“A tidy desk means a tidy mind,” said my junior school teacher, Mr Wright. Hmm, he was more right than he may have realised!

The title of this blog might sound flippant but have you ever thought that all the ‘stuff’ you accumulate in your physical life is actually a reflection of something deeper? Your material world is an outer reflection of every aspect of YOU. Your surroundings affect your physical health and mental wellbeing, your finances, your emotional balance, and also your spiritual life.  And clutter, in whatever form it takes, has a knock on effect that you may not have realised: it upsets your karma too. Let me explain.

Many people think of karma as a sort of spiritual ‘luck’. But in Hindu and Buddhist philosophy karma is much more than simple fate. It is the sum of a person’s actions in this and previous states of existence: including past lives, childhood, relationships and careers. Everything that has gone before, whether positive or negative, adds to your personal karma. So it goes without saying that when we allow the past to clutter up our lives, we are potentially creating a poor environment for our future.

There are many different ways of accumulating clutter. Let’s start with those people who love to collect things. This may have started as a hobby, seeking out certain collectables, but then the hobby takes over and the house is filled with lots of wonderful dust collecting ‘objects’. Some objects aren’t even very pleasing but belonged to someone else and can’t be thrown away for the sake of sentiment. Or those books which you bought at the station or airport and know you’d love to read, when you get time that is. What about the articles in all those old magazines which were really useful, so you have to hang on to them because you might forget and need to read them again? Old letters and birthday cards from people you really like. Boxes of faded photographs of places you visited once but can’t really remember where that picture was actually taken. Clothes that no longer fit properly but looked good once and you are sure you might want to wear them again. Objects you really like in the shop, but can’t decide which colour you prefer so buy both. And so it goes on…. most of us do it at some point.

And for each item we hold on to, we give up a little bit more of something very precious: space.

For our spirit to be free we need space. For our mind and body to function and work well within the laws of creation we need to be able to move and think freely. For the energy of the Life-force, Chi, Prana, the Holy Spirit or Breath of God (whatever you like to call it) to sustain us, the air must be sweet and clear, and allowed to flow. That’s why we love to get outside on a good day, why we love to stand at the top of a mountain and feel the wind in our face. But it doesn’t mean just outside in the great outdoors. It also means through our home, our sanctuary. And it also means within our physical body and our mind.

We need space to think, so we have to clear our minds of all the things that truly do not concern us, particularly other people’s drama. But what of those concerns we feel are valid? Such as fear of having no money, fear of losing our partner, fear of losing our home? What about having to look after other people in our family…. our work… our domestic issues? Yes I know, it is challenging.

And what about loss?

Psychologists tell us that when we have suffered an emotional loss of any kind we experience an emptiness that is sometimes almost impossible to bear. We fill this void with something else to ease the pain. That ‘something else’ may be a desire to rush around getting involved in family or work because being busy is much better than being alone. Some of us might console ourselves with food, alcohol, or other drugs of some kind. All of which offer a temporary relief, perhaps, but create a different kind of challenge to face when we realise we’ve created an addiction and need to lose that weight, reduce the alcohol, or come off the anti-depressants.

Another kind of ‘filling the void’ happens when we feel unable to ‘let go’ of the attachment to whatever we sense we have lost. It could be one or all of many things such as a close relationship, leaving a great job or retirement after a lengthy career, or the tragic death of a loved one. Our sense of emptiness can sometimes block our ability to let go of anything at all. We begin to hoard things for the simple reason that everything is attached to memories, and if we are not careful we create a stagnation from which there is no moving forward.

Whatever it may be that is cluttering your life, physical or emotional, the Angels can offer a little light, love and support. Archangel Michael’s mighty sword can assist in cutting away unwanted ties. Chamuel sends Divine love to overcome loss, rebuilding our self-esteem. And the message of Zadkiel and the Violet Flame is one of transformation, freeing ourselves of the past and being renewed.

So hold on to the beautiful memories, but clear away the clutter and create some space. Tidy your desk, your room, and your house, as Mr Wright advised. Life will become a little lighter. And with a ‘tidy mind’ you’ll be lifted on the wings of Angels. And fly!