Laura LaBrie
- Dec 31, 2023
- 3 min read

New Fire Ritual: Cleansing for A New Beginning

The ultimate in cleansing rituals is the new fire ceremony. While this was traditionally done right before the beginning of the new year, it is something you can do when you feel a need for a big change in the energy in your home. You can also do it periodically when you feel the need to release old energies.

The Maya believe that everything has energy. All those things you use in your home like plates and cups and sheets and blankets have energy too. This ritual is extensive and really powerful! You are going to do a deep cleaning of your home’s energy this time!

ITEMS NEEDED

You will need 2 white candles, one of which has never been used, and wooden matches.

DIRECTIONS

First you will light a white candle. It is ok if you have already burned this candle some. Use a wooden match to light your candle. Remember, a wooden match has a heart and therefore is more powerful than a lighter.
Now you are going to encourage the candle to draw all the old energy to itself. You will speak both to the candle and to the old energy in your home. Say this, “White Candle, I ask you to kindly receive all the old, stale energy from this house.” Then speak to the old energy, “Energy that has inhabited this house and is tired or bitter or sad or angry (or any other things you have been feeling that you want to get rid of), I ask you to bond yourself to this candle. Yum Botik!”
Then light the candle and allow it to burn all day. If you leave your home or cannot attend the candle, it’s fine to blow it out and relight it when you can attend it.
Next, open all the windows and doors. The idea is to cleanse your space and drive all the stale old negative energy out of the house. Every home is different, and you will know what is the best way to work through your house. If you have a back door, you may want to keep it closed so the energy is driven from the back of the house to the front and out the front door. But you also may want to begin this with opening the back door for a while just to let the fresh air in. Then close it after you have done the step where you get rid of old things.
Then go through each room in your house and remove things that are old, broken, or unused. Get rid of things you don’t need, things that have old energy attached to them (especially things attached to unpleasant memories). Old clothes, pots and pans, linens, artwork, dried flowers, nick-nacks, anything that feels old and dusty. Of course, this can be as extensive as you like. I do this a couple of times a year and that keeps me from having to do a really big cleaning! Remove all the things you are letting go of from your home. Bag them up and take them out to the trash.
As you are doing this ritual, here is a lovely song you can sing or chant to any tune or rhythm you like. Spoken words bring things to life. They are the power source of creation! This song (songs are spells and are considered magic) honors the four directions, which are the core of Maya spirituality as they encompass all of creation.

Cleansing Song (The Mayan is included if you would like to try it)

Notice that the directions move in a counterclockwise circle, East, North, West, South and Center. This is the direction of the rising and setting of the sun. The Center is where the World Tree grows and gives you access to the path to Flower Mountain, the domain of the Gods. This song calls in the winds of the 4 directions so they can help you cleanse your home.

To the 4 Directions and The Center

Tene tin na’atik (I understand)

Ak t’aan ich (I speak)

Yum botik (Thank you)

(say, sing, or chant this 3 times at the beginning)

Chac chel (Red rainbow)

To the East