On Bathing As Ritual

¨Cleanliness is next to godliness.¨ words a Black grandmother lives by.

Bathing is perhaps the most ancient cleansing ritual we have. We bathe often to cleanse our bodies; less spoken of are the practices of bathing to cleanse our minds or our spirits.

Water is so many things. She is life, mni wiconi. She is a portal. She is a mirror, the source of the blood in our veins. Water is one of our Great Mothers, tútú Yéyé o. Water troubles our footsteps, and She washes our sins away. She is our womb as we are born again anew. For Black folks especially, as we were reborn on the waves of the Atlantic as we were torn from our Motherlands.

omi tútú. ona tútú. ilé tútú. orí tútú.

fresh water for myself. fresh water for my road. fresh water for my people, my spiritual home. fresh water for my Orí, my quintessential essence. my higher self. the me i know me to be.

this refrain is the first of many a yorúbà prayer, giving thanks to the waters for clearing the way. Water has alwas gone first, has always cleared th path and cleansedcooled the Earth so that we may rise to a new day, refreshed. 

we encourage each other to wash bodies, faces, hands. we speak of germs and bacteria, of dirt and ´outside´. we don’t speak of intention. we don’t speak of bathing as praise, as offering to the parts of you that make up the whole. giving thanks to your hands, for channeling your will. thanks to shoulders, for rolling round. thanks to each hip, for the sway. thanks to each cheek, for the swell. thanks to each foot, for another step in the direction of our destiny. 

bathe the outside off you, by all means. but soak in something a lil sweet while you do it. One of the most important rules of reciprocity; whenever you cleanse, you must welcome blessings back in. Soak in your herbs, pray over your glass in the mornings, or as you water your garden. declare what is cleansed and declare what is welcomed as well.

ritual baths cool our heads, water bowls act as divination dishes, we speak our intentions into holy water before we dip our heads or ever take a sip.

in these times, water is precious, and scarcer than ever. In Southern California especially, we are deep into a drought that will only get worse. While we know who is truly to blame for the terror that has been wrought on Mama Earth, we also know it is our responsibility to save ourselves, and to better our relationship with Her in the process. We know that we must use every tool at our disposal to deepen our positive footprint on the earth, to be smarter, more aligned, more intentional about the ways we give and take of the Earth and her bountiful resources.

Bathing bowls are an easy and intentional way to save money and resources, saving hundreds of gallons of water each year. From herbal baths, to brushing your teeth, these tools can add a higher vibration to your every day living thru the loving task of cleansing yourself physically and spiritually.

For those unfamiliar with the term bath bowl, you might have heard of the term “bird bath” or “ho bath” if you’re a little less pc. Either way, bathing outside of a full bathtub or shower is seen as a sign of struggle in our modern community. Seen as lack, not luxury.

But in this new world, that looks a lot like the old worlds, I encourage us to think differently. This is an opportunity to reexamine our relationship to water, to body, to place. Reimagine the ways we can be grateful, reimagine the type of luxury we are able to experience, when it is not at the expense of the beings that share this Earth. I think there are ways we can do this differently.

Wash your feet, that your steps may be sure, swift, and leave no trace but that which your descendants may follow. Wash your head, that your Ori and her vision may be clear. Wash away the stains, and welcome yourself with sweet smelling soaps, oils, and flowers. do this at the crossroads, by the river, in your backyard with no one watching. Do this in the bathroom, kneeling on fluffy rugs next to beautiful candles. Cleanse yourself with intention, that your spirits may hear you, know you, and cover you in white, in their protection. Tap into water as the ritual portal that she is, on all days, in all ways. 

and offer her the respect She deserves and demands.

 our Bathing kits are gorgeous, durable, and versatile, usable for a multitude of mundane and intentional works. To purchase, click here.