At a closing last week one of my sellers commented that she had blessed the house for the new owner, and the new owner was noticeably touched by it. That seller happens to be an ordained Unitarian Universalist minister who has been doing house blessings for 12 years so it wasn't unusual for her…but it isn't something that usually comes up at closings.
It reminded me of a client from another culture who performed a ritual on his new home prior to moving in. Rituals and blessings aren't anything new, they have been going on for centuries and are an important part of many cultures. Our culture seems to be bereft of ceremony except in religious context, and those outside church communities often don't have ritual as part of their lives. My client, Shelley Dugan, commented in a recent Star Tribune article on house blessings that many of the calls she gets are from people who do not have a church home. She believes that rituals are vital in our lives, and those without it feel a void.
Whatever the reason, house blessings are a current trend, the biggest since feng shui. I have often thought of a home as a personal sanctuary, and I have had clients comment many times as we are out searching for homes on the energy they feel in a house…sometimes very positive, sometimes not. A house blessing invites new spiritual energy into the house. By consciously focusing on the wishes and dreams you have for your life in your new home you are setting the stage for transforming a mere house into your special home.
"May you always be blessed; with walls for the wind, a roof for the rain, a warm cup of tea by the fire, laughter to cheer you, those you love near you and all that your heart might desire." ~ Old Gaelic blessing