Ghosts giving you the blues? Here's a few tips I've gathered to help you rid your home of a malevolent ghost...

Use of Herbs

Neem tree is believed to provide protection against ghosts. Persons returning from cremation ground burn Neem Leaf to keep the ghosts away. In Maharashtra, Gujarat and Haryana, neem leaves are placed in the room of the new-born baby and mother to ward off evil. People who visit them enter the room after washing their feet with water containing neem leaves. When a new house is built, its door is decorated with mango and neem leaves to ward off ghosts. In ancient Tamil Nadu, doors of the houses of soldiers were decorated with neem branches at night, to ward off ghosts. Even today, people believe that if neem wood is used for door and window frames, it keeps the evil away. Neem fruits, along with mustard seeds and carrots are used to protect children from evil forces. (India)  

Burn juniper to dispel negative spirits (Native American)

Put fennel seeds in your keyholes (if you have keyholes...) and chant:

Thyme and Fennel
a pair great in power,
The wise Lord, holy in heaven,
Wrought these herbs
while he hung on the cross;
He placed and put them
in the seven worlds
To aid all, poor and rich.

Burn frankincense on Thursdays (Arabic)

Burn bay leaves (Greece)

Hang verbena in the doorways (Italy)     

 Burn juniper and rosemary (Celtic)

 

Use of Food

In Italy, to rid the home of illness causing bad spirits, "Lemuri" and "Larvi", the head of the household would wake in the middle of the night, and walk around barefoot with his mouth full of black Fava beans. He would then pluck one by one the beans from his mouth and toss them over his shoulder as he walked through the house, beating a copper vase. The spirits were supposed to then stoop to gather the beans, then leave the house.

Throw something granular like rice or beans on your kitchen floor at night (Irish, Native American)

Leave a mason jar of corn or wheat in the corner of your room. (Southern US, African)

If you suspect a spirit is present in your home, you should leave out some salted bread and milk

String Hazelnuts in your doorways
 

Miscellaneous

When you go to bed at night, set out the shoes that you'll wear the next day. Place them at the foot of your bed, on the floor, with one shoe pointing one way, and the other shoe pointing the other way.

 Hang a vial or small jar of sand in your window. (Native American)                                        

Paint your front door red (Irish)

Scoop a spoonful of dirt from the path that leads to the main entrance to your house, and throw that dirt into a graveyard

Scrub your porch steps with urine each morning (Southern US)

Sprinkle holy water or salt that has been blessed by a priest around your home

Put out an eight-sided Taoist mirror (see photo, left), a straw broom, long-grained rice, or just a few drops of fresh chicken blood (China)

"Yan" is the drawing of religious mystical symbols to protect the area from ghosts and bad spirits. Most automobiles, taxis, and busses are adorned with "yan" and amulets to ensure safe trips. "Yan" is also painted on the doors of houses to keep unwanted and unseen visitors outside (Thailand) click here for tips on wearing "yan"

Of the poltergeist category, I will only say a little. It is not a "ghost" manifestation per se . The moving and/or flying objects are often a result of psychic turbulence emanating from adolescent females with raging hormones. The phenomenon also manifests sometimes in the presence of adult women during menstruation. In the case of virgin girls, the cure for poltergeists is patience, as this problem goes away once the hormonal levels stabilize. For adult women, the Chinese herb formula Tang Kwei Jin or something similar may cure it.

Hang a sacred rope made by twisting together strands of rice straw called a shimenawa over the front door and decorate it with white paper strips called shide. This is done to prevent evil spirits from entering. (Japan) Photo, left (A shimenawa is a straw rope with white zigzag paper strips (gohei). It marks the boundary to something sacred and can be found on torii gates, around sacred trees and stones, etc. A rope similar to the shimenawa is also worn by yokozuna, the highest ranked sumo wrestlers, during ritual ceremonies.)

 

 

 

 

 

Other Helpful Sources:

How to pray the Rosary

Ward Off the "Evil Eye" (Italy)

The "Evil Jinn" (Islamic)

Google Directory: "Curses"

    

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Bibliography

http://www.hollowhill.com/guide/ifghost.htm
http://www.innerself.com/Miscellaneous/fragrance.htm
http://www.resort.com/~banshee/Misc/hopping_ghost.html
http://festival.indiatimes.com/articleshow/msid--1798924228,prtpage-1.cms
http://asiarecipe.com/thaispirits.html
http://www.worldvillage.org/
Picton, Margaret :The Book Of Magical Herbs, Barrons, 2000

http://members.tripod.com/~RealMIB/jdghost7.html

http://www.groovylizard.com/sets/linkware/holidays/spottyspooks/page.htm

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2059.html