Spiritual tools are intended to amplify a ritual or practice. These may include feathers, shells, crystals, musical instruments, smoke, herbs, flowers, plants, and spiritual colognes like Agua de Florida. If you’re wondering where to begin in selecting the spiritual tools that feel right to you, start with Mother Earth. She provides us with so much rich earthly medicine that can be used in spiritual practices, like the rue plant, a short-lived perennial herb with blue-green foliage and a fern-like appearance.
This powerful herb is also known as the herb of grace or by its scientific name, ruta graveolens, and can be used in spiritual rituals and practices in a variety of ways and for varying purposes. It can be used to relieve earaches and headaches, and it can be applied to the skin as an antiseptic, as an insect repellant, and for pain relief.
While rue is a beautiful plant with strongly aromatic leaves, it can be poisonous when consumed. For the spiritual practices and rituals discussed here, the herb is used in liquid form and is not consumed internally at all, but instead used externally to shift energy. For all the cat lovers out there, just a warning that your feline baby may not like the smell – so use it sparingly.
What Is Agua de Ruda?
Agua de ruda is the water derived from the powerfully magical rue herb. Its origin is associated with a few geographic locations, including the Balkan Peninsula in southeastern Europe. It’s also linked to the deserts of North Africa and South Asia and is credited with being introduced from the Mediterranean region and the Middle East.
This herb, like many plants, herbs, oils, spices, and other goods, made its way to the Caribbean and Latin America on the ships of colonizers, and there, it was adapted by Indigenous communities for various purposes, including spiritual work.
What Is Agua de Ruda Used For?
Agua de ruda is used for a variety of purposes in spiritual rituals and beyond. The herb has a lovely aroma and is refreshing when used as a body splash and facial toner. When added to a spray bottle, agua de ruda can be used as a room freshener to uplift and shift the energy of your space. The herb has also been used as an oil to promote healthy, radiant skin, and is excellent for hair nourishment.
It was used in Ancient Greece and Ancient Egypt to treat a wide variety of health conditions, including menstrual cramps and muscle spasms. It has also been used as an insect repellent and an antiparasitic agent as well as to improve eye health.
Where Can You Buy Agua de Ruda?
Agua de ruda can be purchased at apothecaries, herbal shops, botanicas, and spiritual shops. The spiritual cologne can also be purchased online, but it is important to use your discernment and make sure to research the seller you are buying from to gauge authenticity.
5 Ways to Use Agua de Ruda in Your Spiritual Practices This Year
- Baños and limpias: Add a splash or two to your spiritual baños and limpias for protection against evil, malevolent spirits, and mal de ojo and to banish negative and stagnant energy. This will leave you feeling refreshed, renewed, and recharged.
- Cleansing the home: When spiritually cleansing your home, consider adding agua de ruda to your ingredients list to purify your space or rid it of negative vibras. It’s a great additive to mop water or to cleansing mixtures for windows, window frames, wall panels, door handles, and almost any surface in your home, car, office, and beyond. This is a wonderful way to refresh your space after having guests or to coincide with the moon and seasonal cycles.
- Cleansing spiritual tools: Although agua de ruda can be considered a spiritual tool, it is also great for cleansing other spiritual tools like charms, amulets, tarot cards, and even refreshing altars. Spray a little on a cloth and wipe down your tools as you thank the magical herb. To refresh altars, you can wipe them down and then spritz a little agua de ruda over them to create a shield of protective energy.
- Strengthen your aura: Add agua de ruda to a small spray bottle and spritz it around you to create a shield of energetic protection. It’s also great to strengthen the aura. Our aura can pick up other people’s energy and it could weigh heavily on us. The agua de ruda can help to wipe the aura clean of other people’s energy, creating space for feelings of peace and tranquility. It can also be used to help with concentration, so spritz some around you and your workspace before starting your next project.
- Promote self-love: Whether you’re adding a few splashes to your baño or limpia or using agua de ruda as a spritz, this powerful herb is great for promoting self-love and love overall. You can spray it in your hands and gently inhale before wiping your body down from head to toe. Say affirmations of love while doing this. For example, “I am love” or “I attract healthy love.” As you do this, believe that the energy of love is pouring into you and that you are on the frequency of self-love and acceptance. Be open to receiving or renewing love from another.
