Cleansing 101 : A Guide for Baby Witches
Disclaimer : This blog post may contain affiliate links. This helps this blog thrive divinely at no extra cost to you, so thank you for supporting this small business and may you continue to shine your divine light ever so magically.
In our magical journey, it is essential to maintain balance and cleanse ourselves from negative energies that may hinder our spiritual growth. In this blog post we explore the ancient art of spiritual cleansing, learn how to incorporate it into our daily magical rituals and how to know if we’re actually successful.
What is Spiritual Cleansing?
Spiritual cleansing, also known as energy clearing, is the act of removing negative or stagnant energies from our bodies, homes, and surroundings. It is a powerful tool in maintaining harmony and enhancing the efficacy of our magical practices. By purifying our energy fields, we invite positive vibrations and allow our intentions to manifest more effortlessly.
Understanding the Importance of Spiritual Cleansing
In our daily lives, we encounter various energies that may leave us feeling drained, anxious, or stuck. These energies can accumulate over time, leading to imbalances within ourselves and our environment. Spiritual cleansing helps us release these unwanted energies, promoting healing, clarity, and spiritual growth.
Different Methods of Spiritual Cleansing:
Burning Herbs
The act of burning herbs to cleanse a space or a person. This is not synonymous with smudging; smudging is a term used in a closed practice of indigenous people for ceremonial practices. You can use herbs such as: cedar, rosemary, mugwort, eucalyptus, dragons blood or lavender. If you want a great option for a beginners kit of herbs, smudge bundles or incense you can find them here.
*note: Try avoiding white sage, instead use blue sage or any of the others listed above. White sage is used in sacred, Indigenous practices. Due to its mainstream popularity, white sage is being over consumed and this deeply sacred practice is being white washed. So please consider using any alternative.*
Use a pre-prepped herb bundle, loose herbs or incense and let the smoke waft through your surroundings, focusing on areas that may hold negative energy. Remember to open a door or window when cleansing with smoke so that the negative energy has somewhere to go. If there are mirrors in the space you are cleansing make sure to go over them as well since mirrors tend to hold stuck energy. Make sure to get every single corner and every open space including underneath tables, desks, seats, beds. As you’re cleansing you can also tell the energy to leave; speak aloud saying “this negative energy is not welcome here, leave!”
Cleansing Baths
Prepare a ritual bath incorporating cleansing ingredients such as: sea salt, lavender essential oil, lemongrass, lemon slices, pine, thyme. You can use all these herbs or simply use epsom salt; any form of salt is a great cleansing tool.
This can be a great way to simply cleanse yourself, it can even be incorporated into a self care routine. As you soak in the warm water, visualize the negative energies flowing out of your body and being replaced with positive energy.
Visualization
This can be a great option if you are in a situation where you can’t acquire any cleansing tools or herbs. For example, you’re out at an event and you feel an unpleasant shift in energy in the room.
Find a quiet place where you can be alone, close your eyes, take deep breaths, and imagine a pure, white light surrounding you. Picture this light cleansing your entire being, dissolving any negative energies or attachments. Visualize yourself being replenished with positive energy in its place.
Crystal Cleansing
Your crystals also need cleansing from time to time. You’ll know it’s time when you feel like your crystal isn’t holding the same energy it used to have, or if someone else dares to touch your crystal!
-place your crystals under running water
-submerge them in a bowl of saltwater or brown rice
-set them out under moonlight, or sunlight
-place them on or around selenite
As you clean your crystals set the intention to release any negative energies absorbed and to recharge them with positive energies.
*Remember to always double check if your crystals are safe in water or sunlight before choosing these options; some crystals may dissolve or lose their color.
After cleansing and charging your crystals they can then be used to cleanse your aura or any place you decide to set them in. Crystals perfect for cleansing include: Aquamarine, Black Amethyst, Black Kyanite, Black Obsidian, Calcite, Clear Quartz, Fluorite, Jet, Orange Calcite, Peridot, Pink Amethyst, Selenite, Shungite, Yellow Fluorite.
Sound Cleansing
Utilize sound tools such as singing bowls, bells, or chimes to create vibrations that help dispel stagnant energies. Move the sound tool throughout your space or around your body, allowing the sound to penetrate and cleanse. This method can be especially useful for getting in the right mindset for meditation and grounding.
You can also simply be loud. That’s right making loud noises such as banging pots and pans around your home is a great way to cleanse its energy.
Incorporating Spiritual Cleansing Into Your Practice
Establish a routine
Set aside time each day, week or month for spiritual cleansing; whatever feels right to you. Consistency allows you to maintain a harmonic energy state. It can be a great idea to do this at the first of every month or lunar cycle (during a new moon). Take the opportunity to cleanse your home, car, altar space, magical tools and yourself.
Intention setting
Before engaging in any cleansing practice, set your intention. Clearly state what you wish to release and invite into your life, ensuring focused and effective cleansing. I personally like to do this by repeating aloud, “I remove all negative and unwanted energy from this space. I invite in love, joy and harmony into this space.”
Trust your intuition
Each person resonates with different cleansing methods. Follow your inner knowing and experiment with various techniques to find what works best for you.
I like to light an incense stick every morning but you don’t have to do this every day; this simply helps me set the intention for my day. When I clean the house every first of the month, I finish off by burning sage, rosemary, or dragons blood. Whenever I’ve felt like “something was watching me” I immediately use my sound bowl, then burn whatever cleansing herb I have available and proceed with doing a protection spell.
How to know if your spiritual cleanse actually worked?
It can be a bit challenging to know for sure if your spiritual cleanse actually worked. If you’ve been feeling a stuck energy and you’re unsure if you were able to remove it there are ways to test it out.
Try doing a divination test
Use tarot cards, a pendulum or runes. Hold your divination item and with clear intent ask it if there is any lingering negative energy around you.
If you want to learn more on tarot cards or pendulums check out my beginner’s guides on those.
Listen to your intuition
This is why it is important to strengthen our intuition. Your intuition will let you know if something is not right, it will let you know if you need to change something or if everything is perfectly fine. If you feel you struggle to connect to your intuition check my post on 8 simple ways to strengthen your intuition.
Fun fact: cats will know
This is one of many reasons why cats make great companions. Cats are able to see more than just this realm, in fact, this is why the ancient Egyptians were believed to consider cats so sacred. This is also where the belief that cats have nine lives comes from. Cats are able to see more than we can, they can see when there is a lingering unwanted energy in a room and you’ll notice it when your cat is acting out of the ordinary. But don’t feel the need to get a cat if you don’t want to, of course… just consider it ;)
Conclusion
Spiritual cleansing is a sacred practice that empowers us to cultivate positive and harmonious energies within and around us. By incorporating these techniques regularly, we can maintain balance, enhance our magical workings, and elevate our spiritual journey. Embrace the power of spiritual cleansing and allow its transformative energy to guide you on your path as a witch.