I was first introduced to this wonderful bit of spiritual first aid almost a decade ago when I first went to London. In the last ten years, I’ve gotten so many different versions of it, and ultimately done so many of my own experiments, that I have come to think of this bath as a spiritual ‘Swiss army knife’ in terms of its flexibility, elasticity and practicality.
It is simple to do and it is non-denominational. Although I came to it via a Lukumi priestess, there are many references to this bath in other cultures and adding a couple cups of milk to your bath has been a known remedy for dry skin and other skin conditions for millennia. Surely you remember Cleopatra’s famous ‘bathing in milk’ stories? That being said, there are very few wrong ways to do this, but always better ways to experience and ultimately what works for you.
In ten years of doing this bath, I’ve gotten positive results every single time I have done one, even when I used evaporated milk ’cause that was all I had. I’ve been told you can do this with the milky residue of rice water if you can’t afford milk and a pinch of flour if you can’t find Efun! I have never done this myself, but I am sharing information here.
Remember, with any bath of this nature, your state of mind plays an important part of why it works. You may do this in the deepest, darkest moments of your life when you feel all hope is gone, and sincerely pray and it will work. Your faith in yourself and God makes it work, not merely the natural uplifting nature of the bath itself. You can be an atheist–this bath works no matter what you believe because it’s just calming and at the very least your skin will be moisturized.
Now I’m not saying this will ‘save you’… only you can do that, but it’s a very good, simple something you can do to help you. The more you do it, the better you will feel.
Ok, let’s get to it shall we?
Ingredients:
MANDATORY
Milk – At least one kind of milk, or as mentioned before if your funds are low and you need to, wash in the white liquid from some rice… The most POTENT form of this bath I’ve ever done includes as many different kinds of milk as I could get, and here are some I have used individually and amazingly, all at once:
- 100% Raw Fresh Cow Milk
- 100% Raw Fresh Goats Milk (Especially calming to the aura.)
- Pasteurized Cow and/or Goats Milk
- Ultra pasteurized cow milk
- 100% Full Cream Milk
- Skimmed Milk
- Condensed milk
- Evaporated milk
- Lactose free milk
- Low fat milk
- Fat-free Milk
- Almond milk (unflavoured)
- Soya milk (unflavoured)
- Coconut milk (unflavoured)
- Rice Milk (you get my point about unflavoured, right?)
(If you know of another kind of milk, feel free to try it and let me know how it turns out.)
Use one or all, but as I have said the most potent form of this bath combines as many of these milks as you can get. My suggestion if mixing a lot of milks, try to do the AS MANY KIND OF MILKS, milk bath only when you’re having real difficulties and stretch your milk out over a week if you can and do a bath a day.
This is because too much milk and not enough water in the bath can also create skin irritations, as well as being able to support a more regular cycle (daily) baths for let’s say five days.
Efun/Cascarilla – This is not always available to everyone. (If in Barbados, you can get from Merle’s clothing shop opposite KFC at the bottom of Tudor St. going towards City Centre. Ask the sellers in the alley where she is, she’s been operating in the area for a while. If in Trinidad, the only place I can suggest is Julia Star in Eastern Plaza on Charlotte St. If in London, you can get it easily in Brixton Market, just ask around. If in the US, most reputable botanicas offer Efun at possibly the cheapest prices anywhere.)
Please do not use more than a pinch of the Efun. More than a pinch is overkill. Say, half a teaspoon tops, not even that. Thankfully, I’ve never heard anyone say Efun spoils.
If you have no Efun, you can try the pinch of flour thing, or fly without it… I have had to do without the Efun… This bath never fails to do something for me.
OPTIONAL INGREDIENTS
- White Flower Petals – The white flowers are important, and the more you use the better, because they absorb a lot of negativity. See further notes below. In England I got Mums and daisies, in Barbados I got white bougainvillea on a few rare occasions. I have also done this with lavender leaves with excellent results and DIVINE smell. I’ve never done one in Trinidad with flowers, but will track this later.
- Raw Cocoa Butter – Solid form, NOT Palmers or Helene’s or commercial butter. The good kind, a block that you can grate into mixture… not the whole block mind you. A tablespoon’s worth.
- Coconut Oil – Now I am not a big fan of this term ‘pure extra virgin coconut oil’, but you know some of you will like ‘insist’. I used Econo Coconut Oil to oil pull and included it in white baths. Econo is a cheap drug store coconut oil, that has clearly been mass produced as it has no ‘scent’. You know what? It worked anyway! When I got to Trinidad, I went down Charlotte St. and got the ‘extra virgin’ : eyeroll : stuff from the old ladies down Eastside Plaza. It’s made in huge coal pots and roaring fires and those old ladies grate and boil down to the oil themselves. Guess what? That works too! You know what works for you, works for you, but I don’t believe in ‘waiting’ for the ‘right moment’ or the ‘right ingredients’ or the ‘right man’. I am really about what I have to hand in any given moment. If you have coconut oil, and want to include some, if ya feel froggy baby, just leap! Just include a table spoon (capful)… otherwise you goan be GREASY.
- Cinnamon – Boil the sticks to make a tea, use cinnamon oil, or tea bags… Doesn’t matter. I personally boil the cinnamon stick, then let it draw for a bit, and use the tea. I’ve recently started experimenting with cinnamon essence. Use your own judgement. One note about cinnamon oil: JUST A FEW DROPS!! It can sting!
- Cologne – Florida Water or Kananga Water or Hoytes Cologne or whatever nice that you like and have to hand. Florida Water is what we like to go with, because it has become synonymous with sort of thing in this part of the world, and is usually the traditional choice. However, I confess I have used Tresor by Lancome, Calvin Klein scents as well as Sunflowers by Elizabeth Arden, but that’s my tastes. Feel free to do this in a way you feel comfortable with, but experiment until you find it. Please just a few drops of the expensive stuff, and SLIGHTLY more generous with the toilette waters.
- White Lavender Water – See above.
- Honey – It may be expensive, but it is a fantastic element to this bath that cannot be understated.
- Nutmeg – Nutmeg tea, nutmeg oil, or ground nutmeg. Let me say this is divine smelling… But the ground nutmeg was a pain in the ass afterwards. Try the tea or the oil (again, just a few drops!!)
- Parsley – Tea made from fresh parsley is best for this, but I’ve done it with dried parsley and gotten good results as well.
- Black strap molasses – If like some of us, you live where honey cost you a pound and a crown, I’m getting good results with this as a substitute.
- Rock salt – Just a tbsp or two.
- 1 tsp ammonia – This is especially good for removing negative thoughts and energy.
- Beer – Good beer; German is good; not the whole bottle, just about half a glass of beer is good. Drink the rest later if you like.
Now for the purpose of this blog post, I am going to wind down the list of optionals here. In the past I have included other essential oils, other hoodoo oils like Fast Luck, Money Drawing, Wealthy Way as well as similar powders. I’ve experimented with combinations of these ingredients, milks, sometimes a little, sometimes a lot… This is where the ‘swiss army knife’ comes in. You can choose to use stuff I’ve listed or may grow bold and try to experiment. Let your intuition guide you, and don’t limit yourself. There are very few wrong ways, and thousands of permutations you can experiment with here. Free yaself!!
It always works something good in my life if only just to calm my damn nerves down. I feel very pampered and luscious after, but most importantly calm, serene, focussed and my skin feels amazing.
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FREQUENCY
Do it as often as you can. Three times a week wouldn’t hurt. Once a week ain’t bad… and even if you do it only when you’re feeling really low it cannot hurt you.
Do it every day if you like and can afford it. You can decide to do one a week on the same day at the same time for a number of weeks. You may save it for special occasions. There is no too much with this, but I am discovering there is too little. There was a point where I went 18 months without doing one of these, and it was a very dark sad time.
Go with what feels right for you. When I am having especially hard times I will do as many as five in a week.
METHOD
Take a regular shower first.
If you have a bathtub, then fill it with HOT water maybe about two inches or so. Put in your COCOA BUTTER first. (Heat will melt this first.) If you are using a bucket–like I often have to–then melt the cocoa butter to an oil first in the water. Try to keep your water to milk ration around one part milk (total mixed milk) and three parts water. I have experienced increasing the density of the milk and it works as long as its not too rich… too rich and I get very itchy.
Mix ingredients together and with your left hand, stirring counter clockwise, call your guardian angel, spirit guides and protectors to come and assist you in the blessing of the bath. Ask for spiritual tranquility, clear vision to persevere, good health and the energy to sustain throughout. I like to ask my Ori (the part of God that is in me) to bless my efforts and make the bath a success for me.
Hold the sides of the bucket or bowl and then say a prayer to God–The Lord’s Prayer, A favourite psalm, a favourite oriki, sutra–Pour into bathtub if soaking, or grab your calabash/small bowl/cup and slowly pour the mixture over your head. If soaking in the bathtub, you can immerse yourself, you can pour over yourself.
While pouring or immersing, I have begun to repeat my affirmations; Words of power that unlock the Abundant Endless Supply of the Universe during these exercises in self-love that white baths have become for me. If you feel so moved, this would be an excellent moment to fervently make your affirmations count.
Afterwards, pat yourself dry, and dress in white or light colored clothing.
Get a small glass of water and a tiny penny candle or tea light, and dedicate the glass of water to your guardian angel spirit guides and protectors. Light the candle.
Pay attention to your dreams!!!
N.B.: When working with this bath, especially with flowers. Be sure to gather up ALL the flowers after and that your bath is thoroughly cleaned afterwards. Dispose of the flowers immediately and be sure to wash your hands with some salt water after.
Wash the shower down with vinegar and salt water solution. Very, very clean por favor!
BTW Beloved… you don’t need everything on this list. You don’t have to have anything but the white milky liquid and the will.
If you don’t have one thing, but the others, do what you can with what you have.
This is not about what you don’t have Beloved, be sooooo thankful for what you DO have, and use what you have. What you don’t have is not real… what you have is. Use that. Waste nothing. Not even one second of experience.
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