Welcome to Gaia! ::

It's important that you cleanse and consecrate your tools before you use them the first time, and again every once in a while, to free them up from any tainted energy they might hold.

Note that- by tools, I mean anything that you can or will use during magick and spellwork. This could be crystals, wands, chalices, cauldrons, athames, pentacles, even the boundary rope you use, if you use one. There are more things to add to this list, but I could really go on for hours on it. sweatdrop In short, a tool is something you're going to use in spells.

There are many different methods for doing this- some people leave the tool outside for a day and a night, so the God and the Goddess can cleanse it with their energies. Some soak it in water, whilst others bury them for a time- earth is very purifying.

However, this is the method that I personally use:

Make sure you have: inscence, salt, water and a candle.

Cast your circle, as you normally would, summoning the elements.

Starting at North (Earth), either lay the tool down on a bed of salt, or sprinkle salt over it.

"By the power of Earth, I cleanse you"

Move to East (Air). Pass the tool through the incense smoke.

"By the power of Air, I cleanse you"

Move to South (Fire). If the tool is something that will catch fire (eg. I have a wooden wand), pass it through the air above the candle flame. If it will not catch fire, or be damaged by flame, run it through the flame (provided that it is big enough so you will not burn your fingers!).

"By the power of Fire, I cleanse you"

Move on to West (Water), and dip the tool in the water, or pour/sprinkle water over it.

"By the power of Water, I cleanse you"

Now your tools should be ready for use. smile If it is a crystal, now would be a good time to programme it, if that is what you wish to use it for.

xd The banana would be from the scavenger hunt!

Another way to clean tools if you don't have the space to bury or submerge them is to put them in a Ziploc full of rock/sea salt for between a week to a month. It all depends on the strength of what needs cleaning from the tools for how long you leave them in the salt. Just be careful and check every day or so to make sure nothing corrodes accidentally. Had that happen once. sweatdrop

That is only prefrence. It dose not matter the order unless it matters to you. Kida a riddle, but you'll figure it out.

I cleanse in a diffrent way. My philosiphy is that a river is cleaner than a pond. Why is this so? Because the water is moving, readily taking away the impurities. So I would personally never soak a tool in water. I like to hold my tool under the sink with comfortable water flowing over it. Hot water and ice cols water makes no sence since the tool can feel aswell. What feel right for you, must equally feel right for the tool. In this cleansing i visualize the negativity, or just impurity washing away in a river. This visualization is the key for most cleansing to be successful, and it shortens the time required greatly.

For stronger cleansing of tools i either take more time, have multiple cleansings over a period of days, or i have a breath cleansing. I hold the tool to my mouth and breath a calm warm breath to melt away and a strong forced breath to blow away impurity. This helps, but i prefer the water cleansing as well.

Of course the best way to cleanse is most natural. If i lifed near a river i would leap at the chance to wash my tools in its face, or hold them out on a windy day. But what ever feels right probaly is right.