Purification of Tools by Galandrea

[Dept of PMM Artists & things]

Purification of Your Ritual Tools

Purification and dedication of your Wiccan ritual tools should be done as soon as you can after you get them.

Certainly purify them at least, before using or wearing the object!

Items that have a heavy or dark or hot energy need purification. This is particularly true of crystals. When clear, they will feel cool, tingly, bright, or positive.

A purified object is much more powerful than a contaminated one, and its magick is less likely to go awry.

Purification, dedication, and consecration of ritual objects take place in sacred space - that is, within Ritual. So begin by casting a Circle.

 Before going further, check that the item won't be harmed first.

Water - Crystals and other stones may be damaged by hot water. Always use cool water. Some crystals may be damaged even by cool water, I've heard, but I've never experienced that. Leather may harden in water. Fabric may run, fade, or shrink - especially in hot.

Sunlight - Gem stones, crystals, and other items may also be damaged - faded, melted, or broken by the heat.

Salt - Opals, metal, leather, and fabric can be damaged by salt, either dry or in water.

Smudging or Flame - Stones may be damaged by heat. Other items, like cloth and plant material, may be flammable - use extreme care.

Moon Bath

The simplest way to purify Wiccan tools is to bathe them in Moonlight. This will not only cleanse them, but recharge them as well.

Except for the very lightest cleansing, you'll probably need to leave them at least one full cycle of the Moon. Full to Full, or Dark to Dark, whichever feels right to you. For lighter Moon-washes, use the Waning Moonlight.

If your altar is in the Moonlight, this is the best place to leave your ritual tools for a Moon bath. Otherwise, hanging them in a tree is good. (If it's sparkly and you have lots of crows, ravens, or magpies around though, they might make off with it when you're not looking!)

Herb Baths

You can bury your Wiccan tools in herbs for cleansing. Particularly effective are rose petals, sage, and mint. This is a great way to clean sacred objects, but it can take a while.

Sea Salt
A faster method is a sea salt bath. You can bury your Wiccan tools in dry sea salt, or a salt-water bath.

Washing it in the Ocean, or even running wild water like a river, is even better.

If it feels like it needs a very deep cleansing, you can leave it in the salt water for a period of time - even in the Moonlight, for a double whammy. 

Earth Cleansing

You can bury certain items in Earth for purification - like stones and crystals. This will do a very deep cleansing.

Simply bury them, pointing downward, into Earth outdoors, between the roots of a tree is ideal. If you can't manage that, bury them with a potted plant.

The real trick to this method of purification is remembering exactly where you buried your ritual tools! Be sure to leave a marker that is unlikely to be removed.

Smudging

Even more rapid is smudging, particularly using cedar or sage. Pass the ritual tools through the smoke a few times. This is enough for most purposes. But you can do as much as you need.

This is a great method for healing tools, especially stones.

Bathing In Light

Similar to smudging, you can pass ritual tools through (or above) the flame of your Goddess candle.

The Light will purify and remove any negative energies.

It needs to be done carefully, to avoid burning yourself and scorching your tools.

Cleansing Breath

After coming to a place of calm and peace, you can blow into your ritual tools, with the intention of being a conduit for Divine Energy.

Blow the negativity away, and blow positivity in - imagining this as white or golden light replacing any shadows in the object.