On the 4th Day of Christmas, My Soul Self Gave to Me a Smudge Fan and Sage

Incense, resins and botanicals are still used today in various Native American, shaman and indigenous ceremonies and rituals. The fragrant smoke purifies a room or space of negative vibrations. Incense is used for meditation or for simply scenting a room. The ancient Chinese believed that different scents induced different reactions such as tranquility and peaceful solitude.

Smudges are used to cleanse, purify, protect and remove negative energy. Smudges have been used by Native American and other indigenous people for thousands of years. The smudges most often used by Native Americans are sage, sweet grass and cedar. In central and South America, copal resin is also used. In the East, Frankincense and Myrrh resins have been used by Christians and Jews for purification and protection.

Sage, Cedar and Sweetgrass can be purchased and burned in small bundles. These can also be cut up and mixed together and burned. Sometimes these mixtures will contain Lavender flowers, as Lavender is used in love and healing rituals and promotes sleep and peace.

It is traditional to burn the smudge in something made of the earth such as an abalone, clam or oyster shell, a clay pot or flat or concave rock. These can be purchased at most metaphysical stores and some rock shops. Use a bundle of sage or pour a small amount of the mixture into the shell and light it on fire. Let the mixture catch fire and then gently blow out the flame and let the smudge herbs smolder. This will create a small stream of smoke. Now, you will use your feather or fan to guide the smoke around yourself or the room.

To Sage Your Home or Office:

After lighting the bundle of sage and other herbs and blowing it out, walk from room to room in your home or office, spreading the smoky mixture with your prayer feather or fan. Hold the shell in one hand by the edge. Be careful, for the bottom of the shell will be hot.

Use the feather to guide the smoke in a clockwise fashion into every corner of the room. Use the feather to guide the smoke and sweep the negative energy out. Say a prayer or set an intention for the smudge. For example if you are removing negative energy, set an intention to do so. Say and think it, while you are smudging the room. You may also ask for protection and purification while smudging.

Remember, you can also ask your Angels and Guides to help you clear the negative energy from your home or any space.

When you are done smudging the room, your home or other space, simply snuff out the end of the sage bundle or place a bigger bowl over your mixture in the shell and it will extinguish itself.

How might you use sage and other wonderful grasses and herbs to cleanse yourself, your home and office space?