Ritual Bath or Shower:
A ritual bath is a sacred space to hold your body and do the magic you guide it to. This bath is a pause to support shifting into a new season, honoring the plants of summer into fall and asking for their support to release and nourish you body. The ingredients I have used many equinoxes. So, Tonight or one day this week, I want you to devote 30 mins to yourself. Ask support if you need to for this. If 15 mins is all you can carve, do that. Light 3 candles, I like white, green and orange this season. Any will do. Turn the lights off in your bathroom-the only light should be from candles. Play music if you like, or keep it silent. Fill your bath with warm water (not too hot). Add the ingredients listed below, all of them, some or just one. If you cannot access marigolds and Roses harvest a couple flowers or plants growing around you. As you pick these flowers, only take 3. only take what wants to be given to you-ask the flower for permission ( if you start to pull and it doesn’t want to let go-that is a no, respect it’s boundary). Give thanks to the flower and it’s surrounding area. You can also look into your own seasonal ancestral flower rituals and make your bath with these. If you do not have access to a bath, use the ingredients in the shower (with out the salt) or add it to a big bowl to soak your feet in.
Before entering the bath light a little rosemary if you have some or cinnamon stick.let the smoke surround your body, let it hover over your bath as a blessing. As the water fills keep lights off and door closed with the plants, crystals, oils and salt soaking. Journal a little bit-what did you learn this summer? What are you letting go of to enter a new season? How have you changed? What blossomed and what died?. Soak for 30 mins. Rub the flowers on your body if it feels good.
Give a thank you to the plants, oils, salt, water, crystals and spirits. Speak 3 things you would like to release from this season to the water and then release the drain and let it go. After, Rub your favorite oil or body cream on your body. Do it slow and intentional, feel into your beautiful vessel. If it feels good journal a little bit after about how you feel now and some intentions for the fall season. Take a sensual selfie of yourself after the bath or shower. Send it to your friends or post on IG if it feels good. Honor your ritual, your solitude, your heart and body.
Notes on Plants:
-Marigolds are protectors. They are gatekeepers of the garden, they are sacral chakra healers. They hold space for divine growth, healing, tenderness and they smell like fall. This time of year I wear them in my hair, adorn my altar with them, make flower essence with them and add them to my ritual baths. Look into their magic and look into your ancestral flower allies if you are able to. It is the season of honoring those who have passed on. I like to place flowers for my passed on ancestors that they loved on my altar. The veil is thinning. it is a beautiful time to give offerings, feed them and connect.
-Roses nourish our hearts, teach us to slowly and gloriously bloom and teach us boundaries and protection. The thorns are for a reason. They are part of the sacred Rose family and have been used in many cultures for rituals and adornments. They bloom peak in summer and dry beautifully for tea and magic in the winter.Try caressing one over your body. Smell them as you pass one on the street.
-Olive oil is nourishing and resilient. It teaches us transformation and heart nourishment-it’s magic is released from compression and can be used for so many things from cooking to our skin to plant magic. They give our heart lots of love, soften us physically and energetically and teach us the power of fluidity. I love olive oil in my bath. Taste some too, it’s aromatic and has a bite of spice.
-Tea Tree oil and Rosemary oil are both sacred clearers and protectors. They heal, ease inflammation and soothe. Rosemary is antiviral and antibacterial. It’s aroma is calming for the nervous system. Tea Tree clears and is astringent. Be gentle with these oils, a little bit goes a long way. never put directly on skin with out carrier oil or diluting.
-Sea salt honors the earth and ocean, fluidity and healing. Salt clears, holds space and supports release as well as protection. It can pull out toxins from the body as we soak and ease wounds physically and energetically.
-Quartz clears, releases and protects. I wear it on me every day. Place in your bath to shift any gook or energetic build up from the day or season.
-Honey is sweet, healing and reminds us to respect the bees, ecosystems, summer harvest and collective care. It reminds us to savor sweetness amidst the pain and wild world. It is SO good for seasonal allergies. Please only get local honey if you can to support the bee ecosystem/farmers and use for fall and spring in small doses. Maple syrup can be a nice alternative too or skip the honey if you can’t get honey from your area.
Ritual Bath Ingredients:
3 marigold flowers
Petals of one Rose
1/4 cup sea salt
one clear or smoky quartz
2 tbsp olive oil or other plant oil
2 drops Tea Tree Oil
2 drops Rosemary oil
1 tbsp Raw Local Honey
