{"collection":"bos","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/bos/bos592.htm","path":"bos/bos592.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/bos/bos592.htm","text":"Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999]\n \n \n Imbolc for the Covenstead \n Erin\n First, the cleansing. We do covenstead cleansing on this day, partl\n because of the (somewhat) purificatory nature of Imbolc, and partly\n because it coincides with the date a Japanese custom called yokubrai, if\n memory serves correctly, is carried out. Yokubarai means the same as\n exorcism, and is done with beans! More about that in a minute.\n \n I give as many parts to the cleansing as there are people to perform\n them. The last house cleansing we did had about 10 people take part and\n I found something for each of them to do. But that wasnt easy. Lessee,\n I think the most necessary elements for me to go around with are salt\n water, incense and beans. But Ive also had people waving away negative\n energy with brooms and wands. Ive had them sprinkle with salt water,\n and with water in which basil had been soaking for awhile. Ive had\n people carry around bells, incense and candles (not quite bell, book and\n candle, but close enough <g>). I live in a loft apartment, so we start\n in the closet up there, partly because its in the heart of the house,\n partly because I like the humorous aspect of coming out of the closet to\n do the blessing. Anyway, we banish in a counterclockwise \n diretion, single file, sprinkling, censing, or chanting into each corner\n each mirror, light fixture, appliance or outlet, as well as the walls\n themselves. \n \n In other words, we banish negative energy from all things giving\n ingress or egress from the house, as well as walls and mirrors. \n Sometimes we just take in everything in one room at once if its small,\n or everything along one wall--saves time. I usually come at the end of\n the line throwing beans at things (I find beans for MONTHS afterward)\n and chanting in Japanese: Funiki ga ire; oni ga soto! (Good luck, come\n in; devils, begone!) Then someone follows me making a banishing\n pentagram with an athame. We circle around the house in a counter-cloc-\n kwise spiral till were back where we started--downstairs by that time. \n Then we go back upstairs for the blessing part. For the mos part, this\n uses the same tools, but no beans this time, and we go clockwise. We \n bless the corners, walls, outlets, appliances, and mirror, doors and\n windows. We concentrate on blessing and on making a seal that cannot be\n broken on the windows and doors especially. I usually come last and\n seal everything with a pentagram drawn by my atham. Then I draw a large\n permanent circle around the house, call in the elements, and ask the\n Lord and Lady to guard and bless the house for another year.\n \n Consecrating the dirt is simpler. I usually buy potting soil and\n place it in the center of the circle. All the ritual is done around it. \n We usually consecrate it just before we do cakes and wine by placin our\n hands on it and channeling energy into it. Then everyone takes some\n home.\n ................................................................................\n \n The last thing we do is to make up Bridgets bed. We take some long \n grass, or herbs and fold them into the shape of a doll about a foot long \n We dress her up and name her Bridget. Then we make her a soft bedof\n some grasses (all on a sheet of newspaper, of course, so the Virgo HPS\n doesnt get her nose, or her carpet, bent out of shape), lay her down and\n put a phallic image in the bed with her. We use a large dried seed pod\n with a rounded head for this. Then we place some of the consecrated\n dirt on a sheet of newspaper beside her. She was put by the hearth in\n days of yore, but, alas, I have no fireplace! In the mornng, if there\n are prints in the dirt (ashes), it foretold a favorableyear. When we\n did it last year, I swear there was the image of the phallic figure in\n the dirt, though no one had moved him! And it was a very good year for\n the coven, all in all.\n Hope you can use some of this.\n Blessings, Erin\n \n 2580","title":"Internet Book of Shadows: Imbolc at the Covenstead (Erin)","type":"page"}