When you've lost something...

Disclaimer: I am an animist. If you do not believe in spirits or energy within everything, living or not, disregard the "offering" approach. Also, everything here is based on my experience (personal gnosis). Follow your own experiences and knowledge.

Different things you can do:

• If you can wait a day or two, fill a small bowl with salt and rosemary (for memory) and place in a central location (such as the coffee table in the living room). Add a compass to the bowl if you have one. This will help "draw out" the item and/or the memory of where you put it.


• If you cannot wait and need the item soon, after you could swear you've checked every conceivable location, make an offering to your house spirit. I typically offer water or incense or a lit candle, but really any small offering should do. If you have a particular relationship with your house spirit, do as it expects. Once you've made the offering, ask the house spirit for assistance in finding your lost item (if you feel your house spirit is the one who potentially hid the thing in the first place, as why it is disgruntled, and listen to your intuition. In my experience it often wants something cleaned). Now, go back and check all the places you've already checked. You should find your lost item in mere minutes. This method rarely fails me, but I do have to complete the steps in order and thoroughly. In the places I've lived, the spirits don't normally seem particularly interested in helping if I haven't put forth good effort looking for my lost item on my own.


• This is rather mundane, but try looking for something else. Not sure why this one works, but it often does. Maybe it's more of a psychology thing? Remembering where you put one thing while actively looking for another? I don't know.


• Some people say you should stick a straight pin in the couch until you find what you're looking for. This has never worked for me, and I don't understand the appeal of hurting your couch, but if you're desperate, maybe try it?