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What is Smudging?
The modern-day practice of burning sage (or sage combined with other dried herbs) in personal smudging rituals and ceremonies is based on a combination of the spiritual, medicinal, herbal and cultural teachings of the past.
Essentially, a smudge ritual or a smudge ceremony is performed to correct the energy in a home, in an office, in an object, or even in a person. This is accomplished by burning sage or sage and a combination of herbs, in a focused, intentional way to cleanse out negative energy and to replenish positive, healing energy.
How to conduct a Smudging ceremony?
A smudging ceremony is often carried out for the purpose of clearing negative energy, and inviting peace, harmony, and ease into a person's life, a challenging situation, or an uneasy or negative environment. It can be as involved as you want it to be. Sometimes, all that is required is a quick waft of the smudging wand to clear the energy. Other smudging rituals and smudging ceremonies require more time and attention. It's up to you to decide how much time and energy to devote to your ceremony.
Essentially, to carry out a productive ceremony, you need to be clear about your intent and focus on what you are trying to accomplish. The actual smudge burning can consist of using as little as a few herbs placed in a burning fireplace, or as much as several wands of different herbs burnt until the energy feels right. There must always, however, be intent and focus in order for the clearing to take place.
How to Smudge Yourself for Aura cleansing?
At any time during a Sage & Smudge ritual, you may want to include a Personal Energy Clearing for yourself. Or, you may want to specifically create your own personal energy balancing and clearing ceremonies, ones you practice on a regular basis. Some people carry out this type of Personal Clearing ceremony daily or on a very regular basis.
You can successfully clear any negative energy that you may have come in contact with, and easily carry out your own energy balancing and clearing ceremonies. Think about situations that cause you stress or discomfort, times you spend in challenging or uncomfortable environments, or with others who drain your energy. When you have identified common personal energy-draining situations, you will know when you might wish to work with this sage and smudge technique.
To begin your own ceremony, create a positive affirmation, or a mental image of a safe and nurturing environment. You may want to write down your thoughts in your Sage and Smudge journal. Gather your sage and smudge tools, hold your wand or stick in your non-dominant hand, or place your chosen dried herbs in a suitable vessel. Light your smudge in your preferred manner as you begin your clearing and healing meditation.
Watch the smoke rise or drift towards (or away from) you for a moment. Then breathe in the essence of the sacred smoke herbs, and focus on yourself and your body for a moment. Notice any particular areas that need your attention. Then bend and use your wand or the feather (if your smudge is burning in a vessel) to move the smoke down as far as possible, to your ankles and feet.
Move the smoke from that position near the floor, slowly up the length of your body to the top of your head, pausing briefly now and again to focus on your affirmation or mental image. This helps to cleanse your aura of any disturbances or negative energy you may have experienced that day.
Finish your Personal Energy Clearing, holding the wand or the feather in front of you at the level of your heart, and watch the sacred smoke rising up. Repeat any affirmations, include any visualizations for your own well-being and spiritual purpose. Breathe again deeply, and then complete the ritual.
How to Smudge a House for Space clearing?
One of the most common questions I am asked is, "How do I go about smudging a house?" A typical house clearing is one of the most complicated and lengthy sacred smoke rituals most people will ever engage in. Even though the house smudging ritual is complex, it is a good idea to be prepared to smudge a house whenever you feel that it is necessary to clear negative energy out of your home environment. This type of Sage and Smudge ritual or ceremony is most often done around the time people move into a new home, to clear out any negative energy that may have been a part of the lives of the people who lived there previously.
However, there are other times when a house smudging is a called for, times when a major purification, a Clearing and Healing Sage and Smudge ceremony is needed in the entire residence. This type of spiritual housecleaning ritual is performed to acknowledge that one cycle has ended and to announce a new beginning - a starting point in your energetic, vibrational and spiritual connection to your world. And since your home is the center of your personal world, it is very helpful to carry out a Whole House Smudging Ceremony to clear the entire space and make it ready for the next cycle.
Here are some examples of times when it is helpful to carry out a House Smudging to clear, cleanse, and balance the energy of your entire home:
Whether you are buying a home, renting a home or moving into a new apartment or condominium, you will want to perform a Sage and Smudge Home Clearing ritual at least one time during the first month you are living in the new space, preferably at or around the New Moon. If there is time between when you take possession of your new home, and the time your furniture and belongings are moved into the new home, you may want to do an initial Sage and Smudge ritual to clear negative energy before your furniture and possessions arrive and you start unpacking.
If you are unable to carry out a Complete House Clearing before your furniture and possessions arrive at the new dwelling, or if you don’t unpack everything the first month you are in your new home, you may want to perform an initial Home Smudging Ritual during the first month, and another after everything is unpacked and moved into its new space.
The modern-day practice of burning sage (or sage combined with other dried herbs) in personal smudging rituals and ceremonies is based on a combination of the spiritual, medicinal, herbal and cultural teachings of the past.
Essentially, a smudge ritual or a smudge ceremony is performed to correct the energy in a home, in an office, in an object, or even in a person. This is accomplished by burning sage or sage and a combination of herbs, in a focused, intentional way to cleanse out negative energy and to replenish positive, healing energy.
How to conduct a Smudging ceremony?
A smudging ceremony is often carried out for the purpose of clearing negative energy, and inviting peace, harmony, and ease into a person's life, a challenging situation, or an uneasy or negative environment. It can be as involved as you want it to be. Sometimes, all that is required is a quick waft of the smudging wand to clear the energy. Other smudging rituals and smudging ceremonies require more time and attention. It's up to you to decide how much time and energy to devote to your ceremony.
Essentially, to carry out a productive ceremony, you need to be clear about your intent and focus on what you are trying to accomplish. The actual smudge burning can consist of using as little as a few herbs placed in a burning fireplace, or as much as several wands of different herbs burnt until the energy feels right. There must always, however, be intent and focus in order for the clearing to take place.
How to Smudge Yourself for Aura cleansing?
At any time during a Sage & Smudge ritual, you may want to include a Personal Energy Clearing for yourself. Or, you may want to specifically create your own personal energy balancing and clearing ceremonies, ones you practice on a regular basis. Some people carry out this type of Personal Clearing ceremony daily or on a very regular basis.
You can successfully clear any negative energy that you may have come in contact with, and easily carry out your own energy balancing and clearing ceremonies. Think about situations that cause you stress or discomfort, times you spend in challenging or uncomfortable environments, or with others who drain your energy. When you have identified common personal energy-draining situations, you will know when you might wish to work with this sage and smudge technique.
To begin your own ceremony, create a positive affirmation, or a mental image of a safe and nurturing environment. You may want to write down your thoughts in your Sage and Smudge journal. Gather your sage and smudge tools, hold your wand or stick in your non-dominant hand, or place your chosen dried herbs in a suitable vessel. Light your smudge in your preferred manner as you begin your clearing and healing meditation.
Watch the smoke rise or drift towards (or away from) you for a moment. Then breathe in the essence of the sacred smoke herbs, and focus on yourself and your body for a moment. Notice any particular areas that need your attention. Then bend and use your wand or the feather (if your smudge is burning in a vessel) to move the smoke down as far as possible, to your ankles and feet.
Move the smoke from that position near the floor, slowly up the length of your body to the top of your head, pausing briefly now and again to focus on your affirmation or mental image. This helps to cleanse your aura of any disturbances or negative energy you may have experienced that day.
Finish your Personal Energy Clearing, holding the wand or the feather in front of you at the level of your heart, and watch the sacred smoke rising up. Repeat any affirmations, include any visualizations for your own well-being and spiritual purpose. Breathe again deeply, and then complete the ritual.
How to Smudge a House for Space clearing?
One of the most common questions I am asked is, "How do I go about smudging a house?" A typical house clearing is one of the most complicated and lengthy sacred smoke rituals most people will ever engage in. Even though the house smudging ritual is complex, it is a good idea to be prepared to smudge a house whenever you feel that it is necessary to clear negative energy out of your home environment. This type of Sage and Smudge ritual or ceremony is most often done around the time people move into a new home, to clear out any negative energy that may have been a part of the lives of the people who lived there previously.
However, there are other times when a house smudging is a called for, times when a major purification, a Clearing and Healing Sage and Smudge ceremony is needed in the entire residence. This type of spiritual housecleaning ritual is performed to acknowledge that one cycle has ended and to announce a new beginning - a starting point in your energetic, vibrational and spiritual connection to your world. And since your home is the center of your personal world, it is very helpful to carry out a Whole House Smudging Ceremony to clear the entire space and make it ready for the next cycle.
Here are some examples of times when it is helpful to carry out a House Smudging to clear, cleanse, and balance the energy of your entire home:
- When someone new moves into the home to live with current members of the household, bringing their possessions (possibly their children and/or their pets) into the space.
- Following the completion of a major home improvement project.
- Following a Feng Shui consultation, and after any changes suggested by the Feng Shui Practitioner have been made to the interior (or exterior) of the home - changes that are meant to shift/improve the energy-flow inside the home.
- Following a divorce or separation, where one party has moved all of their possessions out of the mutual home and into a new home of their own.
- At the time of a major "life-change" for anyone who lives in the home (such as the birth of a child, a major career change, children leaving home for college or to live on their own, retirement, diagnosis of a chronic illness, etc.)
- Following a serious illness or death of someone (or a cherished family pet) who has lived in the home.
- Following a natural disaster (like an earthquake, fire or flood)
Whether you are buying a home, renting a home or moving into a new apartment or condominium, you will want to perform a Sage and Smudge Home Clearing ritual at least one time during the first month you are living in the new space, preferably at or around the New Moon. If there is time between when you take possession of your new home, and the time your furniture and belongings are moved into the new home, you may want to do an initial Sage and Smudge ritual to clear negative energy before your furniture and possessions arrive and you start unpacking.
If you are unable to carry out a Complete House Clearing before your furniture and possessions arrive at the new dwelling, or if you don’t unpack everything the first month you are in your new home, you may want to perform an initial Home Smudging Ritual during the first month, and another after everything is unpacked and moved into its new space.
