SPIRITUAL BATHS

To take a spiritual bath you will shower to get rid of the mundane dirt, rinse out tub, and yourself. Fill the tub up with warm water, use 1/3 to 1/2 bottle of commercial bath (for magickal purposes - sold in occult stores) or whatever herbal bath preparation you have. Also add 3 capfuls of your oil to the water. (This is assuming you are using tiny dram or half dram bottles, if not add just 1/2 tsp or less.)

Consecrate the bath as it is running - using 3 pinches of salt (sea salt or table salt is fine) and the first 2 fingers of your power hand (right,if you are right-handed) and swirl the water around 3 times (or use the number associated with your working) and direct a blessing from the Goddess to finish the consecration.

Using your own words, or you can say:

"O water, I charge thee - Be purified
By the powers of Arianrhod
O Blessed Mother of all living things
Purify and make Holy this ritual bath
Which I am about to take in honor of thee -
That I might come before thee in pureness
Of mind, body, soul, heart -
In Thy name I do ask.
So Mote It Be"

Make the sign of the invoking pentagram over the water using your two index fingers of your power hand as you end this blessing. Of course, you should use the name of whatever Goddess or Diety you have chosen to ask for help with your spell, if you are doing this bath before a spell. If not, then use whatever Goddess is the one you are personally working with at the time.

Burn candles and incense in the bathroom to help set your aura to be receptive to your ritual. (Turn the bathroon lights off!) Stay in the tub for the correct length of time (use numerology from your ritual) or stay in for no less than 9 minutes. While in the tub you can pray your wishes. "Baptize" yourself over head and shoulders 3 times cupping water with your hands, or immerse yourself 3 times. Make sure the chakra points in the crown, third eye, the throat, heart, upper and lower abdomen, and the base of the spine have all been in contact with the water. After leaving the tub, dry off and anoint yourself with oil on forehead, heart, both shoulders, or the chakra points. Rub 3 drops of oil into the bottom of each foot using the opposite hand.

There are many times when taking a ritual or spiritual bath is important or appropriate:

• Prior to doing any circle, esbat or sabbat.
• Prior to doing any magickal working.
• After the Full Moon
• On Monday, which is sacred to the Moon
• Your first night in your new home
• The night before you start a new job, or promotion
• To banish hostility, or if you feel surrounded by enemies
• After you have been sick, to help purify and cleanse the spirit.
• After you have visited someone sick or in prison.
• When you need to rest
• When you feel tempted to do something questionable
• When feeling tired, depressed, or alone
• After your menses are finished (for women)
• Any time you feel the need for it.

For Purification - you can take a bath over a 2 week period every other day for a total of 7 or when burning a candle for long rituals.

If no tub is available, you can use a spray bottle and spray yourself with a mixture of the bath salts or bath wash, and some water. Or you can also use a large pitcher and pour the bath over yourself while in the shower.

Children should also be taught the benefits of a spiritual bath. They can appreciate the cleansing of their spirit just as adults do, and they also can be taught to understand the sacredness of bathing. My two nephews, who otherwise could fight like demons, always loved to take a spiritual bath together, and give themselves an opportunity to be kind and pleasant to each other. The rule is that you can't fight in the bath! You have to be spriritual, this is a sacred ritual and must be kept as such. (Sometimes when they just couldn't agree on something, getting them into the bath together would bring about the desired peaceful conclusion to the arguement!)

There was a popular commercial for Calgon some years ago featuring a woman in a stressful situation who looks heavenward and says "Calgon, take me away!" This is a good reason to take a bath - any time you need to "get away" and be rejuvinated.

There are many preparations you can use besides commercial baths. You can use oils or light perfunes. You can put herbs in clean stockings or cheesecloth and steep in the water for an herbal bath. (Don't apply directly into the water, they are hard to clean out from the tub and they can clog your drain!) Or you can make your own bath salts.

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Bath Salt Recipe*

• 3 parts Epsom Salts
• 2 parts Baking Soda
• 1 part Salt
• liquid food coloring
• scented oil

To make this recipe you will need these supplies:

• mixing bowl
• spoon
• storage container (about 2 cups) or ziploc baggies
• measuring cup

To make 1 1/2 cups bath salts, it is easiest to measure out 3/4 cup of the Epson salts, then decrease each ingredient accordingly. I give these measurements to that you can make any size batch you wish.

Combine the first 3 ingredient in the mixing bowl thoroughly. Now you can decide what color to make your salt. Use a color that will be appropriate to the purpose. For example: green for health, blue for peace, pink for friendship or affection, etc. Add food coloring a few drops at a time and mix thoroughly to gradually darken the shade to what you want. You can make purple by mixing 3 or 4 drops of red and blue, and the different combinations will give you different shades of purple, some more red, like plum, and others more blue, like a violet. This is lots of fun, and is recommended as a coven activity.

You can even mix up a large batch of salts, and then divide them up into smaller batches for specific purposes. Adding a bit of scented oil will also enhance the vibrations of the bath for the purpose you want. Only add a few drops at a time, so that you can get just the right blend you were looking for. When it smells good to you, stop. A little oil can go a long way!

Now here is the most important part! You will want to CHARGE the bath salts with their specific purpose. While you are stirring in the coloring or the oils, you will also be chanting or visualizing very strongly the purpose the bath is intended for. You can also hold the bowl after the stirring is done, and direct energy into the salts for their purpose. This is what makes home made salts better than the commercial brands, in my opinion; the personal touch and the personal energy and love of those who make them. This also makes a good present for a friend. (I made up a basket when my youngest sister became a new mom, and put the candles, the incense, the bath salts, and oils and body lotions for her all together with the instructions that this is to fight post-partum depression!) If you plan to give the salts away, try to envision the person you will give them to being soothed and relaxed by the experience. It is important that the salts be properly charged or energized in order for them to have the best beneficial effect.

Store the salts in a container, or ziploc baggies are fine too. If they seem to get a little "rocky" it means that humidity has gotton in there. Just crumble them in your hands before adding to the water. You can use about 1/2 cup of these salts to your bath, or more as you desire.

This recipe is one I found in "Wicca: A Guide For the Solitary Practitioner", by Scott Cunningham, among others, and have taught before. I use these salts myself, in the bath, and in my foot massager after a long day, and they feel wonderful on the skin! Be aware, however, that some oils irritate the skin, and so should be avoided in bath salts. Some women also have trouble with yeast infections. This recipe has never troubled me in that way, while bubble baths can give me problems. I tell you this only so that you will be aware that this can happen. As always, you must use your own good judgement and caution where your own body is concerned.