A Simple Space Clearing Ritual for the New Year & Beyond

The start of a new year is more than a calendar shift. It is an energetic threshold.

The Lunar New Year celebration period begins at the second new moon after the winter solstice and continues through the following full moon. It marks the transition from winter into spring, from yin energy into yang. The pace begins to accelerate, momentum starts building, and our intentions begin to take root.

Before that energy fully rises, it helps to clear any residue from the year prior that you do not want to carry into the next.

Space clearing is one of the simplest and most powerful ways to release stagnant energy from your home and welcome in something new. While many people associate space clearing with sage or smudging, the practice itself is much broader. At its core, it is about intention, awareness, and creating energetic support for the life you are calling in.

Whether you are entering the Lunar New Year, moving into a new home, recovering from illness, or simply feeling emotional heaviness in a space, clearing your home can help restore spaciousness and fresh energy.

When we hold onto old energy—clutter, unresolved tension, leftover stress, last year’s unfulfilled goals—our environment quietly reinforces that stagnation. When we consciously clear it, the home becomes a vessel for new intentions rather than a container for old ones.

My personal space clearing ritual follows four simple steps: prepare, purify, invoke, and preserve.

Preparation begins with the physical space. You might declutter lightly, open windows to allow fresh air to circulate, or tidy surfaces. Think of it as giving your home a bath before dressing it in new energy. Just as important, prepare yourself. Choose a time when you are alone, grounded, and clear about what you are calling in. Intention is the foundation of every effective space clearing ritual.

The next step is purification. Many traditions use smoke such as sage, palo santo, incense, or sweetgrass. Others use salt, placing it in the corners of a room overnight and sweeping it away the next day to symbolically remove stagnant energy. I prefer sound, using tingsha bells to move energy safely and effectively without smoke. I begin by clearing my own body first, moving upward from my feet to the top of my head. Then I start at the front door and move room by room, tracing the perimeter and paying attention to closets, corners, and behind furniture. These overlooked spaces often hold more energetic residue than we realize.

After purification comes invocation. Clearing creates space, but something must be invited in to replace what was released. I end the clearing at the center of my home where I light a candle and speak my intentions aloud. This might be health, steady growth, creativity, visibility, or peace. The act of speaking anchors the desire, and fire symbolically activates it.

Finally, I preserve the space. This step is often overlooked, yet it may be the most powerful. Preservation means placing a physical reminder in your home that anchors your intention throughout the year. It could be a crystal, a meaningful object, fresh flowers, or a new plant. I often use a faceted Feng Shui crystal ball, hanging it where light can refract through it. Each time I see the light scatter across the room, I am reminded of what I am consciously calling in.

Space clearing is not limited to the Lunar New Year. As mentioned above, it’s also beneficial during seasonal transitions, after illness, following conflict, before moving into a new home, or even during travel. Hotels and short-term rentals, for example, carry layered energy from many occupants. A simple sound clearing upon arrival can shift the atmosphere immediately, ensuring a positive experience in your home-away-from-home.

When we clear stagnant energy, we are not engaging in superstition. We are practicing energetic hygiene. We are acknowledging that our homes influence our nervous systems and that environments either support or deplete us.

If you are entering a new year—or simply craving a fresh start—begin by clearing your space, and let your home become a vessel of support.

You can find the tools I use for my own ritual within the Sacred Space Clearing Kit available on my website by clicking here.

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