When For Heaven’s Sake customers ask, “What is Smudging?” we tell them it’s a process used for healing. The smoke is used to bless, cleanse and heal the person or object being smudged. It is used to ‘wash off’ the outside world when one enters ceremony or other sacred space.
The smudging ceremony is a Native American tradition and is performed by burning specific dried herbs, like Sage, and letting the smoke float around the house. Depending on the size of the house, the entire ceremony should take anywhere from 10-15 minutes. Here are the steps we suggest for smudging your house/space:
- Light a candle and say a prayer and/or focus all your engery
- With a fire-proof bowl in hand, light your smudge stick with the burning candle and gently move the stick around until it begins to produce smoke
- Begin moving in a clockwise direction around your house/space. Wave the smudge stick throughout the room, paying special attention to the corners. Stagnant energy builds in the corners of a room. Use the fireproof bowl to catch any falling embers from the smudge stick.
- As you make you way into rooms with cabinets and closets, be sure to smudge in those spaces – including under the sink, the laundry room, even the mirrors in the house need smudging. Gently wave the smoke in all these areas.
- When you have made a complete clockwise trip through the house (including your garage), stop where you started and extinguish your smudge stick. Once it has time to cool, you may store it for additional use at a later date. You might use the entire smudge stick during your ceremony! But if not, it may be reused.
When asked how often a space should be smudged, we say only you can know the energy of your space. If it begins to feel heavy within a week or two, smudge again. Some people smudge every few weeks, others every few months – it’s really up to you.
Find your smudge sticks in our store – we have a variety of sizes. If you worry about using a lit smudge stick, we do carry Smudge Spray, and it may be used to cleanse your spaces.
Have questions? Send us an email at info@forheavensake.com or come by the store! We’d love to see you!