Real Witches: Cleansing
Cleansing yourself, your space and your tools are critical skills to learn as part of the foundations of your magical practice. Cleansing along with protection are part of having “good” spiritual hygiene. By cleansing and then protecting- you are more likely to receive clearer channels, less interference in spells and are less likely to pick up and carry around “negative” energies. So let’s break down how this Real Witch cleanses and allow it to spark ideas within you too!
Water Cleansing
My FAVORITE way to cleanse myself is in water. Whether it be in the shower, a bath, naked in the rain, the ocean, a creek, a lake- you get the point- I LOVE water! It can really be as simple as saying what I do each night in the shower - “Mother Water, please wash away all the energies I am no longer meant to carry from this point forward. Thank you.” I then relax into the stream flowing down from the shower head and allow Mother Water to cleanse my energy. You can do the same thing in any body of water. You can even speak into your cup of water and ask it to help cleanse your energy too!
Water cleansing can also be used for your tools and physical space. Crystals, bowls, ceremony knifes and more can all be cleansed with water as long as the material it is made of can get wet. I will state something similar to the water as I do for myself for what I am asking to cleanse and wash away. There are some crystals, like selenite, that cannot get wet so do check before you use this method!
You can also use water to wash your doors or floors or other places within your house. You can speak into the water before you soak your rag or mop in the bucket and wipe down your front door for example. You can add in essential oils for protection and/or cleansing too!
Smoke Cleansing
Sacred smoke for me is a way to truly invite my soul fully in. When I smell certain smokes I can immediately feel the shift in my vibration. This was true for me the first time I smelled sage burning, I was taken back to a time and space of true knowing, deep reverence and remembering…
While sage- white in particular- has become popular in new age spirituality, it is a sacred medicine to many Indigenous tribes. Due to its recent “popularity” the people who use this as sacred medicine are having difficulty getting the medicine they need. So as you read on about smoke cleansing I ask that you deeply consider how/if you are contributing to this shortage among our Indigenous tribes. Do you have ancestry that permits your use of the plant? It’s okay if you didn’t know better until now- there was a time I had no idea given the way it is “taught” in many spiritual spaces- but since you know better , do better if this applies to you. And Palo Santa is also sacred to certain practices so check this one too please!
I personally use rosemary and lavender to cleanse my space. I do a “full cleanse” every month unless I feel that it is needed earlier. After I open doors and windows all around my house to allow the “negative” energies I am dispelling from my home out of the house, I light my medium. I then walk around from room to room moving counterclockwise fanning smoke throughout each space. As I move smoke I state something like “All negative energies, evil spirits or anyone or anything trying to cause trouble or harm you are not welcome here. You must leave through the open doors and windows immediately and leave our property.” Once I have cleansed all rooms, I draw a pentagon with smoke starting from the top point while saying “I banish any unwanted, negative energies that remain in this space."
Threshold Cleansing
I find that having items that aide in cleansing around thresholds in and out of your space help keep it free of unwanted energy to start, ergo keeping your space cleansed longer! There are a few ways in which I personally do this:
Selenite on door frames: cleanses & purifies energies as they enter your spot
Bells on your doors: the sound clears energy upon ringing
Rosemary: have it in a planter beside your front door or hang some dried on your doors or around your door frame. Rosemary will help purify energies and protect you
Other Ways to Cleanse
A few other ways I cleanse…
Salt: fill a bowl with salt and leave it out overnight. Salt acts as a purifier of energy so it will soak up any unwanted energies. Then take the salt and dispose of it outside of your house. Do not put this back into Mother Nature as it can be toxic to many animals.
Sunshine: ask Father/Mother Sun (depending on how it comes through for you) to cleanse you or your space. As the rays shine down, imagine that any unwanted energy leaves with it
Trees: trees not only help you ground into the vibration of the Earth, but they can soak up any unwanted energies and transmute them back into Mother Earth for “fuel.” Don’t forget to thank the tree that helps you!
