SPIRITUAL BATHS
by Lady Bridget, © 1997
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.
