Santeria Baths - Magical Herbal Baths of Santeria - Hoodoo, De Laurence, Folk Magic Bathing Tradition

Not so long ago, running water on tap was not all that common a thing. This was especially the case for folks living in poor or rural areas -- like your basic old-time hoodoo practitioner was like to be.

The habit of finishing a traditional hoodoo bath spell by way of chucking the water out into a road or river probably seemed more logical when a "bath" didn't mean a giant porcelain tub full of liquid. It meant a sponge and a bucket.

Perfumes and scented herbs apparently were even still added when using this washbucket method -- maybe this is why some old spells instruct to use what seem pointlessly miniscule amounts of oils or soaps in the baths ("three drops" etc.) In any event, have fun and use what you can from this data.

According to Chavasse's Advice to a Wife and Advice to a Mother on the Management of her own Health, a spongebath should be done as follows:

[One needs:]
(1.) A large nursery basin, one that will hold six or eight quarts of water (Wedgwood's make being considered the best); (2.) A piece of coarse flannel, a yard long and half a yard wide; (3.) A large sponge; (4.) A tablet either of the best yellow or of curd soap; (5.) Two towels—one being a diaper, and the other a Turkish rubber. Now, as to the manner of performing ablution. You ought to fill the basin three parts full with rain water; then, having well-soaped and cleansed your hands, re-soap them, dip your head and face into the water, then with the soaped hands well rub and wash your head, face, neck, chest, and armpits; having done which, take the wetted sponge, and go over all the parts previously travelled over by the soaped hands; then fold the flannel as you would a neck-kerchief, and dip it in the water, then throw it, as you would a skipping-rope, over your shoulders and move it a fevr times from right to left and from left to right, and up and down, and then across the back and loins; having done which, dip the sponge in the water, and holding your head over the water, let the water stream from the sponge a time or two over your head, neck, and face. Dip your nead and face in the water, then put your hands and arms (as far as they will go) into the water, holding them there while you can count thirty. Having reduced the quantity of water to a third of a basinful, place the basin on the floor, and sit (while you can count fifty) in the water; then put one foot at a time in the water, and quickly rub, with soaped hands, up and down your leg, over the foot, and pass your thumb between each toe (this latter procedure tends to keep away soft corns); then take the sponge, filled with water, and squeeze it over your leg and foot, from the knee downwards, —then serve your other leg and foot in the same way. By adopting the above plan, the whole of the body will, every morning, be thoroughly washed.
A little warm water might at first, and during the winter time, be added, to take off the chill; but the sooner quite cold water is used the better. The body ought to be quickly dried (taking care to wipe between each toe), first with the diaper, and then with the Turkish rubber. In drying your back and loins, you ought to throw as you would a skippingrope, the Turkish rubber over your shoulders, and move it a few times from side to side, uptil the parts be dry.
Although the above description is necessarily prolix, the washing itself ought to be very expeditiously performed; there should be no dawdling over it, otherwise the body will become chilled, and harm instead of good will be the result. If due dispatch be used, the whole of the body might, according to the above method, be thoroughly washed and dried in the space of ten minutes.

"Energy can be moved between two objects in the form of heat" explains an encyclopedia entry on the topic of Thermo-dynamics. Thus we introduce today's entry, on the topic of magical baths.

The Santeria tradition of magic often uses a bath as the first go-to working for a spiritual problem, and it is a known and often-used tactic in hoodoo and rootwork, particularly – though not always – for spiritual cleansing and purification purposes. This is sensible, given the usual function of a bath! But they can be worked for drawing purposes as well, as we shall explain.

Heat is energy and life. One of the first things that happens when a person dies is their body grows cold; their life-energy is gone from the body. By a certain logic, then, one can imagine that if a person is lacking a certain energy in their life (be that energy love, success, money or whatever have you) a way to apply it might well be a nice warm bath, the heat from which is transferred and absorbed by the practitioner. The aromatherapy aspect – evident in many hoodoo works – also falls into play with this technique, as the warmth helps to vaporize and enhance the scents of any fragrant herbs or oils that are used.

An 1845 work on Hydropathy states medicinal baths are "a natural influence intensified by art." So much the better for a spellcaster. Many spiritual supply shops sell baths of various types, and some practitioners merely resort to adding a bit of their favorite dressing oils or powders to their bath water. Additionally, those with a good herbal knowledge often just boil an appropriate plant into some water, which is usually strained into the bathtub; or else a cloth baggie full of herbs is mashed through the bathwater to add whatever powers it shall. Sometimes a person remains in the bath for a set amount of time – I've actually noticed no difference myself to come of which amount – and it is generally considered important to wet or pour water on the head. Those with brittle hair often complain of this step, yet it's such a consistent instruction in hoodoo baths that it seems to be essential. To the brittle-haired: – invest in a better conditioner!

Myself, I was not initially too fond of baths for spiritual purposes. The ever-helpful Lucky Mojo site was whence I first learned of them, and the instructions there tend to indicate that one should bathe at dawn, pouring the water over one's head a set number of times accompanied by a psalm or statement of intent, at which point one must collect a basin of the water and carry it to a crossroads where it is to be thrown towards the rising sun, while stating the desired intent. I used to do this, and usually found no effect whatsoever from these baths. I gave up on spiritual bathing as a waste of resources. Then, sometime later, I was reading reviews on the Indio products website for a Dragon's Blood Bath, which the users generally loved. I went ahead and bought some, and tried it. One thing that I noticed was that none of the Indio users made mention of the elaborate ritual described by yronwode, and so I decided to try it without all the extra steps. This was my turning point – I imagine my trouble had been the complexity of the ritual timing and disposal was a distraction to my magic. Once I did away with them, I found baths to work so much better – such that now, like a Santero, they're often my first inclination for personal works.

Here is a nice all-purpose bath, adapted from Anna Riva's book, Golden Secrets of Mystic Oils. All you need is a bottle of Special Oil #20.

To a tub of bathwater, add 9 drops of Special Oil #20. Take your bath while concentrating on your desires, and be sure to wet your head. On leaving your bath, draw an X on the sole of each foot with Special Oil #20, then on the palm of each hand, then finally anoint the back of your head. Each time you mark yourself with the oil, speak aloud your goal. This can bring about a great improvement in a long-standing condition, in a short amount of time.

S.L. MacGregor Mathers translated and edited the Key of Solomon in the 19th century. Capitalizing on some loopholes in copyright laws of the day, L.W. De Laurence reprinted The Key of Solomon with his own name pasted in as author. De Laurence, nevertheless, was extremely influential in the magical world and particularly popular with blacks all over the world, causing his publications to become the basis by which many magicians from the areas learned their craft. 

Here are the instructions for spiritual bathing as recorded in the Key of Solomon. Simplified versions of this ritual are still used by many hoodoo practitioners today before starting their work. 

CONCERNING THE BATHS, AND HOW THEY ARE TO BE ARRANGED

THE Bath is necessary for all Magical and Necromantic Arts; wherefore, if thou wishest to perform any experiment or operation, having arranged all things necessary thereunto according to the proper days and hours, thou shalt go unto a river or running stream, or thou shalt have warm water ready in some large vessel or tub in thy secret cabinet, and while disrobing thyself of thy raiment thou shalt repeat the following Psalms:--Psalms xiv. or Iiii.; xxvii.; liv.; lxxxi.; cv.

And when the Master shall be entirely disrobed let him enter into the water or into the Bath, and let him say:--

THE EXORCISM OF THE WATER.

I exorcise thee, O Creature of Water, by Him Who hath created thee and gathered thee together into one place so that the dry land appeared, that thou uncover all the deceits of the Enemy, and that thou cast out from thee all the impurities and uncleannesses of the Spirits of the World of Phantasm, so they may harm me not, through the virtue of God Almighty Who liveth and reigneth unto the Ages of the Ages. Amen.

Then shalt thou begin to wash thyself thoroughly in the Bath, saying:--

MERTALIA, MUSALIA, DOPHALIA, ONEMALIA, ZITANSEIA, GOLDAPHAIRA, DEDULSAIRA, GHEVIALAIRA, GHEMINAIRA, GEGROPHEIRA, CEDAHI, GILTHAR, GODIEB, EZOIIL, MUSIL, GRASSIL, TAMEN, PUERI, GODU, HUZNOTH, ASTACHOTH, TZABAOTH, ADONAI, AGLA, ON, EL, TETRAGRAMMATON, SHEMA, ARESION, ANAPHAXETON, SEGILATON, PRIMEUMATON.

All the which Names thou shalt repeat twice or thrice, until thou art completely washed and clean, and when thou are perfectly pure thou shalt quit the Bath, and sprinkle thyself with exorcised water, in the manner described later on, and thou shalt say:--

Purge me, O Lord, with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

Whilst again clothing thyself, thou shalt recite the following Psalms: Psalms cii.; li.; iv.; xxx.; cxix., Mem, v. 97; cxiv.; cxxvi.; cxxxix.

After which thou shalt recite the following Prayer:--

PRAYER.

EL Strong and Wonderful, I bless Thee, I adore Thee, I glorify Thee, I invoke Thee, I render Thee thanks from this Bath, so that this Water may be able to cast from me all impurity and concupiscence of heart, through Thee, O Holy ADONAI; and may I accomplish all things through Thee Who livest and reignest unto the Ages of the Ages. Amen.

After this take the Salt and bless it in this manner:--

THE BENEDICTION OF THE SALT.

The Blessing of the Father Almighty be upon this Creature of Salt, and let all malignity and hindrance be cast forth hence from, and let all good enter herein, for without Thee man cannot live, wherefore I bless thee and invoke thee, that thou mayest aid me.

Then thou shalt recite over the Salt Psalm ciii.

Then taking the grains of the exorcised Salt thou shalt cast them into the aforesaid Bath; and thou shalt again disrobe thyself, pronouncing the following words:--

IMANEL, ARNAMON, IMATO, MEMEON, RECTACON, MUOBOII, PALTELLON, DECAION, YAMENTON, YARON, TATONON, VAPHORON, GARDON, EXISTON, ZAGVERON, MOMERTON, ZARMESITON, TILEION, TIXMION.

After this thou shalt enter a second time into the Bath and recite Psalms civ. and lxxxi.

Then thou shalt quit the Bath and clothe thyself as before in linen garments clean and white, and over them thou shalt put the garments, of which we shall speak in the proper Chapter, and thus clothed thou shalt go to finish thy work.

The Disciples should wash themselves in like manner, and with like solemnities.

One of my favorite spellbooks over time has been the (unfortunately now out of print) Magical Herbal Baths of Santeria. Now, I would not consider myself to be one that practices Santeria, but if you're willing to appeal to certain entities in your work through either their Catholic or Santerian forms (example, Our Lady of Cobre or Ochun for love work) then you can perform the level of work that this book goes for. In fact the reviews by actual Santeria practitioners tend to be a bit negative, as the book's spells seems to go much more towards folk magic than formal Santeria.

If you don't speak Spanish you may have a little difficulty with this book, as a lot of the ingredients are given in their Spanish forms -- and plant names often don't literally translate very well. For example, lengua de vaca is no more a cow's tongue than lady's thumb is the digit of a female corpse. It's a good idea to try to scout a botanica to buy from that carries the ingredients under the same Spanish names listed in the book, if you're at all unsure about the plant's identification.

Here is a spell from the book, in its official folk magic spell section, which is a love bath that appeals to Maximon, or San Simon. By my translation, you need:

• Palo Amansa Guapo
• Abre Camino
• Cinnamon
• Coconut Water
• Aguardiente
• Holy Water
• Honey
• Red Male Figural Candle
• Red Female Figural Candle
• Red Thread

1. Boil the Palo Amansa Guapo, the Cinnamon and the Abre Camino in one gallon of water.
2. Allow the mixture to cool.
3. Mix the Coconut Water and the Holy Water with the liquid infusion.
4. Carve your name on the candle that represents you, three times.
5. Place the two candles facing each other and tie them together with red thread.
6. Light the two candles and invoke the name of San Simon asking him to send you a lover.
7. Pour the liquid into your bath water.
8. Anoint yourself with the honey.

Remain in the bath water 30 minutes. Allow the candles to completely burn out. This bath should be taken for five consecutive days before leaving the house daily. Be careful what you ask for because you will get it.

Now, to add some additional commentary onto this recipe: Amansa Guapo is an herbal ingredient, from a plant reportedly in English called Sagebud. Its magical function is usually akin to the conjure formula called Compelling, and I'm sure this formula can replace it in a pinch. Abre Camino is better known, though some disagreement continues about its botanical identification. Quassia is usually said to be the Abre Camino plant. Road Opener formula could replace if it were needed.

Coconut Water is the clear liquid from a coconut. Luckily it has lately come into fashion as a beverage, and I can find it at Whole Foods. Of course, one can crack open a coconut and pour it out directly, if necessary.

Aguardiente is an alcoholic drink common to Spanish and Portuguese speaking countries. The name more or less means Fire Water. Precisely what it constitutes seems to vary country to country. If you can't find something labeled Aguardiente, pretty much any strong, clear liquor can serve (vodka, unsweetened schnapps, grappa, etc.) It can be flavored but shouldn't be sweetened.

On a final note, those of us accustomed to dressing candles might also pick up some San Simon oil to use on them. He'd probably appreciate the thought.