Dear Karen,

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.