Smudging Ritual

What is smudging you ask, well smudging is the practice of spiritual cleansing with smoke from the smudge sticks and sacred herbs. You can smudge a person, a place, a building, or an object. A bundle of loose herbs burned as incense is also called smudging.

Why smudge should you smudge? Smudging is done to remove bad energy and bring a feeling of peace and clarity. Most people can tell when a place just doesn’t feel right. Smudging is a remedy for that. Smudging uses the natural qualities of aromatic plants, along with a prayer or blessing to set the wanted intentions, to improve the psychic environment. Smudging is a basic smudging ritual, but it can be a very effective one. It is an act of Will that removes and negative influences and set a positive intention for your home, tools, or workspace and even yourself. Some people also use smudging as a first step in setting sacred space. Smudging is a way to invite higher spiritual vibrations into a place of healing or meditation.

The practice of smudging with a clear intention can help to restore a sense of calm and while it can be used as often as required, it can be particularly useful: 

• When moving into a new home.
• When you want to cleanse the energy from a particular room or object.
• When your mood or energy is low.
• When you need to ground and refocus your spiritual energy.
• When you have decluttered your space.
• After periods of stress or illness.
• After having company in your home.

Some people ask if you need to be religious to smudge. The practice itself does not require any specific religion beliefs. Smudging, like all magic, it’s based on intention. All you really need to believe is that you can cleanse yourself, your space, and your possessions. Many spiritual past use incense to help drawl one’s thoughts to the divine. Most also hold in in common the beliefs of prayer and blessings. 

People often wonder how to smudge their home. Well to start off you must open the windows or doors so that the negative energy has someplace to go. You can even ring a bell in each room so the energy is awakened and ready to be shifted. Light your smudge stick, say a smudging prayer, and move calmly through the space, walking clockwise around the perimeter of each room you want to clear.

Now let’s start smudging. Lite your smudge stick over the dish you’ll want it to create as much smoke and as little flame as possible. I recommend caring a candle lighter with you through the house in case it does burn out. Once the smudge is lit, you’ll need to cleanse your self first! Direct the smoke toward your body starting at your feet and up to your head and then back again. After doing so you may begin walking around your home with your smudge. Keeping your intentions clearly said in your mind. Walk around corners you’ll want to see each every corner in every room, and imagine pulling stale and negative energies from them. You can use your hands or a feather to direct the smoke where you want it to go, just steer clear of getting it in your eyes or nose. Picture everything you want to let go of existing your open windows. Some people recommend starting any certain room of the home. But we recommend let your intuition guide you. If one family member has been sick or on edge we recommend usually start where they spent most the time. Pay close attention to unused areas of your home as they can collect stale energy. Take as much time as you need during this step and allow your intuition to really guide you.

As you walk around your space you can always say a prayer or blessings such as

Cleanse the space, remove the past I’ve found my happiness at last. Fill the space with joy and love send your blessings from above.

Negative of this my sacred space I’ve banish you by the light of my grace you have no hold or power here I stand in face you with no fear be gone forever you will obey from my secret space you must away

God of all, goddess of light, shield and protect me day and night positive feeling alone come near, all others wither and disappear

If you are self cleansing you may say this prayer or blessing:

Oh, Great Spirit

Whose voice I hear in the winds, and whose breath gives life to all the world, hear me, I am small and weak,

I need your strength and wisdom. Let me walk in beauty and make my eyes ever behold the red and purple sunset. 

Make my hands respect the things you have made and my ears sharp to hear your vice. Make me wise so that I may understand the things you have taught my people. Let me learn the lessons you have hidden in every leaf and rock. 

I seek strength, not to be greater than others, but to fight my greatest enemy, myself. Make me always ready to come to you with clean hands and straight eyes. So when life fades, as the fading sunset, my spirit may come to you without shame.

When ending the smudging ceremony and once you finished walking around your home or cleansing yourself, you may lay the smudge stick in your fireproof dish such as an abalone shell, which I sell in the shop, and allow it to work itself out naturally. As it is still burning you may meditate or journal.

At the end of the day, smudging has the best affect when it’s personal and led by your intuition. Go with what you feel is right and don’t worry about seeing the right prayer or moving in the right direction around the room. When you’re ready to stage again and trust me your sage stick will probably be ready soon, use a fresh sage stick and go for it there’s no need to wait for a special occasion to purify your space.

If you are wondering how often you should smudge your home or self, well most people smudge on an as needed basis. There are the most common occasions for performing a smudge ritual when moving into a new space. You wouldn’t wear used clothes without washing them first, and some people won’t move into a new home or office without smudging. Smudging helps clean up the psychic the breeze from previous occupants, so their energies won’t influence your thoughts and emotions. When you’re ready for a fresh start for example, when you finish seasonal house cleaning, when a toxic person moves out, or when you’re celebrating breaking a habit or addiction. Also some people do smudging at regular intervals, as a scheduled spiritual hygiene. Regular smudging keeps your homes vibes fresh and stops any negativity from taking hold.