Post by Alraune on Aug 1, 2018 7:16:03 GMT
If you spend a lot of time working with various spiritual energies then there will be an inevitable build up of 'psychic grime' on your working area and on your person. If your space is mostly out of doors then the area will be keep clean and pure via the natural flow of energy, the rain, wind, sunlight and other natural factors. However, due to the weather or difficulty in finding places in nature to do regular workings a lot of witches will also work magic in their homes. You will also pick up psychic grime from your daily interactions with other people and with various spirits. Learning to keep yourself and your environment spiritually pristine is important. If you're bogged down with energetic muck then you'll begin to feel sluggish, apathetic and even ill.
Personal Cleansing
Bathing or showering is the best way to wash off the energetic sludge that can build up and is something you'll probably already be doing on a daily basis. Having a bath is preferable to showering but if you don't have a bathtub then showering is still better than nothing at all. Spiritual bathing is an ancient form of magical cleansing. The various herbs, oils, minerals and animal material added to the water will have various effects and keep your aura clear and protected. It's best if you can take these baths or shower at dawn, so the power of the rising sun works with your ritual bathing. When washing yourself start from your head and work down to your feet, as to draw the negative energies away from you. See Cleansing Baths and Shower Gels for recipes.
Home and Shrine Cleansing
There are a couple of ways to keep negative energy from building up in your home. Having a regular practice of just cleaning, hoovering and dusting can work wonders however there are recipes for special waters, washes and incenses that can be more effective than just soap and water alone. See some of the recipes on this board for more information.
After you have physically cleaned your space it's nice to smudge as well. Smudging is the art of using smoke to astrally clean and purify your space. Using smoke to purify has a long history. Iron Age roundhouses lacked a ventilation hole in the roof so the smoke would gather in the top of the house and kill any bugs that tried to make their homes in the thatch, and Ancient Egyptians burned various resins to keep their temples pure.
A common smudge is to use bundles or sprigs of white sage (Salvia apiana). Simply bunch the sage together and light the tip in a naked flame. The leaves smoulder and create a pungent pleasant-scented smoke. If you're worried about burning your fingers you can put crushed sage leaves on a glowing charcoal instead, though traditional smudging calls for fanning the smouldering herbs about the space and your person.
Other common smudges ingredients are cedar, yarrow, rosemary, lavender and juniper.
Personal Cleansing
Bathing or showering is the best way to wash off the energetic sludge that can build up and is something you'll probably already be doing on a daily basis. Having a bath is preferable to showering but if you don't have a bathtub then showering is still better than nothing at all. Spiritual bathing is an ancient form of magical cleansing. The various herbs, oils, minerals and animal material added to the water will have various effects and keep your aura clear and protected. It's best if you can take these baths or shower at dawn, so the power of the rising sun works with your ritual bathing. When washing yourself start from your head and work down to your feet, as to draw the negative energies away from you. See Cleansing Baths and Shower Gels for recipes.
Home and Shrine Cleansing
There are a couple of ways to keep negative energy from building up in your home. Having a regular practice of just cleaning, hoovering and dusting can work wonders however there are recipes for special waters, washes and incenses that can be more effective than just soap and water alone. See some of the recipes on this board for more information.
After you have physically cleaned your space it's nice to smudge as well. Smudging is the art of using smoke to astrally clean and purify your space. Using smoke to purify has a long history. Iron Age roundhouses lacked a ventilation hole in the roof so the smoke would gather in the top of the house and kill any bugs that tried to make their homes in the thatch, and Ancient Egyptians burned various resins to keep their temples pure.
A common smudge is to use bundles or sprigs of white sage (Salvia apiana). Simply bunch the sage together and light the tip in a naked flame. The leaves smoulder and create a pungent pleasant-scented smoke. If you're worried about burning your fingers you can put crushed sage leaves on a glowing charcoal instead, though traditional smudging calls for fanning the smouldering herbs about the space and your person.
Other common smudges ingredients are cedar, yarrow, rosemary, lavender and juniper.