Our early ancestors documented burning herbs, such as sage, to cleanse individuals, groups, places, and things of negative energy and evil spirits. You can do the same. Here's everything you need to know about smudging correctly.
Burning sage, also known as smudging, is rooted in Native American history and remains a revered ritual in many modern-day communities. Practices involving burning sage for protection, cleansing (healing), and spiritual enlightenment should be met with respect for all who came before us. Today, smudging with sage is commonly used to promote perspective and wisdom and to aid in healing. While I wouldn't expect sage to heal a herpes breakout, it may help to ease stress.
Scientifically speaking, the use of sage goes beyond folklore. Science supports using sage and other herbs for smudging. Studies have shown that sage can help clear up to 94 percent of airborne viruses, bacteria, pollen, and mold spores from spaces. It does this by releasing negative ions. Ions are molecules or atoms with an electric charge that attach to groups of charged particles, negatively charge them, purify them, and render them harmless. Sage purifies the body in much the same way.
Smudging is a straightforward and inexpensive way to quickly remove negative energy from your energy field (aura). When you inhale the smoke, it is absorbed into your body and rapidly delivered to the brain, where it helps reduce stress and create a more positive mood.
Smudging the body could be considered an act of spiritual hygiene. Smudging helps the spiritual (energetic) body maintain balance, which promotes better health, especially when you spend time in the company of others. Others' energy can negatively affect your aura. It can also help to smudge yourself after being around someone who's very ill or highly negative.
The following are some common suggestions for smudging with sage.
- Purification: Sage, a common type, possesses antimicrobial properties. They are antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal, which helps keep disease at bay.
- Relief for Allergies, Asthma, and Bronchitis: Because sage helps clear spaces of allergens, such as mold and pet dander, it may benefit individuals with respiratory distress caused by allergies. However, an individual should only be allowed to take part in the ritual or enter the smudged space once it has been aired thoroughly to avoid having the smoke aggravate their condition further.
- Connecting With the Spiritual Realm or Contacting the Deceased: Smudging has been used for centuries to communicate with one's ancestors (the dead) and to enhance intuition and resolve spiritual issues, likely due to a mildly psychoactive chemical in common types of sage called Thujone.
- Dispelling Negative Energy: Smudging can clear a space of past experiences, traumas, and the experiences of others. Smudging with sage is often the go-to for ridding a home of bad energy or evil spirits.
- Meditating: Smudging can help create a more positive environment and a meditative experience.
- Cleansing Objects: Sweeping smoke over objects can help clear away negative energy, especially when an item is secondhand or antique and has a mysterious history.
- Relieving Stress & Improving Mood: White Prairie Sage is a traditional remedy for relieving mood disorders like anxiety and depression. It is also thought to curb pain.
- Improving Sleep: Kitchen sage is known to promote better sleep and alleviate stress and anxiety.
- Promoting Clarity & Focus: While further research is needed, sage may enhance clarity and focus, potentially aiding in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease and other dementias.
- Boosting Energy Levels: When the body, spaces, and objects are cleansed and purified, stuck energy is released, allowing positive energy to flow more freely. This helps relieve fatigue and promotes better energy levels.
- Freshening & Deodorizing the Air: Sage makes wonderful-smelling incense that can control odors and freshen the atmosphere.
Tools for Smudging
Smudging is relatively simple, but you'll need the following tools.
- A seashell, abalone shell, or bowl made of ceramic, clay, or glass
- A sage bundle (or smudge stick)
- Something to light the sage (matches are preferable)
- A large feather or a small fan for fanning smoke (you can use your hand to waft the smoke if these are not available)
White sage (Salvia apiana) is commonly used for smudging. It's the preferred option for connecting with ancestors and clearing space. It is soft, grayish-white, and often sold in small bundles at metaphysical shops. However, it is on a watch list, which means people are using it much faster than it can grow back. This plant could become extinct if harvesting and sales are not monitored. So, instead of white sage (Salvia apiana), white prairie Sage (Artemisia ludoviciana) can support white sage growth worldwide. Additionally, bundles of black sage, cedarwood, holy basil, juniper, lemon balm, pine, mint, mugwort, rosemary, and wormwood can be used as alternatives to smudging.
Kitchen sage (Salvia officinalis) is commonly recognized as the muted-green herb used in cooking. While some report it works just as well as white sage, others say it isn't the best for ceremonial rituals.
Where to Find Sage
You can purchase smudge sticks at most metaphysical shops, Native American-owned shops, or online through Mountain Rose Herbs.
The Best Times to Smudge with Sage
- When moving into a new home or office space
- Between patients at work (sage spray works best in this case)
- After having entertained or had people over
- Whenever there seems to be ghostly activity
- Whenever someone has been ill or shows signs of sickness
- When one feels out of sorts emotionally
How often you smudge is purely a personal preference. There are no rules about how often you should smudge using sage or other similar herbs. Smudging spaces that feel "heavy" even after tidying and cleaning is generally a good idea. You may intuitively experience spiritual (or energetic) heaviness, as if something isn't right. The space may feel eerie. A room may make you feel stressed. Smudging is beneficial after an illness (or suspected illness) or after a heated argument in the home.
When sage smoke isn't safe or permitted, such as in a hotel, you can infuse the air with it using an aromatherapy diffuser. You can also use a spray bottle to mist diluted sage essential oil into the air. Essential oils can be hazardous to children and pets, so understand the precautions before using them in areas where children and pets live.
Before Burning Sage
The most important aspect of smudging is understanding your intentions, so before lighting the sage, reflect on the ritual's purpose. What's the purpose of smudging? Is it to clear negative energy from a room, purify a space from germs or insects, or remove spiritual energy from someone or something? Understanding your intention is crucial before you begin your ritual.
Also, before burning sage, organize and clean the room as much as possible. Take out all garbage and place it in the designated trash receptacle. Remove people and pets from the room before smudging unless you are smudging an individual. Do not smudge babies and pets. The smoke could cause adverse side effects. Also, ventilate the area properly to allow smoke and negative energy to escape. Keep your smudging tools readily available and ready to use.
How to Perform a Smudging Ritual with Sage
Assuming people and pets have been removed, a window or door has been opened, and all tools are available, it is time to light the sage. While holding the tied bundle at one end (at a 45-degree angle), let the sage burn for about 20 seconds, then blow it out to smoke. Once the sage is smoking, place it in the shell or dish and hold it in one hand while the other hand holds the feather or fan. While the sage is freshly lit and smoking, it can help to state your intentions aloud.
Here's the thing. Serious smudgers will instruct you to cut a piece of sage to burn and place it in a dish before lighting it. This way, the rest of the stick won't be contaminated by negativity and will be safely stored for future use.
Begin walking around the room while wafting the smoke to disperse it. Pay special attention to mirrors and corners, where energies can become stagnant or cling. If the sage starts to go out, gently blow on it or relight it. When smudging yourself, waft the smoke over your face and body from head to toe. Keep your intentions in mind, and you can smudge objects as well. Once the smoke is circulated, you can end your ceremony by saying aloud, "I let go of all negativity and release what does not serve this home," or something similar.
After the ritual, tamp the smudge stick and store it away for subsequent use. At this point, bathing is suggested to remove any remaining residue and to relax while inhaling positive vibrations.
Note: Those serious about smudging never save any part of sage that's been burnt. Holding on to sage that has already been used would mean holding on to the negativity the sage absorbed. Instead, bury all leftover ashes away from the house.
Also, see How Do I Perform a Space-Clearing Ritual?.
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