Have you ever heard someone say they need to “smudge” or “sage” and you had no idea what that meant? Then you’ve come to the right place! In this post I will share with you all that you need to know to get started with smudging.
What is it?
“Smudging” is a ceremony used in many ancient cultures (particularly in Native American cultures) in which the smoke from medicinal or sacred herbs is used for the purposes of spiritual cleansing, healing, or blessing. A quick Google search will take you to resources that show how science has proven that burning sage or other medicinal herbs cleanses the air by like 95% of bacteria and other toxins, so it physically cleanses the air. But beyond that, it can clarify the energy in a space as well.
When do you do it?
When should you smudge? The easy answer is…whenever you feel you need it. But, here are some specific times when you may find it beneficial.
• Before and after a guest enters your home (especially if they have heavy/negative energy)
• If there has been a lot of arguing, tension, or stress in your home
• Following any mental or physical illness
• When your home has been shut up for a while such as during winter or after returning from vacation
• When you move into a new space in order to clear the energy from previous inhabitants
• Before meditation or yoga
• When you are seeking spiritual answers/clarity
• When you are trying to make a big decision
As you can see from the above list, you don’t have to just smudge a physical space. You can use the smoke to clear your own personal energy around your body. See the video that goes with this post to see how that’s done if you aren’t sure.
What do I need for smudging?
In a nutshell, these are the simple supplies you’ll need. They can be purchased from spiritual shops, many healthfood/natural grocery stores, or amazon. When I lived in Arizona, I would buy my supplies in Sedona. But since moving back to Ohio, I typically buy them on Amazon. I will list my affiliate link to all of the products that I use so that you can see what I buy and purchase them too, if you like.
• A smudging item such as a white sage bundle,Palo Santo stick, or braid of sweet grass
• Lighter
• Something non-flammable like an abalone shell to hold underneath to catch any possible falling embers
• A feather or any other thing (folded paper, magazine, etc) to waft the smoke higher if you have tall windows
White Sage:
This is the go-to when you’re talking about smudging. White sage typically comes in short, hand-tied bundles. Some people think it smells like marijuana, some people think it doesn’t. I personally do (it could at least be a close relative), so you may not want to invite your boss or your pastor over for dinner the day you smudge. lol Just know that your house may smell for the day. It dispels negative energy and cleanses the space inside of a home or building as well as the space around a person or thing.
Palo Santo:
This isn’t an herb but little wooden sticks made from the Palo Santo tree. It’s earthy and sweet-smelling. It is said to clear out negative spirits and energies, increase relaxation, and bring joy and harmony to the home.
Sweet Grass:
My favorite smell! I often smelled this blowing on the breeze throughout my life and would stop to savor the sweet, beautiful smell. I never knew what it was until I smelled a braid of sweet grass and was like, “That’s it!” Sweet grass is sold in long braids. It smells so lovely…like a mixture of hay and sweet vanilla. It invites good energy and invokes love, kindness and honesty. It helps sustain the benefits of the smudging.
Often you can use more than one of these. I like to start with sage to clear the space and then burn sweet grass to invite all of the good energy to stay. It sets an intention of goodwill for your space.
How do you smudge?
Well, here’s the thing. Most people are of the belief that you really need to go gung-ho on your home when you’re smudging. They just light it up and go ham on their space! lol
Let me tell you a quick story about how I learned to smudge. We lived in a certain home in Arizona that had heavy energy. Because two of my girls have many spiritual gifts, they were really struggling with this. There was one bedroom in particular that gave them trouble.
They were seeing negative/scary things, hearing things, and just suffering through an overall energetic heavy funk in this room. When I talked to my guides about this (by using my pendulum), they told me to sage (along with a few other things). So, following the advice of blogs and videos, I too went ham on my house with the sage. SMOKE EVERYWHERE!
I smudged every single nook and cranny of that house I could find where energy might be hiding! Feeling accomplished and proud of myself, I picked up my pendulum to check in with my guides. “You always were an overachiever. You realllllllly like to do a good job.” LOL
I was like, “WHAT? I thought I did what I was supposed to do!?” The response was, “Tops of windows, tops of doors is sufficient.” *cricket, cricket* Oh. Oops! So, since then, I only smudge tops of windows, tops of doors, and tops of mirrors (because I consider that a sort of door or portal).
Here are the basic steps to take when smudging:
• First and foremost, use common sense. Don’t have open flames near anything flammable or where you shouldn’t have them.
• OPEN YOUR DOORS AND/OR WINDOWS! If you have any kind of respiratory issue (asthma, for example), young children, or elderly living with you, get those doors and windows open (even in the winter!). The smoke will bother your lungs if you don’t.
• Light the end of your bundle/stick/braid with your lighter and then let the flame go out. It will be smoldering and smoking…this is what you want and will use.
• You may have to re-light it many times before you’re done as the smoke doesn’t last long.
• Hold something non-flammable underneath to catch any embers that may fall.
• Lift the bundle toward the tops of your doors and windows and allow the smoke to drift up (see the video if you are unsure what I mean).
• If your windows are tall/high, use a feather or other object to waft the smoke higher.
That’s it! If you live in a home that is relatively peaceful, you probably won’t need to do this all that often. In that Arizona house where we had the issue, my guides had me do it weekly. However, in our new home, we may need to smudge once or twice per year. Follow your gut and use your judgment.
I hope I helped you to understand smudging a little better. This is one of the many ways to keep the energy in your home light and positive. Every bit helps!
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