Ever got bad vibes from an antique? Kailey Tedesco writes about the magic of psychometry, and how to make pre-owned items your own.
As a child who was probably too well-absorbed in the world of fairy tales and folklore, I would often pretend, for hours and hours, that I was Belle from Beauty & the Beast. In this pretend play, chairs and tables and books and picture frames all became friends, each enchanted with their own personalities & voices.
Later in life, this thought would frighten me. The uncanny horror of dolls or figurines possessed by demonic evils became a cautionary tale instead of a fairy story. My Catholic grandmother would sit me down in her living room of antiques and tell me which objects to be fearful of. Together, we would pray over them, handmade rosary beads woven around our fingers. The fireplace, she would say, houses the spirit of a girl who died long ago in a plane crash just above this house. I remember thinking that I could feel that. The fireplace knew something — it had a secret.
What I hadn’t realized, either as a small, fantasy-driven child or an older fearful one, was that I had been practicing psychometry all along. Psychometry, which is sometimes called token-object reading, is a term coined by Joseph Rodes Buchanan during the height of the Spiritualist movement. It is the practice of measuring the soul of an object, or seeing an object’s energies, vibrations, and memories through touch. It is believed that there are different levels of sensitivity when practicing psychometry. Some psychics are able to get a full, sensual image of an object’s past or the person who previously owned that object, including smells and words. Others simply get a feeling from the object.
I belong to the latter group. There are some who will say that only certain people possess the psychic or paranormal ability to see the soul of an object. I don’t really subscribe to this idea. I believe everyone possesses the intuition to see or feel an object’s soul — it’s just a matter of how that sight or feeling manifests for you, individually.
I remember purchasing a stunning, vintage, crescent moon shaped necklace as a teen. When I got home and clasped the pendant around my neck, I became overwhelmed with feelings of mourning and death and grief. I couldn’t bear to wear it any longer. Later, in college, my dorm room was nauseous. My first apartment was secretive. My current home with my husband was, at first, maddeningly sterile, but now it is becoming cozy and hospitable.
After realizing that so much of my self and my mood was affected by the objects around me, I began to explore what this might mean. After understanding psychometry, I found myself better able to form relationships with the objects I brought home from antique stores and estate sales, and even the objects passed down to me from relatives. This understanding has strengthened my folk practices and allowed me better connect to my ancestors and my community. And of course, in 2020, I believe there’s an imperative to furnish our homes with second-hand objects as often as possible, not only because they are often incredibly dreamy, but also for the sake of sustainability. If you are someone who, like me, has a difficult time dissociating objects from their “souls”, here are some practices that have worked for me:
1. Don’t be afraid to touch objects in the store
As long as it’s permissible (and it usually is) touch any object you feel like taking home. Based on your touch, decide if this is an object that feels right for you and the space you are creating. I like to think of my home as one, large altar. Ask yourself: Is this something you’d want to be a part of the daily rituals of your home?
2. Cleansing is always an option
If you’d like to play it safe, there are many options for cleansing or purifying objects of their pasts. I prefer to use bells to ward off any evil or negativity an object may be carrying. You can also burn sage or dried herb bundles (just be sure to research the ethics first), surround your objects with your favorite crystals or incense, pray or chant words associated with whatever feeling you wish for the object to possess, or make or buy a tincture of essential oils, salt water, etc. to banish negativity.
3. Make the object your own
Even though it frightened me as a child, I now collect antique, porcelain dolls. Some of these dolls were passed down to me by relatives. I have an Estonian doll from my great-grandmother that I keep on a small altar in my dining room. This doll makes me feel closer to a relative that I sadly only met as an infant. I am less connected to many of the dolls I’ve brought home from thrift shops or antique malls, and so I often use these for art. I enjoy breaking them down and using the pieces to create something new.
For example, I recently framed one of the teeth my puppy lost with glass doll limbs. I performed a protection spell so that this particular doll might now be repurposed to keep my dog safe and healthy as he grows. While it is important to respect the pasts of second-hand or antique objects, it is also totally okay to repurpose them to serve a new function in your home. This can also be a great way to cleanse an object as well.
4. Enjoy your objects
Once you’ve brought a beautiful, art deco coffee table or velvet mid-century armchair into your home, be sure to enjoy them! Invite friends over and serve food or drinks on your new furniture. Sit and talk with friends. Allow the energies and smells and sights and tastes of your own life to infiltrate and inspire your objects.
While it may seem morbid, I sometimes enjoy imagining a group of people sorting through my estate sale objects after I’ve passed. I hope that they find my belongings full of love & a life well-lived.