The Ritual Bath is very rewarding. I invite you to create your own. I have listed out a directional outline below and then materials. This is developed for the article Ritual Bathing.
Prepare yourself, your space, and your time so that you will not be interrupted at all. Once you enter your chamber do not leave till you are ready. It is like a womb or chrysalis, you should be fully prepared ahead and not leave till you feel you are done.
Light enough candles to be comfortable with only their light. You can incorporate candle magick here if you want. You may even set the tone with incense or an aroma lamp. It is usually at this time I prepare my salt mixture, adding other ingredients to act as a charm.
Draw your bath water, and make it as hot as you can handle. Add drops of any special water and bless or anoint it to your purpose. I am not going to say how. I feel strongly this should be personalized. Evoke or pray to your personal goddesses deity or other, if you choose, for your desired result.
Add your salts, oils, and herbs, as you choose. While Bathing relax, meditate, purge, and just be one with yourself and the universe. If you get too warm, step out and steam on a towel for a few, get back in when you want.
When you are done acknowledge and meditate on all that is leaving and going down the drain with the water.Pamper your self some more with lotions, balms, or what ever you prefer. Once the water is gone extinguish your candles.
If you evoked and made request of a personal goddesses, deity, or other - make a token of thanks and or gratitude. By offering food, incense or token of praise on your altar.
Waters- While this seems obvious it can be of great advantage to think carefully of selecting special water to add to the bath. Consider gathering and collecting waters from sacred places and or during sacred times. Like the first spring dew, from a lake during a lunar eclipse, from the ocean during high tide.While water from the body, through sweat, tears, and even birth are good for other purposes. It is not good for a bath ritual. Rather, it is a good cleansing ritual that often produces these.
Salts- Epsom salts are great for cleansing the body and nursing aches. Sea Salts are great for the spirit the more raw the better. I like a little more sea and ocean in my bath. I prefer to combine them, often with baking soda. I keep this base salt mixture ready to customize.
Oils- small amounts of pure essential oils are best, customized for your needs. And if you don't mind the film and clean up you can add a couple table spoons of your favorite body oil. I prefer not to do this and use a balm bead or lotion bar afterwards. Again for the purpose of cleaning and ritual please hold to natural ingredients.
Herbs - Fresh or dry they are great in the bath, but keep in mind the clean up. I prefer fine ground dry herbs as a rule. Again customize them to your specific needs.
Gems- I am not as heavy a user of gems as many are. When using them I tend to lean towards old alchemical practices of grinding them down into powders for use. The Ritual Bath is a great place to implement their energies. My favorite is crushing inexpensive freshwater pearls. I am sure you see the connections.
