The act of cleansing the body and spirit via ritual
bathing is a tradition which has survived centuries and is still common place
in the practice of many witches today. My personal ritual to dispel
negativities varies dependant on the workings to be done after and so here I have
explained my basic ritual cleanse and there will follow, in a separate post,
three variations. Each will employ elements of aromatherapy and colour therapy
which both compliment the energy benefits of the ritual purpose. For each one,
your bathroom should feel sacred, whatever that means to you…
All of these rituals incorporate making your space
(in this case, your bathroom) sacred… personally, I will often light candles
for my bath anyway, regardless of if I’m performing a ritual cleanse. Everyone
has their own ways to create sacred space and I wouldn’t dream of attempting to
belay your ways of doing this but I would like to share one of my methods
before I get into the rituals…
These are some of the steps I take to make my
bathroom a space of sacred energies and magick:
«
Add
fine-grade sea salt to your water and any oils you wish to include. The aroma
of essential oils will trigger memories of other sacred occasions and I can
project those feelings into the space.
«
Candles
can be any colour to suit your purposes but I personally like blue and white
for cleansing and a black one to absorb negativities.
«
Good
old-fashioned sage is great for incense but if you prefer something with more
oomph, Dragon’s Blood is a very suitable alternative.
«
Consecration
of space and water (by wand), I have found that holding my wand and visualising
the energies and my words expanding around the room and around objects and
myself like a circle are the most concise way bring about the atmosphere I want:
By
candle, salt and scented smoke
I
dedicate this place
To
shift between the worlds with me
And
be a sacred space
«
Once
the area is suffused in divine energy, the individual aids to your ritual bath
should be charged too… I like to charge things. I begin with the smoke of the
burning sage:
I
breathe you in, oh cleansing sage
To
make me pure of mind
And
bring in positivity
To
banish, and unbind
«
Secondly,
the water is charged with its cleansing purposes:
As
I sink beneath your surface
In
sacred waters I’m suffused
Cleansed
of all impurities
With
light I am infused
Basic Ritual
Bath
This basic ritual bath incorporates crystal magick
to bring about the cleansing I am looking to achieve. I call it a basic ritual not
because it is simple but because it is done for itself; if you feel a little
down-trodden, bogged-down in negative thoughts and energies or just feeling the
need to refresh yourself for a non-descript meditation later… this is the bath
for you!
You will
need:
A handful of white rose petals
Three clear quartz crystals
One smoky quartz crystal
Method
Once your bath is run (not too hot, this ritual is
for cleansing, not jumping out fast with scalded feet) and the bathroom is
prepared, scatter the petals into the water… I chose white roses for this
ritual because they represent a level of purity which I can’t seem to find
anywhere else, and I’ve looked. As with most of my workings, I have prepared a
rhyme for the occasion…
Oh blessed
white of purest bloom
Dispel my air
of doom and gloom
Waters that below
you lay
Wash waning
energies far away
The next step is to charge
your crystals and this can include visualisations if you wish (I’ll include
mine); hold the smoky quartz in your projective hand and recite:
I feel a
burden closing in
It’s
squeezing tight, without, within
Child of
earth with smoky hue
Help me bid
this plight adieu
(I visualise whatever my burden is as elastic bands wrapped too
tight around my body and my spirit; they’re constricting so I can barely
breathe under their pressure and this rhyme is calling out to smoky quartz to
absorb the energy of them).
Take each of the clear
quartz in turn to your receptive hand and recite one of these rhymes for each:
Sacred is
this glowing air
Shining
bright, blessed and rare
Child of
earth and energy
Bless me with
such reverie
(This is one of my favourite visualisation… the crystal takes
on the energy of the surrounding air and stores it to bestow on me).
Stillest
waters reflecting light
Emitting calm
on sacred night
Child of
earth and energy
Bless me with
such serenity
(This part of the visualisation is a similar process to the last;
the difference is that the crystal draws energy from the water in the bath).
Innocence in petals
floating
Finding joy
in my devoting
Child of
earth and energy
Bless me with
such purity
(Again, the crystals store energy but from the image of the
floating petals).
Disrobe (if you haven’t
already) and slip into your bath between your petals. As you do, remember all
the words you’ve said since you began, remember the visualisations that created
this divine space for you to be cleansed by water, by salt, by rose petals and
crystals.
Dip your head under the
surface to immerse yourself and then lean back… place the smoky quartz at your
navel and the clear quartz’ around it. Relax for a few minutes and just enjoy
the energy as it settles and aligns to you.
Now for the fun bit, and these requires your
process for centring but not your whole energy… just the clogged, burdened,
imbued with negativities of the day energy; bring it to your naval and repeat
the rhyme for the smoky quartz. See the crystal doing as you asked and
absorbing those unpleasant energies. Do this as many times as necessary until
you feel those energies have all been absorbed my crystal. Remove the crystal
from your navel and place on the side of the bath.
Take another few moments to let your energies
settle and realign before continuing.
Repeat each of the charges for the clear quartz’
and visualise them doing as you ask… the first allowing you to fully absorb the
atmosphere and divinity; the second easing your emotional imbalances and woes;
the third returning you to a place of pure spirit, free of all the things that
bring you down and make you feel less than.
Take as much time as you need to absorb these
energies, feelings, gifts… before putting your crystals somewhere safe and removing
yourself from the bath. Scoop out your petals and drain the water.
Grounding & Disposal
I ground my sacred space both physically, astrally
and with rhyme…
From candle, salt and scented smoke
I release this place
And shift it back from in-between
Returned to a physical space
Extinguish any candles still burning, wrap yourself
up in a big fluffy robe, and collect the crystals up in the same hands they
were charged in before heading towards the altar for whatever you decide to do
next.
The smoky quartz can either be buried or left to
the elements for a full moon cycle before using again. I will say though, that
after this ritual. I would only use it for this ritual again.
