6,626
edits
Difference between revisions of "Holy water"
no edit summary
Occultwiki (talk | contribs) (Created page with "'''Holy water''' is water that has been blessed by a member of the clergy or a religious figure, or derived from a well or spring considered holy. The use for cleansing prior...") |
Occultwiki (talk | contribs) |
||
| (4 intermediate revisions by the same user not shown) | |||
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
[[File:Holy water stoup.jpg|400px|thumb|Holy water stoup in a church]] | |||
'''Holy water''' is water that has been blessed by a member of the clergy or a religious figure, or derived from a well or spring considered holy. The use for cleansing prior to a baptism and spiritual cleansing is common in several religions, from [[Christianity]] to Sikhism. | '''Holy water''' is water that has been blessed by a member of the clergy or a religious figure, or derived from a well or spring considered holy. The use for cleansing prior to a baptism and spiritual cleansing is common in several religions, from [[Christianity]] to Sikhism. | ||
| Line 15: | Line 16: | ||
Holy water is kept in the holy water font, which is typically located at the entrance to the church (or sometimes in a separate room or building called a baptistery). Smaller vessels, called stoups, are usually placed at the entrances of the church, to enable people to bless themselves with it on entering. | Holy water is kept in the holy water font, which is typically located at the entrance to the church (or sometimes in a separate room or building called a baptistery). Smaller vessels, called stoups, are usually placed at the entrances of the church, to enable people to bless themselves with it on entering. | ||
===Use by non-Christians=== | |||
In [[Wicca]] and other ceremonial magic traditions, a bowl of salt is blessed and a small amount is stirred into a bowl of water that has been ritually purified. In some traditions of Wicca, this mixture of water and salt symbolizes the brine of the sea, which is regarded as the womb of the Goddess, and the source of all life on Earth. The mixture is consecrated and used in many religious ceremonies and magical rituals. | |||
==Creating holy water== | ==Creating holy water== | ||
| Line 42: | Line 46: | ||
"This creature of water, I bless and consecrate, in the name of the Father and Son and Holy Spirit, and by the power which I received by my baptism; and by my priesthood, we are guaranteed protection from our enemies, both visible and invisible. So be it!" | "This creature of water, I bless and consecrate, in the name of the Father and Son and Holy Spirit, and by the power which I received by my baptism; and by my priesthood, we are guaranteed protection from our enemies, both visible and invisible. So be it!" | ||
</blockquote> | </blockquote> | ||
==Hell water== | |||
In 2020, [[occultist]] [[Travis McHenry]] perfected a technique for creating [[Hell water]], which is formulated as the opposite of Holy water and is intended for use with [[demon]]s. | |||
==In popular culture== | |||
Holy water is believed to ward off or act as a weapon against mythical evil creatures, such as vampires and werewolves. As a result, the concept has widely proliferated into fiction about such creatures. | |||
* The ''Castlevania'' series of video games utilize holy water as a weapon and a means to uncover hidden features. | |||
* ''The Devil's Advocate'' (1997) Al Pacino's character dips his finger in the baptismal font, causing the entire fountain to boil, but seemingly causing him no pain. | |||
* ''Constantine'' (2005) holy water burns the skin of [[demon]]s and makes them vulnerable to attack. | |||
* ''From Dusk Till Dawn'' (1996) Harvey Keitel's character blesses ordinary water so it can be used to fight off vampires. | |||
[[Category:Religious Concepts]] | [[Category:Religious Concepts]] | ||
[[Category:Christianity]] | [[Category:Christianity]] | ||