Purification for the People: a Flexible Spiritual Cleansing Ritual, I
Forgive me, y’all: I am inclined, given the importance of this kind of work, to get straight to the point.
We are in a season where spiritual hygiene is of great importance: it helps us maintain not only sovereignty, but the presence of mind and spirit to act from that sovereignty and view things through a superconscious lens. It is worthwhile to make an effort to be as spiritually, psychically clear-minded as your spirit and resources allow. Which is the reason that I’m drafting a sample ritual that people can apply, no matter what path you walk. What matters is that it will work for most circumstances.
If you feel that you are cursed or hexed in a way that would compromise your ability to clear yourself, however, please see a seasoned spiritual practitioner that you trust.
Step One: Know Thyself
Working with your higher self is a critical step in many of my public-facing works because of the amount of psychosocial and spiritual conditioning that often knocks people out of alignment with the part of themselves that can help them solve spiritual problems. This aspect is what some term a superconscious, but traditional spiritual systems have different and more expansive names for it. In Yoruba spirituality, the part of you that is in the Elsewhere is called your elekeji orun - effectively, “your heavenly double.” But for the sake of efficacy, I’ll refer to this aspect of you as your higher self.
Misalignment or blocked alignment with your higher self can cause a number of challenges, including but not limited to: dream blockage and disruption, the inability to remember dreams; blocked or altered intuitive faculties; increased difficulty in achieving your goals, even if they’re technically in alignment with your soul’s plan; a sense of drifting, aimlessness; even a sense of being “smaller” than you actually are. In some cases, especially if a domination work has been used against them, a person may feel like they’re only a shell of themselves, or present only by half. These very symptoms are similar to those that appear when we’re not energetically clear in other ways.
Having said that, those things can be remedied. If you find that you struggle with this and need help, please do not hesitate to reach out to a spiritual practitioner that you trust.
To work with your higher self, I’ve normally taught people to hold their heads - this is a strategy employed by Yoruba spiritual practitioners to work with their Ori, which is a separate part of the complex of the self in that system. But there are other ways to engage your higher self, especially if you have chronic pain or holding your head is otherwise not possible. Here are just a few:
developing an incantation or chant that demonstrably procures the support of your higher self, then reciting in your mind or aloud when ready or needed
simply praying aloud or in your mind to your higher self
sending awareness to your skin, envisioning yourself glowing and alight, then inwardly calling upon your higher self
Taking a deep inhale, then setting the intention to “align” with your higher self as you exhale. With each exhale, you draw yourself “closer” to your higher self
There may be times where you may only be able to pray and hope that it works. While building this ritual from that perspective, I pray that you succeed in being able to employ the suggested strategies outlined above. I’ve found that higher self work can be fruitful in ways previously unimagined when we’re willing to transcend our understanding of what’s “possible" in that regard.
To perform this ritual the first time, you do not need to have worked with your higher self before. But it will help to pray to your higher self and let them know that you’re attempting to clear yourself. Here’s a sample prayer that you can use:
I, [full name], call upon my higher self
My higher self, you open the roads
That [fear*] would have otherwise closed
My higher self, you close the roads
That [fear] would have otherwise opened
My higher self, please hear me
Let my steps be well-ordered today
My higher self, who knows my purpose
My higher self, may my path be clear
*fear/sorrow/doubt/evil eye, etc., pick one based on the context in which you're praying
Now that you’ve got this component established, let’s proceed to the next step.
Step Two: Know the “Why” Behind Your “What”
So you’ve decided to go forward and do a spiritual cleansing. How come? Knowing what’s driving you to clear yourself can help, even if your reason is “because I have no idea why I feel the urge to clear myself, but I do.” Here are some general reasons this ritual may be appropriate for you and why you might feel the need to do it:
You’re having trouble with dominant personalities, bullies, or abusively-inclined people
Your dreams or intuition have been obscured in new ways
You just got out of a challenging ordeal and would like to leave that energy behind
You’re preparing intentionally for a new start (even if it’s just the imminent start of a month)
You’re feeling trapped, stuck, or held down
You’re struggling with a problem of a spiritual nature (spirits, thoughtforms, etc.)
You’re struggling with a problem of a magical nature (hostile spellwork, magical attacks, etc.)
It’s been a while since your last cleansing and you need something a little stronger than normal
As preparation for another ritual or spiritual endeavor
Like I said - these are just a few. But knowing your why will help you prepare the next steps, and help you pray/chant/affirm more effectively.
Step Three: Gathering the “What” for your “How”
Your ability to build your spiritual cleansing ritual depends on your resources, so work with what you can. I’ll tell you which items are useful from my perspective:
Cleansing by smoke (censers, incense burners, sticks, cones): for when you need to pull and kick out something that is messing with your ability to remain at centre
Cleansing by water (pitcher/pour-over, basin, sponge): for when you don’t need full-body immersion to remove or alter your personal energies
Cleansing by water (bathtub, river, ocean): for when you or your conditions have reached a point where total immersion in water is the primary remedy for addressing what prompted a cleansing
Cleansing by air + water (spiritual sprays): for when immersion isn’t practical, affordable, accessible, or appropriate, but cleansing by pour-over is insufficient; this strategy addresses the aura more effectively than by pour-over alone
Cleansing by metal (ritual knife, blade or razor): for when you need to cut cords, projections, and unwelcome connections and be damned sure it works. Useful for detaching spirits in ways that immersion may not be
Cleansing by sound (bells, bowls, clapping): for when you need to clear your mind, not just your aura, quickly. Best combined with other strategies
Truly, work with the tools that you have. For the sake of accessibility, I’ll outline a sample procedure that employs several dollar-store friendly items: a glass of water, a pitcher of saltwater, a spray-bottle, a cup of diluted vinegar, and a small knife.
If you aren’t able to work with the knife or are uncomfortable when working with knives, skip the knife-relevant steps and follow the recommendations for upping the strength of your bath.
Don’t underestimate the power of your hands, not just in them.
Step Four: Clean Up, Clear Out
Under ideal circumstances, your bathroom is clean for this ritual. If you don’t have the spoons/energy to clean the tiles or go beyond putting your toothbrush back under the sink, that’s okay. Do what you can, within reason; if your “can” expands to include more or you can get help with the “more,” cool.
But what I am going to focus on is the mind and internal body for this step. Though you can use a tea or beverage that is correspondent with your intention, the foundation for this step is a glass of water. Pour one, then pray over and into it to your higher self. If you’re not able to speak aloud into the glass of water, grab a utensil OR your cleaned finger and lower it a bit into the water. Then recite the prayer in your mind, with the intent to charge the water accordingly. Here’s a sample prayer starter and tailored request:
I, [full name], call upon my higher self,
The part of me that can see what I cannot see,
Who can hear what I cannot hear,
Who knows what I do not know
My higher self, defend my destiny
May my connection to you be ever-strong.
Let this water cleanse me from within
Let this water remove from me all soul-rejected energies
My higher self, leave no room for doubt that you will bless me forthwith
When done, drink your water. It’s time to proceed to the next step.
Step Five: Cleansing and Clearing
So you drank your water. Now we proceed with the meat of your cleansing ritual. Please note that you can add other tools to this process if you have them.
We’ll walk through the following recommended order:
Prepare your saltwater, spray, and knife
Get naked
Work your knife
Work your saltwater
Work your spray
Take your regular shower
Flush your shower floor with diluted vinegar
Add protection
I will add a (depending on your practice) controversial note about the order in which this cleansing takes place: you can, in fact, do the actual cleansing first before taking your regular shower. Some people feel more clean if they apply their normal soap first; others feel better “completing” the wash with actual soap. No matter what order you proceed in, it is very important for you to flush your shower floor with the vinegar (or even better, a mix of water, vinegar, and salt) after a major cleansing. Or ammonia, which I don’t recommend employing for most people unless absolutely necessary. Don’t assume that what you’re removing from yourself will all wash away with your shower water once it’s off you. If spiritual cleansing were that easy unilaterally, all you’d need was running water. Stuff likes to stick.
Prepare Your Saltwater, Spray, and Knife
If you already made your spray from this guide (click here for the guide), good. You need only prepare your pitcher of saltwater and prep your knife.
Take your pitcher and fill it with water; take a deep breath and exhale strength into the water, then pray to your higher self - and any powers that you trust - into it. Then pray into your salt and add that also. The salt levels of your water should be discernible to you, but not excessive. You can afford to make it salty enough to taste because you will be rinsing it off shortly after.
Once you’ve added the salt, pray again. You can then call upon the water itself like this:
It is water unrestrained that moves effortlessly, effortlessly
Let this water remove misfortune where present
Let this water remove misfortune where present effortlessly, effortlessly
Let this water remove adverse energies, where present
Let this water remove adverse energies where present effortlessly, effortlessly
Let this water remove obstacles and blockage, where present
Let this water remove obstacles from me effortlessly, effortlessly
Let this water bring me blessings
Let this water bring me blessings effortlessly, effortlessly
You see how this prayer is flexible enough that it can cleanse more than just you? You can use a bit of the water from your pitcher to now cleanse your knife before using it. Decant some into your spray-bottle and spray the knife, then pour a little bit on the knife to flush it further. Once done, speak over the knife and dedicate it to your higher self. If you have a dedicated blade for this purpose, focus primarily on declaring your intention over the blade.
You can still cleanse yourself even if you’ve opted out of using a knife for whatever reason. Including confidence! Let yourself practice if need be. There are some herbs that can work similarly to cleansing by knife. For now, I’ll recommend doing what you can with a combination of lemon and lime juice.
In some instances (skin condition permitting), you may be able to use a teaspoon of hydrogen peroxide - just do not let your spiritual bath come in contact with the hair on your head. I normally do not prescribe peroxide baths to my clients unless there’s a significant substantiating reason for me to do so (e.g., magical bindings that used blood).
Remember: work with what you can.
When you’re ready, get naked and proceed to the next step.
Work Your Knife
If using the knife, I recommend working with it first: the knife can cut and push at things not easily removed by water alone. Once they come into contact with the knife, however, they’re much easier to get rid of and can be flushed away by other steps in the ritual. Grab your blade, letting your attention flow to your wielding hand, and say a prayer like this:
My trouble is cleaved from me
And is cast down;
It washes away with the water.
It is my blade that cleaves my trouble,
It is my blade that casts it down.
Let the cut of this blade cut only what my soul desires for it to cut
Let the cut of this blade never take what my soul intends to keep
Let my trouble now be cleaved from me,
Let it be cast down;
Let all that troubled me be washed away with water.
Move carefully with the knife. Use slow, brushing strokes down and out, starting from several inches near the top of your head. You can pray and declare while sweeping the knife down and away from you. If you can reach your entire body, slowly sweep your entire body and the front of your feet. If only parts of your body are accessible to you, focus on them. When you’re done, spray your knife with the spiritual bath water you decanted into a bottle, pour a little from the pitcher of water, and set it aside outside your shower.
Work Your Saltwater and Spray
If you have a protective or water-sensitive style, please note: skip pouring this over your head and hair unless it’s wash day, since you’d need to rinse this out for practical and spiritual reasons. Just focus on the forehead, face, and back of your neck (which is an entrypoint for incoming spiritual data). You may also want to consider working prayers into the products that you use for maintenance, too.
You can pray before pouring the bath over yourself, but it’s not necessary. Make sure you get the bath water all over you, then spray around yourself. Once that’s done, you’ll “air dry” for a bit. Stand for at least a minute before proceeding to the next step. Use this time to do one or several of the following:
Pray: pray to your higher self and any power that you trust
Affirm: use your favorite cleansing and clearing affirmations, especially if you acquired The Little Book of Keys
Visualize: any white light or other clearing visualizations you do during this moment will support your cleansing efforts
When you’re ready, go ahead and rinse off, then spray around the shower before starting your normal soap-down. Praying or affirming into your soap/lather is optional, but recommended. You can either flush the shower stall with diluted vinegar at the very end of your shower or in-between steps - in all but severe cases, it will not matter.
Adding Protection
Now that you’ve stepped out of your shower and dried off, we’re at your final step: applying your protection of choice. Here’s a few:
a spiritual spray prepared for protective purposes
ritually prepared oils and perfumes
uncharged oils, lotions and butters that you pray into after your cleansing
charged lotions and butters
If you’re new to spiritual cleansing, I recommend working with either a premade material or an uncharged one. The latter helps you to control for psychic contamination: after a few rounds of the above ritual, you will feel the difference in any products that you prepared in earlier seasons. This is why I always recommend that folks new to spiritual hygiene work build small batches to start with.
Once that’s done, I recommend wearing light, loosely-fitting clothing for the remainder of your waking hours. Other than that, congratulations! You’ve completed your cleansing. Pay close attention to any omens, synchronicities, or dreams that you may have in the nights that follow.
Conclusion
This process may seem long, but employing it often may increase the speed and efficacy with which you complete it. At bare minimum, your comfort levels with this cleansing ritual can open the way for you to experiment with it further, adding in other tools if your resources allow. Also, if it feels prayer-heavy: it is. Remember that you can recite or perform prayers mentally while completing each step; speaking aloud is not a requirement for this to work.
May you be clear, and in alignment with your higher self.
Ready for a more in-depth approach to spiritual cleansing and more? More advanced strategies will be discussed in the Matrix Lab. Click here to see what else access to the Lab can grant you.
