~Elise~
December 17th, 2006, 11:46 PM
This is a compliation of info I've gathered over the years:
Smudging is a sacred tradition that has its roots in the indigenous cultures of the world. As a tradition, it has been passed down for millennia and many ways and variations exist. The common thread is that, the smoke from sacred herbs can be used for purification and spiritual preparation.
We can smudge to clear and ground ourselves and our intentions before and after healing, initiation and ritual. The smoke will help purify our crystals and other sacred objects. We can clear rooms and create sacred space. The herbs can also be burned to give thanks and to aid us in our prayers.
Smudging can totally transform your life and luck. If you feel as though life is an uphill battle, as if fate is never on your side then smudging might just be the answer. Smudging is the art of cleansing your self and your environment using simple ritual and ceremony. For thousands of years it has been a part of Native American tradition but now the power of Smudging is available to everyone.
The effects of smudging can be swift and dramatic. It can help you banish stress and attract love; soothe you or give you energy. It can bring your family closer together and let you adjust to the healing seasonal rhythms of the year. Above all, it can turn any space, however humble, into a soothing sanctuary, a place of renewal. I have used smudging for many years and often combine it with techniques from other ancient traditions to provide a totally holistic approach.
But how can smudging be so powerful? The answer lies in the sub-atomic world of subtle or spiritual energy. Homes and bodies are not just made of purely physical matter; they also vibrate with subtle, invisible energy. Cleansing a space or our bodies with techniques such as smudging clears away all the emotional and psychic "garbage" that may have gathered over years or even hundreds of years. It's like spiritual spring-cleaning.
These ideas are not new-fangled nor are they airy-fairy New Age waffle. Native American tradition dates back millennia and most traditional cultures, from the Zulus to the Maoris, from the Chinese to the Balinese, have age-old forms of cleansing and blessing ritual. Even the West retains relics of it, although we have long forgotten the true purpose behind many of our rituals and ceremonies. The incense wafting through a church is cleansing the atmosphere just as surely as the medicine man's bowl of sacred smoke, or smudge. The bells that ring out on Sunday morning were originally intended to purify the whole parish through sound and lead the community from everyday space into worship - just as the shaman's drum can lead us on sacred journeys into the world of the spirits.
The act of smudging is done with a bowl, cauldron or Abalone Shell or a fireproof surface with the appropriate herbs directly lit or burned on a coal or Self lighting charcoal tablet, NOT THE BBQ kind. When using charcoal tablets the bowl or shell should be filled with sand or a flat stone to prevent over-heating the container. Smudging is also done with herbs tied in bundles called Smudge Sticks. In either case the smoke is “washed” over the person or object with a Feather or by fanning the smoke with one’s hand.
Using a smudging tool is part of many Native American traditions. The burning of herbs for emotional, psychic, and spiritual purification is also common practice among many religious, healing, and spiritual groups. The ritual of smudging can be defined as "spiritual house cleaning." In theory, the smoke attaches itself to negative energy and as the smoke clears it takes the negative energy with it, releasing it into another space where it will be regenerated into positive energy.
There are many ways to actually smudge. One ancient way is to start by drawing on the power of the five elements, by burning your smudging herbs in a shell. An abalone shell represents Water and the flowing and filling power this element offers us. The sacred herb is a gift of Earth and represents her creativity and strength. When we light the herb we are invoking the transmute element of Fire and the smoke that rises represents Air, carrying and releasing our cleared intentions and prayers. Through our deliberate action, we ourselves bring the fifth element: ether or life energy.
Next we offer the smoke to the seven directions: east, south, west, north and up, down and center. Returning to center we are now ready to purify ourselves. Start by holding the shell in front of you and gently fan the smoke up to your heart. Pass the shell up along the center of your body, encircling your head. Be aware of how you feel through out this process. Are there places that you feel a desire to clear and honor? It is important to follow your own inner guidance.
Passing them through the smoke, in a spiraling or a figure eight motion can clear Crystals and other sacred objects. Both are sacred symbolic movements: a spiral represents an ever expanding and focusing energy; a figure eight on its side is the symbol of infinity.
Sacred spaces are created by passing the smoke around the perimeter of the room, moving sunwise: east, south, west, and north.
As with all things this is only one of the ways. Trust your inner feelings and allow yourself to create what is sacred and meaningful to you. Explore and have fun!
Another view on smudging: To do a blessing of a person begin by looking into the eyes of the person for a moment to “greet” them, fan the smoke first at their heart and then up to the right side (your left) of the person’s head moving around clockwise (sun-wise), gently washing them with the smoke. Continue brushing smoke down over their left shoulder and the length of their arm and back up again to the shoulder. Wash the smoke down the left side of the torso, left leg and foot. Now smudge the right foot, up the left leg, torso and down the length of the right arm and back up to the shoulder. Now Turn the person around, turning to their right (sun-wise again) and repeat these movements as you smudge and bless the person’s back.
For objects, bless them moving sun-wise around them also.
Smudging is a sacred tradition that has its roots in the indigenous cultures of the world. As a tradition, it has been passed down for millennia and many ways and variations exist. The common thread is that, the smoke from sacred herbs can be used for purification and spiritual preparation.
We can smudge to clear and ground ourselves and our intentions before and after healing, initiation and ritual. The smoke will help purify our crystals and other sacred objects. We can clear rooms and create sacred space. The herbs can also be burned to give thanks and to aid us in our prayers.
Smudging can totally transform your life and luck. If you feel as though life is an uphill battle, as if fate is never on your side then smudging might just be the answer. Smudging is the art of cleansing your self and your environment using simple ritual and ceremony. For thousands of years it has been a part of Native American tradition but now the power of Smudging is available to everyone.
The effects of smudging can be swift and dramatic. It can help you banish stress and attract love; soothe you or give you energy. It can bring your family closer together and let you adjust to the healing seasonal rhythms of the year. Above all, it can turn any space, however humble, into a soothing sanctuary, a place of renewal. I have used smudging for many years and often combine it with techniques from other ancient traditions to provide a totally holistic approach.
But how can smudging be so powerful? The answer lies in the sub-atomic world of subtle or spiritual energy. Homes and bodies are not just made of purely physical matter; they also vibrate with subtle, invisible energy. Cleansing a space or our bodies with techniques such as smudging clears away all the emotional and psychic "garbage" that may have gathered over years or even hundreds of years. It's like spiritual spring-cleaning.
These ideas are not new-fangled nor are they airy-fairy New Age waffle. Native American tradition dates back millennia and most traditional cultures, from the Zulus to the Maoris, from the Chinese to the Balinese, have age-old forms of cleansing and blessing ritual. Even the West retains relics of it, although we have long forgotten the true purpose behind many of our rituals and ceremonies. The incense wafting through a church is cleansing the atmosphere just as surely as the medicine man's bowl of sacred smoke, or smudge. The bells that ring out on Sunday morning were originally intended to purify the whole parish through sound and lead the community from everyday space into worship - just as the shaman's drum can lead us on sacred journeys into the world of the spirits.
The act of smudging is done with a bowl, cauldron or Abalone Shell or a fireproof surface with the appropriate herbs directly lit or burned on a coal or Self lighting charcoal tablet, NOT THE BBQ kind. When using charcoal tablets the bowl or shell should be filled with sand or a flat stone to prevent over-heating the container. Smudging is also done with herbs tied in bundles called Smudge Sticks. In either case the smoke is “washed” over the person or object with a Feather or by fanning the smoke with one’s hand.
Using a smudging tool is part of many Native American traditions. The burning of herbs for emotional, psychic, and spiritual purification is also common practice among many religious, healing, and spiritual groups. The ritual of smudging can be defined as "spiritual house cleaning." In theory, the smoke attaches itself to negative energy and as the smoke clears it takes the negative energy with it, releasing it into another space where it will be regenerated into positive energy.
There are many ways to actually smudge. One ancient way is to start by drawing on the power of the five elements, by burning your smudging herbs in a shell. An abalone shell represents Water and the flowing and filling power this element offers us. The sacred herb is a gift of Earth and represents her creativity and strength. When we light the herb we are invoking the transmute element of Fire and the smoke that rises represents Air, carrying and releasing our cleared intentions and prayers. Through our deliberate action, we ourselves bring the fifth element: ether or life energy.
Next we offer the smoke to the seven directions: east, south, west, north and up, down and center. Returning to center we are now ready to purify ourselves. Start by holding the shell in front of you and gently fan the smoke up to your heart. Pass the shell up along the center of your body, encircling your head. Be aware of how you feel through out this process. Are there places that you feel a desire to clear and honor? It is important to follow your own inner guidance.
Passing them through the smoke, in a spiraling or a figure eight motion can clear Crystals and other sacred objects. Both are sacred symbolic movements: a spiral represents an ever expanding and focusing energy; a figure eight on its side is the symbol of infinity.
Sacred spaces are created by passing the smoke around the perimeter of the room, moving sunwise: east, south, west, and north.
As with all things this is only one of the ways. Trust your inner feelings and allow yourself to create what is sacred and meaningful to you. Explore and have fun!
Another view on smudging: To do a blessing of a person begin by looking into the eyes of the person for a moment to “greet” them, fan the smoke first at their heart and then up to the right side (your left) of the person’s head moving around clockwise (sun-wise), gently washing them with the smoke. Continue brushing smoke down over their left shoulder and the length of their arm and back up again to the shoulder. Wash the smoke down the left side of the torso, left leg and foot. Now smudge the right foot, up the left leg, torso and down the length of the right arm and back up to the shoulder. Now Turn the person around, turning to their right (sun-wise again) and repeat these movements as you smudge and bless the person’s back.
For objects, bless them moving sun-wise around them also.