Smudging
Smudging is cleansing with smoke. Most people use Sage as its cleansing and purifies negative energies and feelings that may be present in rooms, houses, objects or people. Other herbs can be included as well like Lavender, Rosemary or you can use Gumtree leaves as this honors the land we live in.
Smudging is a cleansing ritual that has been practiced by many cultures but predominantly it is known from the Native American Indians that burned certain herbs depending on the ritual and used a feather to fan out the smoke to drive away negativity and evil spirits.
Everything is energy and just like you would take a shower to clean off dirt, perspiration or to feel clean, smudging a house, room or yourself on a regular basis removes stagnate or negative energy and brings in fresh, new energy especially after an illness, feeling sad, depressed, unhappy or upset or being around people that are feeling like that.
How to smudge a room, your house or yourself:
1, prepare the smudging container like shown in the picture below (I used 2 plastic square trays with aluminium foil, you may use a baking tray or a big bowl as long as it is large enough to contain the smudge stick so any burning pieces won’t fall onto furniture or carpet/floor. Also be careful around curtains!
2, set your intentions (smudging a room, person or house/property). I always connect to my guides/spirit/angels and ask for help and when smudging I say: I am cleansing this area, may it be free from negative and unwanted residue and energy (for each room) and asking for protection as well (for each area).
3, starting at your front door of your house or the door of the room you want to smudge light the smudge stick until it smokes and cover the outside area first than walk through the doorway and go anti clockwise until you covered all walls, corners and walk into middle of the room, continue this throughout your house finishing at the middle of the room or house) and smudge yourself from top to bottom or bottom to top using the smudge stick to circle around your body. If smudging a house I also include the back door, the outside of the back door and you may want to include front and back yard or all of the property.
4, Once you have finished all the rooms/area smudge yourself and extinguish the smudge stick. I use scissors to cut away the burned part so I can re-use the rest.
Caution: always be aware that you are using an open flame and whilst it is advisable to keep doors and windows open when smudging never smudge in windy conditions or with a working fan, don’t allow children to smudge, always use an appropriate container to smudge and never use the smudge stick without the container. Use common sense to smudge safely! Be careful around pregnant women and infants. Don’t inhale the smoke.