A House Blessing

Last Friday, I attended a house blessing, and it was such a lovely experience. I felt very privileged to be part of it. I love the idea of a house being blessed for the same simple reasons I enjoy styling a home:

1. It’s about showing your home some deliberate love and attention.
2. I believe that cleansing and changing the energy of your immediate environment can do wonders for the people living in it. It’s like giving your home a spring clean, but in a more soulful way.

Five Reasons to Get Your House Blessed

Embracing cultural practices can bring numerous benefits. Here are five reasons you might consider having your house blessed:

1. Revitalise the Energy of an Old Home If you live in an older house, a blessing can help infuse the space with energy that reflects you and your family, transforming it into a true reflection of your personal essence.
2. Cleansing Your Forever Home For those in their forever home, a house blessing can offer a spiritual or metaphorical cleanse, helping to create a peaceful and harmonious environment. Many indigenous cultures, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, believe that smoking ceremonies cleanse the home and remove all evil spirits. These ceremonies have been performed for thousands of years to promote good health and wellbeing through connection to culture and traditional practices
3. Starting Fresh in a Rental Even in a rental, a house blessing can help clear away any lingering negativity and start fresh with positive, welcoming energy.
4. Honouring the Departed If someone has passed away in your home, a blessing can offer a sense of closure, peace, and renewal.
5. Filling Your Home with Love and Goodness Sometimes, you simply want to fill your home with love and positive vibes. Deliberately showing your home some love and attention can lead to a multitude of positive outcomes.

A Buddhist House Blessing

The house blessing I attended was a Buddhist home blessing conducted by three Buddhist monks. Many religions, ecumenical groups, and indigenous cultures perform house blessings, allowing you to choose one that aligns with your culture or preferred faith. Anyone can organize a house blessing; you don’t need to be religious or Buddhist to have one. For Buddhists, house blessings are a way of life—a celebratory event shared with neighbors and friends. They also feature delicious food; my lovely girlfriend Ying made some amazing dishes! Friends often contribute food or money as offerings to the monks, eagerly participating because of the blessings they receive in return.

One of the first things my lovely neighbor Ying was required to do was make an offering to nature (think Thai curries, fresh greens, and incense). This offering is for all the animals and people who have died alone… so beautiful and thoughtful!

Next, three monks adorned in various shades of orange arrived – They sat down on cushions, prayed and chanted. It was very peaceful!

During one particular chant they passed a ball of string between them – firstly unwinding it so that they were all connected by twine and prayer and then lastly by rolling it back up.  This is a symbol of protecting the house and the people within it! You can watch this moment here on the vimeo below if you would like.

We all took turns filling the monks’ bowls with rice, a gesture of protection for everyone involved. The monks then ate and continued to pray and chant. Typically, a Buddhist home blessing lasts about one and a half to two hours, including lunch. Afterward, one of the monks sprinkled holy water throughout the rooms and placed three dots on the main entrance of the home. I must admit, I would have a blessing just for the gold foiling alone, but it’s also meant to protect the house from any negativity.

Respectfully Research the Etiquette

If you’re thinking about having your home blessed, it’s a great idea to start by researching local Buddhist centres or Indigenous groups in your local area. The costs involved will vary, therefore it’s also important to understand the proper cultural etiquette and procedures before you begin.

Attending a Buddhist home blessing was a humbling experience for me, and I could definitely see and feel the positive energy it brought into the home.

 

 

 

 

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