This weekend, my family and I went to Ash Cave at Hocking Hills State Park, in south eastern Ohio. It was our first trip to it and what a trip it was! That was one of the most powerful places I have ever been, full of that magickal feeling I get when I’m outside. Here is an image of what we saw walking up:
![13903331_10208337069076868_4522874984894596631_n.jpg](https://lunasfoxchild.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/13903331_10208337069076868_4522874984894596631_n.jpg?w=253&h=190)
The huge overhanging archway was dwarfing to those of us there. Graffiti, some going back a couple hundred years, lined the walls, while sand and powdery dirt insulated the ground.
On the edge of cave, a waterfall spilled over the edge.
![13895188_10208337067516829_2773633354761811330_n](https://lunasfoxchild.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/13895188_10208337067516829_2773633354761811330_n.jpg?w=262&h=349)
It was glorious, and magickal. I was reminded of what the Japanese do in the wintertime. There is a Shinto ritual called Misogi where a practitioner stands under a cold flowing waterfall to purify themselves. This I did.
![misogi ash cave](https://lunasfoxchild.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/misogi-ash-cave.jpg?w=227&h=413)
It was cold, and the constant pounding on my head began to hurt after a little while, but I did feel like a whole new person when I was done. I managed to stand there for five minutes, focusing on my breath and feeling any impurity and uncleanliness wash away. It was a spiritual experience to say the least, and I was grateful for the experience. The spirits of the wood and cave smiled on me that day!
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