Writings From A HIGHER SOURCE

SPIRITUAL BATHING
One of the most common magical treatments a spiritual worker will prescribe to their clients are spiritual baths. A spiritual bath is usually taken before, after, and/or during magical work. Sometimes a series of spiritual baths is the only work a client or practitioner will do for themselves, as it is effective spiritual and magical work all by itself.

TYPES OF BATH PRODUCTS
Spiritual baths come in three common forms: the all-herbs and roots bath, the all-mineral, and the combination herb and mineral bath. Many workers make their own bath products, but there are a few companies out there that make excellent baths for sale to the general public. All bath products should contain a noticeable amount of botanical ingredients - they should NOT be only dyed, perfumed Epsom salts or dyed, perfumed liquid detergent; those kind of cheap products contain very little magical properties, if any.

All-herb baths should contain an assorted variety of fresh-smelling plant material. While the herbs may be chopped up, the mixture should not resemble ground-up green and brown stuff. You should be able to pick out recognizable ingredients, if included, such as rose petals, lavender, and other flower petals, depending on the particular bath blend. Most all-herb baths come with a reusable muslin sack, or they come in tea bags for you to steep the herbs in your bathwater.

High-quality herb and mineral Bath Crystals are a blend of salt, botanical ingredients, and condition oil. They usually come lightly tinted and fragranced. Again, you should be able to see chopped up herbs. Unfortunately, many large companies who offer these traditional products take short cuts, and you end up with regular old scented bath salts with a magical name that cost twice as much as the bath salts sold at the drug store. When shopping around, buy small quantities to ensure you don't waste money on poor quality goods. Don't despair, though, because there are some fantastic suppliers out there who make top-notch baths, oils, incenses, and powders. Just be careful and ask questions.

WHEN SHOULD YOU TAKE A SPIRITUAL BATH?
If you have read the different types of spiritual supplies that I and others make, you would have noticed the unique names and the various purposes they help with. The same is true for all the hoodoo products: condition oils, sachet powders, incenses, and floor washes. There are literally hundreds and hundreds of different recipes depending on the maker. You run the gamut of products for love, money, luck, health, protection, success, employment, family, marriage, religion, psychicism, divination, spiritual cleansing, saints, gods, the list goes on and on and on!

A spiritual worker may have thirty-plus recipes on-hand for his clients. Let's say one of her products is entitled "Wash Clean of Sin" and is used to cleanse yourself of bad habits, bad deeds, and the negativity/problems of others. This worker will undoubtedly offer Wash Clean of Sin Condition Oil, Wash Clean of Sin Sachet Powder, W.C.S. Incense, and W.C.S. Bath Crystals. Although they are all quite different products, they are all made from the same "mother" ingredients. You would use the Wash Clean of Sin Bath Crystals alone or in conjunction with other magical work that typically employ other Wash Clean of Sin products.

Most folks take a spiritual bath to signify the beginning of magical work. Let's say you were doing a seven-day candle spell that required lighting portions of a candle every morning for seven mornings in a row. Lots of people would take a spiritual bath at least on the first and last day of the spell, if not take one every morning before starting. In this manner, spiritual baths help adjust your mindset, give an opportunity for prayer, and they infuse your body with their magical properties.

Folks also take spiritual baths to prepare for a situation. One might take a love bath before a date with their lover. A person might take a protective bath in preparation for a dangerous/negative event. A quarreling couple might take a reconciliation bath to soothe their hurt feelings, etc., etc. By taking a bath in this manner, you take time for self-reflection and prayer; you also are performing powerful work by releasing the magic contained in the botanicals and imbuing your body with it.


HOW TO TAKE A SPIRITUAL BATH
You take a spiritual bath differently than a regular bath. A regular bath is taken to clean your body and to take a relaxing soak; a spiritual bath is taken for magical and spiritual purposes. Thus, it makes sense that spiritual bathing requires a different technique.

Baths are taken according to the time of the day. When your need involves things for increase and gain, such as more love, money, growth, renewal, you take your bath before daybreak. In this manner your need rises with the sun. When your need involves diminishing, lessening, or removal, you take your bath at sundown.

To prepare a spiritual bath using bath crystals, you fill your tub with only about six inches of water. This is not a soaking and soaping bath; if you are especially dirty, take a shower beforehand. If you only have a shower stall and no tub, purchase one of those old aluminum wash basins to take your spiritual baths in. You will truly be keeping true to tradition using one of those! Alternatively, use a large plastic storage tub or a dish basin. Add the warm water and a small handful of the bath crystals (about 2-3 Tablespoons). State your petition/intent and/or pray as you swish the crystals in the bath until they're dissolved. Undress and step into the tub. You will wash your body upwards or downwards depending on the purpose of the bath. Again, for a need involving gain and increase, wash up from feet to head. For something involving decrease or removal, wash downwards from head to feet. Use your hands to cup the water on you or use a wash cloth. You will bathe your body completely for a certain number of times as directed by a spell or worker. If no repetitions are given, wash an odd number of times, usually seven or nine times.

It is important to pray sincerely during these washings while visualizing your desired outcome. Some folks chant or recite Psalms. When finished with the prescribed number of washings, step out and air dry. Pray while you air dry. If you decide you can't wait to air dry and use a towel, you will be wiping the magic and help off of your skin and basically undoing some of the bath. If you can't bear the idea of air drying, don't take a spiritual bath.

While you are waiting to dry, scoop a bowlful of your used bath water out of the tub and save it either to be employed in spell work or to be disposed of ritually. Once dry, dress in clean clothes and carry the bowl of your bath water to one of two places: your front door or the nearest crossroads. You would pour out your bath water over your front door step to draw things closer to you such as new love, more money, peace, etc. You would use the crossroads for anything you don't wish to draw closer, to get rid of something, or to drive someone away. The traditional method of tossing your bath water is to walk to your destination in complete silence, offer a prayer once you arrive, turn your back to either the setting or rising sun, and toss the water over your left shoulder. Walk back home silently and without looking back.