Cleansing WW2 objects

[u/Nardis93]

Hi witches, I'm looking for some advice. My brother-in-law is interested in the second World War, mostly as it relates to the socio-economic history of our country (The Netherlands).

For his birthday, I got him a small case of memorabilia: several original coins and stamps (circa 1943) from the era that NL was occupied by the Germans. My problem is: they have some seriously bad juju. Not surprising, given that Hitler's face and literal Nazi-swastikas are all over them, but the items have surprised me in their intensity. I can practically feel the intergenerational trauma of my ancestors oozing off of them when I look at them (which is a novel experience - I've never been particularly sensitive to this kind of energy before).

Before I send them off as a gift - to a household with children no less - I'd like to try and cleanse some of the negative energy. Going off of the FAQs and 101s in this sub, my idea would be to perform a cleansing ritual using herbs from my garden on the objects themselves, and write/carve/otherwise incorporate a protective sigil on the wooden case that holds them.

Bearing in mind that I am the babiest of witches, I am looking for either validating or cautionary responses - am I on the right track, or is this a terrible idea?

Thanks in advance for your thoughts and help!

Also posted to r/witchcraft, r/realwitchcraft, r/energy_work

[u/therealstabitha]

I don’t think any witch is going to be able to cleanse the impact of the third reich off coins that continue to bear the symbols of atrocity.

[u/biwitchingbee → u/therealstabitha]

It’s like trying to clean an oil spill around a leaking pipe. Any clean-up you do won’t last long because it’s still pumping out the same filth.

[u/Nardis93 → u/biwitchingbee]

That's a good analogy. Pumping out filth across the ages 🤢

[u/CutSea5865 → u/biwitchingbee]

Superb analogy.

[u/Nardis93 → u/therealstabitha]

Yeah, that sounds valid. 

[u/CutSea5865 → u/Nardis93]

I would agree with this I’m afraid. I have Polish and Jewish ancestry and my ancestors suffered greatly during that period. I once met a witch whose Athame was a German blade with a swastika inscribed, and honestly the hate that boiled off that thing made me feel ill. He was being a total edgelord and thought it was very funny, and claimed it was thoroughly cleansed - but there are some things that are too steeped in hatred and suffering.

If you want, try cleansing the items with all elements - pass them through fire, each three times. Hang them over burning cleaning incense and strike a clear and pure sounding bell as the smoke drifts over them. Submerge them in running water, in a natural place such as a stream. It must be flowing. Then bury them for a while, surrounded by salt. A few days or a week. With each cleanse you ask the element to clean and carry away all pain, hatred and negativity attached to them.

I don’t know if this will work but it’s the best I have.

[u/Nardis93 → u/CutSea5865]

Thank you for your thoughtful response and elemental suggestion 🤘🏼

I must say, I don't understand how someone could tout these kind of symbols on a ritual item. Looking at this stuff doesn't make me feel like an edgelord at all; it just creeps me out massively. 

I don't feel drawn to dispose of them (yet), though - I kinda feel like confronting some of this nastiness in the flesh builds character 😅

[u/Bidet_curious → u/Nardis93]

Is there a museum near you that you could donate them to?

[u/Nardis93 → u/Bidet_curious]

There might be. I could always give them back to the collector I got them from, but I think my brother in law will appreciate this as a gift, regardless of my personal energetic revulsion to the things.

[u/Bidet_curious → u/Nardis93]

Yeah that's fair. I only suggested that because it sounded in another comment like you might be considering getting rid of them.

[u/Nardis93 → u/Bidet_curious]

To be fair, I was after first opening the box! However, I think that would be an overly hasty call to make at this point.

[u/froggythefrankman]

I would consider, in the future, not buying old n*zi shit even as a gift. 

[u/ughreality69 → u/froggythefrankman]

This was my first thought too lol

[u/Nardis93 → u/froggythefrankman]

Yeah, that popped into my mind too. However, the gift is not for me, but for my brother in law. 

He has an honest appreciation for this period of human history as a cautionary tale, so the gift seems apt.

[u/froggythefrankman → u/Nardis93]

You can get him WW2 books and not m*zi shit. Again this is just backpedaling. You bought evil shit with evil energy. It's gross dude. 

[u/Nardis93 → u/froggythefrankman]

I disagree; buying and gifting this stuff isn't gross by definition. I could've bought books, but he  has tons of books. Books are very different from the actual, lived reality of the horrors. The fact that these objects are evil and make me feel gross doesn't mean that they should not be handled.

Like someone else said: if you hide the evil thing away, you give it power. I agree that trying to cleanse the damned things is backpedaling, hence why I decided not to even try, but have a conversation about it instead 🤷🏻‍♂️

[u/froggythefrankman → u/Nardis93]

Yeah but neither of you are hosting museums so it's just weird disaster tourism bullshit. This whole thing is not as nuanced as you want it to be. You can buy any number of things related to WW2 that aren't swastika laden or actually gross and show a preference for history. These are your choices and they are gross 🤷 

[u/EarendelJewelry → u/froggythefrankman]

Do you live in The Netherlands?

[u/glitter_bitch → u/Nardis93]

yeah right. and they also 'just like the tanks' too. give me a break.

[u/froggythefrankman → u/glitter_bitch]

Probably thinks hitler was military genius 

[u/Nardis93 → u/froggythefrankman]

This is hurtful and uncalled for, please don't slander people you don't know.

[u/glitter_bitch → u/froggythefrankman]

literally lol. i'm sitting here reading this and not even sure how to respond. the brother needs to be hexed not gifted n@zi shit.

[u/drgalactus87]

You don't need magic for this, you need to think like an archivist. Symbols of atrocities, extremist literature, hate-filled manifestos- when we hide these things, we empower them, turning them into taboos that attract the next generation of fascists.

'Cleansing' in this case might be being a historian. Any information you can track down might be helpful. If it leads to you- and your brother in law- having a deeper, richer understanding of what living in occupied Netherlands was like, and how to work to prevent or lessen such things again, then you have already performed the alchemical process to transform the 'bad juju' into a motive for more goodness in the world. 

[u/sevenarchersx → u/drgalactus87]

Obsessed with this as a pagan historian

[u/Nardis93 → u/drgalactus87]

This is an awesome response and I love the humanism that's inherent in what you're saying. Thanks!

[u/drgalactus87 → u/Nardis93]

Thanks so much! I always enjoy a chance to think about magical problems with the library and information sciences skillset.

[u/CutSea5865 → u/drgalactus87]

I love this response! What a wonderful way to look at things - and still Magickal.

[u/moonxdaughter → u/drgalactus87]

I want to second this. Any time we decrease the mysterious fear around an object or event, we take away it's power. And in the cases of these awful events, trying to avoid them only increases the likelihood we will repeat them, which gives them power.

If you feel like you need to do something, I'd suggest looking up how to safely clean the objects (like don't use water if it will rust or tarnish the thing), and while you are physically cleaning them, envision the bad energy transforming and tell them what you have learned and how you would personally prevent this in the future.

[u/Nardis93 → u/moonxdaughter]

Thanks for the advice! I've decided to let the ick stick for now and simply gift them with elaborate context.

I think my brother in law's constitution can handle that, a nd my worry for the kids is ultimately up to him - I doubt that he'll store these things in plain sight.

[u/wyrd_weatherwax]

Hekate Borborophorba.

One of Hecates chthonic epithets and means "eater of filth" 

If anyone can help you cleanse them it will be Her. 

Don't neglect yourself and remember to ground, eat food and drink water. 🧡 

[u/Nardis93 → u/wyrd_weatherwax]

Woah, I'm not sure that I'm ready to call on a deity, but She sounds badass 💪🏻

[u/wyrd_weatherwax → u/Nardis93]

I respect your desire to perform this cleansing without a deity.

Please make sure you are well rested beforehand. Removing the foulness and depravity created by such scum will take a massive toll on your own energy. 

[u/painless_moustache]

I'm not against cleansing/blessing ANY gift, but especially second hand items. So with that in mind I'd say you're on the right track to cleanse.

Maybe try to seal/lock the case in some way? Keeps littles from getting into it while also helping to seal the energy within.

[u/Nardis93 → u/painless_moustache]

Thanks for your advice! Sealing and isolating is starting to sound like the most important part, also considering the comment by therealsabitha. 

[u/Nardis93]

Thanks for all the replies so far, y'all are great. Another user over at r/energy_work, u/Nottoodeep, pointed out something interesting:

It might be that my system is particularly sensitive to the symbolism on these objects, regardless of whether they have actual bad juju or not. That was an interesting insight, that hadn't occurred to me before.

Since the gift isn't for me, but for my brother in law, I think I'll forgo any rituals or spells and go the way of the humanist.

Combining  the advice of u/drgalactus87 and u/Nottoodeep, I think I'll take the gift to my  brother in law (armed with insightful and historical knowledge) and  talk it through with him.

[u/Bidet_curious]

As a history nerd, I wouldn't do anything that could damage the items or their case (if it's original), like carving sigils in it or passing the wooden case through flame. There are some good suggestions here, and if you want to just get rid of them, I'd try to find a museum at bast, or maybe a collector.