Chemical and microbiological analysis of "myrrh-streaming" stickers. Consecration of the apartment

The appearance on various objects, usually related to a religious cult, of aromatic liquids or oils is commonly called "myrrh-streaming". Despite the fact that several works have recently appeared that translate this process into a scientific plane, it can be concluded that in each specific case, a variety of natural processes can be taken for "myrrh-streaming": the release of resins, swelling and decay of glue, and also other organic substances used in painting, deposition of condensate or fogging, sorption of various substances on lipophilic surfaces, rust formation, the result of the activity of specific bacteria or microorganisms, traces of oil, oil from lamps, etc. One of these far from isolated episodes is considered us in this publication.

At the beginning of September 2015, we managed to find out about an unusual case of alleged “myrrh-streaming” that took place in an apartment in one of the new buildings in Brest on the street. Moscow. On September 9, 2015, representatives of Ufokom visited the apartment for the purpose of inspecting and questioning its owners. The following information was collected.

The multi-storey building was built and commissioned around 2004. In the same year, a young family of three (a husband and wife with a five-year-old daughter) moved into a three-room apartment located on the ground floor. In 2007, during the consecration of the apartment, the priest pasted four stickers on the walls with the image of the Calvary cross, and they were placed in four different rooms (3 rooms and an entrance hall) on the walls facing the four cardinal directions.

In 2009, streaks of a strange brownish-brown viscous substance appeared at the bottom of two of these four stickers. One of the stickers was located above the entrance door in the hallway, the second - in the hall between the two windows. Both are at a height of just over two meters. It is interesting that over the sticker placed above the front door hung a rather old icon of Nikolai Ugodnik, once brought from some Siberian nunnery. If the release of a strange substance from under the stickers could be recognized as "myrrh-streaming", then why didn't the "myrrh" appear in the first place on the icon? At the moment, this icon has been removed, and another, newer icon with the Mother of God, with which nothing unusual is happening, has taken its place. It is also interesting why no release of the substance occurred on two other similar stickers placed on the walls in the bedrooms. They were no longer found, as they were removed along with the wallpaper during the redecoration of these rooms in 2010.

Noticing the appearance of streaks under these two stickers, the family was alarmed, but decided not to consider this a bad omen. But a year later, in 2010, at a fairly young age (34), the head of the family dies from coronary heart disease. It happened quietly, during sleep (in the bedroom, where the sticker did not "stream"). After the funeral, the apartment became uncomfortable, even scary. The deceased several times dreamed of the widow, once even expressed a reproach at the same time: “Why didn’t you put the wire cutters for me?” (this meant nail clippers, since the deceased was buried with somewhat regrown nails). Mother and daughter preferred to move to their mother, where they lived for three months. During this time, the apartment still had to be visited for one reason or another. Of the unusual events of this period of time, one can note the fall of a mirror that shattered to smithereens, which was held on double-sided tape, being glued to a laminated chipboard, from which the hallway was made. There is nothing strange here: just the adhesive tape could not withstand the weight of the mirror. But it is interesting that (as can be seen from the plan of the apartment), both “myrrh-streaming” stickers and the broken mirror were on the same straight line.

One way or another, the owner of the apartment began to associate the "myrrh-streaming" of stickers with the death of her husband, which could be considered a harbinger of bad events. According to her, the substance appeared on the stickers in the rooms where the deceased was later located: there was a coffin with the body in the hall, and he was taken out through the front door. But, if we follow this logic, the "peace" should have appeared in the bedroom where the death occurred. The presence of a relationship between the outflow of the substance from under the stickers and the death of the husband of the landlady in this case seems to be an irrational assumption.

Nevertheless, life in the apartment continued, now the mother, daughter and their cat lived there. There were no more releases of the substance from under the stickers after 2009, everything was left as it is. There were no other extraordinary incidents other than those described above. But... until 2015. In March 2015 (actually 6 years after the first event), an increase in the amount of substance under the sticker located above the front door was noticed, which leaked out in a large drop. This circumstance was to some extent the reason why we managed to learn about this whole story.

Similar cases

Our analysis of similar cases showed that, although they are not well known, they occur quite often in the CIS space. " My parents called the priest home, he consecrated the apartment, all the affairs, and stuck stickers with crosses in the rooms. And in my room she became myrrh-streaming(Russia, Kazan)", " In my mother's apartment, a sticker bled myrrh, I pasted it at the consecration of the day, bled myrrh at the sight of the cross, I was repulsed"(Ukraine, Zhytomyr)," On the day my mother died from the cross, which was glued (in the form of a sticker) when the apartment was lit in her room, a world appeared, a trickle of about 10 cm, did not fall further, and still left a wet mark on the wall, and the cross itself is very old, the rest of the crosses in the apartment are like new" (Russia), " Last year we sanctified the apartment. And now we have one sticker with a cross all the time covered with some substance that looks like odorless vegetable oil. We have already wiped several times, but the droplets appear again" (Russia), " A priest was invited, he consecrated the apartment and pasted stickers with the image of a cross on the walls of the apartment. Yesterday I noticed that on one such sticker there were streaks with dried drops. I touched these drops - they are sticky. I examined others, they have the same streaks and frozen drops without smell" (Russia), " Returning from the church after the baptism, I saw that some kind of thin oily stream was flowing from the cross down the sticker and along the door. I wiped it with a rag, and in the evening I look - a trickle appeared again» (Russia, Chelyabinsk); " Today, in the office, which was consecrated a year and a half ago, sticker crosses pasted on three walls of the office (the priest himself sticks) began to stream myrrh" (Russia); " In general, during the consecration of the apartment, the priest glued stickers with crosses. 3-4 years have passed since that moment and some dark red spots have formed on them, I would even say droplets»; « Cleaned up the apartment a week ago. Batiushka pasted stickers with crosses, as expected, with a cross (in the kitchen, in room one, two, and above the front door). Today I first noticed above the front door that the sticker was wet. And everything around her is dry. I walked around the apartment and water oozes out of all 4 stickers, although the walls are dry».

Thus, the released substance is described by eyewitnesses as follows: "oily", "similar to vegetable oil, odorless", "sticky, odorless", "dark red spots or droplets". Only in one case is a pleasant smell emanating from the oil mentioned and it is said that the volume of liquid released does not correspond to the amount of adhesive layer applied to the back of the sticker. The outflow of liquid occurs at different time intervals: from one week to 3-4 years, but most often several years after applying the wall sticker.

Chromato-mass spectrometry

We took samples of the substance from each sticker from the Brest apartment with a new cotton swab, which was then placed for transportation to the new Ependorf. Interestingly, both samples are different in color. The first one (taken above the front door) is dark brown, the second one (from the hall) is almost transparent with a brown tint. Since we had a certain process in front of us, which lay in a still unknown plane, we decided to approach its mechanisms by carrying out the chemical identification of the substance by the method of chromato-mass spectrometry (CMS). For these purposes, sample No. 1 was used, a new clean cotton swab served as a control. Data processing was carried out using the NIST computer program.

In the fragment of the chromatogram presented below, the peaks and groups of peaks are integrated and have digital signatures that differ in retention time and mass spectrum from the peaks in the chromatogram of the control sample (clean cotton swab).

Thus, phthalates, esters and anhydride of phthalic acid (whole fraction), some silicates, glycerol, as well as a number of difficult-to-identify components were identified. It immediately became clear that the sample had no resemblance to the oils that are sometimes found in such processes (for example, in the composition of lamp oil, according to the results of CMS, a number of peaks were observed with retention times in the range of 0–60 min, which were represented by a homologous series of normal alkanes C12–C20, 4-methyl-2,6-di-tert-butylphenol, as well as a mixture of naphthenic compounds). However, some salts and esters of phthalic acid are very widely used as additives in the production of PVC and other plastics. The main component that we identified in the samples taken was, as expected, the adhesive base of the sticker. Also on preliminary microcopying, we paid attention to small spherical formations of various sizes. The two analysts who performed the analysis were inclined to believe that the samples tested contained fungi. It was also possible to establish that bread began to quickly mold in the apartment for some time, which can serve as indirect evidence of a change in the microclimate of the room.

Pappenheim staining

Taking into account our assumption, morphologists and microbiologists from the Department of Pathological Anatomy of the Educational Establishment “GrSMU” (Grodno) were now involved in the work. In this case, sample No. 2 (transparent) was analyzed, which was divided into 2 fragments, part of which was subsequently used for inoculation (see section below).

The material for study was represented by a fragment of a cotton swab, the cotton head is dry, with brown spots (tea-colored). Cotton wool was moistened with saline, and after a 2–3-minute exposure, smears were made on glass slides. The material on the glass had a somewhat oily appearance, with brown flakes. When stained according to Pappenheim, pale pink, non-septate, sometimes branching formations are determined, in all likelihood, representing fungal hyphae with club-shaped thickenings at the end. At ×200 magnification, the thickenings demonstrate an inhomogeneous structure: the wall is represented by an intensely violet ring with enlightenments in its thickness, in the center there is a dark blue rounded spot with uneven edges, delimited from the wall by a pink, rather homogeneous content. Freely lying small rounded dark blue formations are also determined. There is a large amount of structureless dark blue content, resembling fat-like substances. As a result of subsequent analysis on the presented micropreparations, we identified hyphae of fungi of the genus Mukor ( Mucor), order mucoraceae ( Mucorales) with sporangia and free-lying spores.

Attention was also drawn to brown structureless components, which, according to the assumption of some experts, could be iron-containing pigments. Additional studies were carried out: 6% hydrogen peroxide was applied to individual dark brown flakes, which had the appearance of dark blue spots on stained smears (Fenton's reaction). No reaction in the form of gas bubbles was observed, which may indicate the absence of iron and iron-containing pigments in this material.

Microbiological research

After evaluating the results of microscopic examination in order to more specifically identify the mold, an attempt was made to inoculate it on Sabouraud's medium (which was based on yeast water). Material was taken from the colonies with a microbiological loop, stained by Gram and methylene blue.

When sowing on Sabouraud's medium for 48–72 hours, extremely sparse white R-forms of colonies appeared, having a rounded shape with uneven edges and a bumpy surface. Immersion microscopy (using a ×90 objective) revealed large round-shaped cells located in small clusters in the smear. According to Gram, they were stained blue, which indicates their probable belonging to Gram-positive microorganisms. This pattern may be characteristic of gram-positive cocci or yeast-like fungi, but it was not possible to accurately type them according to morphological parameters.

Perhaps we failed to select the optimal environment and conditions (aerobic or anaerobic) for the development of exactly the form of mold that was in the sample, or the identified microorganisms could be colonies that got into the sample as a result of contamination during transportation. On the other hand, some types of microorganisms are capable of producing lipids, the composition of which is similar to that which was revealed by us in the CMS analysis.

Discussion

The working hypothesis, which was put forward after the results of CMS analysis and Pappenheim staining, as well as after consultation with microbiologists, mycologists and chemists, was the following. In the air of residential, especially poorly ventilated premises, there are always fats and other organic matter emitted by the human body along with sweat (it is also responsible for the characteristic “host smell” felt by animals). These fats, as well as sebum and particles of the epidermis, are sorbed by lipophilic surfaces, including wallpaper, some types of paper, etc. In the kitchen, the walls are quite abundantly covered with a condensate of various oils and fats by the same mechanism. In this case, the phase absorbing organics was, in all likelihood, the adhesive base of the sticker icon. The phthalates found by chromatography-mass spectrometry are common components of plasticizers (in particular, dibutyl phthalate and dioctyl phthalate are very common), which were probably in the sticker itself.

Most filamentous fungi and yeasts synthesize neutral lipids (mainly phospho- and galactolipids) during their vital activity. Among yeasts, these are representatives of the genera Lipomyces, Rhodoturula, Cryptococcus, Trichosporon, which, under appropriate conditions, are able to form fatty acids such as palmitic (was identified in one of our samples), oleic and linoleic. Mycelial fungi are a heterogeneous group. The content of lipids in their cells and the composition of fatty acids depend on the taxonomic position, stage of development, environmental conditions and can reach up to 86% of dry weight. The main components of the lipid fraction of these fungi are triacylglycerides. This may indicate that the higher fatty acids (in particular, palmitic acid) and glycerol, which we discovered as a result of CMS, most likely can be decomposition products of fats condensed in the adhesive base.

After increasing the humidity characteristics in several rooms, the resulting fatty substrate could become a breeding ground for the development of mold fungi. In this context, the “aging” of stickers or crosses noted by some eyewitnesses can be explained by the destruction, in addition to the adhesive base, of the paints themselves that form the image. Moldy bread can also indicate the presence of filamentous fungi.

A significant content of phthalates in the sample indicates that the liquid was not formed “instantly”, but was present under the sticker for a relatively long time, remaining unnoticed. When its volume reached a certain critical value, the capillary forces were insufficient to further hold it under the surface of the sticker, and the oily substance flowed out in the form of a drop in its lower part. We believe that this can explain the effect of the “one-time” appearance of an oily liquid and believe that under other stickers there could be similar decomposition products, however, in a volume insufficient to overcome capillary forces, and therefore they remained unnoticed. The results obtained by us are quite closely linked with the data of the analysis of an oily substance released from a cabinet door covered with plastic veneer in one of the Tomsk apartments (2006). Phthalates, fatty acids (palmitic, stearic, arachidic, linolenic, carboxylic), as well as a mixture of normal alkanes, acrolein and squalene, were also detected in the samples from the cabinet at the Institute of Petroleum Chemistry of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

It was noted above that in some cases, the release of fluid from under the stickers began after the death of one of the owners of the apartment, however, as employees of the Department of Pathological Anatomy of the Grodno State Medical University confirmed to us, many people have a habit while the body of the deceased is at home, clog all the windows (which you have to constantly fight, albeit unsuccessfully). That is, for a couple of days, the humidity rises sharply, which can also serve as a trigger for the formation of various colonies of mold fungi.

I would like to emphasize separately that the analysis of a large array of messages at our disposal showed that abundant mold growth is possible not only on stickers, but also on icons. This fact, although rarely mentioned in official sources, is well known. First of all, icons located in damp places, near loosely closed windows or near frozen walls, in rooms where optimal storage conditions have not been created as a result of violations of the humidity regime, are most susceptible to mold. At the same time, paper icons that are in a humid environment begin to mold in the first place, and become a source of infection for other icons.

An indirect confirmation of our conclusions is the antibacterial activity of myrrh-streaming products detected at the Uzhgorod National University, which, according to the team of authors, can vary quite widely when using cultures. Pseudomonas aerogenes, Staphilococcus saprophiticum, Staphilococcus aureus on Muller-Hilton nutrient medium. In all likelihood, highly specific metabolites of mold fungi had such an antibacterial effect.

Thus, in a number of cases, the process called myrrh-streaming can be taken as specific secretions of mold fungi that live under various surfaces or on icons. Molds are widespread in nature, they develop almost everywhere. Its colonies grow on nutrient media at high temperature and high humidity, and mold growth is not limited, provided food is available. However, if mold is present in the sample, it is not necessarily the main cause of the "goo" formation. Thus, many microorganisms and some types of bacteria have the ability to synthesize or, under certain conditions, accumulate lipids. The processes of lipid biosynthesis in microorganisms are also influenced by many factors: the pH of the environment, the concentration of the nitrogen source, temperature, lighting, the composition of substances in the ambient air, etc. The authors believe that only a special study that combines in itself morphometric and molecular methods.

Literature

2. Butov, I.S. Myrrh flow as a disease / I.S. Butov // Anomaly. - 2010. - No. 4. – P. 28–37.

3. Garibova, L.V. Fundamentals of mycology: Morphology and systematics of fungi and fungus-like organisms / L.V. Garibova, S.N. Lekomtseva. - M .: Association of scientific publications of KMK, 2005. - P. 55–60.

4. Dal, V.I. Explanatory Dictionary of the Living Great Russian Language / V.I. Dal. - St. Petersburg. - M., 1881. - T. 2. - S. 335.

5. Instructions for accounting and storage of museum valuables located in the state museums of the USSR / Ministry of Culture of the USSR. - M., 1984. - 151 p.

6. Kondrashov, A. Soul and stone / A. Kondrashov // Russian businessman. -2004. - No. 12 (24). pp. 38–40.

7. Kulishova, N. Home iconostasis: with love for the icon / N. Kulishova // Mariskaya Pravda. - 17 December. – 2013.

9. Lipids of filamentous fungi as a basis for obtaining biodiesel fuel / Ya.E. Sergeeva, L.A. Galanina, D.A. Andriyanova, E.P. Feofilova // Applied Biochemistry and Microbiology. - 2008. - T. 44. - No. 5. pp. 1–6.

10. Milko, A.A. Mucoral order (Mucorales) / A.A. Milko // Plant life: in 6 volumes; under. ed. prof. M. V. Gorlenko. – M.: Enlightenment. - T. 2. Mushrooms. – P. 65–72.

11. Milko, A.A. Key to mucoral fungi / A.A. Milko. - Kyiv: Naukova Dumka, 1974. - 303 p.

12. Report on the study of samples of "mirro" and oil "lamp" / A.K. Golovko, G.S. Pevneva, V.D. Ogorodnikov, L.V. Gorbunova [and others]. Tomsk: Institute of Petroleum Chemistry SB RAS, 2007. 24 p.

13. Mucorales order - Mucorales / G.A. Belyakova, Yu. T. Dyakov, K. L. Tarasov Botany: in 4 volumes. – M.: Ed. Center "Academy", 2006. - V. 1. Algae and fungi. – S. 161–165.

14. The results of the study of the oily substance from the apartment at the address Tomsk, st. Kulagina 23–8: Analytical note (supervisor N.P. Savinykh). Tomsk: Institute of Petroleum Chemistry SB RAS, 2006.

15. Sutton, D. Key to pathogenic and opportunistic fungi / D. Sutton, A. Fothergill. – M.: Mir, 2001. – XVI. – 468 p.

16. Sitnikov, M. Monastic mushrooms / M. Sitnikov // Nezavisimaya Gazeta. - 23 December. – 2009.

17. Lazorik-Ananchenko's method for determining the degree of safety of myrrh-streaming products by step-by-step microbiological studies: Pat. UA 99891 U Ukraine, IPC G01N 33/48, C12Q 1/04, C12Q 1/14, C12Q 1/18 / M.M. Ananchenko, V.M. Ananchenko, M.I. Lazorik, D.O. Budai, L.N. Vovvanets, M.P. Karnafel, I.M. Sidrova; applicant Uzhgorod National University - N u 2015 00718; dec. 01/29/2015; publ. 06/25/2015 // Bull. according to the patent / Sovereign Service of Intellectual Authority of Ukraine. - 2015. - No. 19.

18. Technology, research and storage of easel and wall paintings / V. Ya. Birshtein [and others]. - M .: Depict. art, 1987. - 346 p.

19. Feofilova E.P. Pigments of microorganisms / E.P. Feofilova. – M.: Nauka, 1974. – 218 p.

20. Physical and chemical analysis of substances that have arisen as a result of myrrh flow / A.A. Ivanov, A.V. Moskovsky, S.A. Soshinsky, P.V. Florensky // Physics of the interaction of living objects with the environment: Proceedings of the international meeting "New results in the biophysics of the interaction of living objects with the environment." Moscow, December 7, 2002. - M., 2004. - S. 229-230.

21. What, by what miracle can explain the appearance of “weeping” icons and “bleeding” crosses? // 100 responses to believers; under total ed. V. A. Mezentseva. - M.: Politizdat, 1974. - 703 p.

23. Bowes, M. Evidence of the kingdom: the New York weeping icons / M. Bowes. epiphany. 1986; 6:37–39.

24. Polidoro, M. The Case of a Weeping Orthodox Icon / M. Polidoro // Skeptical Inquirer. – Volume 36.1, January/February 2012.

25. Schipper, M.A.A. (1978). On certain species of Mucor with a key to all accepted species / M.A.A. Schipper. Studies Mycol. (Baarn) 17:1–52.

26. Nickell, J. Looking for a Miracle: Weeping Icons, Relics, Stigmata, Visions and Healing Cures / J. Nickell. - Prometheus Books, Amherst, NY, 1998. - 253 pp.

27. Nickell, J. Crying miracle / J. Nickell // Skeptical Inquirer. - No. 2. - 1997.

28. Weingarten, Gene. 1998 Tears for Audrey. The Washington Post. July 19.

The authors are grateful to V.S. Aleksinsky (assistant of the Department of Pathological Anatomy of the Educational Establishment “GrSMU”), T.N. Sokolova (Candidate of Medical Sciences, Associate Professor of the Department of Microbiology of the Educational Establishment “GrSMU”), A.V. Kulsha (teacher of chemistry, lyceum of Belarusian State University), V.V. Rachitskaya (junior researcher, Republican Scientific and Practical Center for Transfusiology and Medical Biotechnologies) and many others. others for their help in preparing and discussing this material.

In Orthodoxy, Christians call consecration the rites, according to which the church introduces into the life of a person his temple and personal life. So that through all these rites the blessing of God descends on a person's life.

The consecration of a dwelling, a car, or something else is evidence of our hope in the Lord and our faith that what happens to us happens only with the permission of God and for good.

Do I need to sanctify my apartment (house)?

The main question is whether you want to consecrate the place where you live or not. This is decided by each person according to his spiritual desire. Man himself chooses with whom to live - with God or with his enemy. If you want to bless your home, you must understand that sanctification will not save you from domestic and family problems.

• Sanctification is intended to set people on the right track so that the family lives according to Christian commandments. And if you decide to consecrate the place where you live, then this is your confirmation that you want to live according to the laws of God, in a Christian way. After all, a consecrated dwelling is considered almost like a temple. And people who live in consecrated houses must adhere to God's laws and live in a spiritual way. It is very important.

The rite of consecration also helps to get rid of negative energy in your home. This is especially true if you have purchased another property and you do not know what kind of people lived there and what happened there. Were these people believers, did they sanctify their home, did they adhere to spiritual rules.

Rules and superstitions

You need to call a priest to bless the house.. Always remember that the consecration of a dwelling is a common prayer of the family and the priest that people live holy in this dwelling, adhere to Christian rites: prayer, visiting the temple, etc.

You can consecrate your apartment at any time and on any day, when it is convenient for you and the priest. There are various beliefs that it is impossible to consecrate the place where you live during fasts. This is not true. This ceremony can be performed in any of the posts, and in Great Lent too.

They also say that during the "critical days" a woman cannot be present in the temple or perform any Christian rite. This is also not true. During menstruation, a woman cannot only two things: take the anointing or take the rite. All other rituals are permitted.

During the rite of consecration, all female residents of the house must cover their heads with a scarf according to the charters of the Orthodox Church. Men, on the contrary, should be bare-headed.

Any apartment (house) is consecrated once for all time. The only thing is that you can periodically clean your home with the help of burning candles or by sprinkling holy water with prayers. Since in our life there are still quarrels in the family, and some kind of unrest, worries, tears, stress, all this accumulates negative energy. And so that there is no stagnation and a large accumulation of this energy, you can do a “cleansing” of the house from time to time.

It is recommended to regularly maintain spiritual energy purity in your home by sprinkling all its rooms with holy water crosswise with the pronunciation of a holy prayer. This is usually done by women. At the same time, it is necessary to open doors and windows, so that as you sprinkle your home with holy water and read prayers at this time, all bad energy leaves your home.

What do you need to perform the rite of consecration of your home?

It is important that your home is clean. And since after the consecration of the house, a new stage of life begins, then you need to start this life in purity, without old sins and dirt.

You must choose a place where you can put a small table covered with either a clean, never used tablecloth or towel, or any piece of new material on which the priest will lay out everything necessary for the ceremony. Beforehand, you need to purchase four stickers with the image of an Orthodox cross intended for consecration, and 4 small candles in the temple. You will also need holy water, if you do not have a home, you can also take it in the temple. You will also need a little vegetable oil or oil from the lamp (St. fir), (preferably the icon of the Savior) and the Gospel.

First of all, you need to explain to all your relatives living in this house the essence of what will happen, set them up for reverence.

The priest will invite you to pray with him. Pray and be baptized.

Rules for the rite of consecration

Rite of consecration of your home is conducted by the priest according to a special church rite, which contains various prayers that call on your house (apartment) and the people living in it the blessing of God.

The priest applies stickers with the image of an Orthodox cross on the walls above the entrance and in each of the rooms so that one cross is formed, which means covering and solid fencing, deliverance, preservation by the power of the cross of the home from all evil, misfortune, from all enemies, both visible and invisible .

After the priest proclaims "Blessed be our God ..." and the reading of the initial prayers, the reading of the ninetieth psalm begins. Then the troparion is read. Next, the priest makes a prayer for the consecration of the oil, stickers depicting crosses on the walls will be anointed with this oil. Having consecrated this oil, the priest will sprinkle the entire dwelling, every room, absolutely all rooms with holy water. Subsequently, the priest anoints with oil on 4 sides of the wall of the house (apartment), where the images of the cross were pasted. The anointing of these crosses is the most important part of the rite of consecrating the dwelling. The crosses depicted on the walls correspond to the 4 cardinal points; these Orthodox crosses are the spiritual guardians of the apartment (house).

These crosses must be preserved even then when the apartment will undergo various repairs: wallpaper changes, wall painting, etc. These images with a cross will need to be carefully peeled off and, after the repair is completed, glued to the very place where the priest pasted them. Next, the priest will sprinkle the people living in this house with holy water and give each of those present to kiss the pectoral cross. First, the cross is kissed by men, then by women. After reading the Gospel, the priest will burn the whole house (but not always). Incense has more than just a purely symbolic meaning. Burning is a real cleansing action.

The ceremony of consecrating your house (apartment) is not repeated again. God has already blessed this house. If people desire to receive the blessing of the dwelling again, it will show your lack of faith, it is unworthy of God. The duration of the rite of consecration lasts about 30 minutes.

The consecration of the place where you live is desirable for all Orthodox Christians, even if not everyone who lives in your house believes in God. You can perform this ceremony secretly so that unbelieving relatives do not know this.

What do you need for the consecration of the apartment yourself?

In life, there are times when it is impossible to invite a priest to conduct a ceremony due to some unforeseen circumstances. Therefore, the church may allow sanctify your home. So how to sanctify the apartment yourself? First of all, you need to get a blessing from the priest in the church. As for the rite of consecration itself, it is proposed to do this on Sunday. Then we need to put a little effort and knowledge to conduct this ceremony on our own. There are several ways to perform this ritual.

Method number 1

Many people are always interested in the question of how you can still consecrate your apartment yourself with the help of church candles? This ritual is recommended to be performed on the nearest of Thursdays. Buy a few candles in the church in advance: Three candles for and 2-3 candles for your home. When you put candles in front of the icon of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker in the church, you need to make the sign of the cross on yourself and read the prayer: “Wonderworker Nicholas, bless me to cleanse the apartment and expel demonic power from it. May it be so. Amen".

And then, when you return home, you need to light 1 candle by heart, take it in your right hand and go clockwise, starting from the front door, to all corners of the rooms with a prayer. Do not forget to baptize the corners and walls of the rooms.

• It is necessary to carry out such a ritual for three times, on Thursdays, with a mandatory preliminary trip to church every Thursday in order to enlist the blessing of St. Nicholas to perform the ceremony on your own.

Method number 2

There is also a ritual of consecrating the dwelling with holy water, which we can do on our own. This ritual should be performed on Sunday. To prepare for this ritual, on Saturday it is necessary to put all the rooms of the house in order and stock up on holy water. On the day of consecration, pour holy water into any container that you like best, dip three fingers in holy water, folded as if you are about to make the sign of the cross on yourself. After that, begin to sprinkle your dwelling with these folded fingers, each time dipping them in holy water.

• It is necessary to start sprinkling the house from the red corner with icons (and even if you don’t have them), you always need to move in the direction of the sun (i.e., clockwise), go through all the rooms in turn until you return to the starting point. During the entire sprinkling of the house, it is necessary to read prayers that you know by heart. The most important, of course, is "...".
• All of these rituals, which you can do yourself, can be done as many times a year as you wish.

Sticker on the walls at the consecration of the dwelling. (Anointed by a priest with consecrated chrism)

The consecration of an apartment was originally performed as a blessing for the construction of a new house, then as a blessing for the entrance to this house. The same applies to the consecration of other things. Sanctifying a machine, a person not only creates some new quality of this machine, but by his act he states that he devotes himself, this machine, his deeds and thoughts to God. Therefore, those people who think that the consecration of a car is enough to ensure that it never gets into an accident, should remember that by consecrating a car, a person is consecrated himself and must correspond to this consecration.

What is consecration?

- Orthodox Christians call sanctification rites through which the blessing of God descends on their lives. According to the teachings of the Church, the basis of various rituals is, first of all, the desire to spiritualize human activity, to perform it with God's blessing. It is important to understand that the consecration of a place begins from the moment when people, entering a house or apartment, begin to live there correctly. And therefore, the consecration of a dwelling by a priest is a confirmation of your desire to live in a consecrated place, the intention to fulfill the Christian commandments, remembering that the family is a small church, and work is a place of labor for the glory of God.

Do I need to dedicate an apartment?

- the consecration of the apartment does not solve our family, everyday problems, it only helps, sets up. A person is free to choose whether he lives with God or acts according to his passions. If a family is trying to live in a Christian way, then both its internal and external dispensation should testify to this. The internal structure is improved and preserved through fasting and prayer, attending divine services, and the external expression of the intention to live piously finds itself, including in the rite of consecrating the dwelling. It must be remembered that the consecration of the house is a common prayer of the family and the priest that people live holy in this place.

When can consecration take place?

- there are a number of points that you need to keep in mind when preparing for the commission of the rank. The rite itself is short (30-60 minutes) - the priest sprinkles the room with holy water, burns incense and calls in prayer to God to start a good deed (the rite of blessing the dwelling). At the same time, not every deed can be considered good. They will not, for example, consecrate a business related to the production or sale of alcoholic beverages and tobacco, the banking and credit system (usury), the provision of sexual services, witchcraft and magic. The priest may refuse to perform the ceremony if the premises are not tidied up, and the employees behave inappropriately (swear, for example). In this case, you will probably be advised to “fix the flaws” and return to this issue later.

Those who hang amulets on the walls to consecrate the apartment, talismans - images of demons, with or without horns, sin. Those who call sorcerers to their house do even worse, so that with their sorcery they “cleanse” the room from evil spirits. But this, as the Gospel says, is the same as casting out Satan with Satan or cleansing dirt with mud.

Note that all these ancient sorcerers, sorcerers, magicians, charmers, sorcerers, healers, astrologers, demonologists, fortune tellers now have other names, more cultural or scientific: hypnotists, psychics, traditional healers, ufologists, astrologers, contactees, mediums, spiritualists, theosophists, occultists, conjurers, non-contact masseurs, parapsychologists, psychotherapists, telepaths, telekinesists, fortune tellers on computers, telehealers, etc. Now they no longer just conjure, but charge water. Not just tell fortunes, but make passes. Satanism is covered by science. Sorcerers now have specialist diplomas. Felkillers have become intellectuals. But from the change of the sign, their essence has not changed. These are wolves in sheep's clothing, from which you need to move away, even if they use Christian symbols, gospel words, the sign of the cross or the name of God in their sessions.

Is it possible to call “brownies”, let a cat into a new home?

Some, when moving to a new apartment, resort to pagan superstitions: they call their “brownie”, “owner” with them. You can't do this. You are calling evil spirits on your head. Others succumb to another misconception: supposedly, in order to “consecrate” a new house, they first let a cat into it. Blowing out candles with verdicts like: “..so that all the bad things that happened before also go out and never come back” - are pagan magics, and are not allowed. If a person has done all this, he must repent at confession for this, and never again do this.

What to do if there is an evil spirit in the house?

- First of all, try to find the reason for its appearance in yourself. Confession and communion help to get rid of unclean spirits. But there is also a special prayer for this "For the temple, chilled by evil spirits." We do not advise you to read it yourself, this is the business of the priest. And if the priest does not undertake to exorcise evil spirits, turn to a hieromonk or an elder, do not lose hope, because the Gospel says: "the seeker will find." Know that evil spirits or demons now have a different name: "UFO" (unidentified flying objects), "AJ" (anomalous phenomena), "poltergeist". Poltergeists are devilish miracles (the most common occurrence in homes). In the diary of Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin, a Russian poet, there is a documentary record of such a “miracle” that happened in his time. In one house, furniture, chairs and tables began to jump and move by themselves. This is how evil spirits mock. The police couldn't help. This phenomenon stopped only after the Orthodox priest served a prayer service in the house. And in our days, how many different phenomena of “invisible drums” are described that knock, beat their owners, drop refrigerators on the floor silently, light wallpaper without fire, pour water from a wall in which there is no pipe, no water, etc. I must say, that no one is safe from this demonism. But most often it happens to non-Christians, pagans by way of life, to unbelievers, so that they change their minds at least a little: if there are demons, then, probably, there are both angels and God. And, of course, there are habitats for both, hell and heaven. It is a pity that for many this experience is sad.

What is required for consecration?

- for the consecration of the apartment, it is desirable that the apartment be tidied up, the repair is completed. In the church shop you need to purchase 4 stickers with the image of a cross and 4 of the smallest candles. At home, you need to prepare a small table on which the priest can place the sacred objects necessary for consecration (usually installed in the best place), a clean bowl for St. water (salad bowl, vase, etc.), about a glass of vegetable oil (sveli), sv. The priest brings water with him. It is imperative that the one who ordered the consecration of the dwelling be present at this rite and participate in prayer. It is also allowed, with due desire and ability, with the blessing of the priest, to read some prayers during the performance of the rite. During the consecration, it is necessary to temporarily turn off the phones, do not talk during prayer.

Is it necessary to fast before consecration, to take communion?

- A Christian must, all the days of his life, fast, pray and take communion as our holy Church commands.

Should a woman cover her head?

- yes, it is desirable. A woman should cover her head while praying.

Does the dinner table need to be set?

- among many Orthodox there is such a good tradition after consecration to set the table, tea drinking, because the priest who came to the house for the celebration of consecration symbolizes Christ. If you feel such a need, prepare a festive table in advance in honor of the consecration of your home. Perhaps getting to know and communicating with a priest will help you in the future.

How to sanctify an apartment yourself?

- no way. The rite of blessing the dwelling is performed only by an Orthodox priest who is not prohibited from serving.

What to do after consecration?

- A Christian should strive for holiness. That is why, after the consecration of housing, it is forbidden to smoke, swear or do other sins in it. Otherwise, what was the purpose of consecrating then? After all, the second time the apartment is not consecrated (except in cases of death of someone in the apartment or repairs). But if sins happen, for this the Church has given you the right (and obligation) to sanctify your house yourself in humility and repentance. To do this, sprinkle all the premises with holy water with the prayer "In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit" or "The Grace of the Holy Spirit." Remember that the water must be blessed by an Orthodox priest, and not taken from the so-called "holy springs" (because not all of them are really holy). Do not confuse blessed water with "healing" or "charged with energy." Sprinkle with a brush from the rosary or a handful, crosswise (the priest does this with a hyssop sprinkler). You need to store consecrated water in a red corner (it can stand for years and decades and not deteriorate), in the same place as the icons, and not in a kitchen or bookcase. Do not allow children to play with the shrine, with spiritual books, with prosphora, icons, crosses. Self-consecration (sprinkling with holy water) is performed only AFTER personal full consecration by the priest himself, because. mere sprinkling cannot in any way replace the rite of consecration itself.

Coal after consecration is poured into a place that is not trampled underfoot, for example, in bushes or under a tree. They drink holy water with reverence, consecrated oil - they smear sore spots with prayer, add it to food.

What places can not be consecrated?

The Church does not have a list of things that cannot be consecrated. But, proceeding from the very meaning of consecration, it is impossible to consecrate those things that subsequently cannot be used for a good purpose. You can not consecrate institutions in which they indulge in vice. This ban also existed in pre-revolutionary Russia. Also, some clergy believe that the consecration of places of detention, places where a person suffers, is a theological problem. Although nothing prevents us from creating temples in these places of deprivation of liberty.

While refusing to bless the places of execution and torture, the Church nonetheless sanctifies weapons. A weapon is a thing that can be used for both evil and good purposes. Consecrating weapons, the Church has never blessed aggression, violence for the sake of violence, murder for the sake of murder. The Church blesses the soldiers for the feat of arms to defend their homeland, and, above all, to defend the faith. According to the canonical rules of the Church, a warrior who killed even in a just war had to confess this and suffer one or another penance, despite the fact that the Church herself blessed the warrior for this feat.

Weapons are not inherently bad things. It all depends on whose hands the weapon is in. If a weapon is in the hands of a Christian who defends shrines and his homeland, then it is used for good, and if in the hands of a terrorist, then for evil. The Church does not consecrate weapons as such, but only in the hands of a warrior fighting for justice.

The consecration of a dwelling is a rite designed to win God's blessing on all those living in it. The apartment itself, unlike water or an icon, does not become a saint, and everything that happens in it depends only on the will and faith of its temporary inhabitants.

To perform the ceremony, it is not necessary to know how to consecrate the apartment yourself, it is enough to contact the nearest church or parish. You should first prepare: carefully remove the candles, the icon with the face of our Savior, if there is none in the house, and, possibly, stickers with the image of a cross. The latter are needed more for the aesthetic (drawing a cross by hand, you can draw it not as beautifully as printed in a printing house), than for the sacred side of the rite. All of these items are readily available at any church store.

You should not think that the richer the image, the stronger the Grace, here there is a dependence only on the degree of churching of the living and the strength of their faith, hope and love - the three main Christian benefactors. Thinking about how to consecrate an apartment, one should abandon thoughts of prestige and other vain motives. However, it is not a sin if the icon is beautiful.

Some people have a fear in their hearts that inviting a clergyman will be a costly affair. It is false, since there are no fixed prices in the Russian Orthodox Church. The amounts, usually called candlesticks, are indicative in nature, this information is intended rather in order not to introduce parishioners into unnecessary expenses. More often, another problem arises: people think about how to consecrate an apartment richer in order to impress the invited guests.

If, more than expected, there is a priest who will insist on some specific amount, then information about such a thing will certainly interest the Patriarchate, not in the most favorable light for him.

So, an Orthodox Christian should rather think about how to sanctify an apartment, and not at all about the monetary side of the issue.

Pagan amulets, savage masks, and other attributes of religions alien to our people are completely unacceptable in a consecrated dwelling.

It is also necessary to prepare a "workplace" for the clergyman, it's simple - all you need is a table.

When discussing with loved ones how to consecrate an apartment, even the day before, you should tune in to the upcoming celebration, rejoice in it and avoid angry thoughts, and even more so actions.

It will be just fine if the inhabitants of the dwelling familiarize themselves with the procedure of the ceremony in advance so that awkward situations do not arise during it. So, you need to know that a blessing is asked from the priest, as well as how this is done, and that after receiving it, you need to kiss his right hand, and after the completion of the prayer service - the cross.

Of course, there is no need to memorize all the prayers, but already “Our Father”, “Symbol of Faith” and “Theotokos” everyone who considers himself Orthodox must know how and with what words one should overshadow oneself with a cross.

Stickers or man-made images of the cross are applied to the walls above the entrance and in the corners of each of the rooms, after which they are anointed with oil.

The whole situation is sprinkled with which one should not rush to immediately wipe it off. Therefore, if there are objects that are afraid of direct exposure to moisture, it is better to remove them so that thoughts about them do not distract from the sacred meaning of the prayer service.

In the open press, there are many tips on how to consecrate an apartment with a candle by placing many icons in it. In themselves, such actions are not sinful, but they cannot replace the consecration of a dwelling.

God bless you!