What is Smudging & Why is it Important?

Smudging is a spiritual process that uses the power of your intention, combined with sacred smoke, to cleanse, heal, and restore people, animals, objects, and homes to a higher and more beautiful vibration.  If you ignore negative energy which is accumulating around you, it can build up and cause all sorts of challenges and disruptions in your physical body, emotions, and the energetic climate of your home, office, and surroundings. This is true even for people who are really positive and who hold beautiful intentions in their hearts.

 When would be a good time to smudge?

• after illness
• if you've had an argument and hurtful words and energy were exchanged
• before and after guests or clients
• when bringing new objects into your home (especially antiques)
• when moving into a new home (to clear away old energy and bring in new intentions and blessings)
• anytime you feel unwanted spirit energy around
• when you are feeling down and negative
• when you'd like to feel peaceful and connect with your soul
• when you feel heavy, low-vibrational, or negative energy
• before and after any spirit ritual

Although there are some basic recommendations with smudging, I always encourage you to hold a pure intention and follow your own instincts. What’s important is that you practice this sacred ritual with love and confidence. It should flow easily from you and be joyful, not tight and nervous.

General Directions:

1. Set Your Intentions. (If you wish, light a candle at this point) In addition to asking Spirit that the sage or Palo Santo (or anything you are using for clearing) clears and protects your energy and space, invite your guides and angels to help release negative energy and transmute it into the light. (I always recommend inviting Archangel Michael into the ritual.)

2. Light your sage or Palo Santo. Once ignited, blow out the flames to allow the leaves or wood to smoulder. It's the smoke, not the flames that allow the cleansing energy to be released into your energy and space. It is normal to have to re-light the sage and palo santo multiple times.

3. When you are finished smudging your space and/or self, put the smoking sage out in the dish or (if it’s not burning too much, you can place it into the dish and allow it to stop smoking on its own).

4. It's a great idea to open some windows or doors to let out some smoke but not 100% necessary. 

Tips for Smudging the Home:

When smudging your house, you'll want to start from the back of the house and move to the front. It’s always a good idea to open some windows.  This helps reduce the smoke lingering in the home and helps the old stagnant energy to be released. If you have multiple levels, start from the bottom of the house and move to the top. (If it’s  a two-story or more home, I like to start in the basement, move to the top floor and finish on the main.)

When you select the room you're going to start smudging in, begin in one corner of the room, and move clockwise until the room is complete. As you smudge, make sure to waft the smoke up toward the ceiling and down to the floor, starting from the bottom and moving to the top. (This is why people use feathers during smudging, to waft the smoke into all the upper corners and nooks and crannies around the home.) Try to get behind furniture, in cabinets and closets.  Energy gets trapped in these areas. You can use your hand, a feather, or a paper fan to waft the smoke, or simply push the smoke where you want it to go by carefully moving the entire smudge stick (and your abalone shell to catch ashes) in that direction. 

When you reach a window or door, waft the smoke into all four corners, beginning at the bottom left and moving in a clockwise direction. While you smudge, hold in your mind the intention to release dense, stuck energy and negativity into the light. Keep your intentions alive in your mind throughout the whole process (it sometimes helps to recite a prayer over and over again or even to just lovingly and firmly talk to your home, the energy, and smile!) The last room you smudge should be the one with the front door. When you're finished, move outside and waft around the four corners of the door.  Finally, close with a prayer/sentiment of gratitude.

Congratulate yourself.

You did it!

Tips for Smudging Self:

Begin with prayer and set your intention to cleanse your mind, body, and spirit of density, stuck or stagnant energy, and negativity in any form. Begin at your feet, allowing the smoke to waft around you. Work your way up along your body towards the top of your head. As you move the sage around you, hold the intention for cleansing negativity, and gently waft the smoke in an upward direction. Do your best to waft the smoke behind you as well as in front of you and along your sides. If someone else is helping to smudge your energy, have them stand in place while wafting, you turn in a few slow clockwise circles. They should also move the bundle from bottom to top. When finished, close with a prayer of gratitude.

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