Woo-Cleansing Solutions
Disclaimer- I promise nothing. Be sensible about your own allergies. And when in doubt, don’t drink it. Matter of fact nothing in this post is food safe once mixed, so drink none of it.
So you have a person in need of cleansing, whether to break up gunk or keep them soft and squishy. And you have the ability/desire to use a bath-type thing to do so. But then....you kinda stutter to a screeching halt. What do? What can you add to your baths (or headwashes/handwashes, we’ll get to that bit) to promote the vibe you want?
For one, watch this video. I am fond of his channel, and that’s a good place to start. And it does work outside of the Espiritismo tradition as a gunk-buster and energetically cooling mix. For those of us outside said tradition, who may not be able to find the ingredients, alternatives will be listed.
But first, the big question- Can you allow this mix to dry on you, or do you have to rinse? Mixes with whole herbs or ones heavy on honey or sugars may be best soaked in in the bath, then gently rinsed off. In general it’s best to let it dry on you, but an alternative is to rinse, pat dry, then smear a little bit on the back of the neck, the inner wrist, or anywhere else energetically important to you, and let that air dry. Life intervenes in all things, even woo. It is important, though, to be physically clean before using these. So do a scrub, wash your hair, then worry about woo-cleansing.
Bath Time- Our first run through assumes optimal conditions- a bath tub to soak in, time to drip-dry after, and time to soak in said tub. Before you go in for the pre-game scrubdown (or as early as the night before), get some rolled oats and fill a jar or glass a quarter full of oats, then fill the rest with water. Mix well and set in the fridge. You want the oat water- as anyone who remembers childhood chickenpox, oatmeal soothes. Its also an important food-grain and makes a decent poultice to pull poison, if you ever get stung by a wasp. Good stuff to have.
Get a large bowl- I have some silver-plate bowls from the thrift store that I adore, but to each their own. Carefully strain off the oatmeal water- just the water, leave the mush in the jar- and add to bowl.
If you have it or can find it, coconut water and coconut milk are wonderful additions, especially if the idea of sitting in cow-based dairy isn’t your favorite. Beyond the attributes mentioned in the afore-linked video, these leave your skin soft. A warning- the coconut milk is fatty, so you’ll want to hose out your tub with hot water, at least, and your hair will probably not need conditioner that day. On the bright side, if you have a sunburn it works wonders at soothing the irritation on your skin. I try to find ones that are without as many additives as possible- coconut water is easier to find. Trader Joes has coconut milk and cream without additives, but the brand Chaona is good too, with only one added preservative and has the bonus of coming in smaller cans. For a full bath I generally use one can of milk and two of water. Add it if you want it.
Make some tea, if you have it to spare- mint and/or green tea are both cooling, chamomile calms, etc. Brew it as strong as you like and add to the mix- add it hot or cold, no worries.
Florida Water- you can find this at Walmart, in the ethnic personal products section, on the West Coast. If you don’t have it, don’t add it.
Honey, by preference- dissolve a teaspoonful-ish of honey in a cup of hot water, add. Honey cleanses beautifully, and that rate of dilution shouldn’t cause sticky situations later.
Rainwater, wellwater, stormwater, dew, holy water- if you got it and you like it, add it.
Witch Hazel- I’m not fond of the smell, but its a valid addition.
Top up your bowl with the temperature of water that pleases you. Please note that you will be dumping this over your naked self, and it’ll feel colder once it gets there. Also, if you used coconut milk and it’s kind of lumpy, a little hot water helps melt it.
Take it to the bathroom and set it in an easily accessible area adjacent to the tub. Get in and start the water running. Keep it blood warm or cooler- we are cleansing, not trying for a sauna. Once you have some water to splash in, grab your bowl and pour it directly over your head. Then scoop up some water in the tub, and pour that over your head. Roll if you can. Pour if you can’t. Submerge at least once. Then sit for as long as you are able in your bath and absorb.
Headwash- Same procedure as before, though you may choose to omit the coconut milk if your hair tends to the oily side. This is useful if you have a shower-only bathroom setup- wash as normal, turn off the water, then just before you step out pour the bowl over your head.
Handwash- ok, so you can’t (for various reasons) allow either of the previous methods. It also works when you have little to no time. Instead, to a bowl of clean water add a splash of milk (coconut or regular cow), brewed tea of the aforementioned types, any special waters, Florida Water or witch hazel, and a dribble of honey. Mix. If you can, scrub it into your skin up to the elbows. If you can’t, rinse your hands through it several times. You can also put this in a tub and soak your feet in it.
So, why do this at all? Living, on its own, brings a certain amount of gunk with it. Think of it as the woo-equivalent of the crud that gets on your shoes. Just by walking it accumulates no matter how nice your shoes are. And of course sometimes you step in something nasty and need to get rid of it.
A full bath is like the deluxe cycle at the car wash- lots of detailing and a wax coat that helps prevent more dirt. The headwash is the regular carwash cycle- dirt’s off, no extras. The handwash (or footbath) is the critical cleaning of windows- you gotta keep them clean so you can see. All have their place and use.
To Expand On A Basic Bath- make some tinctures. I have some rosemary steeping in vodka I use for a lot, and adding a healthy glug to a bath is very useful. I make a tobacco tincture too, and that is very nice, both in aroma and in metaphysical properties. I buy a quality pipe tobacco for it and the result ends up with a vanilla-scent to it. A little goes a long way, so a spoonful generally works for a full bath for me. Rosewater, bought or made, adds aroma and protective qualities.
Enjoy.
