Magical Laundry

By Mrs. B

Laundry. Does anyone really like doing it? Load after load…it never ends. But for the domestic witch, every mundane chore is an opportunity to create magic and infuse their families lives with the vibrations that you’d like to increase. And it’s easy to do!

A Song from the Suds

Queen of my tub, I merrily sing,

While the white foam rises high;

And sturdily wash and rinse and wring,

And fasten the clothes to dry;

Then out in the free fresh air they swing,

Under the sunny sky.

I wish we could wash from our hearts and souls

The stains of the week away,

And let water and air by their magic make

Ourselves as pure as they;

Then on the earth there would be indeed

A glorious washing day!

Along the path of a useful life,

Will heart’s-ease ever bloom;

The busy mind has no time to think

Of sorrow or care or gloom;

And anxious thoughts may be swept away,

As we bravely wield a broom.

I am glad a task to me is given,

To labor at day by day;

For it brings me health and strength and hope,

And I cheerfully learn to say,

“Head, you may think, Heart, you may feel,

But, Hand, you shall work away!”

~ Louisa May Alcott, Little Women

While you might not want to say Louisa May Alcott’s poem with each load of laundry, perhaps it could be hung in the laundry room or near the washer to remind you that laundry isn’t just an annoying task, but a job that brings something important to you and your family.

One way to add magical vibrations to your laundry and to your family is to bring herb magic into the wash. In the form of essential oils dabbed on a washcloth and tossed into the wash with your clothes, or a bundle of dried herbs washed and dried with your load, herbs can infuse your wash with attributes of your choosing. Want to bring more love or a better nights sleep into your family? Bundle up some lavender. Need to add some peace and calm to your household? Chamomile is there to do the job. Need a quick boost for prosperity? Clothes washed with a bit of basil could do the trick.

Essential oils, are of course easy to use for this. They are also, unfortunately somewhat expensive. Dried herbs are usually less expensive. To use them, you can tie a few tablespoonsful into a small pouch, either sewn or purchased. Even easier, simply add them to the center of a cloth napkin or cotton fabric scrap and tie off with a ribbon or cinch with a rubber band. I’ve even tied them into an old, clean sock! Throw the bundle in with your wash and transfer it to the drier with the clothes. You can usually use it two or three times before it looses it’s fragrance.

Whether you add herbs or not, a small chant can bring laundry from the mundane to the magical:

Have you hit a patch of bad luck? Try chanting any of the following into your dirty laundry as you load it into the washer (or create your own):

As I wash this load of clothes,

I wash away our troubles and our woes.

*

Goddess, these troubles

To you I have told;

Wash them away

With this water so cold.

*

Goddess this bad luck

I scrub with these jeans

Away dirt and troubles

As this water it cleans!

If you do add an herbal boost, you can make the chant specific for what qualities you are looking to boost:

Lavender buds so full of love

Bring blessings to us from up above.

*

With lavender I wash these sheets for my guest

So they will have a good night’s rest.

*

Chamomile work as a balm

Bring to my family peace and calm.

Also, any good witch knows to work in honor of Mother Earth. Where it used to be hard to find or afford “green” laundry detergents, more and more brands are springing forth on the shelves. Many of the “big” names are producing a product to appeal to the greenies. Shop around and see if you can find an earth friendly laundry soap at an affordable price. And if you haven’t yet, consider changing from chlorine bleach to a more earth friendly whitener.

In honor of the earth, you can also try to make your laundry as energy efficient as possible.

• Only run the washer or dryer when you have a full load
• Do multiple loads in a row, to take advantage of the already warm dryer.
• Better yet, hang your clothes on the line when weather permits!
• Wash in cold water as much as possible.
• Be sure to clean the lint catch of your dryer after every load.
• Turn down the thermostat on your water heater. A setting of 120 F is adequate for most home needs. By reducing your hot water temperature, you will save energy with either hot or warm wash cycles.
• Separate your clothes and launder similar fabrics together. Lightweight synthetics, for example, dry much faster than bath towels.
• Check dryer exhaust vent ( on the outside of your home). Make sure it is clean and that the flapper on the hood opens and closes freely.

And don’t forget to get your family involved with the laundry! This is a life skill that everyone needs to know. No witchling who can walk is too young to help. Even the very smallest kids can pull out the socks from the clean whites basket and put them in a pile to be paired by bigger hands. Teach kids how to run the washer and drier and have them run them on a regular basis. It loosens up your own load and helps them learn to be more self-sufficient.

With a little work, you can bring loads of magic into the laundry room!