by Claire du Nord
Welcome back, Broom Closet Witches! Claire du Nord here, a High Priestess in the Temple of Witchcraft Tradition with our third article on Broom Closet Witchery in which we explore the possibility of creating sacred space … in a bathroom!
For some of us, the Broom Closet Witches, the bathroom may be the only place in the whole house/apartment/etc. where we can truly find some privacy to work our magick. It may also be the best place in the whole place for Witchcraft! After all, there isn’t a whole lot you can get into trouble for or get criticized for in a bathroom, right? Besides, while you’re in there, by yourself, it’s your own personal private time, right? Maybe not. If you leave water all over the counter or if you take too long, you might hear about it. But if you are neat and tidy, quick and quiet about creating Sacred Space and doing your practice and rituals, all should be fine. I say, “should be”. But what is “neat and tidy”? What is “quick”? What is “quiet”? All is relative, as again, your Broom Closet Witchery situation is unique. Or maybe I should say your “Water Closet Witchery” situation is unique! So, maybe the title of this column should morph into “For Water Closet Witches” instead of “For Broom Closet Witches”, and instead of “Broom Closet Witchery”, it should be called “Water Closet Witchery”! “Water Closet Witches”? Hmmm. . .
Anyhow, believe it or not, my best scrying happens in the bathroom. I just walk in, face the big mirror above the sink, and BOOM! For some reason, a big wall mirror in the bathroom, for me, is a must. Never had much luck with small mirrors or even large mirrors in other locations (for example, dresser mirrors). Maybe it’s just the enclosed space that is the crucial factor. Not sure. But what is for sure is that magick can happen in a bathroom!
When I was a little witch of 9 years of age, I would sneak into the bathroom in the middle of the night, sit cross-legged on the floor, and light a candle that I had placed in front of me. I could sense the magickal energy of the flame but didn’t understand it. How I got away with it, I will never know! The point is that magick and ritual can happen anywhere – even in a Water Closet! (And I think I will start calling myself a Water Closet Witch – it has a nice ring to it!)
When planning a witchy Water Closet practice or ritual, the following are worthwhile remembering:
- Ambiance
- Timing
- Silence
- Jar candles
I think jar candles should be number 1, as a matter of fact. You know – the ones with lids that can be put back on so that you can eliminate the “candle smoke” when you extinguish the flame. Just pop the lid back on without snuffing the flame out first. No nostalgic “birthday candle smoke,” no complaints. Plus, owing to their “bottom-heavy” nature, I feel they are safer than a pillar candle or a taper candle to have in a bathroom, which leaves the flame in a precarious position, teetering at the top, threatening to fall over. Also, please do keep your lighter/matches out of the reach of children, if there are any in your situation. (My own personal childhood candle meditation story above could have gone seriously awry at any point in time!)
What do I mean by “Ambiance”? Well, if your bathroom décor is already “witchy” (but not too witchy – however you define the term) there won’t be a whole lot of setting-up to do for your Water Closet Witchery practice/rituals. Whatever you can include to make your bathroom “witchy” is up to you. Do some “interior decorating”. Do a bathroom “makeover” and it won’t be so obvious when you do a ritual. The appropriate ambiance for your Water Closet Witchery will already be there.
What do I mean by “Timing”? Well, when do you have the most time for your mundane bathroom “rituals”? Just tack on some magickal ones and there you go! But, of course, this is ultimately up to you to figure out.
What do I mean by “Silence”? Well, if you usually sing in the shower, you could sing your incantations. While you won’t be silent in the true sense of the word, your usual concert will be just that – usual. Like the others, “Silence” will be up to you to interpret.
As far as what to use for your practice and rituals in the Water Closet, the closer you can get to “typical” bathroom “stuff”, the better. How about bath crayons and markers for creating sigils in the shower? (Just don’t forget to wash them off!) What about bath oils and scented lotions? Herbal bath “teas”? Potpourri? Even cleaning the water closet can be part of an “unwanted/harmful energy” cleansing ritual. These are just a few ideas. I’m sure you can think of more.
I hope this article has been helpful, and until next time – Merry Meet, Merry Part, and Merry Meet again!
Bright Blessings,
Claire du Nord