Witchcraft Spells for Beginners - Cleansing

Cleansing is important for the beginner witch. As we learn to work with energy, it's vital to keep things clear. Luckily, there are so many ways to cleanse. Let's get into it.

Whenever things feel like they're not flowing freely in my life, I know it's time to cleanse. Maybe I cleanse myslef, my space, my tools, or a specific object, but rather than worrying about being hexed or having bad luck or thinking that the Universe hates me (it doesn't), I've learned that it's probably just been too long since I've dusted off the energetic detritus that's settled around me.

Cleansing, like physical cleaning, can be a step that's easy to forget or procrastinate, but I always feel better when it's done. And it's so easy to do because there are probably dozens of different cleansing techniques. We'll just cover a few here that are easily accessible for the beginner witch.

What is energetic cleansing?

Energetic cleansing refers to the removal of negative or unwanted energy from an object, space, or person. Some people view cleansing as the removal of all energy, returning it to neutral. It's all about your intention. Either way, it's always a good idea to follow cleansing with charging so that you're telling the object, space, or person what energy you want to invite in once it's free from harmful energies.

There are tons of ways to do this, but as with all things in witchcraft, what you intend and believe will ultimately determine the strength of the spell. Choose the cleansing method that feels good to you and is safe for the occasion.

You will likely want to cleanse yourself on a regular basis. You can do this as part of your shower, or add a cleansing ritual to your bathing at a certain time in the moon cycle. For example, I make a cleansing salt scrub to use at the new moon each month.

Similarly, you can energetically cleanse your home every time you tidy up, or save the energetic cleansing for specific times of the moon cycle. I usually do this during the waning crescent phase. You can also combine physical and energetic cleansing by creating your own essential oil cleaner or room spray.

When it comes to cleansing objects and tools, some witches like to cleanse an object straight away when it's brought into the home to remove the energy from all the people and places it's come in contact with before you got it. After that, I usually cleanse objects as needed. For example, whenever I feel like my tarot cards aren't really giving me accurate readings, I know it's time to cleanse them.

Visualisation

Visualisation comes into play with all these methods, but you can cleanse with only visualisation. Simply close your eyes and concentrate on all the negative energy leaving the thing you're cleansing. A white light is the most common visualisation, but see whatever feels powerful to you. Channel your energy into the thing being cleansed with the intention that all harmful energies be dispelled. Once you feel the energy shift, your visualisation is complete.

Cleansing Crystals

Cleansing with crystals is easy and generally safe for all objects. The only hitch is whether or not you have that specific crystal. You can simply place the crystal or crystals on or around your object for as long as you feel is needed with the intention that the crystal will draw out any harmful energies. I often use crystal cleansing for my tarot and oracle cards as I know this won't physically damage the cards in any way.

There are many common crystals with cleansing properties. Each crystal's energy varies slightly, so do a bit of research to choose the one that's best for your situation. Some good crystals for cleansing include:

• Iceland spar (sometimes sold as selenite)
• Orange calcite
• Citrine
• Bloodstone
• Tourmaline
• Amber
• Chalcedony
• Flourite
• Clear quartz

Source: The Crystal Bible by Judy Hall

Smoke Cleansing

I pefer smoke cleansing for my home and for cleansing objects for spellwork. Smoke from any incense or herb can be cleansing, so use what feels right to you. If you find burning herb bundles to be a bit much, use an incense stick.

You can also create your own loose incense from herbs you buy, grow yourself, or responsibly forage. As with everything in witchcraft, it's less about what you use, and more about how you use it. Your intention is everything.

If you're cleansing a space, simply carry the smoking object around the space, letting the smoke waft into all the corners, visualising it carrying away any unwanted energy. To cleanse an object with smoke, pass the object through the smoke a few times until you feel like it's clear.

Some cleansing herbs include:

• parsley
• sage
• thyme
• eucalyptus
• frankincense
• lemon

***Probably the most well-known form of smoke cleansing is to burn white sage, but if you do use this method, please be sure that your source is ethical and supportive of indigenous communities. Garden sage works just as well.

Source: Everyday Magic by Semra Haksever

Cleanse with water

You can cleanse an object with water, but obviously only if it's safe for it to get wet. Simply dunk, bathe, or spray the object with water. Using a charged water like storm water or moon water would add extra power.

You can also use cleansing essential oils like pine, lemon, or sage in a spray bottle mixed with water. This is great for cleansing a room where smoke is not safe or not allowed. A cleansing room spray is great for an office where you might need to be a bit more discreet with your witchcraft. Everybody else will just think you're making the room smell nice.

Burying an object

You can cleanse an object by burying it in soil, salt, or rice. The element of earth comes into play here by absorbing all the unwanted energy. If you feel like the object you're cleansing by burying has particularly strong negative energy, be sure to dispose of the salt or rice away from your home so that negative energy isn't hanging around.

I don't personally find this method particularly practical, but I'm more of a fire witch. It's just a matter of personal style.

Sweeping

A witch's broom, known as a besom, isn't actually used for sweeping floors. It's true purpose is to sweep away negative energy from a space. Some witches believe a besom should never actually touch the floor. You use the besom in a sweeping motion moving the energy from the back of your home to the front, and sweeping the energy right out the door.

Sound cleansing

Another one of my favorites that's quick and simple is sound cleansing. You can use any loud noise from clapping and snapping your fingers to playing loud music. Probably the most common form of sound cleansing is the use of bells and singing bowls, but if you don't have one of those, any sound vibrations will due. You can also use a recording of a bell, but I find it's best to actually be able to feel the vibration of the sound.

The idea is that the vibrations from the sound loosen and carry away any negative energy that's hanging around your space or object. I have a bell that I ring over the object that I'm cleansing. Then I visualise the sound waves from the bell surrounding the object, attaching to any negative energy and dissipating it into the air until it's neutralised. I like this because it only takes a few seconds and doesn't involve finding matches.

Once you start to practice regular energetic cleansing, you should begin to feel positive energy flow more freely into your life. These are just a few examples of ways you can cleanse. What are some of your favorite methods? Let me know in the comments.

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