When you do magick, it's often advisable to start by clearing the space where you will do your work to remove unwanted influences. It makes sense to want to try and do your work with a fresh working area.

Once the space is cleaned up physically, the next step is to clear it out mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. This can be done a number of ways.

Casting the Circle is one standard way of clearing out space magickally for ritual. It involves acknowledging the four directions (and often "center") using the elemental associations of air, fire, water, earth, and spirit for the center. Incense, candlelight, sprinkling blessed water and salt help to purify the space with the elements. Music can be played, or bells or drums used to add a sound component.

Some use the smoke of burning sage to "smudge" themselves and their working space as a way to cleanse. Wafting smoke over items to be cleansed can be done with any incense you feel inspires a feeling of cleansing. For those who don't like smoke, try wafting a clean-smelling perfume instead with a feather or small hand-fan. If perfumes aren't your thing either, then anointing or sprinkling with blessed water might do the trick. I've done anointing with rose-water (available at many health-food stores and some groceries) as a way to incorporate scent with anointing when smudging wasn't appropriate.

Using a ritual tool such as a knife or sword also helps reinforce the idea that negative influences are "sliced off" from the area and driven away. If you choose to use a knife or sword please be careful to not hurt yourself or others who might be present. A ritual broom can also be used to sweep the air and space in general, scooting away negativity the way you might chase away a pesky mouse or insect.

Banishings are more ritualized magickal methods for doing a spiritual cleansing. Rituals like the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram (described online at http://www.livingwithmagick.com/lbrp.html or in a more Wiccan variant at http://www.sacred-texts.com/bos/bos025.htm) do the job well. The LBRP is really just a variant of Casting the Circle in a very structured way.

Once you've made your working space clean you are ready to invite those energies you wish to have present for your work. Then you are ready to get down to the work at hand, confident that you have done your best to eliminate distractions and have made your workspace supportive of your specific goals.