Cleansing Practices

As a witch, you need to be aware that once you have lifted the veil from the mysteries of this world you will be also at risk of being harmed by those risks.

Just like how you would protect yourself against intruders, car accidents, and other types of harm; cleansing and protecting yourself is a way to protect yourself from these that the natural protection of unawareness use to mostly protect you against.

Typically, cleansing utilizes one of the 4 elements: Earth, Air, Fire, Water. I'll list methods below but usually use what feels right to you when cleansing your space and objects.

Fire: heat, smoke, and ashes 

Smoke: pass objects through smoke 

Heat: rubbing with hands, fire, or sunlight 

Ashes: sprinkle or blow ashes 

Water: passing, and submerging 

Passing: running water either streams or sinks 

Submerging: cover with water or saltwater 

Earth: bury, crystals, minerals, or stones 

Bury: cover with earth, return to earth if it came from 

Crystals: crystal grids or passing over 

Minerals: cover, sprinkle, or rub 

Stones: place on top of or under, mark with sigils 

Air: wind, or breath 

Wind: place in windy area to blow clean 

Breath: warm and blow clean with your own energy 

Light: both moon and sunlight can be used 

Physical: moving with object in your hands or pockets 

Herbs: burning, rubbing, or covering with herbs 

Talking: singing, talking, or reciting can cleanse 

Oil: rubbing oils or dropping them on

Personally, I use different methods to cleanse depending on what it is that I am cleansing. 

For example:

- General daily cleansing: I have bells on my doors. Witches bells ring when the door is opened using sound to cleanse the space. Witches bells don't have to be fancy but they do need to be consecrated to the job of cleansing with sound

- Cleansing tools before a working: Typically I use smoke cleansing. Passing it through incense smoke so it is cleansed and charged for what the working is at that particular time

- Full Moon Cleanse: When I feel that there is something in my space that shouldn't be here, I smoke cleanse but I also use a consecrated room spray that usually is either consecrated to protect or banish. I usually try to feel out what it is that is needed before using one of my sprays. 

Word of Warning: When looking up smoke cleansing, please understand that smudging, while it is a form of smoke cleansing, is a practice done by Native Americans and unless invited to learn about their culture and practices, please don't appropriate their cultural practices. 

The further you walk this path the more you will learn about how some ancesteral lines and cultures have been stolen to use in practices without understanding the cultures and respecting the ancesters it came from.