New Tools: Cleansing And Consecrating

                       

 

And when we say 'New' we don't just mean brand new, but new to you!  

It's very wise to cleanse and consecrate any new tools etc you have bought for your craft, be it a wand or a simple knife. We cleanse our tools to remove any unwanted energies and consecrate them to make them ours.

Before consecrating you should first cleanse your  tools. You can simply use sage smoke or moonlight. Some have even used sunlight to cleanse. Others may lay there tools on the Earth or sprinkle with well or spring water. You can also use sound. It needs to be a pure and clean sound such as tingsha bells.

                                                                      

I will often cleanse my tools after I have been doing any spellwork that may have left a negative aftertaste, so to speak, such as maybe banishing work or if you have been doing some major healing doe a serious illness.  And if I feel it is needed I will re consecrate my tools too.

As I said earlier when you gain any new tools etc, you should cleanse and then consecrate them. Here is a good site on consecrating your tools. And even if you have made the tools yourself, consecrating them ties them to you even more!

Consecrating Your Tools

Imbolc - A Time For Cleansing

Imbolc  is a good time to have an early spring clean. It doesn't need to be to the same extent as you would for Ostara. But a little will help you feel happier and more focused. Here's a few ideas...

• Get rid of physical and mental clutter.  Take unwanted items to charity/thrift shops
• Tidy up things in your home and in your mind. Those old magazines (recycle) and books in the wrong place
• Although most commonly sage is used, Rosemary also makes for a good   purification herb. If you don't have it as a smudge stick, burn some on a charcoal disc. Start upstairs and work your way down. Open all your windows and get rid of all the stale and negative energy!!!
• Mop floors and wash down paintwork
• Boil and simmer some rosemary, for a few minutes, strain and allow to cool and use it as a wash on your floors and paintwork to remove negative energies, after you have cleaned them. Or add it to your cleaning water whilst it's still warm.
• Self cleansing - take a cleansing bath, smudge yourself and meditate. Do a burning ritual to rid yourself of unwanted mental baggage!

Removing Negative Energies From Yourself

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I wrote a short meme this morning on the subject of cleansing and decided that maybe a full article on this important subject would be a good idea. As I said in my little meme for Instagram, removing negative energy from yourself is just as important as cleansing your tools and your home and sacred space. When you don't you can become clogged. You can feel dirty without it being physical dirt. It's more emotional and spiritual. When you do spellwork, any form  of divination, medium, or healing, this negative energy can carry into your work and may have some adverse effects. So regular cleansing before hand is a must. Equally, after performing any of these tasks, especially if it is for someone else, you should cleanse yourself as you don't want to be carrying this negative energy around with you.

Think of it this way. If you were gardening, decorating etc and you became dirty, you wouldn't finish your task and not bath afterwards? Of course not. Or you would be dirtying everything you came into contact with. Well it's the same with energies. You could be passing these energies onto others either through physical touch or through your work for others. 

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There are a number of ways to cleanse yourself. The most basic of these, and this can be done whilst cleansing your tools before and after your work, is smudging. The most common is a sage stick. But you can also use lavender, rosemary or sweetgrass. You simply light the stick and allow the smoke to pass over yourself. You may also choose to say some form of prayer or chant as you do so. this helps to focus your mind as you cleans your body.

Here is a nice example for a smudging prayer that I found.

Into this smoke, I release 

all energies that do not serve me, 

all negativity that surrounds me, 

and all fears that limit me. 

So it is.

Another way to remove negative energies is through bathing. This could either be a bath or shower. In a shower it is a little more difficult, but not impossible. 

For the shower simply take a thin cotton bag and place in it some seas salt, fresh sage leaves, rosemary (lightly bruise leaves to release oils) and or some lavender flowers. tie the bag to the shower head so it allows the water to pour over the bag and over yourself. 

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For the bath you could do it two ways. Either a similar was as the shower, only you tie it to the hot water tap. Or you could put the bag directly into your bath. Though it is fine to put the salt directly into your water, I wouldn't suggest doing so with the plant matter and or  as this would clog up your drains. You may also wish to use oils.

I would also suggest lighting some candles and maybe burn some incense or an oil burner if you choose to have a bath as this add to the cleansing process.

and like with the self smudging you could use a chant. If you used the above chant, simply change the word 'smoke' for water, salt and herbs (you could name the herb if using only one).

I do hope you find this of some help. Don't forget you can google to find other ideas on the internet and maybe come up with some of your own cleansing chants and prayers or combinations of cleansing herbs and oils.

Blessings to you all

~ Pagan Hare ☆