Baby witch guide to witchcraft and other practices

Cleansing and charging tools

Clearing: out with the old

sea salt is a tried-and-true cleanser of denser energies, particularly when it comes to and candles. It works by absorption—just bury the item in a bowl of salt and leave for several hours or overnight, then remove and rinse. (Be sure to throw the salt away.) A variation on this method is to dissolve sea salt in water and soak or sprinkle your objects. However, depending on their particular composition, not all items hold up well in a salt bath, so do some research first.

Sunlight is another natural cleansing agent. Lay your ritual tools out in direct sunlight for at least one hour and any unwanted energy will be burned away, leaving them purified and ready to be charged with your own personal energy for maximum effect. Moonlight works the same way, and is preferable for any items that might be faded or otherwise harmed by the light and heat from the Sun. This is especially applicable to certain crystals and herbs you may want to use in spellwork.

Smudging with sage, rosemary, lavender, and/or other cleansing herbs is an ancient tradition practiced by shamanic peoples around the world. It works to clear out unwanted energy from objects, physical spaces, and even people. Sound is another excellent way to break up and disperse stale energy—try ringing a or some chimes over your more delicate ritual tools and ingredients to clear them for magical use

Charging: in with the new

Both sunlight and moonlight double as charging agents, so you can essentially clear and charge at the same time. Just be sure, if you're charging for a specific goal, that you focus that intention into the item when you lay it out under the celestial body of your choice. Another simple method is to lay your object on a pentacle slab (which has already been cleared and charged). For an extra "boost," lay the pentacle in sunlight or moonlight. Amethyst and quartz crystals are also excellent chargers in their own right, so you can place herbs, smaller stones, ritual jewelry or any other objects that will fit right onto these sparkling beauties.

"I charge this [name the object]
through the Universal power
to bring [name the magical purpose]
into my life.
So let it be.