http://www.care2.com/greenliving/smudge-to-clear-your-home.html
Use Smudging to Clear Your Home
By Annie B. Bond
In spiritual symbolism, air represents consciousness–the power of the mind. Nearly every culture on earth has burned dried plant material to invoke spiritual connection. Smoke rises on air, and indigenous people around the world have used pipe ceremonies (where they smoke sacred plant medicine) as a way of uniting heaven, earth, and man.
Burning sacred plant medicine, in a pipe, incense, or by fire, releases its aroma, which many believe holds the energy of the earth, sun, rain, moonlight, stars, and soil. Any use of plants with conscious intention (and good intent) can become a sacred ceremony. Favorite herbs for sacred smoke include sage, lavender, sweet grass, thyme, cinnamon, frankinscense or myrrh (both resins), and clove.
A good “smudge” of your home can clear out old energy, and connect your home to this energy of the universe. Here is how:
Buy your smudge sticks from those who honor the plants and bundle the herbs with sacred ceremony of appreciation. If you grow your own herbs, research making smudge sticks and honoring the plants.
To burn herbs, and create smoke, you have to be very careful not to start a fire. I use a big ashtray, with steep sides. Some light whole bundles of herbs, but I don’t because there is no need, usually, for that much smoke. Instead, I untie a smudge bundle and pull out just a few leaves, and light them. Once there is a flame, you blow out the flame (making sure you catch any sparks in the ashtray). The herbs will smolder, and the smoke will waft into the home. Walk around with the ashtray (smoking herbs included), and make sure the smoke reaches into all the areas of a room you want.
When you are done, let the herbs extinguish on their own (if they are safely in the ashtray and away from wind), or extinguish them fully with water.
Go to the Source
Robyn
Melissa
Deepak
Eric
Dave
Dr. Brent
Isha
Susan
Delia
Michelle
Wendy
Megan
Hilary
Ann
Judi
Ronnie
Kelly
Lily
Terri
Betsy
Cait
Andrew
Jana
Annie B.
Veronica
5 comments
add your comment »I hope you are right, Gloria. Your people breathed during these hundreds of years in a more healthy air than we do nowadays, especially in towns. Pollution by factories, cars, cigarets, ... do affect the lungs. So when living in such a town, like I do, I think it's better to keep the inside of the home as clear as posssible. That's why I prefer essentiol oils to sticks, especially after what I read about the lungs. I can imagine that if you live out of town, in a natural environment with woods or sea-air or..., the problem is less urgent.
BB,
MaWitch.
send green star | flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?
smudging has been used by my people for hundreds of years for spirit health and protection,so I wouldn't worry too much about the small particles
in the lungs"Ma Witch"
G.Manywhitehorses
send green star | flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?
I have read a lot about the use of herbs and I have burned quite some smudge sticks. But I have also read in a scientific report that the smoke is as bad for the health as is the smoke of cigarets, leaving small cancerogene (sp?) particles in the lungs! Since then, I prefer to evaporate essential oils in warm water. Do you know any other more healthy solutions to clear a room?
Thanks!
send green star | flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?
I burn/smudge with lavender when my grandson has a hard time sleeping. Smudging with rosemary, repels mosquitoes.
send green star | flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?
Thankyou, you mention the resins frankinscence and myrrh, do you ignite these in the same manner?
send green star | flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?
Facebook account: