Are candles necessary for a spiritual cleansing bath?

[Asatru]

Hello all.

I am planning to do a spiritual cleansing bath and was wondering if candles are necessary. If so what is their role in the ritual?

[Satu]

Re: Are candles necessary for a spiritual cleansing bath?

Honestly, I think it's going to depend on you personally.

For me, candles serve two purposes:

1. They set the mood. Lighting candles and turning down the lights really gets me in the mood for spiritual work.
2. They represent fire in its most benign, negativity-clearing form.

[Torey]

Re: Are candles necessary for a spiritual cleansing bath?

Satu is right in that it depends upon you and your personal path/beliefs.

IMHO, however - they are not necessary.

[Asatru]

Re: Are candles necessary for a spiritual cleansing bath?

Very helpful answers. I know what I will do now. Thank you.

[Ophidia]

Re: Are candles necessary for a spiritual cleansing bath?

Things like cleansing baths, smudging, visualizations of yourself in little white balls of light - they help build a spiritual atmosphere. They take you out of 'mundane space' and place you into 'sacred space'. Not all traditions use cleansing baths, or fasting (be it from food or sex or whatever), or even a 'sacred circle' to do ritual work. Sometimes, magic just happens, even when you're dirty.

[thalassa]

Re: Are candles necessary for a spiritual cleansing bath?

Things like cleansing baths, smudging, visualizations of yourself in little white balls of light - they help build a spiritual atmosphere. They take you out of 'mundane space' and place you into 'sacred space'. Not all traditions use cleansing baths, or fasting (be it from food or sex or whatever), or even a 'sacred circle' to do ritual work. Sometimes, magic just happens, even when you're dirty.

This!


/10 char

[Tylluan Penry]

Re: Are candles necessary for a spiritual cleansing bath?

Soap and water usually does me fine. Do a blessing over them is an option. The thing is, you want it to feel special for you, so sit down and work out exactly what you need. Personally, after raising a lot of children in a ramshackle house full of pets and spiders, I'd settle for a bit of peace and quiet to make me feel special. But I'm sure you get my drift - and good luck!

[Asatru]

Re: Are candles necessary for a spiritual cleansing bath?

Things like cleansing baths, smudging, visualizations of yourself in little white balls of light - they help build a spiritual atmosphere. They take you out of 'mundane space' and place you into 'sacred space'. Not all traditions use cleansing baths, or fasting (be it from food or sex or whatever), or even a 'sacred circle' to do ritual work. Sometimes, magic just happens, even when you're dirty.

In my case the cleansing bath is the ritual. I'm not doing it to prepare for any other ritual work.

[Petra Filiz]

Re: Are candles necessary for a spiritual cleansing bath?

I understand from the reading a candle focuses the higher spiritual forces to cause effects.