Moving into a new house, an older home that is ‘new for you’, or an apartment, deserves to be celebrated, to be dedicated or blessed. Milestones or times such as these ought to be marked or distinguished as being different and special.
In reality we all hunger to celebrate life’s milestones, to add more meaning to our lives, the sense of comfort and connection that it brings. We want to celebrate a special birthday, the promotion at the office, retirement or a new home, but the overwhelming majority of people see it as an occasion just to have a party, an empty celebration devoid of purposeful content, intent or action.
To have a home blessing, your home or apartment does not have to be brand new. Indeed it can be an older home or a home or apartment made new again after a renovation or restoration.
Have you ever held a house warming party, a celebration after you moved into a home or apartment? Was it pretty much the same as every other party – plenty of food and drinks, lively music and maybe even a little dancing? Maybe it was a laid back BBQ or a dinner party. Whatever form your party or celebration took it was to celebrate moving into a new abode.
Ritual can be added to any celebration to deepen the occasion, to give it real meaning and purpose. In a home blessing or dedication the rituals we engage in are traditions that have been passed down to us by ancient civilizations including Chinese feng shui.
So, even if you plan to have a house warming party you can add a home blessing or dedication to it. We just take time aside early in the day or evening to participate in the home blessing ritual then proceed on to the party afterwards.
In a home blessing or dedication ceremony or celebration we talk about the house itself, the personal journey or the relationship the new owners have with the dwelling. The circumstances that brought the owners to the particular location, how they came to find it, did they do any work to the house prior to moving in? Does it have a deeper connection with the person, couple or the family?
The actual blessing or dedication of the home, involves walking from room to room employing ancient customs or rituals as we go. When each room or area has been blessed or dedicated everyone gathers back at a central spot for the conclusion.
Examples of things that can be included in the ceremony are the use of lit candles, lavender oil lamp or lavender spray, orange and lemon infused water, flowers or sprigs of blossoms, a broom to sweep, a basket of blessings, readings by the home owners or their guests, a tree planting, a welcome wreath, welcoming drinks and a welcome cake. You may even wish to sit down for a celebratory meal at the conclusion of your ceremony or celebration.
It is possible for new home-owners to devise a blessing the home ceremony of their own?
Yes, this is particularly easy to do by using the 2 ceremonies in my e-book as a guide.
For more details on blessing the home,apartment or holiday shack seek out -
About the author: Elizabeth Gray is an Australian celebrant who conducts ceremonies for all life’s milestones
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