The Cleansing “Witch Tip” I’m Trying Out This Weekend (Perfect for a Fall Reset!)
Have you ever walked past a mirror and gotten an uneasy, funny feeling? If you’re someone who is more likely to follow pagan practices like Wicca, you may already know that your mirror could be due for a “closing.” But if you don’t, and you’re looking for a way to reset the energy in your home, a recent viral TikTok from @instantwich, who shares beginner witchcraft tips, explains how a witch “closes mirrors,” and why you might want to try it yourself.
@InstantWitch, who touts herself as your “witchie bestie,” explains in the video that the practice of “closing mirrors” is basically a way to prevent ill-meaning spirits and evil energy from entering your home.
“Have you ever walked by your mirror, especially at night, and gotten a weird vibe?” she asks in the video, before sharing that some people believe that spirits can become trapped in mirrors or unwanted entities can come through them.
Jen Billock, a freelance writer, witch, and professional fortune teller, adds that you should close any mirror that you bought “at a thrift store or from some other marketplace where you don’t know the person who owned it before. Negative energy can get trapped in that reflective space and make its way into your home, and if you don’t know what environment the mirror came from, the energy can cause stress in your home as a result.”
In her video, @InstantWitch demonstrated how she closes mirrors to bad energy and potential visitors with some simple household products and a quick ritual. Her instructions are to cleanse the mirror using a specific motion — cleansing it three times counterclockwise and wiping it down in the same motion, using incense or smoke to continue to cleanse the mirror (with windows and doors open) and finish the process using a spiritual liquid like Florida water, salt water, or even spit. It’s important to focus on banishing negative energy and focus on the positive energy you want to bring in, she says.
Billock, for her part, supports the practice but says that people can and should listen to their gut to make the practice right for them.
“As long as the cleaning and closing of the mirror feels right to the person doing it, then it’s being done the proper way. … The rule of three she mentions, for example, is a Wiccan tenet — not every pagan believes in that. For any witchcraft, you want to do what resonates for you. If you second-guess the process, try a different one. If something feels off when you’re doing it, do something else.”
Billock closes her mirrors in a more simple way — she cleans “it like normal while focusing on the intent, then smudge[s] it with incense like she did (doors and windows open!) or use a smudge spray or bells/sound bowl. Then I would use a combination of visualizing the mirror locking closed like a box, and use my fingers to draw a sigil on it, but only above the surface. I don’t want to touch the mirror after I’ve cleaned it because I hate fingerprints on glass!”
Several viewers shared their own experiences with bad energy coming from mirrors, and revealed that they’d found versions of this ritual helpful for warding off negative vibes. Whether or not you’re fully on the side of witchcraft or are simply interested in rituals that help you ward off bad energy, this practice can be an easy and totally autumnal way to reset the energy in your home as we get into fall.
As for doing the practice respectfully, @InstantWitch suggests redoing this protective ritual on the equinoxes and solstices, making it the perfect time to close your mirror and embrace only good vibes ahead of the winter solstice on December 21. And Billock says that it’s “difficult to do this ritual disrespectfully, unless you’re using unethically sourced sage or incense,” or are wishing harm on them.