SPIRITUAL BATHS

I learned about using spiritual baths through the Maya teachings of Miss Beatrice Waight and Rosita Arvigo. Watch for Rosita's upcoming book on Spiritual Bathing--it is used by most spiritual traditions in one form or another!

Spiritual baths are especially helpful in healing past pains, sorrows, & traumas. You could do one bath or a series, intending to do whatever is your special number of baths, on a daily or weekly schedule. The intention is to bring the help of the plants and your prayers into the water, then let it splash through your aura or energy body, which surrounds your physical body, to cleanse & revivify it. The tiny droplets of splashing water reflect rainbows into the aura, bringing the promise of your prayers into your energies.

This is how I do my weekly bath. I also do it if I need special cleansing after a traumatic or difficult event:

First I sit before my altar, having done my daily meditation & prayers, and form an intention to seek the plants in my yard and home that will be part of my spiritual bath. When it's winter, pine needles are a possibility to add a living plant. Sometimes I use roses from the store--but be aware that they are sprayed and probably have chemicals on them you may not want to use on your body. I sometimes use dried herbs--but they are less vital and also, unless you picked them, may have been grown & picked in an unloving way, that doesn't honor the plant spirit. I gather any herbs with prayers to the spirit of those plants, asking their help for your intention for healing & renewal and giving thanks for their help.

One herbal friend, Ann Drucker taught me an African song to greet the plants-- I really like singing to them. I give a little offering to the living plant-- I often offer something of myself -- my saliva for moisture in the dry Colorado climate and a tiny piece of my hair for compost. I collect a special number of leaves or blossoms or sprigs from a special number of plants, according to what honors the amount of plant living there. For example- today I collected 13 cherry blossoms, 9 comfrey leaves, 3 grape hyacinths, 9 springs of lemon balm, & 3 sprigs of oregon grape blossoms. In Belize I did one bath with just orange blossoms-- it was heavenly! ( If I use dried herbs, use a special number of sprigs or pinches or buds.)

Next I put the collected plants into my huge ceramic bowl-- in Belize we used big plastic buckets, which work great when outside bathing and you can freely splash around. Somehow to me using metal wouldn't be right. I put the herbs in, some pure water and then sit in front of my altar, with copal incense & candles burning and ask the blessings I desire. While praying I tear and rub and schmoosh the leaves and blossoms up into tiny pieces and the water starts to turn color from the plant material. I do this for about 10-15 minutes. I like to sing again-- "Sacred plant spirits hear my song, make my way sacred, fill me with beauty....Fill me with beauty , that I may bring others beauty...." this is one of my favorites. Then I let the mixture sit for several hours-- in the sunlight if possible or in front of my altar.

When it's time to bathe--first I shower or bathe as usual. Then I have my incense & candle lit nearby and the strained liquid (so I don't clog the drain!) which I splash over myself, standing in the tub. (It can be a little messy!) If you live where you have a private outdoor space and it's warm enough-- you can do it outside and really go to town with the splashing. (a bathing suit is acceptable if necessary for modesty sake out of doors) Afterwards, leave the wetness and any herb material on you--just blot or air dry if possible. I find that blossoms make my skin sooooo soft.

Be sure to put the remaining plant material back to the mother earth in an honorable way--don't throw into a trash!! It is sacred.

Try this! It's a special way to pray and bring your love to yourself. --- Terra Rafael, healer & midwife.