One particular time this happened to me was when I went camping at a state park with my mom and brothers. I felt a vague sense of sadness the entire time there, which was strange because I was enjoying being with my family. At the end of our trip, we stopped at the visitor center and learned about the history of the park. I discovered that many years ago, there had been a brutal battle in the park. Many lives had been lost there through violent acts, and I believed that that was the reason for the particular energy I’d felt during that trip.

Now that’s an extreme example, but you’ve probably noticed that rooms, buildings, or spaces carry certain energies.

Here’s a more subtle example. Maybe you love a certain hotel chain because of the sheets they use, the in-room coffee they provide, or the fluffiness of their bathrobes. Because it’s a chain, there’s not a lot of difference between the many locations. Each hotel, no matter where it is, has to follow the guidelines of that particular brand. Still, you might notice that each location has a different “feel” to it, and that even the various rooms (although identical) can hold distinctly different energies.

Why Hotels & Vacation Rentals Hold Strong Energies

There are many reasons why a space holds a particular energy. It could be left over energy from someone who was in the space before you, events that have happened in the space, or even spirits that are currently lingering there.

Hotels, vacation rentals, and any other spaces where many people have been living and sleeping will likely hold strong energy. It’s more noticeable than the energy of a coffee shop or other public space because people will do things in a hotel room that they wouldn’t necessarily do in public. For example, they might have a heated argument with a loved one or have a good long cry about something. Depending on when the space was last cleansed, it could hold a mixture of energy going back for years.

When Should You Cleanse The Space?

As a witch, you may find you’re more aware of energies so it’s entirely possible you sense something that your friends or family don’t notice when you enter a space.

Trust your intuition. If something doesn’t feel right—no matter how strong or subtle—don’t ignore that feeling! You paid good money for that vacation rental! You want to make sure you enjoy every minute of it. If you’re traveling for work, you probably want your hotel room to be a place where you can relax and recharge between meetings. It’s extremely important to send away any unwanted energy in your space as soon as possible.

Simple Cleansing Techniques Perfect For Travel

It might not be practical for you to take your entire altar on vacation with you. Likewise, many of your “go-to” cleansing methods might now even be allowed in your vacation rental. You certainly don’t want to be smoking up your room with sage!

However, there are still tons of powerful ways you can cleanse a space without making a mess or breaking any rules.

Crystal Sink Elixir

This method is one of my favorites because you can set it up as soon as you get to your vacation rental and then go out for the day. When you come back, your space will be cleansed.

What You’ll Need:

• A small water-safe crystal that is known to cleanse energy such as clear citrine or smoky quartz

Note: Not all crystals should be exposed to water. Certain stones can dissolve in water, making the water toxic. Never place a crystal in water unless you’ve verified that it’s safe to do so.

Find a sink that is the most centrally located in the space. You can also perform this cleansing in multiple sinks if you sense the energy in the space is quite strong.

Place the crystal in the sink after you plug the drain. Fill the sink with water. Make sure the water is lukewarm when you do this. Crystals can crack if they’re exposed to sudden temperature changes.

Place your hands on the surface of the water and say or think your intention. For example: “This room is energetically cleansed and now feels refreshingly neutral.”

Leave the crystal in the sink for at least fifteen minutes to cleanse your space, but you can leave it in there for several hours if you sense there’s a lot of energy to clear. When you’re done, remove the crystal and drain the sink.

Sound Cleansing

You’re probably not going to want to lug your singing bowl in your carry-on, but you can still perform a sound cleansing with the help of the internet.

What You’ll Need:

• A smartphone or any device that can access the internet

Do an internet search for sound cleansing meditations. Select one you feel intuitively drawn to. You might have to listen to the beginnings of a few before you find one that feels appropriate to you. Place your device in the most central part of your space and hit play.

Make sure you check the length of your sound cleansing video. Many of these are over forty minutes long, so I recommend starting this when you’re unpacking or getting ready for the day. You can also have this playing in your room while you lounge on your balcony with a good book.

As with the crystal cleansing, I like to state my intention as I’m pushing the “play” button on my laptop. Create your own intention or use this one. “The energy of this space feels clean and bright.”

Here are two sound cleansing meditations I’ve had success with:

Tarot Card Space Cleansing

If you take your tarot cards along on vacation, I highly recommend doing this cleansing method. It’s so simple and, in my experience, it’s one of the most effective methods.

What You’ll Need:

• A tarot card associated with cleansing

Here are my recommendations:

• The Star
• The Sun
• The Moon
• Temperance
• Three of Cups
• The High Priestess
• King of Cups
• Queen of Cups
• The Fool
• Eight of Wands
• Ten of Cups
• Four of Swords
• Any of the “Ace” cards
• Any of the “Knight” cards

If you don’t have a deck of tarot cards, you can do an internet search for any of these cards and print out the card image. Another option is to pull up the image on your phone and use the phone as if it’s the actual card.

A no-frills version of this method is to write the name of the tarot card on a piece of paper, and use that paper as if it’s the card. This is great if you don’t have a lot of time, and all you have on hand is the complimentary pen and notepad on your hotel nightstand.

Sit in the center of your space and take a moment to pinpoint the “mood” or “tone” of the energy in the space. You don’t have to have a label for the energy. As long as you have a sense of it, you’re all ready.

Next, select a card from your deck that you intuitively sense will cleanse the specific energy of the space. If you have your deck with you, try going through your deck, one card at a time, until you find the right card. You can use the list of recommended cards, or pick one that just feels right for your specific cleansing needs.

You can also ask your deck to show you a card that will be ideal for cleansing the energy in your particular space. Then shuffle the cards as you normally would and draw a card. Use that card to cleanse your space. Sometimes as you’re shuffling, a tarot card will fall out or “jump out” of your deck. Many times, this is your cards delivering your answer without you even needing to draw a card.

Two Easy Methods Using Solar & Lunar Energy

Lunar – When you’re going to bed, turn off all the lights in your hotel room—even your alarm clock. Sleep with your curtains open to allow the moonlight to cleanse your space. I’ve had the best results by using the new moon phase, the full moon phase, or the waning moon phase.

Solar – A variation of the above method is to use the first light of the morning rather than moonlight. Morning light, and particularly sunrises, are excellent for cleansing. You can set your alarm to go off about fifteen minutes before the sun rises and open up your curtains. You can go back to sleep while the light cleanses your space or you can do a meditation as the sun is coming up. For your meditation, I recommend visualizing the sunlight chasing away all the unwanted energy in your space.

Things To Keep In Mind

Energy cleansing will require you to use your intuition. Only YOU will know when and how to best cleanse your space. You might notice that certain areas need more cleansing than others such as windows or doors. Pay special attention to those areas to ensure you’re getting rid of all unwanted energy.

After you’ve cleansed your hotel or vacation rental, you can choose to charge your space with the energy you’d like to the space to hold for the rest of your stay. To do this, you can watch a movie that embodies the energy you’d like the room to hold, such as a romantic movie when you’re on vacation with your lover. You can also bring in a bouquet of flowers in a color you associate with your desired energy.

A really simple way of charging a space is to state your intention (aloud or in your head) to call in a certain kind of energy. Before you do this, ask yourself what you want the “mood” of your vacation to be. Get specific. Are you going for excitement and adventure, or relaxation and rejuvenation? Even though those energies are considered positive, they’re very different. Pick the energy you want to experience and create a statement that communicates that energy.

After that, kick your feet up and order some room service! Enjoy your freshly cleansed space. You deserve it!

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Updated on August 20, 2023 by Avery Hart