Lesson 6: Cleansing, Consecrating, and Charging

The Elements
Holy Water
Cleansing, Consecrating and Charging
Grounding

The Four Elements
These are used in ritual when casting the circle and performing spells

Earth
spirits-gnomes, Dwarves, Trolls.
tools - salts, powders, dirt, pentagram, images, stones, gems, trees, cords
color - green
direction - north
symbols - rocks, gemstones, mountains, plains, fields, soil, caves, mines, trees
ritual work - night, midnight, winter, riches, treasures, surrendering self-will, empathy, incorporation, business, prosperity, employment, stability, success, fertility, money.

Air
spirits - sylphs, zephyrs, fairies
tools - wand, incense, creative visualization, oils, incenses
color - yellow
direction - east
symbols - sky, wind, breezes, clouds, breath, vibrations, plants, herbs, flowers, trees
ritual work - dawn, sunrise, spring, knowledge, inspiration, hearing, harmony, herbal knowledge, plant growth, intellect, thought, ideas, travel, freedom, revealing the truth, finding lost articles, movement, psychic abilities.

Fire
spirits - salamanders, firedrakes, the consciousness of flames
tools - candles, lamps, incense, fire, dagger, censer, burned herbs or requests on paper.
color - red
direction - south
symbols - lightning, volcanoes, rainbow, sun, stars
ritual work - summer, noon, freedom, change, sight, perception, vision, illumination, learning, love, will, passion, sexuality, energy, healing, authority, destruction, purification.

Water
spirits - nymphs, undines, mermaids
tools - water, washes, solutions, cauldron, goblet, mirrors, the sea
color - blue
direction - west
symbols - oceans, lakes, rivers, wells, springs, pools, rain, mist, fog
ritual work - fall, sunset, plants, healing, emotions, taste, smell, absorbing, communication with the spiritual, purification, the subconscious mind, love, emotions, pleasure, friendships, marriage, fertility, happiness, sleep, dreams, the psychic.

Making and Using Holy Water
Christian witches can make holy water by blessing spring water as a priest would in the catholic church. You can also obtain holy water directly from a church if you are in good standing with them. Holy water can also be obtained by making a donation to a church. This can be used by both Wiccans and Christian witches. Holy water is pure spring water that has been blessed and empowered through the light of the moon. If you want to make your own holy water, here is a good recipe:

Formula for Holy Water
1 teaspoon rose water (optional)
3 tablespoons sea salt or kosher salt
1 small crystal or glass bowl of spring water
1 clean glass container
1 new compact mirror
storage container/s

Cleanse and sterilize the glass bowl and container with boiling water. Perform this spell at midnight during a full moon phase. Go out of doors under the moon or near a window that will reflect the light of the full moon. Set out a work cloth and all of the ingredients you plan to use upon it. Take 5 deep breaths and relieve the stress of the day. Cast the magic circle and hold your arms outstretched at the altar, facing east in the goddess position (feet apart, arms open above your head) and say:

In the cloak of midnight hour
I call upon the ancient power
I seek the presence of the Lady and Lord
To bless this water that I will pour.

Feel the energies of the Mother and Father move about your head and feet. Feel your own energy, beginning in your navel unite with them.

Add the rose to the spring water and pick up the bowl. Hold it under the light of the moon and say:

In my hands, I hold the essence of the Gods,
I hereby cleanse and consecrate this water to Divinity
That it may be used for positive acts only
And may aid me in my magical work.

Imagine the energy of the Moon Goddess empowering the water. Set it down and pick up the salt. Feel the power moving in your arms as you raise the salt to the moon. Say:

In my hands I hold the essence of Earth Mother,
She whose bounty sustains all living creatures.
I hereby consecrate this salt to divinity,
That it be used for positive acts only
And may aid me in my magical work.

As with the water, imagine the energy of the Moon Goddess empowering the salt. Set the salt down and pour a little into the bowl of water and stir clockwise three times. Repeat this process twice more.

With the bowl in your left hand (your receiving hand) and the mirror in your right (your sending hand), reflect the light of the moon off the mirror and into the bowl. After a few moments, say:

This liquid is now pure
And dedicated to the Lord and Lady.
It is free from all negativity
In any time and any space.

Set the bowl and the mirror down and hold both your hands palms down over, but not touching, the bowl, about one inch above the water. Let your vibrations come alive. Open your third eye and imagine a glowing purple light emanating from it. Form an open triangle with your hands over the water and project the light into it. In your mind, see the water change colors and glow. Feel the power and energy flow from your head down through your arms and up from your feet simultaneously. When you feel the energy begin to dissipate, slowly lower your hands and say:

As I will
So mote it be
With the free will of all
And harm to none
This formula is done!

-this spell by Silver RavenWolf

If you would like a simpler method to making holy water, follow the ingredients list above. Combine the ingredients in a crystal or glass bowl. Set a mirror to reflect the light of the full moon into the bowl. Say:

Silver light
Of full moon bright,
Silent power
Of the witching hour,
Down come thee
As be my wish;
Fill the water of this dish.

You may leave the water under the moonlight all night as you sleep. When you wake, make sure to bottle the water in an airtight container, preferably of glass.

Cleansing, Consecrating, and Charging
Cleansing and consecrating your tools removes any negative residue that has attached itself to the item or to the place where you choose to work. It melds your positive energy with that of the universe to bring divinity and instills this energy into the object or place for positive purposes. All tools that you use should be cleansed in this way.

For cleansing stones and other tools: if they are waterproof, set them in a crystal bowl of clear spring water or holy water under the full moon light for one night. If they are not waterproof, put the object in the bowl and cover it with salt instead and leave it under the full moonlight. You can also consecrate your tools by sprinkling them with holy water and passing them through the smoke of your incense and quickly through the candle flame (if they are not flammable). Consecrate your room, home, or ritual area by “sweeping” out the negative energy with a broom. Then take, one at a time, burning incense and salt water around the area. Wave the smoke into corners, closets and all areas of the house. Do the same with the holy water by sprinkling it into the corners and closets. Make sure that you get under beds and especially around entrances such as doors, windows and fireplaces. When you are done, draw a banishing pentagram over all entrances with your finger. This is done by beginning in the bottom left corner of the pentagram, drawing up and then down to the right and continuing drawing the pentagram. Finish by drawing a circle around it.

Grounding
Grounding your energy is very important after spellwork. When you perform ritual, you take a certain amount of extraneous outside energy into your body in order to work your magic. This energy causes a very quick and powerful natural high, but the human body is not made to hold such energy. You must ground your power immediately after ritual or it can cause you to become very ill.

Ground your energy in one of two ways:
1)  Place your hands on the ground and feel your energy drain into earth mother, or
2) Imagine your energy as a force field around you. Quietly step out of the skeleton of energy and watch it collapse upon itself and melt into the ground.

Next Lesson