Give this popular cleansing ritual a go to help reduce any negative energy in your house, and to make it smell nice too!
Smudging is a cleansing ritual that you perform to remove any bad energy in your home, and invite the good stuff in, instead. Whether you believe in spirituality, positive energies and other more holistic ways of living or not, it’s certainly worth giving the practise a go. At the least, it will make your house smell amazing.
What Is Smudging?
Smudging is burning dried plant matter in order to cleanse the air and invite good energy in. The most popular herb used for burning is sage, so the practise is often called saging. However, you might also use things like lavender, or mint, depending on your personal preference.
Why Try Smudging?
Smudging is part of a huge range of cultures and practises. It features in Feng Shui, in indigenous practises in North America, and in various Buddhist ceremonies. It can be used when you have a new house and you have moved everything in from your cheap self storage unit. One company worth looking at is Storing.com, see their website here. Some people also do it when a new baby comes, or even just because they feel there is a bad energy in your home. It is a great thing for you to try if you want to dip your toe in some spiritual healing, without going full crystal and salt lamp chic.
How Do You Smudge Your Home?
To smudge your home you will need the following:
- A candle or lighter
- A bowl of sand
- A fireproof container
- A ready-made smudge stick or a DIY smudge stick
A lot of people also suggest that you do not use the items you use for smudging, for other things. The idea is that they have a direct intention and association with this specific ritual, which means the energy associated with them is positive.
Once you have everything, you can start your ritual. How much you get into the ceremony is up to you. Some people like to chant or sing whilst they do it, some people follow special circular movements like the Buddhists do. Some people, just like to smudge because it makes the house smell nice. If that’s you, you might want to include herbs you love to smell in your stick. Mint and orange peel is particularly invigorating if you want something sweet and fresh.
However elaborate your smudging, the heart of the ceremony is essentially smoking your stick in the space you have chosen, and then putting it out in the sand bowl at the end. You should also be holding a fireproof container under your stick whilst it burns to protect your home from any falling embers. There’s certainly no positive energy associated with starting a fire inside your house.
“Burning sage changes the energy for the home. So if you have had an argument or some sort of stress, it removes negative energies.” – Karen Rose
Smudging is somewhat of a trend right now, but people have been practising it for years, for lots of different reasons. It’s certainly worth a try if you want to have a go at something a little bit more spiritual in your home, especially if you want to freshen it up a little.