Q & A: “what’s your take on inherited, vintage or gently-used items?”

Q: what’s your take on inherited, vintage or gently-used items?

A: first things first – these come with predecessor chi, which is the energy ‘residue’ from its previous owner or place.

predecessor chi – more specifically – can be the behaviors, beliefs, and / or experiences from that person, and those will linger on an item, subtly affecting your mood and behavior. (this is why you can get a ‘mixed bag’ of shui opinions when it comes to whether second hand items are ‘good’ or ‘bad’.)

so, a couple suggestions:

TIP ONE: find out about the previous owner(ship), if possible. their story or experience will (a) help you decide if you want to invite the item into your life; and (b) reinforce how much ‘cleansing’ your new-to-you item might need.

for example, let’s say you’re buying a set of furniture from a couple who is selling everything to travel the world together for a year. you would likely inherit the excitement and expansion chi that comes from that plan. if the couple, however, is selling everything because they are going through an acrimonious divorce, you will want to diligently cleanse it to remove any build-up of anger and disappointment.

TIP TWO: whether you get the history of the item or not, you will want to cleanse your new-to-you item, and there are so many options available, including…

+ a long soak in the sunshine

+ a smoky cleanse – I LOVE sage, frankincense and myrrh, sandalwood, cedarwood, or rosemary smoke sticks / resin for this!

+ a sound bath – a high pitch bell or singing bowl would be up for the task.

+ a salty wipe down – and obviously, this is surface dependent.

+ an essential oil blend spritz bath – again, this is surface dependent.

+ a conversation with the item, speaking your new intention(s) for it out loud as a way of “elevating” its chi.

all of these work well, so choose one and repeat (if you feel it’s necessary) until your items has found its new groove! xo