The ancient art of smudging involves burning sacred plants, most commonly sage, and allowing the smoke to clear, blessing the space and clearing the stagnant energy that is negatively impacting your life. It can be done upon moving into a new home or whenever you feel the effects of negative energy within your environment.
The goal of smudging is to clear your space- whether that be your body, your mind, your spirit or your physical surroundings- of any lingering, unwanted energy that may be there. This dormant negative energy can directly impact your mental and physical state, so it is important to address it.
Before getting started, it’s important to remember that thi
s is an ancient spiritual ceremony, so you should treat it as such. Be sure to maintain a calm, clear mind during the ceremony. If you are comfortable, you can even offer an affirmation or a prayer as you go.
How To Sage Your Home
- Clear your space of any clutter or mess, opening all the windows and curtains to let the air flow freely.
- Before beginning to sage your home, be certain to engulf yourself with the smoke, cleansing your own energy. Wrap the smoke around your body, traveling head to toe and front to back.
- Once you are ready to begin smudging your home, you’ll want to start in the furthest room in the house. If you have a basement, start there. Using a counter clockwise motion, be sure to allow the smoke to fill each corner, every doorway, window and even cabinet before moving to the next room. (Moving the smoke in a counter clockwise motion will rid any negative energies that are lingering. Clockwise motions will draw in positive energy.)
- Continue on through the entire house, finishing at your main entryway. Remember to keep a calm, clear mind as you go.
- Allow the smoke to clear out naturally. Don’t be tempted to turn every fan on. Just let things settle and clear out on their own. The process itself should have a calming effect and you should feel a shift in your surrounding space’s energy rather quickly.
While sage is the most common plant used for smudging, there are some other options listed below.
| Sacred Plant | Smudging Benefits |
|---|---|
| White Sage | used to bless cleanse and heal the person or space |
| Mugwort | believed to make "bad spirits" sick and sends them away |
| Cedar | protection from unwanted spirits/influences |
| Sweetgrass | brings about the blessing of Mother Earth and purifies the spirit |
| Desert Sage | drive away negative energies or influences |
| Juniper | used to purify and create a safe/sacred space |
The process of smudging, or saging your home can be done monthly, seasonally, annually- really whenever you are feeling like the energy in your space may be bringing you down in some way. Keeping your home clean and tidy also helps to keep stagnant energy from building up, so do your best to avoid clutter and messes throughout your home.
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