4 Ways to Get Settled into a New Home (That Don’t Involve Unpacking)
Some of my feng shui toolsA little over 6 months ago, I moved into a new house I had never seen in person, in a new state. My boyfriend and I discussed doing a personal ritual to consecrate the house as ours and honor our new start together. But the day I arrived, things started to go wrong with the house. Soon, we got so busy with repairs, insurance claims, and unpacking that we forgot about our plans.Moving is one of the most stressful things we can do. Our homes are more than places to live – they are our refuge. Homes are containers for our growth, where we recharge, and where we spent time with the people we love the most. Moving to a new home, then, can make you feel unsettled, disconnected, like something is not quite right.Creating a ritual for your new home can help you feel more settled. Here are some tips for initiating a new home:
- Perform a clearing. According to the ancient practice of feng shui, homes absorb energy from the people who live there. A clearing will help to remove this energy and instill your intentions in your new home. There are many ways to do this. The simplest clearing consists of opening up the windows and burning sage throughout the house.
- Declare your vision for your new home. Walk through each room in the house and declare your intentions for that room. For example, in the kitchen, you may intend to nourish yourself and your family. You may envision building relationships with family and friends over meals together in the dining room. You may also use this opportunity to make a fresh start and consider what you’d like to leave behind.
- Bless your house. Find a blessing that speaks to you and read it out loud. This can be done in conjunction with a clearing or other activity. I love John O’Donohue’s blessing, For a New Home.
- Make it yours. Clean it, fix it, make it the way you want it! Paint with love. The more energy you put into making your home the way you like it, the more it will actually feel like home.
Eventually, I found a feng shui practitioner to perform a clearing with me. We wrote our intentions and did a small fire ritual to say goodbye to what we’d like to leave behind. Our house already feels more peaceful and just more ours. Acknowledging and honoring the change that comes with moving with a ritual can make a big difference in how you feel when you’re at home.