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The Sparkle of Life and Wash Therapy
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Let's stop for a moment to think about washing. The action of washing has two facets.
The first facet is the basic concept of washing away stains and mud and germs. However, this doesn't mean that people have always used soap and shampoo and taken baths.
The origins of soap are said to date back to ancient Rome around 3000 BC, when the mixture accidentally formed when fat from sheep sacrificed at the altar of the temple of Sapo mixed with wood ash was found to have cleansing capability. After that, the Sumerians used a combination of charcoal and various types of fat to bleach cloth and so on, although these products were very different from the soap we know today. Incidentally, the word soap originates from the name of the ancient Roman temple of Sapo where it was accidentally discovered.
In later times, records have been found indicating that the seafaring Phoenicians made soap from goat fat and charcoal around 600 BC; however, it seems this was a rough product that had a bad smell and desiccated the skin. Moreover, it appears that the concept of cleanliness had not yet become established in European society around this time.
Around the 8th Century, however, following the medical discovery that germs were accountable for some diseases, people in higher positions and classes became more aware of the importance of bathing, and soap making became popular in cities around the Mediterranean.
However, soap at this time was mostly still a foul-smelling product known as oil soap made from animal fat and charcoal.
In the 12th Century, hard soap made from olive oil and seaweed ash appeared in Marseille in France and Venice and Savona in Italy. Variously scented soaps were also invented and quickly spread throughout Europe.
From the 18th to the 19th centuries, advances were made in the development of soda, which was an essential ingredient for the mass production of soap, and various manufacturing methods were invented. As a result, cheap soap was made available to the masses, and this led to improvement in the sanitary habits of people and a dramatic reduction in skin ailments and infectious diseases.
The current, everyday action of "washing" evolved out of this history of soaps and synthetic detergents and became established in line with the spread of public water supplies and washing machines, etc.
There is one more facet of washing that should not be forgotten.
That is the "purifying the soul."
As may be gathered from the concept of purification, people have long believed that invisible negative factors such as calamity, sin, bad luck, disease and bad feelings are a kind of staining of the soul, and the path to happiness lies in purification, in washing those things away.
Certainly we can feel the spark of life in people that have dreams, love others and are full of fun, joy and laughter.
On the other hand, this spark is stained and dulled in people whose souls are burdened with negatives such as conflict, worries and inferiority complexes, etc.
Margaret Josefin's goal of "washing away the minus factors in people's lives through the action of washing" not only means washing away visible stains, but also signifies washing away the negative contents of the soul.
Washing one's face, washing one's hair, washing out one's mouth, washing one's body, washing one's feet, washing away odor, washing one's soul - the list goes on. If we take a new look at washing in everyday life, we can find many circumstances where we wash our souls and bodies.
We are able to reset our bodies and souls simply by changing the substances we use to wash, the times, places and opportunities of washing, the appearance and fragrance of washing, and the method of washing.
"Washing" by Margaret Josefin ...
... is better described as "Wash therapy."
Your daily washing will never be the same again.
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