[Help] Back To School 1 ( Cleanse, Dedicate, Anoint )

[Pyrokar]

So many skills and techniques have been lost to time simply because at their height they were so well known and in use
that people didn't think they needed to be written down or expanded upon.
At this point in my progress i often look back and re-evaluate all the things we take for granted and simply skip over.
I could simply mark the post as informative and do it my self but i am actually curious to see how different people approach this.
This subject has been lightly touched upon in the Q&A section so:

What are, And how do you perform the rites of Cleansing, Dedicating, Anointing.
this is mostly written off as "cleanse - water, dedicate - fire" which i doubt is helpful information for beginners,
so let's try a more thorough, detailed description.

 

[Diluculo_DelFuego]

I usually use the Rose Cross ritual, LRP and LRH to set sacred space, cleanse the sphere of sensation and invoke a planetary energy.
To exorcise a place, I get blessed water or oil from an Apostolic church or Catholic church, draw on every window, door, wall, ceiling and floor an equal armed cross, recite psalms 91, and give license in no uncertain terms to depart. Then I have an Apostolic or charismatic preacher come and bless the dwelling and yard and self.

Post automatically merged: Dec 2, 2023

The reason for the blessing of self, dwelling and yard is symbolic of the Hebrew temple, inner courtyard and outer courtyard.

 

[Yazata]

I interpret your question as having to do with tools?
When you make something with a purpose in mind, you are bringing it into this world - like a baby..
Then the cleansing with water is like baptism, to wash away those sinful qualities which might remain from previous incarnations.
Stepping away from the baby metaphor: it is said of incense or smoke that it's a bridge between the physical and spiritual, even carrying prayers or thoughts up to heaven. When you slowly move an incense stick under an object you can see the smoke crawling over its surface, like a semi-material manifestation of the intention you have for the tool.
The anointing is what completes it. Like how Jesus became Christ. Depending on the ingredients used, the oil emphasizes a particular purpose. And in woodworking oil is used as a finish to actually complete it.

In the past I have used wicca type rituals, GD style ceremonies from Modern Magick, and wrote / improvised my own. In the past year and a half I have come to appreciate the completeness and "feeling" of the Grimorium Verum's consecrations, but (re)wrote a couple that felt underwhelming or were missing.

 

[Ziran]

let's try a more thorough, detailed description.

What precisely are you intending to clease, dedicate, and anoint? Witthout more details, I would not be able to give a detailed answer. For example: is this a newly constructed object? Do you have access to a body of water? River, lake, or ocean?

 

[Pyrokar]

Oh, i already know how to do all of that.
This is more on the subject as a whole, you can take hypothetical example of any of the details you need.
sure, for example a newly constructed object, but also what if it's not? sure i have access to a body of water, but what if i don't?
How do you - cleanse dedicate anoint is what it's all about.

 

[Ziran]

Oh, i already know how to do all of that.
This is more on the subject as a whole, you can take hypothetical example of any of the details you need.
sure, for example a newly constructed object, but also what if it's not? sure i have access to a body of water, but what if i don't?
How do you - cleanse dedicate anoint is what it's all about.

It's a huge subject. What it's all about is keilim v'tumah, vessels and ritual impurity.

1. What is a vessel?
2. What is not a vessel?
3. What is ritual impurity?
4. What is not ritual impurity?
5. How is ritual impurity conveyed to vessel?
6. How is ritual impurity removed from a vessel?
7. How to prevent ritual impurity?

For a new wooden spoon, lacking any finish on it, immersion in "living water" ( river, lake, ocean ) works to cleanse it. Lacking any of these, there are a 2 options. One is to create your own "lake". The other is to create "waters of seperation" for "sprinkling" on it. If the spoon has finish on it, that becomes more complicated. It depends on what sort of finish is applied to it. Was it "baked", or was the finish simply applied to it and it was allowed to dry? If it is "baked", then there is maybe a problem if it was carried more than 4 amot ( approx. 7 feet ) while it is cooling. To be extra-extra careful, a spoon like this would need to be put back in an oven to repeat the finishing process, then cleansed immediately after by an indivvidual who themself is ritually pure. This introduces a new problem: who, if anyone, is ritually pure?

If the spoon has been used, it becomes more complicated again. To be extra-extra careful, one would need to repeat the process in a clean enivronment, then immerse it. Usually this invovles heating it, or boiling it, but it could involve using a torch on it, then letting it cool in a ritually clean environment. Then, cleansing it. But, if the utensil was used in a ritual which is considered ritually unclean ( involving blood for example ), then that becomes more complicated. That's where a ritual involving fire and smoke can become useful. Ingiting a flame below ( in the material world ) ingites a flame above ( summoning an angel/demon/energy, basically ). Ash is the quinitessential vessel, the vessel of all vessels, a vacuum, so to speak. Smoke is the finest of the finest ash floating away. Smoke in the material world is summoning a corresponding energetc vessel ( spiritually ) in the other realms. The object being cleansed also has a corresponding immaterial "existence". What's happening below, is happening in the immaterial realms. Once the ritual is complete, it still needs immersion.

Now the utensil does not possess any ritual impurity. As long as it does not come into contact with anyone or anything which is ritually impure or travel through any ritually impure locations ( common example over any graves ), then, it's good to go. It's easiest to buy new utensils from a trusted source, and have a ritually pure space setup in advance for storage and where any rituals will occur. Traditionally, there were layers and layers and layers of seperation between the "priest" and the impure world. The "clean" ritual space was the body, and tthe clothing, then expanded to the room, then the whole house, then the gates entering the property, then, eventually the whole town. And that's why there were closed communities.

Anointing the utensil is a whole different procedure with an entirely different purpose. That becomes even more complicated.

 

[Pyrokar]

Great read! Have an upvote.

pokes you with the ritually clean spoon

Now Tell the class about anointing. Do it.
Also what about dedicating the spoon?

 

[Ziran]

Great read! Have an upvote.

Thank you, my leige. ~nibbles on the scooby-snack, and stashes the rest for later~

Now Tell the class about anointing. Do it.

Certainly. Cleansing is seperating the ritual impurity from the object. It's neutral. Anointing takes it one step further and creates ( summons ) an entirely new spiritual realm which exists in the material realm. This produces a postive flowing of energy which is intended to overflow "from" this newly summoned immaterial realm "out" into the material realm. "From" and "out" are in quotes because the newly summoned realm is super-imposed over and tthroughout the material realm. There is no "from-to" nor "in-out".

What makes this complicated is everything involved needs to be anointed. The individual, the walls, the utensils, any consumables... the entire material domain needs to "other-worldly" in a specific manner ( unless of course the desired energetic flow is chaotic ).

Also what about dedicating the spoon?

This part, I'm not sure what you mean. Dedicated to a person? A spirit? A purpose? If it's a purpose that's a "vow".

 

[Pyrokar]

You Judaists never do anything simple do you?

Still i can clearly see the similarities in the general procedure and idea of things.

Oh, maybe in your spiritual neighborhood you call it consecrating? Dedicating is usually to the self, most often even.
Though i have heard of a rare case when it was done for someone else in mind.

This is the "holy trinity" of preparing for the modern occultist's tools. As i mentioned, there is a tendency
to jump over all these steps to the point it's all done with as little effort and time as 5 to 10 minutes. 10 being generous.

 

[Ziran]

You Judaists never do anything simple do you?

The mechanations of the heavens are complicated.

Oh, maybe in your spiritual neighborhood you call it consecrating?

That would be anointing.

Dedicating is usually to the self, most often even.

We would call that an "oath".

 

[Diluculo_DelFuego]

So for every wand we make, every dagger or sword we make, every cup or pentacle we make, we must follow this three stage process to use the chosen tool?

 

[Pyrokar]

Surprised to get that from you, brother.

Everything you bring into the work should undergo the 1,2,3.
from the tools to the clothes.
I would not say it's a must more like.... in the IT universe i believe it would be
like doing important work on a system that might be infected.
You can go without it but damn does it feel nice to know it's clean, right? especially if you have to put your personal data in.
The machine works on a completely different level after you tweak it, re-install, etc.

 

[Ziran]

So for every wand we make, every dagger or sword we make, every cup or pentacle we make, we must follow this three stage process to use the chosen tool?

"... we must follow ... " Must? Just in case you were asking me, from the persepctive of my tradition, the answer is no.

 

[Diluculo_DelFuego]

Surprised to get that from you, brother.

Everything you bring into the work should undergo the 1,2,3.
from the tools to the clothes.
I would not say it's a must more like.... in the IT universe i believe it would be
like doing important work on a system that might be infected.
You can go without it but damn does it feel nice to know it's clean, right? especially if you have to put your personal data in.
The machine works on a completely different level after you tweak it, re-install, etc.

Likewise surprised at the two questions, particularly the circle question and not knowing the self dwelling and yard purification or blessing.

But, thank you for the reply.

True, to have tainted items can only result on destruction of said items by tossing them in a bonfire.

True, I did not know these were necessary for all items used.

I knew sprinkling of water for purification and passing through incense smoke for consecration. And taking oaths.