Energy - Cleansing Baths

Every time we walk into an enclosed space -whether it is at work, on the bus, in a shop, cinema or theatre - we are putting ourselves i contact with other people's electromagnetic fields. Our auras mingle, for example, when standing shoulder to shoulder with other commuters in an underground train during rush hour. some of these people may be disturbed , distresses or depressed and in other way energetically needy. The interaction of energies between people involves giving and taking. There is good giving, when we feel enriched energetically, and there is the kind of giving that comes from a hyper person that leaves e

Everyone feeling exhausted. With taking, the issue is willingness to donate that energy. We don't mind giving energy to our children, for example, and we freely allow the people we love to take energy from us, even though it may leave us feeling depleted. But there are also times when people draw the energy out of you - a kind of energetic violation, although most energy vampires may not consciously be aware of what they are doing. I've found that many of these people have been energetically abused at some time in the past and have an unstable personal boundary.

This is just not a physical-presence phenomenon, because we can find ourselves giving and taking in relation to another person, even over the phone. In fact, we don't even need equipment because we can hear the phone ringing on the other side of the room and know from the change in our energy that on the end of the line is a specific someone we don't want to talk to. When they say their name, they just confirm what we had already sensed in some inexplicable way.

The effect of all this can be disturbing to our own vibrational pattern, and there may be times when we feel the need of a spiritually cleansing bath. the purpose of this is to 'wash off' the unwanted thought forms or energies we may have picked up. Spiritual cleansing is about preserving the integrity of our spiritual core. It is of great importance particularly when we've had the unfortunate experience of being in touch, perhaps not literally, with a person whose vibration is altogether more nefarious.

Energy-cleansing baths are not about removing everyday grime and pollution which should be done first by having a shower or bath and washing with soap. First, clear and enhance the atmosphere by using one of the methods in the Clearing the Atmosphere or Holy Smoke - for purification sections in this chapter. Open the window or door to oxygenate the room.

Some of the old traditions would use sound at this point - with clapping, chanting, drumbeat, singing, praying, laughing, shaking rattles or shouting - and if your inclination is to use sound you could use one of these methods, or check through your music collection for something that seems appropriate.

For people who want to bring the four elements of water, earth. fire, and air, these are already there. The 'water' flows into the bath; the 'earth' comes from the salt or crystal (s) you place in the water; the 'fire' comes from the candles you place around the bath; and the 'air' comes from the fresh air you have just allowed in the room and the aroma of the essential oils you will use.

Essential oils on their own are unique amongst the gifts of life in that they incorporate in some sense all four elements - they are liquid and thus water-like; they are products of plants of the 'earth'; they are flammable and burn like fire; and they release a fragrance which is part of the air.

Bathing or submerged in water is a sacred symbolic ritual in many traditions, often signifying full entry into a particular practice or way of worship.it also symbolizes rebirth and change, whether this is a change in the direction of life or in its purpose. Cleaning invisible energies with water is an everyday occurrence at nuclear power stations around the world, as workers finish their shift with a shower to assist in removing any radiation. Bathing is about being 'clean' in many senses.

Focus on what you wish to achieve from your bath and look at Chapter 11, the essential oil spiritual profiles, to choose those which seem particularly useful at this time. essential oils carry the energy of the original flower or plant, yet have undergone transformation through fire and water in the distillation process. Again, we can see the four elements: the earth of the plant material; the fire that lights the still; the water that extracts the essential oil molecules; which are released into the air. The essential oil helps cleanse the energetic field of the water, whether you use single essential oils, make your own blends, or try one of those suggested below.

Energy-Cleansing bath Blends
Add up to two tablespoons of salt to the flowing water. When the bath has been run, add essential oils, swishing them around a bit, with a prayer in your heart.

These blends can also be used in diffusers, herb bundles, misters, water bowls, or essential oil cleansing bundles.

The Elements
When carrying out purification, you may want to incorporate all the elements, or those you consider essential. Some traditions, for example, include wood or metal amongst the core elements and other do not. What you use is a matter of personal choice, as you devise what suits you at any particular time.

When cleansing a room or person with essential oils or herb bundles, focus on four directions in turn - north, south, east and west - and carry the fragrant material in those directions before making a complete circle. In some cultures, before doing the circle, the fragrant material would be lowered to the earth and raised to the sky.

The following chart shows some of the ways people bring elements into purification and cleansing practices.

Reference: The Fragrant Heavens. Valerie Ann Worwood