Orphic Spiritual Hygiene For Eclipse Season

How you care for your spirit-body-mind during eclipse season can vastly support you through its volatility and intensity. Here are some suggestions for ritualized self-care during the weeks that the Sun and Moon pass through the Dragon's Lair.

Altar Cleaning + Preparation

The days leading up to any New Moon are perfect for cleaning altars and sacred spaces. If you haven't had the chance to tend to your altars or set one yet, now is the time to energetically and physically cleanse your shrines or the space wherein you would like to install your altar.

You will need:

• Florida water, colonia/cologne

• Salt, powdered cayenne, bay leaves

• Frankincense, Copal or Dragon’s Blood resin, charcoal tablets

• White candles

• Wine glass

• Gin or water for libations

Clean. Clean. Clean. Get rid of dead flowers, discard old offerings, polish precious stones, wipe picture frames, dust off statues and consecrated objects.

Lightly sprinkle salt and powdered cayenne pepper across the floor (assuming the area is not carpeted), sweep in an outward direction (away from the altar and towards the door). Sweep everything out the door.

Make sure all windows are open. Smudge the altar and area with Frankincense, Copal or Dragon’s Blood. These resins when burned repel unwanted entities and attract your benevolent ancestors and spirits. Burning bay leaves also create a cleansing, apotropaic smoke.

Mop the floor with Florida water and wipe the altar with a cloth soaked in Florida water if you have enough for the job. Otherwise sprinkling the water or colonia will suffice.

Once everything is clean, light a white candle and fill the wine glass with fresh water on your altar. Pouring your libations, offer your petitions for releasing, banishing, healing, protection, guidance. Pray at your altar as often as you are called to, and especially during any heightened intense moments thru the course of eciplse season.

✧Avoid placing mirrors on your altar during eclipse season, and keep scrying tools covered when not in use.

Spiritual Baths

Black Walnut Bath for Cord-Cutting + Uncrossing

You will need:

• handful of crushed Black Walnut husks

• 1-2 gallons of spring water (tap water is fine if you don’t have access to spring water)

• 1–3 black candles (white is acceptable if you can't find black candles)

• base or carrier oil and powedered cayenne for dressing the candles (annointing oils are perfect if you have them)

• mesh strainer

In the evening, bring the water to a boil then add the husks. Turn off the heat, cover and steep, allowing to cool overnight. First thing in the following morning, you will take the bath. *Strain the water to separate the husks before taking the bath.

Dress the candles with an oil base and the dried, powdered cayenne or any herb blend that is preferrably pungent. Prior to taking the bath, light the candles on your altar. Recite your prayer for uncrossing, banishment and psychic cord-cutting, while invoking your benevolent ancestors and spirit guides to walk with you and protect you.

The traditional way of taking a spiritual bath is outdoors in a private, natural enclosure. If this is not possible, take the waters in your tub or shower. The waters should be poured over the crown of your head down to the soles of your feet. Do not drink the water.

Another option is to fill your tub with water (no soaps) and add the strained Black Walnut water into the tub. Submerge completely head to toe in the water while envisioning the binding cords you wish to sever being cut.

Rinse with cold water, do not use soap or shampoo. Allow your body to air dry, do not use a towel.

✧This bath may be repeated up to 9 times throughout eclipse season.

Purifying Bath for Atonement + New Beginnings

You will need:

• 1-2 handfulls of lemon or lime leaves, common sage leaves (Salvia officinalis), lemongrass, cilantro, thyme

• 3+ gallons of spring water (tap water is fine if you don’t have access to spring water and more water is fine if filling a tub)

• 1–3 white candles

• base or carrier oil, powdered cinnamon and dried jasmine flower buds for dressing the candles (annointing oils are perfect if you have them)

Crush the dried jasmine flower buds in a mortar, adding the powdered cinnamon to make an herbal blend. Dress the candle(s) with the carrier oil, sprinkling the herbal blend on top. Light the candle(s) in a candle holder or on top of a plate (this should be a plate that is used only in ceremony; do not use plates that you eat off of).

Fill a basin or tub with water, adding all the herbs (preferrably fresh and not dried). Mix and squeeze the herbs with both hands — this should turn the water a light green. Ideally, you will prepare and take the bath outside in a garden or private natural enclosure, but if this is not available then preparing and taking the waters in your bathroom is fine.

While pouring the bath water from head to toe, pray or petition for the forgivenees of past deeds, for the gentle purification of the auric field and to be prepared for receiving prosperity and equinimity in this next chapter of your life. There will be plant matter involved, which can be used to “scrub” the skin. If this is bothersome for you, however, you have the option of straining the water into a second basin from which you will pour the water onto yourself without any of the plant matter. Allow to air dry without a towel.

✧This bath may be taken at the beginning of eclipse season and in the days following the final eclipse.

Admonitions

REST - When undergoing major transformation or cyclic changes, it is imperative that the body rests to allow the mind and spirit to integrate any changes. Prioritize your rest, do not overexert nor overwork yourself.

HYDRATE - You will be eliminating and releasing toxins especially if working with Black Walnut, but even through eclipse season a lot is being surfaced for expelling. Make sure you are staying hydrated to flush out toxins and emotional residue that can otherwise pile up in the bloodstream.

BREATHE in NATURE - Immerse yourself in nature as much as possible. Walk barefoot as much as possible when in the forest or on the beach. Focus on your breathing. Practice forceful exhalations when releasing heavy thoughts, feelings or pain. Breathe in deep, lung filling inhalations while envisioning light entering your cells. Swim in large, natural bodies of water to clear psychic residue and recharge.

GROUNDING - Aside from literally grounding the feet into the earth, eating roots and grains can assist psycho-physical grounding on the cellular level. Yams, potatoes, carrots, beets, gluten-free grains all benefit the gut and aid in bringing balance if feeling spaced out or excessively ethereal.

SOMATIC BODY-WORK - If you have access to a licensed professional massage therapist, invest in at least one body-work session. This benefit the lymphic and nervous system by stimulating blood circulation and gently releasing any stagnant energy in the fascia in the process of addressing any stored trauma in the body. Breath-work and movement techniques such as breath of fire and full body shaking are also potent ways for moving any stuck energy.

MANTRAS - Streaming and/or chanting beej mantras to Rahu and Ketu are potent remediations in the Jyotish tradition, which I picked up from my time spent as an ashramite and why I often recommend during eclipse season.

• Ketu Beej Mantra Om Sraam Sreem Sraum Sah Ketave Namah

• Rahu Beej Mantra Om Bhram Bhreem Bhroum Sah Rahave Namah

MEDITATION + SPIRITUAL PRACTICE - In various spiritual traditions, eclipses are regarded as portals of destiny. During an eclipse, it is said that one’s practice is magnified, and therefore it is admonished to lean into meditation and prayer.

THINGS TO AVOID - Avoid exposing yourself to the baleful rays of the occulted luminaries during an eclipse. Taking a spiritual bath or performing a limpia after being exposed to an eclipse can act as a remediation, however. So if you do find yourself enraptured under, make sure to cleanse from the crown of the head to the soles of your feet afterwards, either with sacred waters or sacred smoke.

In some places, people fast or abstain from preparing and eating food during an eclipse. Many cultures prohibit those who are pregnant or trying to conceive from going out under an eclipse. This is tied to the possibility of early miscarriage or preterm labor induction as it is common for labor to commence at the new or full lunar phases, with volatility increased by the occultation of the Sun and Moon.

During and in between eclipses, it's admonished to not initiate important projects or affairs due to the instability of the luminaries. In the astrological tradition it is advised to not begin important activities when the Moon is conjunct either lunar node, as it will likely not reach its fruition. Therefore *manifestation magic* may be the least effective during Solar and Lunar Eclipses. Read more about Eclipse Magic & Taboos.

The best thing to do is to practice relinquishing control during this time, and to heighten your spiritual practices.