A Complete Guide to Spiritual Baths - Wicca Academy (2025)

August 16th, 2021
Estimated Read Time: 15 Minutes

Many people prefer showers to baths because they’re more convenient. But what if we told you that soaking in a tub can do more than just cleanse your body? Taking a spiritual bath can be beneficial in several ways. It can help us reset our minds and achieve a deeper sense of inner peace — among other things.

Still, at this point, some people may become a bit skeptical. After all, we all experience a certain calming effect after taking a nice, long shower. But you see, in that case, the feelings of relaxation are merely by-products of the cleansing routine. When it comes to ritual baths, the energy shift is the point of the experience.

Besides, the moments we spend in the bathroom are often the only time we get to be completely alone. So why not treat your monthly soak in the tub as a sacred ritual? A bit of pomp and circumstance never hurt anyone.

With that being said, let’s just dive into the topic at hand by answering the most common questions people have about the practice of ritual bathing.

What Is a Spiritual Bath? Ritual Bathing Through the Ages

Spiritual baths are known by many names, including ritual baths, bath rituals, bath spells, spell baths, and cleansing baths. On the surface level, they are just like any other kind of soak. After all, most people already spice up their bath time with candles and herbs. However, the practice of ritual bathing has an even deeper meaning and benefit.

Cultures around the world have been attaching spiritual significance to cleansing rituals for as long as they’ve existed. Ancient Indians practiced daily ritual washing. Ancient Romans had public thermae baths that had not only hygienic but also social significance.

In fact, group bathing exists to this day in the form of Japanese sento baths, Slavic banyas, and Nordic hot springs. More importantly, all those places usually have layers of meanings attached to them. In addition to cleansing the physical body, these practices were also meant to relax and rejuvenate the mind and spirit.

Of course, ritual cleansing exists outside of contemporary Western society as well. Consider what baptisms are supposed to achieve. Aside from that, we also have more scientific water-related treatments like hydrotherapy and sensory deprivation tanks. So the therapeutic effects of water have been proven time after time.

What Does a Spiritual Bath Do?

As we have hinted at, there are many benefits to ritual bathing. A simple spiritual bath can re-energize you after a grueling day at work or make you feel safe after experiencing a potentially dangerous situation. If you’ve ever felt like taking a bath after encountering a creep on your way home from work, your instincts were telling you to cleanse yourself of the negative energy!

You can also take a spiritual bath for love, whether it’s for encouraging ongoing romantic relationships, soothing heartbreak, or attracting new prospects. Alternatively, you can use a cleansing bath spell to reset your senses and allow positive energy to enter your life. Some people even use ritual bathing to enhance beauty and self-perception.

On a physical level, spiritual baths can draw out toxins and reduce swelling through the skin, allowing it to absorb the conditioning ingredients you’ve placed into the water. Additionally, salt, which is heavily featured in most spiritual bath recipes, can relieve muscle aches and sore joints as well. Another physical benefit is that the warmth of the water can release happy chemicals in your brain. It can give you a feeling of comfort as if you were receiving a hug.

Basically, a spiritual bath can help you achieve pretty much anything, as long as you set clear intentions before you even start prepping the area. But how long will you need to wait for the effects to kick in? Will the timing of the ritual influence its effects?

When Is the Best Time to Take a Spiritual Bath?

If you ask us, the best time to whip up an herbal spiritual bath would be whenever you feel like it! Most people do it when they’re feeling down or they need an energy shift ahead of a big event. But you’re probably looking for even more specific instructions.

There are no strict rules regarding the best time for taking ritual baths. However, energy therapist Lidia Frederico might tell you to avoid 6 and 12 o’clock just to be safe. According to her, you shouldn’t even start preparing your bathwater from 5:30-6:30 and 11:30-12:30. So if you wanted to know what time to take a spiritual bath — anything apart from those four hours of the day should work.

As for choosing the right day for the ritual, you might want to consider the lunar cycle before making a final decision. Those of us who recognize the Moon’s influence over life on Earth will tell you that full moons often make rituals more effective. Specifically, taking a bath on a Friday right before or after a full moon will leave you open for reflections and personal revelations. Alternatively, if you want to make plans for the future, we recommend scheduling some alone time around the new moon.

How Long Do You Take a Spiritual Bath?

Ideally, you should give yourself some time to clear your mind and absorb the effects of the bath while you’re soaking. With that in mind, we recommend setting aside at least twenty minutes of free time. But honestly, you can soak in the energy until the water cools.

And if you want to know how often to take a spiritual bath — well, that will ultimately depend on your needs. Typically, most people don’t take more than one or two spiritually cleansing baths per month.

To be safe, give yourself a full month to mull over the effects of your first ritual bath. After that, you can determine if you need more or less frequent treatments. The amount of preparation and cleanup you have to do will also limit how often you perform your rituals.

How to Prepare Your Space

The first thing you need to do ahead of your spiritual bath is clean the bathroom. Put away any items that might be cluttering up the available surfaces. Once you’ve done that, thoroughly clean the tub as well as the surfaces around it. You shouldn’t have to think about how dirty your toilet is when you’re focusing on enjoying your bath.

While you’re cleaning the bathroom, think about what you want to achieve with your cleansing ritual. Do you want to alleviate anxiety or heal heartbreak? Maybe you’d rather open yourself up to new financial opportunities. Either way, knowing the goal of the ritual bath will help you figure out what it should look like.

After all, depending on the issue you’d like to solve, you’ll need to include different herbs, crystals, and candles. You can also bring your favorite houseplant into the bathroom and make a nice playlist for the occasion. We recommend calming instrumentals like meditation music, binaural beats, or even lo-fi hip hop tracks.

Finally, before filling the tub, take a quick shower to wash off the sweat you might have worked up while cleaning the bathroom. Then, while the faucet is running, get yourself some wine or tea and gather the spiritual bath ingredients.

The Best Ingredients for a Spiritual Bath

Most of the ingredients we like to put in our bathwater serve a double purpose. On the one hand, they’re going to help cleanse and condition our physical bodies. But ultimately, their primary function is to solve the spiritual issues we’re dealing with. With that in mind, let’s talk about the first group of items we’ll be using.

Minerals

Even though using store-bought cleansing products isn’t strictly forbidden, most people prefer to put natural cleansing agents in their ritual baths. Salt and baking soda are the main ingredients we like to use because they’re both spiritually and physically cleansing.

Ordinary table salt or kosher salt will work, but we can get added benefits from using a specialty salt. If you have a choice, use pink Himalayan salt, Epsom salt, or natural sea salt instead. Adding two to three handfuls of the stuff to your bathwater will strengthen your immune system, increase your energy levels, and even relieve chronic pain. Besides, salt is commonly used to absorb negative energy.

On the other hand, baking soda is an ingredient we often see in bath bombs. That’s how they produce all those bubbles — which are a fun addition to any bath. In fact, making DIY bath bombs is a great way to expedite the process of preparing your spiritual bath.

Herbs, Flowers, and Fruits

Obviously, the trend of using all-natural ingredients extends to the aromatic components of the bath as well. But in addition to helping us create a fantastic flavor profile, herbs, flowers, and fruits also deliver the main effects of the bath. For example, you can use:

• Roses in a spiritual bath to uplift your mood and self-perception
• Lavender for its calming effects
• Carnations for soothing and healing heartbreak
• Cinnamon sticks to bring wealth and prosperity
• Sesame seeds for removing blockages and summoning abundance
• Rice water for luck and abundance
• Hyssop for purification and cleansing negative energy
• Rosemary for protection and courage
• Turmeric for prosperity spiritual baths
• Clove for purification, protection, and strengthening relationships
• Dragon’s blood for promoting courage and boosting energy
• Coconut milk or oil for nourishment
• Green tea for its energizing effects
• Wine for rejuvenation and spiritual transformation

If you want to use flowers or herbs for spiritual bath recipes, it’s always a good idea to boil them fresh off the stem. But of course, you can always make a spiritual bath with dried herbs instead of fresh ones. If you’re looking for affordable options, using tea bags is a great idea.

Whenever you’re unsure how to incorporate a certain ingredient, boiling it and straining the essence is a great way to avoid a mess. Alternatively, you can just use essential oils.

While we’re on the subject of herbs and oils, we also wanted to suggest using a pre-mixed concoction like Florida water. If you want to incorporate lavender, bergamot, lemon, cloves, cinnamon, and rose into your cleansing ritual, you can just prepare a Florida water spiritual bath. After all, the tonic is essentially a skin toner as well as a fragrance, so you’d be hitting all the requirements.

Dairy and Honey

Like wine, honey can help deliver the effects of the herbs you use to your body. It is a symbol of sweetness and prosperity, so you can also use it to attract positive energy as well as financial abundance. A honey bath spell will also make your skin feel incredibly soft and supple.

Goat milk is another animal by-product we might mention later on. Like honey, it can soothe redness and irritation. On a spiritual level, goat milk can offer protection as well as invite good luck into your life.

What to Do After a Spiritual Bath

Now that we’ve gone over the main ingredients you’ll be using to make your spiritual bath, let’s talk about aftercare. What should you do as soon as you get out of the water? Well, if you have any herbs and petals sticking to your body, you can start by washing them off. Pull out any large herbs or crystals that you’ve added so that they don’t get stuck in the drain.

On the other hand, if you didn’t use any ingredients that might potentially clog your drain, you can just hop out of the tub and open the stopper. Alternatively, you can stand in the tub and watch the water drain out around you. After gently patting your skin with a towel, apply an oil or lotion, and put on a robe. Make sure to dry off your crystals before putting them away. Dispose of the used herbs.

Now, some people report experiencing nausea, itching, or sweating after spiritual bath rituals. However, those symptoms have nothing to do with the practice itself. They can happen when someone unknowingly uses an ingredient they’re allergic to or uses water that is too hot.

At most, the only sensation you should experience immediately after your bath is an energy shift. That can make you feel sleepier than usual or more energized. Either way, your skin should feel conditioned and relaxed, not irritated. So to avoid experiencing the symptoms we’ve listed, double-check your ingredient list before stepping into the tub.

The Best Spiritual Bath Recipes for Different Occasions and Outcomes

As we have established, different ingredients can help us achieve different results. However, that’s only half of the story. If you want to really amp up the spiritual significance of your ritual bath, you can also perform a ceremony as you go into the water. So let’s talk about how you can do that.

Easy Bath Spell for Anxiety

If you want to experience relaxation without spending too much time preparing your bathwater, this recipe is the one for you. You’ll need:

• Several bags of Earl Grey black tea
• An equal amount of peppermint tea bags
• Several cups of milk
• Whichever kind of salt you have on hand

Start by filling your tub with warm water. Aim for between 84 and 100 degrees Fahrenheit or 29–38 Celsius.

At this point, you can either prepare the tea separately or toss the bags directly into the tub. While you’re at it, pour about three cups of milk into the water along with several handfuls of salt.

When you get in, you can repeat anti-anxiety affirmations like “I am safe” and “I am grateful.” Alternatively, just relax in the warm water until it’s time to get up. As you rinse off your body, open the drain and visualize your anxiety leaving with the water.

Happiness Bath Spell for Brightening Spirits

If you’ve been feeling dissatisfied with your lot in life, this bath recipe might help. You’ll need:

• A carnelian stone
• Daisies
• Roses
• Green tea
• White sage essential oil
• Lavender essential oil
• Sea salt
• A cinnamon stick

Light a candle and bless yourself with the smoke of a cinnamon stick. As a bonus, a cinnamon blessing will also make the bathroom smell divine.

Boil the flowers and herbs and strain the resulting water into the tub. Alternatively, you can use an infusion bag or just toss it all in the water as is.

After you get in the tub, take quick, forceful breaths for half a minute. Bhastrika, or rapid fire breathing, has been shown to increase organ vitality and calm the mind.

You can also take the carnelian into your hands and visualize a bright light coming from it. Imagine that same light emanating from you, and soak in the energy you’ve created for half an hour.

13 Herb Spiritual Bath

Taking a 13 herb bath is an excellent way to cleanse yourself of negative energy. However, not all 13 herb bath mixes you’ll find on the market deliver those effects. Luckily, you can whip up an effective concoction with the following ingredients:

• Agrimony
• Arnica
• Angelica root
• Bay leaves
• Cedar
• Eucalyptus
• Fern
• Hyssop
• Juniper
• Peppermint
• Rosemary
• Sage
• Thyme

While the tub is filling up, put the herbs in an infusion bag. Alternatively, you can boil them and strain the liquid into the tub.

Add a few handfuls of salt or baking soda into the bathwater and get in. After submerging your head, sit in silence as you absorb the protective energy of the herbs. As an extra step, you can add a protective mantra or affirmation.

Spiritual Bath for Good Luck and Prosperity

Next up, let’s see if we can summon a bit of good luck. To do so, we’ll need:

• A citrine crystal
• Goat milk or rice water
• Sea salt
• Fresh parsley
• Cinnamon
• Jasmine

First, choose if you want to start with a base of goat milk or rice water.

When you’re ready, put the other ingredients into the liquid and let them soak for fifteen minutes. You can also add sesame seeds to make a spiritual bath for money and abundance.

Get in and dunk your head. Take the citrine and speak an affirmation for the kind of prosperity you’re trying to attract. For example, you can say “I am lucky. I emit positivity and I attract abundance.”

Bath Spell for Health and Rejuvenation

If you’re looking for a bath recipe that will improve overall health, try this one! You’ll need:

• Sandalwood
• Myrrh
• Rose petals or oil
• Cinnamon
• Orange or lemon essential oil
• A glass of wine or oat milk
• Dead Sea salt

As we have mentioned, taking a quick shower before soaking in a tub is a pretty good idea. If you’re planning on using this recipe, take the time to exfoliate your body during that step. Alternatively, you can dry brush your body before stepping into the water.

While you’re in the bath, massage your whole body, starting with the feet and working your way up. This step is perfect for those who might have overdone it at the gym the day before.

After you finish soaking, apply oil on damp skin to lock in moisture. Expect to feel more energized than ever when you’re done!

A Basic Love Bath Spell

Ritual bathing can enhance our romantic relationships, platonic relationships, and also attract new lovers. If you’re interested in any of those things, here’s what you’ll need:

• Rose quartz
• Pink Himalayan salt
• Rose essential oil
• Lavender essential oil
• Rose petals
• Honey or coconut milk

After putting the ingredients into the bathwater, get in the tub and hold your rose quartz. Speak the affirmation that corresponds with your situation. So if you have a long-term partner, you might say “Our love is abundant.” Alternatively, if you’re looking to attract new prospects, you can say: “I attract love, love will find me.”

Frequently Asked Questions About Spiritual Baths

Can you use rainwater for a spiritual bath?

Believe it or not, rainwater is completely safe for bathing. So if you wanted to incorporate it into your spiritual practices, you can! In fact, you may even experience certain health benefits, since it’s not as hard as the water that has to pass through our pipes.

Can I enjoy a spiritual bath with no bathtub?

If your bathroom isn’t big enough for a tub, you can still try the recipes we’ve suggested above. One way to do so would be to turn them into a foot bath instead. Alternatively, you can boil your herbs, strain the liquid, and bring it into the shower with you.

Can I make my own spiritual bath recipe?

Ultimately, mixing ingredients for a spiritual bath can be pretty similar to making jar spells. As long as you know the spiritual significance of different ingredients, you’ll be able to make a bath bomb for any occasion.

Check out our other articles:
Sigils for Newcomers
Jar Spells Made Simple
Get to Know Your Familiar
Kitchen Magick for Beginners
Moon Phases and Simple Rituals
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