You know what? I love a long ritual bath. Candles, flowers, a glass of wine, and soft music. Yep. All that sounds wonderful. I am also a big fan of swimming in rivers, lakes, and oceans. I ADOOOORE soaking in a hot tub for well beyond the recommended twenty minutes. Magick, water, ritual – Count me in. But sometimes, I need a quick magickal fix, and that’s when a magickal shower comes into play.
I can be in and out of the shower in 10 minutes. While I love all-day rituals, complex magick, and spells that take a long time to set up, there’s something oddly satisfying about a quickie, er…quick spell. A Quick Magickal Shower Some magick is suited for water. Cleansing magick, for instance, is an obvious choice. I’m not talking about personal hygiene here, although it is not the worst byproduct of showering. In this case, I’m talking about magickal hygiene. Have you ever had a shitty day at work or a fight with a housemate, or just that icky feeling you’ve walked through another person’s toxic crap, and it’s clinging to you? A magickal shower is the perfect way to scrub that nonsense off your body and out of your energetic field. There’s an old song from the Broadway musical South Pacific called “I’m gonna wash that man right outta my hair“. It captures the point of the magick perfectly. The song's title is a pretty good model for a magickal shower. Here’s How You Do It Your mileage may vary with any spellwork, but here’s how I take a quick cleansing shower. Here’s what you’ll need:
I think you’re getting the picture that this is simple. Here are the instructions:
With great purpose, scrub the residue of that worthless two-hour Zoom meeting with an annoying co-worker who still hasn’t figured out where the mute/unmute button is right down the drain hole. With tremendous intention, slough off those toxic comments from an ex who randomly texted you and ruined your whole afternoon. Say out loud, “I wash off all the stuff that isn’t mine, isn’t serving me, and doesn’t need to be stuck on my body. I release it. More Stuff You Can Add To Your Magickal Showers Of course, you should be more extravagant when making your magickal shower. Perhaps you’ll use a salt scrub and exfoliate anything stuck on you. Maybe this becomes a weekly practice, and you create a special chant you recite as you rerelease a week’s worth of stress. If I’m feeling low, I sometimes shower quickly to perk myself up. I have different soaps containing oils, essences, and herbs connected to healing, love, and compassion. When it’s drab and rainy outside, I have soaps that remind me of summer or being in the woods. The scents help to shift my mood. You don’t just have to do “cleaning off the crap” magick. I know I’ve used sugar scrubs to make my skin smell sweet and soft before I…Well, you get the point, I’m sure. So, give it a spin. Take a shower. Do some magick. Dry off. Walk about the place smiling because you just did magick, and no one else is wiser. Live deliciously, witches, Gwion Raven Originally published on Patheos Pagan
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Something came up in a class last night. A couple of folks mentioned feeling crappy after practising casting circles. When you’re new to energy work, casting circles, or doing any magickal practice, there is a potential for a magickal hangover, ritual rebound, or energy blowback. You don’t have to be a new practitioner for this to happen, either. And there are some real perils of a magickal hangover.
Magickal hangovers can bring on the same symptoms as an alcohol hangover. Here are some ways a magickal hangover can manifest:
Sweet, Sweet Energy Ideally, you aren't using your body's energy when doing rituals, spells, or magickal practices. One of the reasons we ground before stepping into a ritual is to connect us to the power/energy of the earth and sky, where there are unlimited stores of energy. During magickal practice (ritual, spells, etc.), we should pull these energetic forces through our bodies and use them to feed the work that we are doing. Although grounding is a foundational practice in Witchcraft and Paganism, it is by no means easy. It takes time to develop the skill of grounding and centering yourself. If you notice you are prone to ritual rebound or magickal hangovers, strengthening your grounding practice will be key. A good test is to ask yourself in ritual: where is this energy coming from? If you aren’t sure, it’s probably your energy you’re using. Ground, ground again! Physical Care A lot of what you might do to avoid a booze hangover is the same as what you can do to prevent ritual rebound.
It’s Not Always Depletion Magickal hangovers aren’t always a response to being depleted. They can also indicate that you took on too much energy and didn’t fully release it. If you raised a lot of energy, got really wound up, and felt ecstatic power flowing through you, coming down from that place is essential. Do something to spend that energy. Running around the block might sound like a good way to exhaust the energy, but it could have the opposite effect of building up more. Releasing energy looks more like a slow landing. Drink a cup of tea, shower, place your hands on the earth and visualise (feel) sending excess energy back to the land as a gift of gratitude. Ground yourself again, or cleanse. Check in with friends and coven mates to see if someone feels depleted. You can always give them the gift of your excess by hugging or holding hands. Give yourself time to unwind after a ritual or working to allow the energy to evaporate naturally. Know Thyself I know, I know, it seems like I can’t go a day without talking about this. The most essential part of any magickal practice comes from knowing thyself. Do you typically walk through life a little depleted or amped up? What are your natural energy proclivities? How do you replenish from physical exhaustion? How do you replenish from emotional or mental fatigue? Knowing how to recover from non-magickal exhaustion will give you clues on how to best recover from a magickal hangover. Ultimately, it’s all about good spiritual hygiene. The more you know how to take care of yourself, the better. And don’t feel bad if you get hit with some energy blowback. It happens to all of us sometimes. Now go drink some water and do witchy things! Phoenix LeFae Originally published at Patheos Pagan Hyssop has been used for thousands of years in magickal and ritual spaces. It is an excellent herb for clearing negative energy, getting rid of back luck, breaking a curse, or any other type of purification you might need. That is what makes hyssop the best magickal herb! A nice bath in Hyssop will do the trick in fixing up what magickally ails ya!
Plant Deets Hyssop (Hyssopus officinalis) is a small bush-like plant in the mint family. In the warmer months, it blooms with small white, blue, or pink flowers. The plant originated in the Middle East and Southern Europe but can now be found all over the world. It is a great addition to drought-resistant gardens, and bees love it. Health and Wellness This herb was (and is) used as a remedy for many illnesses and is a natural antiseptic. However, it also has spiritual and religious uses. Hyssop is mentioned in the Bible; Psalms 51:7 says, “Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean.” It was used in Egypt as a purification herb during meals. It can clear off the negative energy that is causing you trouble. How to Use Hyssop I highly recommend hyssop as a cleansing and purification ally for spiritual purposes. Here are some ways you can use it for cleansing:
Cleansing Cleansing is an essential part of any Witch’s practice. Ideally, it’s something we do regularly. Try incorporating hyssop in your cleansing practice! Go do witchy things! Phoenix LeFae *Do not use, take, or ingest any herb you are allergic to. If you are uncertain about a possible allergic reaction, just skip it.* |