The importance of self-cleansing

Sadly we live in a dirty, filthy world. And not just physically. And just like our physical bodies become unclean  and require washing, so do intangible bodies become impure, due to all the non-material grime and  bad energy out there. 

In Judaism it was common ( and among Orthodox Jewish people , and some other still is ) to

Phoenix raising from ashes in which it previously burnt, Snake
shedding her skin, and alchemy symbol which means : "to purify",
along with burning fire, all symbolize the same: purification and
renewal that comes from   I t

undertake a mikveh (  ritual bath in a special pool of water, always in contact with natural source, of the water ) after one gets spiritually impure, which can occur through various activities, such  as  abrupt releasing of  body fluids ( blood and semen for example ), touching a dead body,   giving birth, or having menstruation , and few others. [1]

In Christianity, head washing, or complete immersion ( which is done in Baptist’s Church ) is   essential part of the initiatory rite,  commonly known as baptism,  but also serves, among other purposes, to render person spiritually clean so they can  “receive” the blessings of baptism.

In Africa  there is similar initiatory rite, known as “lave tet(h)”  which also serves  initiatory purposes, but also, along with a somewhat similar ritual called “feeding the head” will also spiritually clean someone’s mind.  In Africa, another common ritual associated with cleansing is drinking water from small ponds  and puddles to which certain roots have been added. This causes violent  and abrupt vomiting, which cleans  both body and soul, according to the indigenous beliefs. All those are ritual embraced by native people with respect, and utter care to be done properly and regularly, for  the wise ancestors  knew how important is to keep one clean, truly clean, not simply washed. 

Among Native American people, spiritual self cleansing is crucial, and is often a preceding step in healing someone, particularly those affected with mental illnesses.  Many have heard of sweet lodges,  well they operate by principle that the sweating and shamanistic techniques cause affliction to be expelled out of the  system,  therefore  we can safely say cleanse someone of the condition they have been  afflicted with.

Experiences of these religions and pious people have found their way into Higher magick   and  Hoodoo, where they play a prominent role, by the point that many practitioners suggest some form of personal and / or spatial cleansing prior to any ritual.  In Higher magick, particularly Solomonic type , these pre-ritual cleansing , often in form of bath often get intrinsically complex, and can require up to ten Psalms to be read , 13 times  prior to bathing, over the bath water, and more to be added during  bath and afterwards. And that’s just the part of it. This is because in Higher magick humans work with entities that are older than our planet, and more powerful than billion of nuclear bombs. Clean body, mind and prepared cleansed soul is the least practitioner should offer  to  these  precious spiritual allies.  However, I  have personally found that these procedures need not such  over-done condition and terms to be met,  and all those steps to be done. As seen through  Christianity and Hoodoo practice, a simple Hyssop infusion bath, followed by heartily said  prayer and repentance does wonders.

Ignoring to pay attention to spiritual hygiene causes people to be afflicted with all sort of spiritual conditions , form those causing minor headaches, over  those causing blockages in everyday life, thinking, energy pathways,  to those that can potentially have nearly fatal consequences, or cause severe mental or physical damage. 
Such people  can simply not be helped through standard medical procedures, often their “symptoms” cannot even be alleviated, and their files end up in that unofficial drawer labeled with suffering from “one of those things”  or even in “hypochondriac” section. And  this poor people, end up badly, everyone just shrugs.

Also spiritually unclean person, is a person with issues of productivity, creativity, communications,  health, luck, financial matters, You name it ! This is why personal cleansing  must be one  of priorities at least among those spiritually aware people.
And it can be achieved through methods who can vary from simplicity itself, to earlier mentioned preparatory ceremonies of Higher Magick . And when should one consider undertaking some “procedure” of spiritual cleansing ? Here are some common cases when spiritual personal spiritual cleansing is    due:

·         After contact with aggressive and nasty people, emotional and/or psychic parasites/vampires, jealous and malicious people

·         After  visiting places with   strong spiritual energies, or places troubled with haunting and evil spirits , after visiting graveyards, crossroads and similar

·         After performing spiritual work for someone else,  or after casting revenge, return to caster or crossing type of spells, after performing cleansing work in houses or similar, after readings

·         When one becomes suddenly afflicted with anxiety, panic attacks , depression, heavy thoughts, or  becomes light-headed and unable to focus and think clearly

·         When one becomes  troubled with frequent headaches, backaches,  neck and shoulder muscles pain,   eyesore,  that appeared in unusual manner, and can not be medically explained

·         After diseases, or working with the ill, after frequenting crowded places, after  being in close contact  with a lot of people, particularly strangers

·         When needing to end an  unproductive  friendship, love affair, or changing job

·         After committing sins, or when affected with impure thoughts, poor slips, prior to important rituals, prior to  working with spirits, or when in need of clarity and insight

Now If ( somehow , miraculously ) You have managed to not get in any of the mentioned situations/events, I’d still recommend a personal cleansing once a month, which essentially means better safe than sorry  ;)

Methods of personal cleansing

There are two basic methods of personal cleansing:

·         Physical – which uses physical, mundane means to clean the body of toxins, such a purgatives , diaphoretics, diuretics, and simple body washing, which do remove a lot of negative spiritual energy as well, which has a curious tendency to accumulate in human body waste products such as urine, sweat and feces,  as noted by some respected occult authorities [2] This is why occult text often advise empting bladder and bowels prior to the ritual work. This is also why the same is suggested when someone is under negative spiritual influence. Fasting is another, very powerful method of personal cleansing, that despite being a physical measure, provides deep spiritual cleansing as well.

·         Magickal -  implying anything from  cleansing using visualization, and meditation, to taking ritual baths, washes ( head, feet ) , using crystals, incenses or performing elaborate cleansing rituals.



An example of bath to clean up debris and blockages, though I'd say it can be
made into a  nifty incense to do the same , as well

It is important to note that akin to house cleansing, the very physical act of cleaning the body, through washing, bathing and showering can  simply not be separated from spiritual cleansing. When we clean ( physical act )  like with broom ( house ) , or with water ( body, house ), we also to a certain degree cleanse ( spiritual act ) even If we did not really intend to do so.  Obviously, far better results are accomplished when the cleaning is done with intent, and possibly  use of materia magicka , such as herbs, washes, infusions, salts, brooms, incenses and other supplies.

This is however a practical blog, so without further ado, we shall proceed with few formulas, rituals and suggestions J

Oil of Cleansing

Following is my personal, all-around cleansing formula, which can even be used in Uncrossing rituals, and is similar in terms of conditions it’s used for to classical healing formulas such as Van Van or others.

Combine

·         Camphor resin/ small piece  or just a few drops of essential oil

·         Lemon essential oil

·         Eucalyptus essential oil or dry, crumbled leaves

·         Rosemary twig  or essential oil

·         Dry hyssop or few drops of essential oil

·         Some Basil leafs ( optional )

·         Some blessed salt

All in base oil, 30ml ( 1 oz ) for example, also dozed with vit E capsule or some tincture of Benzoine to keep it good for long period of time. This  oil is very good for cleansing after dealing with pestiferous or dangerous people , and It has similar ingredients ( hence similar properties ) to “Cast off evil oil” .

Use it to dress the candles in rituals of cleansing, add few drops to bath salts, or mix with shampoo and use as head wash, minding in such case that the mixture does not get in Your eyes.

Head washing and head feeding to cleanse the mind

Mind gets  heavily affected with stress, and  negative spiritual influences. In which cases, people get “disconnected” feeling, they become nervous, “all over the place”,  anxious, and unfocused.  This can occur as result of accumulated bad energy, as effect of glance of malice or crossing. Either way it can be dealt with, fairly easily thankfully, and other than bathing, in which case I suggest bath with Laundry bluing there are methods known as head washing and  head feeding, which should follow the earlier. We have noted that the head washing is originally for initiatory purposes  earlier in the text,  but  simpler forms  have proven to be extremely effective in removing mental debris , and performing mental cleansing.

An respected occult author Draja Micharic, in his book “Spiritual cleansing”  refers this methods in chapter he so well-fittingly entitled “Quieting the mind”. One of the nasty, nasty symptoms of mind that requires cleansing is mind babble, random and intensive thoughts.  Head washing and then head feeding take care of this.

Micharic suggests making head scrubs from either Fenugreek tea/ infusion or with salt ( as stated : “as much as can be dissolved in two cups of water” ) using this to scrub into head, after physically washing it, then leaving it for 5-10 minutes before we rinse it out.  The author states this should be done at least every three months a year, and that should be followed with head feeding. Head feeding uses  Coconut milk, or Red wine ( white works equally well ) which are rubbed onto head, and left overnight, with head washed in  white towel.  Fenugreek wash is suggested to be used when people become toubled with exteremly intensive sensations such as grief , depression and in cases of “brain fatigue” and should be used  at least 2x a year. Salt head wash should be used when person starts feeling detached, lost, powerless, unable to think clearly, focus on one thing and so on [3]

Ritual of Contrition and Self repentance

This is my version of the standard Hyssop bath, that is undertaken when one had sinned, in order to cleanse from the  sin and receive Lord’s grace and mercy.

First, make a strong infusion with Hyssop,  at least half a liter, and when You’ve cooled and strained it, You may add a teaspoon of Sea salt , as well as teaspoon of Holy water If You happen to have some.

Light two white candles on Your altar ( or near the tub ) and place the vessel with the Hyssop wash between them, place Your hands over it and read the Psalm 51^st ( one with “Cleanse me with Hyssop verse” ) .

Pour it to the bath water, enter the tub, and immerse and pour over head 7 times the bath water, each time saying  the Psalm.

Then, wrap in towel, let Your body and hair air dry, which means do not wipe them or use a hairdryer , and as You dry recite the prayer know as “Act of Contrition”  if the sin was severe. 

The next day, light a single white candle on Your altar and read the Psalm 51^st , and If the sin was serious, also “Act of Contrition” prayer.  After awhile pinch out the candle flame. Do this for seven days. On the Seventh day, make a small donation in some Church.

White incense cleansing

Frankincense is a powerful cleansing agent, as well as spiritually uplifting and empowering.

It comes  handy, when one is believed to be under influence of evil spells.  Fumigating oneself, head to toes in Frankincense incense,  is said to take the jinx off, If combined with Sage for example, will also bring wisdom and power.

  It can  even protect You from Your enemies ,and “rids You off them” according to H.M. Hyatt , as he had  noted  down the sayings of one of his informants , who says that the “White incense” is to be used for this. Apparently, White incense is another name for Frankincense. [4]

Here are few advices to use  Frankincense in cleansing from various influences:

·         Fumigate Yourself with Frankincense while reading the Psalm 22^nd, to cleanse away the negative energies that cause misfortune and bad luck in  various areas of Your life

·         To cleanse oneself  from bad spells and jinxes, fumigate Yourself with Frankincense while reading the Psalm 7^th ( lines 1-10^th ) and 91^st 

·         To cleanse the negative energy and evil spirits, fumigate with Frankincense the whole body as You read Prayer to the Life Giving ( also Venerable, or Honorable ) Cross, which I have posted in one of my older posts, on September Christian spiritualism 

These are just few ideas, combine with other herbs If You wish, and use other Psalms and prayers to cleanse Yourself from different things.

Crystals for Aura cleansing and removing negativity

Various crystals are used to cleanse the Aura, from negative energy, to cleanse the mind from negative thoughts and mind babble , as well as to clean the body of toxins . The following list is by no means exhaustive, consult Your sources on gemology

·         Aquamarine and Blue Celestine are amazing to in cleansing and filtrating unnecessary thoughts, as well as cleansing the mind from negative thoughts, Onyx removes lustful thoughts from mind, and cleanses mind of  exaggerated carnal desire

·         Aura cleansing from negative energies and vibes can be achieved with Smokey Quartz, Quartz, Bloodstone and Green Jasper, while Kunzite combined with Selenite will cleanse mental attachments , and entities attached to one’s auric field , but they must  be purified right afterwards, Petalite and Fairy Quartz are also great for cleansing entites from one’s Aura

·         Negativity will be cleansed from all the bodies ( physical , ethereal, astral, mental ) with use of Topaz and Carnelian

·         Smokey Quartz and Rutiliated Quartz  are said to cleanse Mercury from the  system,  Bloodstone is good to detox the   blood, Black stones such as Onyx or Black Obsidian will detox the body,  so will Azurite and  Ruby

·         Smokey quartz cleanses the stress and its effects on body ,  If a piece is to be hold in each hand [5]

Spring time is ideal for cleansing, so I hope some of this information will come handy! Blessings  ! J

NOTES: This article  was composed and written by myself,  If You wish to use any part of it elsewhere online You can, but add credits, Shadow of  Shadows magick place, Shadow-333@hotmail.com or a direct link  to this post.
CREDITS AND REFRENCES:

[1] According to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mikveh

[2] For eample Dion Fortune,  stated in her book “Psychic self defense” ,  the idea can also be found in works of Franc Bardon, Israel Regardie, and others
[3] Paraphrased from  “Spiritual Cleansing” pg. 99^th , 100^th, 101^st , Red Wheel/ Weiser, 2003^. Year edition (21^st edition) by Draja MIcharic
[4] according to Miss Talia Felix, a  brilliant Hoodoo practitioner and published author, as stated in her blogpost http://spellcasters-source.blogspot.com/2012/07/incense-protection-hoodoo-spell-from.html
[5] Based on  comparative analysis of Judy Hall’s work, information on www.crystalcure.com website, and my personal experience in working with Crystals and Gems
IMAGE CREDITS: The first image is  created by me, using some images that were in public domain, and the symbol was drawn by myself, combined, edited and altered. The second image is from www.creolemoon.com used according to their own copyright  terms