Living Waters Bath

Mikveh: The Holy and Healing Bath of Living Waters

Judaism, one of the traditions close to my heart, has a long and rich history of ritual bathing.  The mikveh (מקווה) is a traditional Jewish bath.  The word refers both the ritual and also to the bathing pool itself.  The word literally means “collection”, because the key feature of mikveh is that it is a bath in “living water”, that is, water collected from natural sources, such as rain or springs.  In Judaism, mikveh is used to ensure the bather is in a state of ritual purity. Many women choose to immerse in the mikveh every month after they finish menstruating.  It is also used before certain rituals, including conversion, at New Years, and many other times.  People immerse to help speed healing, and objects can be immersed to cleanse them; cookware, for example, is koshered in this manner.  The mikveh is a gateway to the liminal; like the waters of the womb, it washes us as we move from one life to another, as we transform ourselves.

Of all the magical baths I make, I think this one is the most powerful.  It is excellent preparation for almost any kind of magical work, and is also good as a stand alone ritual.  It can be used for healing, purification, or as a regular feature of your magical life.  Alone among the baths in this book, this one is in liquid form BEFORE being added to the bath.  Few of us have the ability to bathe in living waters year-round, although, if your climate and location permit, I cannot recommend strongly enough bathing in a river or other natural body of water.  The goal of this bath is to allow you to recreate that experience whenever you like.  This bath recipe serves to magically heighten the natural properties of the living water you’ve collected, and to preserve it for future use.  Because of the high salt content, it will keep indefinitely, so long as it is kept in sealed containers.

Ingredients:

• 1 gallon living water (rain water, river water, melted snow, etc.  I like to use a variety)
• 2 cups dead sea salt (or another kind of salt from a location sacred to you)
• A small handful of frankincense tears, ground very fine
• 1 cup (fresh) rose petals (you can also use a few tablespoons of rosewater)
• Three different kinds of holy water.  Some kinds, such as water from the Jordan, Ganges, or the spring a Lourdes are easily available to purchase online.  Choose whatever feels right to you, and add as many as you like.  If you add more than half a gallon of holy waters, add more salt.
• Sterilized glass bottles or jars with tight fitting lids

Begin by enlivening the water:  “Be thou blessed, spirit of water, water of the river, water of the rains, be thou blessed, and come alive!  The spirit of all water runs through you, awake and alive, potent and powerful! Living water, awaken to yourself and live!” [change the words depending what sorts of living waters you use]

Next, enliven the salt:  “Be thou blessed, spirit of salt, salt of the oceans, salt of three mountains, salt of the three treasures of life. Awaken to yourself and live!”

Enliven the rose: “Be thou blessed, oh spirit of rose, ever blooming, font of beauty, source of virtue, sign of life and love, awaken to yourself and live!”

Enliven the frankincense: “Be thou blessed, oh spirit of frankincense, sunlight made solid, tears of the holy tree, sign of light and life, awaken to yourself and live!”

For your particular holy waters, awaken each one, reminding it where it is from, and that it carries with it the all the powers of that place.

Use Living Water as an additive to “awaken” tap water, for use as an offering to water spirits, to enliven a bath as a mikveh, or for any other magickal uses you feel are appropriate.