Spiritual Hygiene

Life is hard. There are so many hurdles and unexpected challenges that we are confronted with on a daily basis. These challenges come in many forms ranging from how we feel emotionally to situations that affect us deeply and stick with us for a while. Each of these events leaves a type of residue on our spirits, and over time that residue can build up and develop into a serious condition that interferes with our focus and motivation. We see these types of conditions as a spiritual illness. Spiritual illnesses act in a similar way as physical illnesses, draining our energy, clouding our minds and making it much more difficult for us to pursue our goals. As spiritual practitioners, it is our responsibility to be able to identify and correct spiritual illnesses. This is when spiritual hygiene comes in. 

First, let's discuss taking responsibility for the choices we make in our lives. It is far too easy for us to blame everything on external influences. Not everything is caused by others, we are responsible for the majority of negativity that we entertain in our lives and it is necessary for us to first ask the question “How am I creating negative conditions for myself?” Really sit down and try to see in which way you've accepted a negative situation, people and environments in your life, be honest with yourself. Make sure to record  these thoughts in some type of journal so that you can return to them later with new realizations, use this as your starting point. Find the courage to address these situations, people and environments and commit to making a change.

After taking the time to be honest with yourself and making those changes, it’s time to be honest about the circumstances in your life that are far too “rooted” for you to easily address them. These circumstances are going to be the focus of your cleansing. Just like you recorded your own internal issues, make sure to record your external issues. Your list should include family, friends, co-workers, acquaintances and anyone and everyone that influences your life. After your list is complete, it’s time to think about the best ways to combat that energy.

Clean your space - Your external environment is a direct reflection of your internal landscape. Doing a deep clean of your home and work space is a good place to start bringing order to all aspects of your life. After your space is clean, use a floor wash to remove stagnant energies from your surroundings. Clean the flood from the back of the house to the front to direct unwanted influences out of the space. You can use a powder recipe if your floors are carpeted. After the floors are cleaned and blessed, burn frankincense in each room while praying for renewal and balance. Be very careful of who you let into your home. Become mindful of the energies your guests are bringing with them. Do a house cleansing and blessing at least  once a month. 

Clean yourself - Spiritual baths are staple for any conjure workers practice. They are the perfect way to wash away the cumulative negative energies of everyday life including, stress, depression, procrastination and bad habits. A spiritual should be used once a week as a preventative measure to avoid having to deal with an overwhelming amount of negative energy. To make a simple bath recipe fill a small pot halfway with water and bring to a simmer. Add equal parts hyssop, angelica root, and mint to the water and let simmer for about ten minutes. After ten minutes add three cups of rum and half a bottle of florida water to the simmering pot. Let simmer for another five minutes and then turn the heat off. Slowly stir the mixture clockwise while reading Psalms 51 three times. Store your bath in a glass container and place it somewhere cool. Use about five cups of the mixture for every bath. 

Maintain a regular spiritual practice - Maintaining a consistent practice of honoring your ancestors, prayer, meditation and spiritual work is the cornerstone of spiritual hygiene. Make a schedule for your practice.  Every day do at least one thing that supports your spiritual growth. You can use the days of the week to rotate specific rituals and prayers, spacing them out in a way that makes sense for your lifestyle. Here is a sample schedule that you can use as a template for your own. 

It’s never too late to begin paying more attention to the health of your spirit, so start today. Much of the emotional weight that we experience through our daily lives can be attributed to poor spiritual hygiene. Staying on top of your practice ensures that you avoid that weight, and instead invite positive energy into your life. When our lives are filled with positive energy everything around us improves, including our personal relationships, our motivation and our finances resulting in all around improved well being. The most important part of any spiritual practice is the time you dedicate to it. A well throughout schedule will get you in the habit of taking inventory of your spiritual state. Always remember that an optimistic attitude goes a long way so try to be kind to yourself and the people you love.