The Ultimate Spiritual / Magickal Bath

The Ultimate Spiritual / Magickal Bath

Bathe your way to becoming a perfect spiritually-sound goddess with this how-to guide (props for the bathroom, things to do before, during and after the bath.

A spiritual bath could help lift your spirits, relax your mind and make you smell nice to boot.

Although a spiritual bath is a great cleansing ritual prior to performing healing or magickal work, it also works wonders prior to going out on the town, or just as time for yourself at the end of a hectic week.

Taking a cleansing goddess bath is easier than you might think, and only requires a few basic ingredients that you can find easily.

What does a spiritual bath involve?

The art of a spiritual bath uses symbolism to embrace the four elements that support us all, and are the mainstay of any esoteric practice: Earth, Air, Fire and Water.

Earth gives us support and growth, it is the practical element without which we would never be able to reach out and find the spiritual as we always need to keep our feet on the ground.

Air aids our communication and relates to our intellectual abilities.

Fire is the spark of imagination as well as the passion and enthusiasm with which we live our lives as modern goddesses.

Water is the healing element, which embraces and encourages our emotions and feelings.

1. Embrace goddess-hood by creating a bath acknowledging all 4 elements.

• Water is the easy one - after all, unless you're a freak, what else will you bathe in?
• Fire should be represented by candles, carefully placed around the bath.
• Earth can be represented in two ways; by the use of a crystal which has added healing properties or by using dead sea salts in the bath.
• Lastly, Air can be represented by some incense lightly wafting in the corner, and an appropriate essential oil to invigorate your senses.

2. Choose the type of spiritual bath you want

The next step is to choose the type of magical bath you want in order to help you find that inner goddess.
(Essential Oil, Crystal of choice, Candle, Incense, Dead Sea Salts).

Uplifting & Invigorating
For an uplifting spiritual experience you will need orange or lemon essential oil, a carnelian crystal and some orange or yellow candles, plus dead sea salts and an incense of your choice.

Calming & Relaxing
To calm your shredded nerves and release an inner glow of relaxation try lavender or chamomile essential oils, an amethyst crystal, purple, lilac or indigo candles and of course dead sea salts and some relaxing incense.

Romance
If love and passion is on your mind, and you don't just want to be a goddess in the bathroom then you need some rose or ylang ylang essential oil, a rose quartz or rhodocrosonite crystal, bright red or pink candles, dead sea salts and some ylang ylang incense!

Focus
For a focusing bath that helps you concentrate on your inner needs then try basil or rosemary essential oil, a haematite crystal, some yellow or light green candles and dead sea salt.

Cleansing
Lastly for the ultimate cleansing bath, that will cleanse the body as well as the mind then combine tea tree, eucalyptus and peppermint essential oils, with a clear quartz crystal, white candles and dead sea salts.

3. Extra preparation for your magickal bath. Ready, Set, Go...

Once you have chosen the type of spiritual bath you require from the suggestions above, you need to do a little bit of preparation before you are ready to submerge yourself:

• Have something to eat so that you don't lie there thinking about feeding your stomach instead of feeding your soul
• Make sure that the dog/cat/mate/boy or girl next door cannot get in (unless you want the boy or girl next door to come in, in which case you are reading the wrong article)
• Fashion a 'do not disturb' sign (wordage is up to you on that one!) out of an old cornflake box. Just Kidding- you get the idea though.
  
• Ensure you have all the ingredients you need for the spiritual heaven!
• If you choose to use crystals in your bath, check their properties and always cleanse them by running under cold water before using in the bath itself. If you are unsure about placing the crystal in the water itself then simply place it by the side of the bath.

4. Time for the magick circle

You don't have to do this bit. But why not try it? It'll put you in a different frame of mind. It'll give you a sense of respect about the amazingness of the bath you're about to have, it'll give you a shh-don't tell girly secret, and it's fun!

Make sure all methods of protection are in place; 'do not disturb' sign on door, all likely intruders locked out and as a last bit of protection cast a protective circle around you -

• Face the North and thank the goddess of the north and of Earth for aiding you in spiritually cleansing quest

• Look to the East and thank the goddess of the east and of Air for providing you with the concentration you need

• Face the South and thank the goddess of the south and Fire for her imagination and passion

• Look to the West, thank the goddess of the West and Water for providing the bath itself, and its healing and supporting qualities.

If you're not sure about this sort of thing and haven't the faintest idea what a goddess of the north is or would look like, either make up what you think she would look like, or just just say 'thank you, goddess of the north' and don't worry about it too much. Never worry!

5. How to run the spiritual bath

To draw the bath you need to fill the bath with water to the temperature of your choice and place some dead sea salts under the running water. Once the bath is full add 10 drops of the essential oil or oils of your choice and place the crystal in the bath or by the side of the bath. Light the candles and incense if used(make sure the candles are in a safe place and will not fall or cause a fire).

6. Once in the bath...

Now slip in the bath, let the aromas and the healing qualities of everything around you support you as you meditate quietly and embark on your inner journey to become the real you.

You can also try a visualization technique whilst in the bath by creating the ideal result you want for yourself, for instance if you are taking an uplifting bath then picture yourself full of energy able to tackle anything and always positive and happy, if its romance then visualize the man you are after melting at the sight of your goddess self and … well the rest of that one is up to you!

7. After your spiritual bath

Once you have finished and are suitably prune-like and clean, then step out of the bath. Dry off and close down the circle of protection by thanking each goddess in reverse order; West, South, East then North. Remove the crystal and cleanse it quickly by running it under cold running water and leaving it to dry in the sun or moonlight for next time.

And clean the bath.

Bathing with crystals - who'd have thought it!