Why?

• Get rid of bad luck/energy associated with previous owners

• Help take ownership of your new home and make it feel like yours

• Make sure that it's a safe place

• SUPERSTITION, DUH

What I did for my new house:

• Cleaned the house, making notes of repairs that need to be done, things that need improvement
• Made a "cleansing spray" to try and get rid of any bad energy from the previous owners ( a divorced couple and their two teenagers who drew all over their bedrooms and peeled chunks of paint off the walls)
• Cinnamon (wealth, protection) roses (love, healing, peace, luck), rosemary (protection purification healing health sleep) sea salt (prosperity and protection) pepper (protection exorcism strength) mint (wealth luck love communication cleansing) sage from the back yard (cleansing healing) ***
• Sprayed in all the corners (especially in the bedrooms) and on the front door
• Made a point to talk to the house
• Sang and laughed loudly in the house
• Made small repairs and painted over the damaged walls
• Sprinkled salt at the front door and in the corners of the room, sweeping them from the front of the house to the back and out the back door
• Talked to the big tree in my back yard
• Rosemary plant by my front door (it's dying, I need another one)

Italian folk traditions:

• The Kitchen is SACRED

  • The only things that go in the kitchen are things you use for cooking and your craft

  • Many herbs and spices used in cooking are also used for Italian folk magic

  • Food is medicine in a way – having good food with the right things makes a difference in your wellbeing

• Often will have a priest bless the home if they're Catholic or will call upon saints to protect/bless/watch over the home

• Mary in the Bathtub

• Italian folk magic and Catholic traditions are really closely tied

Germanic folk tradition:

• Put acorns around the windows to ward off evil spirits

• Bring in bread and salt

CHinese traditions:

• Buy an orange tree

• Shine a light in all the corners of the home to drive out evil/bad spirits 

Korea

• Throw beans around the house to bring wealth

A new broom, salt, bread are also thematic across Europe

Most also have some sort of celebration or gathering where hosts are given gifts or have a party/large meal with friends and family  

Full Source List

Episode: File 0124: When Houses BITE Back

Release Date: Mar 15 2024

Researched and presented by Courtney