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Cleansing, Consecrating, and Empowering (CCE)

To cleanse means to purify with the four elements (earth, air, water, and fire). To consecrate means to bless in the name of a deity (or deities). To empower means to activate the object for a specific magickal purpose.

To CCE a Person

This is normally done as a person steps into a magick circle or before a hands-on healing; however, if you are a “Witch alone,” then you can choose whether you want to bless yourself before or after the circle has been cast. In many ceremonies the smoke of burning sage is passed lightly over the body. Then, the words of power commonly used are:

May you be cleansed, consecrated, and regenerated in the name of the Lord and Lady. Blessings upon you now as you enter this sacred space.

As the words are spoken aloud, a star or sacred spiral is drawn on the individual’s head with anointing oil, followed by the sprinkling of holy water. You can also bless an animal before a healing with the same words, but omit the smoke and oil. Use the water instead.

To CCE an Object

In most cases, the four elements (earth, air, fire, and water) are used to cleanse any object. In the Craft it is believed that all things used for magickal purposes and religious reasons should be properly prepared by following this process; however, as you grow in the Craft, you’ll begin to cleanse, consecrate, and empower just about everything, even stuff you use in your daily life (like your car, your bike, and even your skateboard). At first, this will seem stupid. Let’s face it, when most of us begin our Craft training, the world of religion and faith is often separate from the world of work, school, and play. As your spirituality grows, the world of religion, faith, and spirituality melds with the experience of work, school, and play. This overlapping process is called walking your talk—being what you say you are rather than wearing a face that others see, but isn’t the real you. This is a slow process, but it happens just the same. Those who give up the Craft and seek no other form of spirituality always live in two worlds, rather than one, making life so much more difficult than it needs to be. The choice is always yours.

To cleanse, consecrate, and empower an item, you need to make two decisions: to whom will you consecrate the item (God, Goddess, Spirit, the name of a deity), and what kind of empowerment you want the item to carry (love, harmony, peace, joy, protection, prosperity, truth, etc.). Once you have made these choices, it is a simple matter to place the item on your altar and begin.

Before you use the four elements, you must cleanse, consecrate, and bless them. Ground and center. Blow three times over the elements, then hold your hands over each element, and say:

In the name of (list your deity here).

One heart, one mind, one magick.

One truth, one body, one energy.

In perfect joy and perfect peace

in perfect love and perfect trust

I call forth the power of Spirit

and the serenity of divine order.

As above, so below.

So mote it be.

Now, hold your hands over the first item you wish to magickally prepare. Let’s say we are using the necklace you want to wear for protection (which would make it an amulet). Sprinkle the necklace with holy water, and say:

Element of water. In the name of (chosen deity),
I cast out all unclean energies,
real and imagined.

As you say the words, imagine a brilliant white light surrounding the necklace. Then say:

May you be blessed in the name of (chosen deity),
and be filled with the energy of (love, peace, joy, truth, protection, etc.).
So mote it be.

Sprinkle a little salt over the necklace, and repeat the process:

Element of earth. In the name of (deity), I cast out all unclean energies, real and imagined. May you be blessed in the name of (deity), and be filled with the energy of (love, peace, joy, truth, protection, harmony, etc.). So mote it be.

If you do not want to use salt, you can pass a crystal over the necklace—just remember that the crystal (like the water and any other element) should also have been cleansed, consecrated, and blessed before it is used on the necklace.

Using incense, pass the smoke over the necklace, saying the same words, except beginning with the words “Element of air.” Finish by passing the candle flame over the necklace, calling out “Element of fire” and then finishing with the rest of the words.

Blow on the necklace three times, then draw an equal-armed cross in the air over the necklace, saying:

Thou art cleansed, consecrated, and empowered
in the name of (deity). This magick is sealed.
So mote it be.

How long does any cleansing and empowerment last? That depends on the activity around the object. If things are particularly nasty at home, on the job, or at school, you may want to perform this type of ritual once a month until things settle down.

CCE for Your First Car
(or the Family Vehicle)

One of the most amusing rituals you’ll perform is blessing your car without making a spectacle of yourself in public. If you have a garage, or live on a dirt road where no one ever comes knocking, this isn’t a problem, but if you live in town (like we do) it’s always a fun challenge to see how much magick you can do without looking too suspicious.

Supplies: Holy water; your choice of magickal oil; an amulet previously prepared for protection that you will place in the car.

Instructions: On a sunny day (we’re going to use the sun as the element of fire), take your supplies outside and set them on the ground near the car. Walk deosil (clockwise) completely around the car, whispering: “Protection, safety, bring to me. As I will, so mote it be.” Walk around the car (or truck or motorcycle), sprinkling the holy water on the hood, roof, doors, etc., speaking the normal words of cleansing, consecration, and empowerment as given on page 385. Make sure you put the water on the headlights and taillights, saying: “All will see when lit you be.” Next, draw pentacles on each tire with the oil, saying: “Earth, air, water, fire—protection always on this tire.”

I always draw pentacles on the hood, all doors, and the back of the car with my finger for extra protection. Put your hands on the hood of the car, and recite the following:

Sun above and air around

bless this car upon the ground.

Water, earth, give power too

protective energy, stick like glue.

As the wheels move round and round

angels sing protective sounds.

Let not ill fortune come this way

keep us safe both night and day.

And should some idiot target me

send back that energy three times three.

In the name of (list your deity here),

one heart, one mind, one magick.