the effect it has on their babies. Energetic debris passes to the baby instead of being dealt with in the usual way.
I'm seven months pregnant with my first baby and as the time of the birth approaches I am becoming more and more aware of how much my home is in need of Space Clearing. Can I do this myself? If not, what do you suggest I do?
- Sara Thomason, England
Karen's reply:
It is definitely NOT advisable for a pregnant woman to do Space Clearing. It can be harmful to the unborn child. It is, however, very desirable for a new baby to be welcomed into an energetically clear birthplace and home. It will give the new arrival a clear start in life and makes for a healthier, happier infant all round (good news for any parent!).
You don't mention your marital status but it would be ideal if your husband/partner could read my book and do the Space Clearing, or maybe you have a close friend who would be willing to help? I also have a directory of trained practitioners who are skilled at clearing birthing rooms and homes in general.
What is Space Clearing?
