Smudging which means to smoke or to protect by means of a smudge. In other words Smudging is a method of using smoke of burned herbs to cleanse an object, a body or  areas of negative influences. Smudging always has a purification benefits for our consciousness, our living space and more importantly for our bodies. There are many people who believe that smoke gathered from burning herbs acts as a remedy to their bodies and energies their conscious understanding and comprehension. People from all across the globe have used the smoke from herbal mixtures in their spiritual rituals as well as in their healing. People also use smudging in order to clean the crystals before they use them in jewelry. It may also used to protect our homes from bad vibes or events and can help in warding & banishing ceremonies, if used with proper references. The three herb plants which are used for the purpose of smudging are all types of sages, sweetgrass and cedar.

Sage

It has two major genii & with different varieties  in each genus which are used in smudging. The herb sage (Salvia) is used for cooking.  The two major varieties of sage are garden Sage (S.officinalis) and white sage (S.apiana). From a long period Salvia varieties have been known as healing herbs. The word is derived from Latin word salvare, which  is a verb of “to save” or “to heal”. The Artemisia genus has two major varieties namely Common Sagebrush (Californica) and Mugwort (A.vulgaris). There are also other varieties of Artemisia and Salvia & all of them are effective for smudging. Sage is burnt in smudging ceremonies in order to drive out negative thoughts & feelings, evil spirits and to negative entities (Gan’n) away from those areas. In order to safe sacred objects from negative influence sage can be used. In Sioux nation their Sacred Pipe is kept with sage boughs in a bundle.

Sweetgrass

The botanical name of sweetgrass is Hierochloe odorata. This herb is  important to the Cherokee and Sioux nations. In these tribes it is braided as a hair braids. It is burnt by burning at the end or by putting the end portion into the charcoal in a brazier. Sweetgrass is burnt for good influences and to drive out the bad evils. It is very difficult to find sweetgrass and in traditional plains people are protecting the last reserves of it. Cedar is not endangered and can be used in a similar way. Others like Piñon pine needles (which are used by the Southwest Teneh like  Apache and the Navajo as well as Zuni and Pueblo people) and Copal (which was used by Yaqui and during the ancient times by  Maya and the Azteca) have this type of effect. All the three are easily available and can be self gathered.  Herbs like copal resin can be gathered from any herb shop.

Cedar

The true Cedar is of Libocedrus and thuja genii. Some Juniperus genus (Junipers) is also known as Cedar. Among these Junipers some varieties are cleansing herbs like J.monosperma, desert white cedar. For smudging purpose Thuja occidentalis (Western Red Cedar) & Libocedrus descurrens (California Incense Cedar) are the best. While praying to a great spirit a cedar needs to be burnt. Burning a cedar also helps in meditation. It also blesses a house when you move into your house for the first time. This tradition is followed in Northwest & Western Canada. It helps in purifying the air as well as to attract positive energy into your homes. The herb is easily available in any herb stores in a chipped form. It should be sprinkled on a charcoal in a brazier. Use a charcoaled mesquite rather than using a commercial charcoal cake.

Using Smudging

The clippings of the herbs should be burn in a brazier and not in any shell or in any new age shamanic circles. If it is done in that way it is an insult to the goddess (White Painted Woman) as this particularly abalone shell is considered as scared to her. Another way to burn the clippings is to bundled the herbs in a wand and lit it at the end and not the wood. In order to direct the smoke you can use the hands or Peyote (feather) on the person or the thing that needs to be smudge. One can see the auras in discoloured places & direct the healing smoke on the patient’s body parts. In order to clean a house, offer cedar smoke in the four corners outside the house. After this take a sage branch inside the house and ensures that the smoke is penetrated in every nook and corner of the home. It will be helpful if you can sing power song while smiudging. Finally run through a white candle which will protect to light up the house. Be careful while you perform these things.

One should always do smudging with reverence, care and with an attitude of love. People should show  honour and respect towards the plants that has given them a remedy to cure their healing. The plant in turn will favour us by keeping us free from various diseases and negative energy. These herbs will helps in keeping us fit and free us from diseases of our body. Some plants like the Aloe Vera plants which should  not be burnt, are really good for cleansing purpose. One should plot Aloe Veras in their houses in an organic way by plotting in wood or ceramic pots. When you transplant the plant in the pot sprinkle the roots with some corn meal & smudge it with a cedar after  planting.If you burn your skin it can be used to heal. But before you cut any part of the leaves please take plants permission for its healing juice. In case you do not take prior permission it will cease the protective power of plant and would be left with an inert houseplant.

Smudging is defined as the process of cleansing and purifying the mind body and soul of the person by the burning of herbs and essential oils. The process however, cannot be restricted to a person alone. It can be generalized to purification of an object room or a place from all kinds of negative energies, impurities, spirits and influences that render it to be unhealthy and uncomfortable. The ceremony of smudging, as they call it, involves blazing of certain sacredly important plants and resins that are herbal in nature and then fanning the smoke of such burnt plants and herbs around the person, object or place that is being subjected to smudging. It is believed that doing this purifies everything, the mind body soul and the surroundings along.

The smudging ceremony can be performed in 2 different ways. The easiest way is to just make use of a smudge stick,  which is an easy to use stick prepared out of leaves of the plants that are tied together and made to dry. The stick is used by putting it aflame and then extinguishing it so that just the smoke comes out regularly, almost like the incense sticks that are used. The wand or the stick is then circled around the person being smudged so that the entire aura around him becomes pure and free from all evils. One should note that playing the stick around the heart provides best results in the therapy. While smudging for the purpose of cleansing a room, it is a good idea to make circular movements of the burnt stick in each room after every few steps as this would ensure that the entire smoke has penetrated to every nook and corner of the room and hence the house also.

The second smudging process is a bit more of a hassle but then it is equally more effective. The incense charcoal is used to begin the smudging ceremony. The lighted charcoal is then put inside a container that is heat proof. The smudging herbs are then sprinkled on top of the charcoal placed inside the container and the smoke released thereof is fanned towards the object or person that is being subjected to the smudging ceremony.

It is to be taken special care of that the smudging activity involves prayers where one asks the spirits of the herbs to help you with the healing and purification process and such prayer must be done with proper care and caution.

A few plants that can be used in the smudging process include Desert Sage , that helps in clearing off the negative spirits and influences, Cedar, that eliminates all kinds of negative emotions, Sweetgrass, that brings along with itself only positive energies and is rendered to be one of the most powerful herbs, White Sage, that is well known for its pleasant aroma, and many more.

So we realize that smudging is one of the best methods that can be used in any kind of activity that involves the enlightenment of the spirit of self, be it meditation, reiki or simply daily prayers.

Burning sage has been a common practise among all the spiritual groups, healing and many religious groups. The word sage has derived its name from the Latin word salvare. Literally salvare means “to heal.” Sage has been used in smudging ceremonies from many years. It helps in promoting protection, Purification, Immortality and longevity. White sage grows around the coastal areas of Southern California.

The ritual of smudging has been used from many years and it is defined as “spiritual house cleaning.” The smoke which generates from smudging attaches to the negative energy and takes it away. When the smoke clears the negative energy and removes it from the place then it regenerates some positive energy and cleanses the place. There have been studies that have proved that the smoke which is released by burning sage changes the ionization polarity of air around us.

Smudging with sage can help to cleanse almost anything for example living space, personal items and also our body. Smudging ceremonies start by lighting smudge stick. Once they are burned one must wave around them to extinguish the flame. Then one should gather the smoke which comes out and draw it around the perimeter of the body. If one wants to direct the smoke towards any object or any person then he could simply blow the glowing embers or simply use the ceremonial feather to fan the ember towards that direction. When one is dealing with and individual spirit or an individual body then he should pay special attention to the areas of unbalance and area of stress.

If a person is smudging in a living environment then he should start from the doorway. Then he should start smudging in a clockwise direction. People must cleanse everything including the walls, door frame, and the windows. Proper attention should be paid to the corners and the top of the walls. After we purify and cleanse our body and our rooms with sage and properties of sage, a new space is created for awareness and also new direction to take its place.

There are many different varieties of sage and most of them are used for smudging. The botanical name of true sage is salvia and the interesting thing about it is that salvia comes from a Latin word “salvare” which means “to heal.” Some of the other varieties of sage are Salvin Artemusia, Sage brush and mugwort. Burning sage always helps in driving bad spirits away and also doesn’t allow any spirit or bad influence to enter the area. In plains the floor of the sweat lodge is covered with sage and the smudging ceremony takes place there. Sage is also spread on the ground in a lodge or on an altar where the pipe touches the earth. Sage purifies the objects wrapped in it, so many nations wrap their pipes in sage. Sage wreath is also placed around the wrists and heads of sun dancers. Sometimes one person smudges or many people smudge using hands or feathers. One must always keep praying that the unseen powers of the plant will cleanse their spirit.

The process of Smudging ceremony aims at cleaning a place, person, or any object from negative energies. Smudging ceremony involves herbal resins or special sacred plants. The plants are burnt while the ritual is carried out. Then an object is passed around a resulting smoke. It may also involve fanning smoke around a place or a person. The spirit present in the plant purifies all the things which are smudged.

Smudging ceremonies are carried out in two ways. The simplest method is to smudge by using a smudge stick. A smudge stick is generally a wand which contains leaves of different plants or of one plant which are dried and tied together. To use the wand one just has to burn the end of the wand and then extinguish its flame once it has a smoldering effect. While carrying on the smudging ceremony we should make the person who is being smudged stand in front of us. Then we should move the smudge stick around him. We should move the wand around the person’s aura starting from the feet and then move upwards. When the smudge stick reaches their head we must make them turn clockwise and pass the stick down their back. Sometimes concentrating around the heart area also pays off.

While cleansing a room or a house the smudge stick must be moved around the area clockwise. People must make sure that the corners of the room and the place behind the door is properly smudged. Another way of smudging is by using a self igniting or incense charcoal for heating. Burn the charcoal and keep it in a heat proof container. Then sprinkle half teaspoon of smudging herb in the charcoal and then fan its smoke around the object that is being smudged.