The Art of SMUDGING

What is Smudging? Smudging is the Ritual of using smoke to purify a thing, person or a dwelling of any negative energy.

Ever have a bad feeling about receiving a gift?

Ever feel bad after meeting a certain person or place?

Icky feeling in your Belly?

Well, that's when we Smudge. Smudging will either get rid of the negativity or help your feelings over being in a negative situation.

A gift from a cruel in-law, you'll accept it, but you don't feel good about it.

By doing a simple ritual with the item, person or dwelling, you can start feeling better about it.

Ever feel like your not alone in the house?

Some unknown eyes staring at you from who knows where?

Things missing all of a sudden become missing, then re-appear where they where you looked before?

This might be signs of ghost or Poltergeist activity.

Smudging is also useful in despelling spirits who are stuck here in this earthy plane.







How to Smudge?




Simply burning sage or other types of leaves or resins will produce the smoke required for Smudging. The Smudging should be done in a shell or earthen item. Sometimes a Smudging Wand(bundle or stick) can be used without a shell or earthen item. But if the Sage is loose and in small pieces it must be burned in a natural item.

Why a shell? It represents water, one of the five elements. In an earthen bowl of course it will represent Earth. Same as the Sage or other types of leaves that is being burned. Fire is used to ignite, the smoke it produces represents Air. Sometimes, Resins can represent water,since they melt in the heat of the fire.

See how this ties in. As you place the ingredients in the a shell, light a match(or lighter) and burn the leaves starting in the middle of the pile. Let it burn for a minute or two or until it's well lit. Blow out the flames being careful not to spread sparks and the pile will glow, after ingredients have had a chance to catch the fire. The smoke will now commence. Take the smoke and waive the smoke over your head, like water when you are cleaning yourself. Instead of cleaning your body, it cleans your spirit or energies inside of you and about you. Brush the smoke down over the shoulders, arms, torso, hips, legs and then feet.

As you do so, you feel a calm seem to fall into place. Give honor to the four directions by pushing the smoke to the East, South, West, North and now up to Father Sky and now down to Mother Earth Now it's time to smudge an item, room or another person. When pushing the smoke over the item/items, people, etc.

Be careful not to burn yourself or send sparks of burning embers to the things you are blessing. May fires can start from these burning embers, so be careful, no matter inside or out in a field.

If blessing a room start at the most eastern point of the room and continue clockwise.




Smudging is a way of using the smoke from burning herbs as a way to cleanse the body, an object, or a given area of negative influences. I myself use smudging to "cleanse" crystals before using them in jewelry projects I may do, and for protecting my home from some recent "bad vibe"-producing events. (landlord troubles!) I imagine that the skillful use of the proper herbs could help in warding and banishing ceremonies as well, if used properly and with reverence. The three most used plant material for smudging are sage of all types, cedar, and sweetgrass.




Sage




There are two major genii and several varieties of each genus of

Sage that are used for smudging. Salvia, or the herb sage used for

cooking, comes in two major varieties: S. Officinalis, commonly

known as Garden Sage, and S. Apiana, commonly known as White Sage.

Salvia varieties have long been acknowledged as healing herbs,

reflected in the fact that its genus name comes from the Latin root

word *salvare*, which is the verb "to heal" or "to save." Artemisia

is the genus commonly considered "Sagebrush", and is more common in

the wilds out here in California. There are two major varieties to

the Artemisia genus: A. Californica, or Common Sagebrush, and A.

Vulgaris, or Mugwort. There are many other varieties of both Salvia

and Artemisia, and all are effective in smudging. Sage is burned in

smudging ceremonies to drive out evil spirits, negative thoughts and

feelings, and to keep Gan'n (negative entities) away from areas

where ceremonials take place. In the Plains Sweatlodge, the floor of

the structure is strewn with sage leaves for the participants to rub

on their bodies during the sweat. Sage is also used in keeping

sacred objects like pipes or Peyote wands safe from negative

influence. In the Sioux nation, the Sacred Pipe is kept in a bundle

with sage boughs. I would think special crystals could be so

protected this way as well.




Cedar




True cedar is of the Thuja and Libocedrus genii. Some Junipers

(Juniperus genus) are also called "cedar", thus complicating things

some. Some Juniper varieties ARE cleansing herbs, especially J.

Monosperma, or Desert White Cedar. But for smudging, the best is

Western Red Cedar (Thuja occidentalis) and California Incense Cedar

(Libocedrus descurrens). Cedar is burnt while praying to the Great

Spirit (Usen', the Source--also known to Plains nations as Wakan

Tanka) in meditation, and also to bless a house before moving in as

is the tradition in the Northwest and Western Canada. It works both

as a purifier and as a way to attract GOOD energy in your direction.

It is usually available in herb stores in chipped form, which must

be sprinkled over a charcoal in a brazier. I like a piece of

charcoaled mesquite for this purpose, rather than the commercial

charcoal cake.




Sweetgrass




Very important to the Sioux and Cherokee nations, its botanical name

is Hierochloe Oderata. In these tribes, the sweetgrass is braided

like hair braids. It could be burnt by lighting the end of it, or

(more economically) by shaving little bits of it onto charcoal in a

brazier. Again, use charcoaled Mesquite (I believe it comes packaged

for barbecue use under the brand name "Red Arrow") to burn it, not

pressed charcoal tablets. Sweetgrass is burnt after smudging with

sage, to welcome in good influences after the bad had been driven

out. Sweetgrass is very rare today, and traditional Plains people

have been attempting to protect the last of it. Myself, I believe

that Cedar, which is not endangered, can safely be used this way.

Also Pinon pine needles (used more frequently by the Southwest

Teneh, like the Navajo and Apache as well as the Pueblo people and

the Zuni) and Copal (used by the Yaqui and in ancient times by the

Azteca and the Maya) have similar effect. The three mentioned here

are redily available either through gathering yourself or, in the

case of copal resin, from any good herb shop.




Using Smudging




Burn clippings of the herb in a brazier.. If the herb is bundled in a "wand", you

can also light the end of the wand that isn't woody and use that. I

like the latter way. Direct the smoke with your hands or with a

Peyote (feather) wand over the person or thing you wish to smudge.

If you can see auras, look for discolored places in the aura and

direct the healing smoke towards those places on the patient's body.

For cleansing a house, first offer cedar smoke to the four

directions outside the house. Then, take a sage bough and go

throughout the inside of the house, making sure the smoke penetrates

every nook and cranny of the house. It might help also, if you have

a power animal, to visualize your animal doing these things, to also

dance your animal, and if you have a power song, to sing that too.

Then finally, run through the house with a white candle that is well

protected, to "light up" the house. Careful not to burn it down when

you do it!!!




Final Thoughts




Smudging should be done with care, with reverence, and in an

attitude of LOVE. Show your respect and honor to the plants that

Usen' has given us for our healing, and they will return the favor

by keeping us well and free from disease and negative energy. Aloe

Vera plants, though not to be burnt, are good for the cleansing

angle as well. Keep one or more potted Aloe Veras in the house

(modern varieties are too tender to plant in anything but full shade

outside) in organic (wood or ceramic, never plastic or metal) pots.

To honor the plant when you transplant it, sprinkle the roots with

corn meal and smudge it with cedar once it is transplanted. The

spirit of Aloe Vera is a good protective spirit, and if you burn

yourself, can also be used to heal your skin. BE SURE TO ASK THE

PLANT'S PERMISSION before cutting part of the leaf off for the

healing juice. If you don't, the protective power of the plant will

cease, and you will be left with but an inert houseplant...and

perhaps some bad karma to boot. Hi-dicho, it is finished




There are two major genii and several varieties of each genus of Sage that are used for smudging. Salvia, or the herb sage used for cooking, comes in two major varieties: S. Officinalis, commonly known as Garden Sage, and S. Apiana, commonly known as White Sage. Salvia varieties have long been acknowledged as healing herbs, reflected in the fact that its genus name comes from the Latin root word *salvare*, which is the verb "to heal" or "to save." Artemisia is the genus commonly considered "Sagebrush", and is more common in the wilds out here in California. There are two major varieties to the Artemisia genus:

A. Californica, or Common Sagebrush, and A. Vulgaris, or Mugwort. There are many other varieties of both Salvia and Artemisia, and all are effective in smudging. Sage is burned in smudging ceremonies to drive out evil spirits, negative thoughts and feelings, and to keep negative entities away from areas where ceremonials take place. In the Sweatlodge, the floor of the structure is strewn with sage leaves for the participants to rub on their bodies during the sweat. Sage is also used in keeping sacred objects like pipes, Crystals and ritual objects safe from negative influence. I keep Sage in my pipe bag. I would think special crystals could be so protected this way as well. Cedar True cedar is of the Thuja and Libocedrus genii. Some Junipers (Juniperus genus) are also called "cedar", thus complicating things some. Some Juniper varieties ARE cleansing herbs, especially J. Monosperma, or Desert White Cedar. But for smudging, the best is Western Red Cedar (Thuja occidentalis) and California Incense Cedar (Libocedrus descurrens). Cedar is burnt while praying to the Great Spirit in meditation, and also to bless a house before moving in as is the tradition in the Northwest and Western Canada. It works both as a purifier and as a way to attract GOOD energy in your direction. It is usually available in herb stores in chipped form, which must be sprinkled over a charcoal in a brazier. SweetgrassVery importa! nt to the Sioux and Cherokee nations, its botanical name is Hierochloe Oderata. In these tribes, the sweetgrass is braided like hair braids. It could be burnt by lighting the end of it, or (more economically) by shaving little bits of it onto charcoal in a brazier. Sweetgrass is burnt after smudging with sage, to welcome in good influences after the bad had been driven out. Sweetgrass is very rare today, and traditional Plains people have been attempting to protect the last of it. Myself, I believe that Cedar, which is not endangered, can safely be used this way. Also Pinon pine needles (used more frequently by the Southwest Teneh, like the Navajo and Apache as well as the Pueblo people and the Zuni) and Copal (used by the Yaqui and in ancient times by the Aztecs and the Maya) have similar effect. The three mentioned here are readily available either through gathering yourself or, in the case of copal resin, from any good herb shop. SmudgingBurn clippings of the herb in a brazier or if the herb is bundled in a "wand", you can also light the end of the wand that isn't woody and use that. Direct the smoke with your hands or with a feather wand over the person or thing you wish to smudge. If you can see auras, look for discolored places in the aura and direct the healing smoke towards those places on the person's body. For cleansing a house, first open all the doors and windows. Then call the directions and your totem animal for help. Then, take a sage and go throughout the inside of the house, making sure the smoke penetrates every corner of the house, making special attention to any opening to the house from the outside (drains, bathtub, sinks, vents) Then take cedar or sweet smelling incense and ask the "good" spirits to bless and keep safe your home. Again paying attention to all openings. Chant a rhyme or sing your power song while you are doing all this. In ending, Smudging should be done in the spirit of love and harmony. If you are sick or out of sorts it is better to let someone else do it or put it off for a day.







CEREMONY







SMUDGING Needed: Sage, sweet grass, cedar, or tobacco, singly or in combination, or other herbs; a shell or a natural-made bowl (clay, pottery); a feather or fan; matches; sand or fine soil. Estimated time: 5 minutes if alone, more time if with a group.




1. Mix together the plants you will be using, placing them in a shell or sturdy bowl, and light them. Some mixtures of herbs do not stay lit well. You may need to put a charcoal briquette in the bowl first. Before lighting either the charcoal or herbs, make sure there is some soil or sand in the bottom of the bowl or shell. This will keep it from being too hot to hold.




2. When the herbs are lit, use a fan or feather from a domestically raised bird* (chicken, turkey, pheasant or duck) to fan out the flame. Throughout the ceremony you will need to fan the herbs to keep them smoldering. *Non-Indians are not permitted to possess eagle feathers.




3. Once the herbs are smoldering, draw the smoke (not the bowl, just the smoke) to your heart, then over your head, down your arms, and down the front of your body. Now move the smoke over the back of your body toward the ground. If you need special balancing or healing in some part of your body, you can emphasize by pulling the smoke to the area.




4. It is your responsibility to cleanse your own energy field. The plants help. They do not do it for you.




5. Next, offer smoke to the six directions: up to the Creator, down to the Earth, and then to the north, east, south and west, in that order.




6. After you have smudged yourself and offered the smudge, you can hold the bowl while others smudge themselves, or you may smudge them. They should draw the smoke to themselves, first to the heart, over the head, down the arms, down the chest, and down the back.




7. You may now walk around the area you will be using, wafting the smoke as you go. If you are inside, smudge around the walls of the room, paying particular attention to the corners.




8. Smudge any medicine tools you will be using during ceremonies.




CENTERING There are many ways to center yourself in a ceremony. Using one of them is critical because the more centered you are, the more powerful the ceremony will be. Basically any centering technique helps to bring all your energy together, allowing you to let go of the everyday world and thus enter the sacred space. Some of the ways we often use to center energy is to drum, rattle, and/or chant.




A. DRUMMING ! Needed: A drum and beater, or chanting or drumming tapes. Estimated time: 15 minutes minimum.

1. To begin drumming, you should quiet yourself and listen to your heartbeat.

2. Begin to drum your heartbeat on the drum.

3. As your heartbeat shifts, allow your drumming to change.

4. Do not try to change the drum beat rapidly. A slow, repetitive beat is more effective.

5. If your drumming is accompanying a chant, listen to the chant first. Make the drum beat complement the chant, not compete with it. Under no circumstances should you drown out the chant with the drum.

6. You can become more proficient at drumming by listening to chanting or drumming tapes and drumming along with them.

7. At the end of a chant you should make several rapid beats, which serve the purpose of sending the song out to the Great Spirit and announcing the song is completed.




B. RATTLING Needed: A rattle Estimated time: 15 minutes minimum. To learn to rattle, follow the same instructions given for drumming. It is more difficult to get a heartbeat sound sound with many rattles, so go even more slowly in your learning process.




C. CHANTING Needed: Your voice, knowledge of the chant, and if desired, chanting or drumming tape, rattle, or drum. Estimated time: 15 minutes minimum. When you chant properly, you take the energy of the earth in through your body, magnify it, and send it out to all your relations on the planet. This means you should feel the chant throughout your whole body, not just your throat. It should cause a vibration that touches all your energy centers. It does not matter if you think you can not sing. Chanting is a way of centering and sending energy, not a way of proving your vocal ability. However, if you are going to sing a chant, you should show respect for it by learning it before you sing. Listen to the person leading it until you are sure you know the words and the tune. Some chants change words and tune unexpectedly, so don't be too quick to join in. When you are sure of the chant, sing it with gusto. Most chants are repeated in sets of four, with the person who began the chant determining when to end it and signifying this by saying "Ho!" D. BREATHING Needed: A comfortable quiet place. Estimated time: Fifteen minutes when beginning; five minutes when proficient.

1. Many traditions throughout the world use breathing as a method of centering. To begin, relax your body. If this is not easy for you to do, begin with your toes, tighten your muscles as tight as is possible, then release them. Tighten the muscles of your calves, release them. Do the same with your thighs, buttocks, stomach, diaphragm, chest, lower back, midback, upper back, shoulders, neck. Finally, tighten your scalp and release. Now do your face muscles and release.

2. Allow your breath to go through as much of your body as possible. Visualize it as a hollow vessel. Fill the vessel with air. Remember to breath in through your nose and out through your mouth.

3. Take long, slow, deep breaths.

4. Pay attention to yourself relaxing as you breathe.

5. Feel your breath fill you and connect you with the earth, the sky, and all that is around you.