Things That Stand Out For My Personal Water Practice

⇶ Two Waters: White Spring, Black Well

→ The subtle but incredibly interesting correlations with The Nine Maidens in the book, and the Handmaidens who tend the Wellspring in the Garden.

⇶ {Later} "Mist is the product of air and water that usually (but not always) appears in the liminal hours of dusk and dawn [...] It can also act as the hedge — the place between this world and the Otherworld".

→ {Earlier} "She rides the hedge, listening to her guides, goddesses, and spirits".

⇶ {Exercise: Defining Your Priestess Path} Subtle but incredibly interesting correlations between Water Priestess practice suggestions of baths, and healing rituals using natural waters

→ Natural Waters as Mikvehs

→ Mormon Baptisms for Healing + Washing and Anointing as Blessing.

⇶ "Dress all in white and decorate your altar with white and gold"

→ My Mother's Wedding "Lingerie", which I already use for ritual bathing.

⇶ "You will need a gold cup or bowl that can hold drinkable water"

→ This Amazon Bowl

{To Start} Hold the water in both hands and breathe over it, mingling your breath with its surface. Pause for a few breaths, then swirl your index finger around in the water three times in a sunwise direction. Anoint your heart center, lips, and Third Eye with the water as you begin to breathe slowly and enter into a light meditative state.

{To End} Using the same finger, swirl the water in a counter-sunwise direction and anoint your Third Eye, your lips, and your heart center. Thank the water for the connection you have experienced.

⇶ "Stir the water nine times sunwise, then anoint your brow, eyes, lips, hands, and feet with the water. Take the bowl in both hands and raise it over your head. As you begin to pour the water over your head [...]"

⇶ "Anointing your Third Eye with the water, and perhaps your palms and heart center as well".

Using sacred water, begin to bless the body as you pray or chant. Anoint the brow and say: May your visions be blessed and true. Anoint the eyelids and say: May your sight be blessed with beauty and love. Anoint the lips and say: May your words be blessed and true. Anoint the heart center and say: May your heart be blessed and rest in divine love. Anoint the palms and say: May all that you touch be blessed and sacred. Anoint the feet and say: May everywhere you travel be the right and true path. Anoint the crown and say: May all that is from here below be blessed and full of grace, love, and abundance; With the power of these sacred waters, this is my will; so will it be!"

⇶ Repetition of the number Nine

→ Jewish Gematria: 9 (tet / ט) - The design of Tet is like a pot: A vessel with an inverted rim- representing the carrying of hidden inner beneficence (especially as it relates to the 9 months of pregnancy); the most complete multiplicity, including division between the natural and supernatural. Also represents Truth- specifically the idea that what is definitively true must be true in all parts and spaces.