Bath Magic: Where to Begin
Hey y'all, C here. Today we’ll be talking in depth about the practice of bath magic.
If you look around most traditional parts of the magical community, you’ll notice that bathing for ritual work or spell work is a fairly common practice. So what do I mean when I say that I specialize in bath magic? For me, bathing and witchcraft go hand in hand, and I do a ritual in the bath once a month at the very least. I’ve always loved the serenity and focus (not to mention complete selfishness) of taking baths, and so as I’ve grown into my craft it seemed like a natural place to draw magical energy. I find that the hot temperature of the water makes it very easy for me to get to a trance-like state (if not outright do trance work) and being naked in the water gives me a great place of vulnerability and rawness to begin any kind of spell work. T and I also use bathing in our shared craft to begin most of our major rituals, and that entails doing a cleansing bath with a special kind of locally made bath salts that we have been using since the very beginning.
So what do my bath spells usually look like? To be honest, they vary a lot based on my resources at any given moment and the purpose of the spell. There are some things that I do every time such as:
• dedicating the bath for myself by placing a talisman or crystal (or other object I carry a lot/feel represents me) on the rim of the tub
• placing candles (often in corresponding magical colors and scents) around the tub and bathroom to add to the magical energy of the space
• making sure the water drawn is hot enough to remain warm for 40+ minutes and get me to a trancing state but not too hot as to burn my skin or make it uncomfortable for me to be in the water
I also put something into the water every time I do bath magic, and in fact that is where I believe most of the magical intent is decided. This also widely varies with the type of spell. Some things I’ve done are:
• just throw in a handful of Epsom salts for a super basic cleansing. I also use these (in addition to some other ingredients) when I’m doing a real trance or astral travel or trying to communicate with a deity because they make me feel floatier in the water and therefore easier to forget my body
• put in a few drops of different kinds of essential oils based on their magical associations
• drop in some tea bags (like mint or chamomile or bags I’ve already used first for drinking) while the water is running to get a good infusion
• use bath salts that already have essential oils or herbs (or even glitter!) in the mixture. I use bath salts that I make myself, that T makes for me, and store bought and locally made mixtures, all with good results. It all depends on what I’m feeling at the time.
• use pre-made bath bombs, melts, and bubblers from Lush (although I’m sure one could use stuff like this from anywhere) based on the ingredients and names of the products. I’ve used Sex Bomb for a glamour and sex spell, Space Girl for glamour and deity exploration (I do a lot of glamours), etc.
The practice of bath magic is great because we live in a society where bathing itself is so culturally charged to be reflective and purposeful. For that reason, it is also a great way to practice your craft that is not suspicious, or questioned by people you may live with. Even at their worst, taking long baths appears only over-indulgent. But I can live with that.
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