1 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.
3 Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.
4 He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.
5 Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day;
6 Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.
7 A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.
8 Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked.
9 Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation;
10 There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.
11 For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.
12 They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.
13 Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet.
14 Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name.
15 He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.
16 With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation.
SWEEP TO REMOVE HAINTS
2 tablespoons salt per room (½ tablespoon per room for hard floors)
1 tablespoon asafoetida
3 shakes of baby powder
Mix the salt and asafoetida and sprinkle enough baby powder over to completely cover it. Stir while reciting Psalm 31:15–17 three times:
15 My times are in thy hand: deliver me from the hand of mine enemies, and from them that persecute me.
16 Make thy face to shine upon thy servant: save me for thy mercies' sake.
17 Let me not be ashamed, O Lord; for I have called upon thee: let the wicked be ashamed, and let them be silent in the grave.
While sprinkling repeat it again three times, telling the spirit to depart in the three highest names. Then take a horseshoe and wrap it in red cloth. Pass through the home after sprinkling, from back to front, with the horseshoe in one hand with points down while telling the spirit to depart and praying the psalm another three times for a total of nine times. Begin by saying “Our Father” and then reciting Psalm 31:15–17.
Washing
Much as the body is the home of the soul and the head and feet are washed, so too is the home spiritually cleaned and washed. This often occurred by prayer and using household products containing botanicals such as pine, orange, mint, or lemon. To these washes salt, baking soda, borax, church dirt, and other things may be added to the bucket with the diluted product. Spiritual washing is done when you feel it's needed or every two to three months. Washing is done for cleansing, protection, or drawing luck, love, or money to the home by washing the doors, windows, counters, cabinets, walls, and floors.
GENERAL CLEANSING WASH
1 oz citrus-type soap
2 oz Pine-Sol
3 tablespoons salt
1 capful ammonia
Splash of white distilled vinegar
Make up a bucket of warm soapy water with Pine-Sol. Then add the salt, ammonia, and vinegar and stir while praying or singing a hymn such as “Great High Mountain” or “His Eye Is on the Sparrow.” If you're worried about the wash adversely affecting painted walls or floors, replace the ammonia with 1 capful castor oil.
Wash the walls, doors, and windows from top to bottom. (I recommend sweeping the floors and wiping the walls and windows with a cleaning product first—otherwise you'll just be wiping dust around.) For the floors, begin at the back of the home and move to the front.
After washing, we used sandalwood and cherry incense for blessing the home. Then, following the example of Mamaw Seagle, we would burn asafoetida on the stove. Mama always burned some Indian House Blessing incense too. When lighting the incense, we pray either the Thanksgiving Psalm (150):
1 Praise ye the Lord. Praise God in his sanctuary: praise him in the firmament of his power.
2 Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent greatness.
3 Praise him with the sound of the trumpet: praise him with the psaltery and harp.
4 Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs.
