04/03/2016
A Smudging Ritual
If you often feel drained, tired, suppressed, or depressed, then the chances are that you may have a lot of negative energies around. Similarly, if you do not look forward to going into a particular area that you regularly visit or live in (such as your home or workplace), it's likely that the place needs cleansing.
If you believe you have negative energies around you, your home, or your workplace, then you can actually attempt to make things better through smudging, an ancient practice of removing and cleansing the body and a particular place of unwanted energies.
In order to smudge your home of unwelcome negative energies, you must first purchase a small bundle of sage, cedar, sweetgrass or all three, as they are all excellent purifiers of negative energies.
Once you have purchased your purification tools, you will want to find a dish or glass that can be used to hold the sage. Although this is not necessary, some people do not like to hold the items while they burn in their hands. Placing the herbs in a bowl or glass will let them burn safely. Wiccan supply, new age, and metaphysical stores also carry specific holders for smudging, such as abalone shells.
Before you start, make sure to open every closet, every drawer, and every cabinet in the entire house. Also be sure to pull back curtains and open blinds so that windowsills are accessible. Make sure you can easily move around the whole house without bumping into anything or having to stop to open drawers or doors. It is very important to perform a smudging ritual during the light of day, as the light will help burn away the negative energies with the smoke that will arise from the burning purifying items.
Burning sage, cedar, and sweetgrass is designed to eradicate negative energy and either remove or weaken negative entities such as demons and nasty spirits. You may also want to say a prayer or perform a ritual of protection before you get started. Although this is not necessary, it always better to be safe than sorry. Additionally, if you have a protection amulet, talisman, or gemstone on hand, you can wear or hold onto that as well.
To begin the smudging ceremony, light the sage, sweetgrass, or cedar. (Remember to keep a dish under the burning herbs to catch any ash.) If you are having problems keeping it lit, occasionally blow on it to keep the embers burning—you want to continue to coax the flame until you get a steady smoke
