The art and practice of energetic purification

Just the other day, I wrote about energetic cleansing and the side effects one might encounter as a result. You can read that post HERE: Prepare Yourself for Deep Cleansing and Purifying. After this post went live, I was flooded with questions about the techniques of smudging or purifying energy.

In all honesty, you don’t need any fancy tools or special skills to perform a solid cleanse of your home, yourself, office, car, belongings, etc. The reason I mention this is because many beginners have the notion that they need to go out and buy expensive tools and supplies to do the job right. This is simply a myth. Buying special equipment or even making specific items for smudging, saining, etc. is a personal preference. I think part of comes from our deeply ingrained consumerism culture.

Another common misconception I have encountered is that you must use a particular limerick, chant, or prayer to perform a proper cleansing. You can say or not say whatever you like. You can scream at the walls if that works for you. What matters most is your intention. A clear and dedicated focus of what you want your result to be is all you really need. Now, the only exception you might discover here is if you follow a specific tradition or path, which may already offer chants and rituals related to this task.

Really what it boils down to is don’t overthink it. Make it simple and make it personal. That’s it.

With that said, let’s look at some different methods and techniques for performing a reliable, energetic cleansing. I will start the most involved options, which may cost you some money and maybe time in learning the method. Then I will get into the more straightforward and readily available techniques you can utilize. Keep in mind this is not the be-all-end-all of lists. This is only a snapshot of what is available to you. There are plenty of books out there that go into greater detail if you care to pick them up.

Essential Oils

Let’s face it essential oils are precious, and because of this, they are expensive. Rightly so, it takes hundreds and sometimes thousands of leaves, stems, and flowers to make a single dram of many essential oils. The overuse of these oils is just wasteful. It is for this reason I save the use of essential oils for very deep and sacred cleansings.

You can use essential oils in energetic cleansings in many ways. You can warm the oils in an electric or candle diffuser. You can add them to baths and room sprays. You can even use them in washes for your doorways, floors, and tools.

Sweeping

I love sweeping as a form of cleansing. I was taught to use herbal mixtures when performing this method. In my Coven, we have a specific pattern or ritual, which was taught to me by my High Priestess. If you follow a particular tradition, they will likely have their own method regarding this technique. In my tradition, we pour a herb mixture in the corners of a room and sing or chant as we sweep the mix into the center of the room. Eventually, the mixture is swept out the door along with the energies we want gone.

Teas

Yes, you read that right, tea. Tea is not only a delicious beverage; it is also a powerful magickal tool. Which is probably why this is my preferred method. Herbs are essential to most magickal practices. Using herbal teas only makes sense. To use teas in energetic cleansings, all you need to do is brew your herbs into a strong decoction or infusion, strain, and use.

You can use them much like you might essential oils. Heck, you can even add some essential oils to your infusion if you like. From your tea, you can make a wash, bath, room spray, body spray, soak, etc. You can even drink it if you need a deep personal cleanse. Just be sure you know what you are ingesting before you do.

Smoke/Smudging

Smoke or Smudging is probably the most widely talked about method of cleansing. This practice uses a variety of dried herbs bundled into a wand or smudge stick. Many like Sage, but I have found this to be a one-sided form of cleansing. There are many other herbs you can use for this task like Rosemary, Pine, Dragon’s Blood, Birch, and more.

If you are adverse the scent of burning sage, you may find that using other plants will offer a more pleasing fragrance. Also, herbs like Rosemary are considered the “Witch’s Herb” and have been used for centuries in all forms of magick. This makes Rosemary an ideal companion when conducting energetic workings. With this method, it is a good idea to have a heatproof bowl where you can rest your smudge stick when not in use.

Bells, Chimes, and Drums

I love my Tingsha bells for cleansing. They have a long pleasant vibrating tone that sends chills down my spine. Once you hear the chime, the energy within you and around you is instantly transformed. When I need to cleanse a space, and I don’t feel like filling it with smoke or scent, my bells do the trick. If you don’t have a set of these mystical bells, a simple handbell, singing bowl, or drum will work. Sound is a powerful energy cleanser and adjuster.

Salt & water

Here is where energetic cleansing becomes practical and straightforward. All you need is a bowl of water and some salt. What kind of salt? Any will do. You don’t need anything special. If all you have available is table salt, that will do just fine. If you feel like getting fancy, you can purchase specialty salts like Celtic Grey Salt and Black Hawaiian Salt at your pleasure.

To use salted water, fill a bowl or cup with water and add salt. Next, dip your finger into the bowl or cup and use your fingers to flick the water over the items and areas that need cleansing. This method is excellent for the office or other semi-public spaces. You can place the water and salt in a cup, and no one will question you. Just flick a little here and there when necessary.

Salt

Just use salt. Pour some salt in a bowl or on a plate and go! Yep, it is that easy. I like this method for cleansing objects like crystals, jewelry, etc. Before I mentioned sweeping and how you can use mixtures to help sweep out the energetic muck in your home, office, etc. Salt is often a key ingredient. Again, you can use any type of salt you like, but Black Salt made with ash, charcoal, and spent herbs (for more info read this post) is ideal for this technique. Learn more about salt and using salt here: Salt Magick

Your Voice

Your voice has power. Don’t ever forget this. When you have no other tools or supplies at your disposal, your voice will do NICELY! Sing, chant, scream, hum, laugh… do whatever feels right to you. Make some noise and feel that energy lift and shift.

Your Hands

Just like your voice, your hands also have power. Clapping is a great way to clear the energy of any space, especially when you have no other tool at your disposal.

The Moon

Ah Yes! The moon offers us many blessings. She can charge and cleanse. She can empower and infuse simply by touching you (or an object) with her light. To cleanse my moon room, I like to open all the curtains in this room during the full moon to allow her gentle light to enter and cleanse this space. You can also set objects and yourself outside under the moon for the same purpose. Basking in moonlight sounds like a perfect evening to me.

The Sun

Let’s not forget this powerhouse. The sun, like the moon, has its own cleansing properties that are readily available to you. You can use the same techniques as you might when you use the moon. The beautiful thing about basking in the sun is you also get to make some Vitamin D by proxy.

There you have it. No, it isn’t everything, but this will give you an excellent start. Try something new. You never know what you’ll discover. Enjoy the journey and have fun!