Ways of the witch (a guide to witchcraft)

Clensing

Chapter by: somnia

Oof it's been a hot second, we're renovating our room so our altar had to be moved and it kinda threw a wrench in witchcraft but we're back. So here's a rundown on cleaning for you all!

What is cleansing?
Clearing a space or object/being of negative and harmful energy or beings. It's something you should do every so often to keep your practice and your space clean and safe. Basically it's telling nasties to fuck off, in fact you can actually use the words fuck off if you like. Anything that makes your intent to send that energy/being away will work.

What can you use for cleaning?
The most common is smoke, something like incense or burning herbs (note: make sure it's not a toxic plant or an endangered one). This should obviously be done with windows open for ventilation and in a safe spot where nothing will catch fire. If you're using smoke, make sure you're getting all the nooks and crannies of the area you're cleansing by blowing that smoke into the corners, the cervices and cracks. And make sure you're not burning anything that's part of a closed practice too like white sage (smudging is part of closed practices).

Sound also works, I'd recommend having a wind-chime or bell hanging up around your work space you can just reach up and jingle whenever you need to cleanse. Clapping loudly also works, playing an instrument can work too. Anything that breaks the silence and is done with the intent to clear an area or object will work. This is a good substitute for smoke cleaning if you have sensitive lungs or live somewhere with not much ventilation.

Light also works, passing an object you want cleaned through candle light, or taking things out into the sun. You could even enchant a torch with the purpose to cleanse whatever it's light touches.

Sprays is another good alternative, either with something like moon water or water infused with herbs that help cleanse. You can get spray bottles from most hardware stores pretty cheap and you can easily just fill it with moon water or infused water etc. and spray down whatever you're wanting to cleanse.

Salt, now this is something you'll only want to use in certain circumstances. Mainly because salt fucks up soil so don't do it outside or dispose of it outside. But submerging items in salt works well, so having a little bowl of it to put things in when they need to be cleansed is a quick and easy way to do it. Just make sure you're not putting anything that reacts right salt in it obviously.

When should you cleanse?
Whenever needed really. If you're putting something new on an alter, cleanse it to get any lingering residue off it. Cleanse your room every so often and tell any lingering spirits that aren't welcome to stay to fuck off. If you do deity work it's good to cleanse yourself (like washing your hands or walking through smoke) before offering things to them. I'd also recommend cleansing things bought second hand or found items. You have no idea what could be lingering on those bad boys.

How do you cleanse?
Choose your method, smoke, light, sound etc. and either aloud or in your head basically just tell the bad ju ju and any lingering creatures to go away. Make it known they're not welcome, sweep them out of the house and shake them off your objects. You can be polite or as crude as you like depending on what you're wanting to cleanse. Anything form "you are not welcome here, anything with the intent to harm must leave" to "get the fuck outta my house ghosts" will work. Just depends on what you're dealing with really.

And that's your rundown on cleansing!

When our room is done with the renovations, I'll show you guys our new and improved altar. We plan on getting a new bed frame with a built in shelf which is perfect for a sleep/dream witch. What better place to put your alter and Hypnos related stuff than literally ON your bed? We've also got some plans to make some mythology decor happen in our room so we'll show that off too, some of you could definitely use the ideas for your own altars.

That's all for now, happy witching!