Purification has a wide variety of connotations and possibilities and often comes with some very complex rituals designed to purify mind, spirit, body and objects. There is such a wide variety of possible rituals that it is nearly impossible to enumerate them all. In fact, I will only touch on a few of the thousands of possibilities and hope that my fellow essay writers will cover others.
Purification rituals fall into three basic categories: purification of the soul, purification of the material and purification through conversion. The most commonly known purification ritual in the United States is baptism. The Christians use baptism as a means of purifying the soul as well as purification through conversion. One cannot take the baptism ritual without conversion to Christianity. The tradition came from the Jewish mikvah - the ritual bath used to purify converts and to purify people at Yom Kippur - which is an example of purifying the material. However, water purification rituals are an idea so old that they fade into pre-history and there is no way to prove their origins.
While baptism is one of the more simple purification rituals, there are many cultures that use purification as not just a ritual, but as a way of life. For example, the Shinto purification process is a daily activity and a means of existence, rather than a single ritual. It is too complex of an idea for me to break down in a simple essay, but I have come across several websites concerning Shinto purity and one of the best sites for information I've found is:
http://pnc-ecai.oiu.ac.jp/jhti/shinto/project1.htmlMany Pagan traditions involving purification come in the form of the use of materials, or low magic, to purify things in the material world. Pagans have historically purified themselves with fire, incense, blood sacrifice, and, in some cases, sea onions. A good example of low magic purification is the creation and use of an herbal broom to give your environment and your body a "clean sweep." This is accomplished by collecting the branch of a fallen tree and tying herbs gathered during the new moon to it using raffia or hemp cord. Common herbs for an herbal broom include: sage, cedar, fennel, lavender, mint, rosemary, dill, and parsley.
Once using the broom, one can take the dried herbs and greens, light them, and wave the smoke about your house in a form of smudging. Smudging is an old Southwestern Native American low magic method of purification combining both the divinity of smoke and the use of aromatherapy. The most common plants used in smudge sticks are sagebrush, sweetgrass, cedar, juniper, mugwort, yerba santa, and rosemary. If you are creating your own smudge sticks, you should have a good knowledge of herbs and plants so that they may be harvested at the right time and used properly. Even simple purification rituals are not for the lay person as certain combinations of herbal smoke can produce toxins and carcinogens.
Tarot cards are another means of low magic purification. The Tarot allows a person to look into themselves to find the reasons for impurity and to help find solutions. There are specific spreads used when attempting this form of divination and information can be obtained from the amazing variety of Tarot-related websites on the internet.
Some purification rituals involve Tantric meditations or ritual dances such as Tai Chi in a form of high magic purification. High magic purification tends to focus on the spirit and mind rather than the material. Yoga is the most widely practiced and well known of all high magic in the United States. A less known form of high magic is the Kabbalist rituals. In these rituals, the Kabbalist meditates on holy names and wraps themselves in the Wings of God (talit) and seeks to enter each level of Heaven by the deciphering of the Seven Seals of God. However, just as one who is not willing to convert to Christianity cannot take part in the ritual of baptism, Kabbalist meditation and rituals are not available to non-Jewish people.
In my own personal life, I use purity as a way of life as well as a ritual. I begin with maintaining a healthy body through Tai Chi, avoiding excessive use of alcohol or other indulgences, and avoiding consumption of animal products. If negative energies or other influences invade my environment, I use the art of smudging to be rid of them. Using the Caddo tradition of my family, I make smudge sticks from pinon resin, juniper, and tobacco. These are all fire elements and are used to "burn away" the negative energies and bad influences. One begins by the creation of the stick, focusing all of your mental energies into its creation. This purifies the mind as all energies are now being focused into a single task, which is a common form of meditation. Often ritual songs are sung, but, as in most Native American rituals, the songs have no actual lyrics, but are rather pulled from the soul as a series of hard breaths and vowel grunts. The song purifies the soul because it is widely believed that only in song can the soul be purified. Then the stick is burned and the purifier bathes his/her body in the smoke, paying special attention to the face and hair. Once the body is purified, then the stick is taken around the house and lands in order to purify everything in the environment.
Purity, however, has a wide variety of meanings. Many different paths, religions, cultures, and individuals see "pure" as something completely different. For example, a person who is a devoted vegan may see someone who consumes animal products as being impure or unclean. It is important to realize that purity is a concept and there are no hard-set rules on what comprises purity. It is also important to remember that there is no lawgiver when it comes to karma. While your definition and ideas of that which is pure may differ from another's idea of purity, it is better that you learn from each other, rather than argue and fight. To me, purity is balance. I could not imagine living in a world where everyone and everything met my ideals. I see the purity and beauty in the lily blossoms, but when I turn over the leaves, I see the ichneumonids feeding on living caterpillars. This is not an impurity, but rather a balance. It is the recognition of the divine nature in the beauty and the purifying balance of the obscene.
"Words have the power to both destroy and heal. When words are both true and kind, they can change our world." - Buddha