Cover Energy cleansing tools perfect for antiques, rooted in ancient practices
Energy cleansing tools perfect for antiques, rooted in ancient practices
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Caring for antiques becomes tending memory, restoring harmony between the past and the present
Antiques possess more than age or craftsmanship; for energy healer and equestrienne Kat Holigores, they carry vibration. Each piece, from the humblest wooden chair to the most ornate silverware, holds traces of those who once lived with it. Dust, in her view, is only part of what must be removed. The deeper work lies in releasing the invisible residue, emotion, memory and atmosphere that settle into objects over time.
To care for antiques is to tend to memory itself. Her practice moves beyond the physical act of cleaning into a quiet ritual of renewal, one that acknowledges the lingering energy of the past and restores harmony to the present.
Her process is deliberate and meditative. She works with natural elements such as air, light and salt to realign what feels stagnant. Cleaning, in this sense, becomes an act of energy balancing rather than restoration, a way of allowing old forms to breathe again. Every gesture, the passing of cloth, the opening of a window, the choice of hour or light, carries intention.
Holigores’s approach reveals that the care of antiques is not about preserving the past untouched, but about creating flow between what was and what is. To cleanse an object is to honour its story, while gently reminding it to live again in the present.
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Above Sage can be used to clean antiques, their smoke is said to transform the vibrational energy of spaces and objects
Above Kat Holigores is an energy healer and equestrienne
Sage can be used to clean antiques, their smoke is said to transform the vibrational energy of spaces and objects
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You often speak about energy lingering in objects. When you clean an antique, is it more about removing dust or clearing memory?
Both. Dust is visible memory, the physical reminder of time passing. But energetically, objects absorb emotion and intention. Antiques, especially, are silent witnesses to other lives and other eras. When I cleanse them, it’s less about erasing their history and more about releasing what no longer serves. The goal is to let the piece breathe again—to hold beauty and story, but without the weight of past pain or attachment.
How do you sense when a piece is holding heavy energy, and what’s your process for “lightening” it without erasing its history?
Heavy energy often feels like density; sometimes it’s a chill, a heaviness in the chest or simply a sense of unease when you stand near the object. Each energy healer senses it differently; for me, it’s intuitive and bodily. To clear it, I first acknowledge the object’s story, even silently thanking it for its service and endurance. Then, through sound, smoke or light-based cleansing, I invite balance back in. It’s never about stripping the energy bare, but harmonising it so that what remains feels peaceful, alive and aligned with its new environment.
See also: Liminality in being: the hauntingly beautiful art of object curation
Above Salt is also used in cleansing rituals
Salt is also used in cleansing rituals
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Do materials carry different vibrations? For instance, does wood remember differently from metal, or linen from glass?
Absolutely. Every material has a unique energetic frequency. Wood, being organic, tends to hold emotional resonance; it remembers warmth, touch and the rhythm of human life. Metal absorbs more mental or industrial energy: sharper, stronger vibrations. Natural fibres like linen or cotton carry gentler, nurturing energies, while glass, though seemingly inert, often amplifies, reflects and magnifies what it encounters. Understanding these qualities helps in both choosing and caring for what surrounds us.
In your practice, what simple rituals or natural elements: smoke, salt, sunlight, prayer, do you find most effective in purifying an heirloom?
I often begin with intention, because energy follows awareness. Then I choose the element that best complements the object.
- Smoke (from sage, palo santo, or incense) lifts stagnant or emotional residue.
- Salt grounds and absorbs; ideal for objects that have been in emotionally charged environments.
- Sunlight restores vitality and warmth, though I’m careful with delicate materials.
- Prayer or sound infuses a higher vibration; it’s not just cleansing, it’s a blessing.
Sometimes, I combine elements: for instance, placing a cherished heirloom on salt overnight, then letting the morning sun touch it while offering gratitude.
Beyond preservation, what does caring for old objects teach us about our own energy, about release, gratitude or the way we hold on?
Objects mirror us. When we hold on too tightly to the past, our energy becomes like theirs—layered, stagnant, unable to flow. Cleansing or releasing an object reminds us that beauty and memory don’t disappear when we let go; they simply transform. Caring for something old teaches reverence—for craftsmanship, for lineage, for time itself, but also discernment. It invites us to keep what uplifts, to honour what has passed and to make space for new light to enter.
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