The Big Book of Practical Spells: Everyday Magic That Works - Judika Illes 2016

Florida Water
Aura-Cleansing Spells
Spells

For centuries, explorers, adventurers and spiritual seekers searched Earth for miraculous healing waters: the water of life, the Fountain of Youth, holy water that would cleanse you of your sins. Ponce de Leon scoured what is now Florida searching for the Fountain of Youth. He never found it but one of the most popular modern purification formulas is known as Florida Water.

Florida Water has a lovely, fresh, citrus-floral aroma. It's suitable for use purely as a refreshing bath, cologne or facial toner but in the Vodoun/Santeria community, Florida Water is much more. It's believed to have great spiritual significance and is an old stand-by for spirit cleansing and protection.

Animal Allies for Aura Cleansing

Deer ✵ Dove ✵ Vulture

Keep an image or figure of one or more of these creatures near you as you perform your purification ritual. If you are recovering from trauma and feel the need for intensive aura cleansing, keep an image close to your body: wear or carry a charm. Learn all that you can about these animals' lives and habits, meditate upon their images and wait for healing advice.

· Put some in a spray bottle to sprinkle over an area or person.

· Keep a spray bottle in the refrigerator to revive your energy.

· Blend some with pure glycerin soap and pour into a mold to make soap bars.

· Add an equal amount of Florida Water to unscented liquid soap for a cleansing, foaming bath.

There are as many recipes for Florida Water as there are practitioners. Here are two.

Florida Water Formula #1

2 cups vodka or other alcohol*

2 tablespoons rose water

16 drops essential oil of bergamot

12 drops essential oil of lavender

6 drops essential oil of lemon

2 drops essential oil of jasmine

2 drops rose attar

Florida Water Formula #2

2 cups vodka or other alcohol*

2 tablespoons orange flower water

1 tablespoon turmeric

16 drops essential oil of bergamot

12 drops essential oil of lavender

6 drops essential oil of lemon

Silver is the metal that promotes purification and provides protection.

2 drops rose attar

2 drops essential oil of neroli

Combine all the ingredients in a bottle. If using Formula #2, shake vigorously to distribute the turmeric.

Candomblé Cleansing Incense

This formula is popular in the African-Brazilian spiritual tradition of Candomblé.

Frankincense resin

Myrrh resin

Powdered thyme

1. Use equal proportions or allow your nose to guide you.

2. Grind the resins together, then add the powdered thyme and burn.

Aura-Cleansing Incense

The following formula is called for whenever any enchantment results in uneasiness, also known as “look what the Ouija board dragged in.”

Agrimony

Mugwort

Sage

Burn equal parts of the dried herbs.

Spirit Ally: Tlazolteotl

Tlazolteotl is the Aztec Spirit of Garbage. She cleanses Earth of psychic and physical waste. Decorate her altar with obsidian, smoky quart and/or turquoise and images of her favorite animals: bats, owls and ravens. Tlazolteotl invented the temazcal sweat bath to assist humans with purification. They are once again popular in Mexico; perhaps a visit is called for. If this is not possible, try a steam bath instead.

Coconut Cleansing Candle

White or brown pour-and-melt wax*

Pure coconut extract

Container (ideally half a coconut shell or a terra-cotta pot)

Candle wick

This candle's fragrance will perfume and cleanse the room where it's placed even when not burning.

1. Melt the wax according to package directions.

2. Stir in the coconut extract. The quantity depends upon your taste for the fragrance: you need enough for the aroma to be clear and distinct.

Sage planted around your house constantly purifies the atmosphere. Different species bear different types of flowers, in varying shades. Experiment and see which pleases you most.

For heavy-duty cleansing, burn some incense in the bathroom as you draw the bath, strategically arrange some amethyst clusters and light some white, yellow or brown candles. A coconut-scented candle is ideal as that fragrance is reputed to send most malevolent entities running for the hills. To be effective, though, it has to be real coconut, not artificial. If you can't find one, make one yourself.

3. Pour the melted, scented wax into a terra-cotta pot, half a coconut shell or any other safe container.

4. Make sure that the wick is attached safely, either by holding it in place until the wax hardens or by attaching it to a pencil laid over the top of the container.

5. Allow the wax to harden.

Obeah-Style Coconut Cleansing Candle

Based upon formulas deriving from Jamaican spiritual traditions, this potent candle is housed in a coconut but impregnated with other tropical fragrances.

White or brown pour-and-melt wax*

Half a coconut shell

Essential oils of ginger, jasmine, lemon, myrrh, patchouli

Candle wick

1. Melt the wax according to package directions

2. Before pouring, but after removing from the heat source, stir in the essential oils.

3. Add the wax to the shell, making sure that the wick is attached safely as above.

You may also feel the need to spiritually cleanse an area. There are a number of tried-and-true easy methods of banishing any “bad vibrations.” Many magical practitioners also feel that prior to any serious magic, for best success, the aura of the room should be as thoroughly cleansed and prepared as your own.

Vinegar Room Cleanser

One cup of vinegar in a bowl placed within a room purifies the atmosphere. Essential oils may be added as wished, with sandalwood and/or frankincense particularly effective.

Egg Bedroom Cleanser

Eggs are believed capable of absorbing negativity and psychic toxins. Consider them spiritual vacuum cleaners. Put one or two eggs* under the bed in a bowl of pure water to cleanse the atmosphere. Replace the eggs after a week. Should an egg develop a foul smell before the week is up, it's essentially indicating that the vacuum bag is full: replace immediately. Discard the old ones, don't eat them.

A new home should always be cleansed if only to imprint your own personal, positive energy and begin with a fresh, clean slate. Don't bring your old broom to your new home, with the remnants of any spiritual garbage clinging to it. (This doesn't include brooms used solely for ritual purposes.) If the old residents have left you their broom, don't use that one either.

Flower essences that promote a sense of spiritual cleanliness include Chaparral (FES, Pegasus), Crab Apple (Bach, Green Hope, Healing Herbs, Pegasus) and Pine (Bach, Healing Herbs).

Egg Domestic Dispute Disposal

Has a domestic dispute left you feeling shaken? (Not afraid—if that's the case, check the following protection spells.) Has the tense atmosphere failed to dissipate? To clear up these bad feelings, place one unbroken, uncooked egg in each corner of a room. Leave them there until the dark cloud lifts or for up to seven days. (If things aren't better within seven days, eggs alone won't do the trick!)

Eggs do have the disadvantage of being breakable. If you have kids, pets or you really need a big clean-up job, try onions instead. (This spell is also very good for cleansing the atmosphere when there's one room that just never feels right in your new home.)

Onion Bad-Vibe Removal

Chop one onion into quarters and place one piece in each corner of the room. Do not peel the onion. Allow the onion to remain overnight. Gather the pieces up the next day and, wearing rubber gloves, chop them (by hand, please! No food processors for this spell) and bury the small pieces outside. Repeat this process for five nights.

Hawaiian Aura Cleanser

Traditional Hawaiians used turmeric to cleanse an area or an individual in much the same way that Native North Americans might use sage, sweetgrass or cedar. Turmeric also produces a potent—and permanent—bright yellow dye. Watch out for fabrics and carpets.

Powdered turmeric (you may also use grated fresh turmeric rhizome, if available)

Water

1. Add the turmeric to the water.

2. Using a large leaf or feather, (a ti leaf was traditional) sprinkle the mixture wherever you perceive cleansing is needed.

3. This is a general purification formula, suitable for people, pets, crystals as well as rooms and areas.

Angelica Floor Wash

To cleanse a bad atmosphere from a room and provide spiritual protection.

1. Make a strong infusion from dried angelica.

2. Strain out the herbs.

3. Add the infusion with some white vinegar to a bucket of water to cleanse floors and surfaces.

To cleanse and renew defiled or tainted magical tools, bathe them in an agrimony and/or mugwort infusion. Alternatively, pass them through myrrh smoke.

Aura-cleansing essential oils include frankincense, manuka (New Zealand tea tree), myrrh, pine and rosemary. Essential oil of thyme can also be very effective, however, it's not safe for frequent use and not at all during pregnancy. Look for lemon thyme or thyme linalool, the gentlest types.

Banish Bad Vibes Floor Wash

Agrimony

Peppermint

1. Make a strong herbal infusion from the dried herbs.

2. Strain out the solids and add to a bucket of water with some white vinegar to cleanse floors and surfaces.

New Home Floor Wash

Basil: prosperity

Hyssop: cleansing and protection

Pine needles: new beginnings

1. Make a strong infusion from the dried botanicals (see page 16).

2. Strain out the solids.

3. Add to a bucket of water with some white vinegar and wash those floors!

* Alcohol must be minimum 60 proof. Vodka is preferable only because it has no fragrance. Florida Water is for ritual use, not for drinking.

* Available from craft stores as well as candle supply stores.

* Available from craft stores as well as candle supply stores.

* The number of eggs under the bed is based on the number of people regularly sleeping in it. If you have a family bed, add more as needed.