Cleansing Rituals - Bathing (Basic Ritual Bath)

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.