Just as we need to create space in our daily schedule to nurture a new relationship, we must create space in our home to welcome in new love. It’s called “feathering the nest”. Think about the first time that our soulmate will walk into our home—what they will they see, smell and feel. Even an inviting, cozy environment may need an upgrade.

The underlying vibration or feeling of a place reflects the home’s energy. Whatever has happened there since its beginning, including arguments, illnesses or times of loneliness, have all left an unseen layer of negative energy. You could say that the walls “talk”.

To begin preparing our home to welcome a mate, first remove the clutter. Piles of magazines, stacks of unshelved books and excessive furnishings are blocking and keeping in old energy and preventing good, clean new energy from flowing. Be sure to remove all photographs and souvenirs that are reminders of past lovers; throw them away or put them in a box away from your home. These daily, unconscious memory triggers keep you stuck in the past. Clearing everything out is like putting out a cosmic welcome mat to the Universe that we are now ready, willing and available to receive new love.

Next, it’s time to dispel the unseen energies. The fastest, easiest method is the Native American technique of smudging. The smoke will purify the space. Light a piece of white sage on a small plate and when it is smoking (not flaming) run the smoke up, down and around every room, closet, door and window frame throughout the entire home. Alternatively, on a sunny day, open all the doors and windows and, applying a broom and imagination, sweep out the old energies.

Just as nature abhors a vacuum and calls in matter to fill the empty space, so making space in our home assists in calling in love. Consciously create “space” by placing an empty nightstand on “their” side of the bed, plus have at least one empty dresser drawer waiting for them. Create inviting space in a closet and clear a shelf in a bathroom cabinet. If we have a two-car garage and have been parking in the middle, pick a side and begin only parking on “our side”.

The most essential ingredient to “feathering the nest” is a strong intention to remove any old, outdated, limiting or negative energies that may be preventing love from finding its way to our door. Once free from unwanted clutter and obstructions, it becomes our sanctuary of vibrant, attractive energy.

Arielle Ford is the author of 11 books, including Turn Your Mate Into Your Soulmate and The Soulmate Secret: Manifest The Love of Your Life With The Law of Attraction. Her latest, Inkspirations: Love By Design, is a transformational coloring book. She lives in La Jolla, CA. Learn more at SoulmateSecret.com.

This article appears in the August 2017 issue of Natural Awakenings.