Burning sage, also known as smudging, is a spiritual and medicinal practice that has been used in sacred rituals worldwide since ancient times. It has been associated with Wicca and other forms of contemporary Witchcraft, but it also has roots in Native American traditions. Smudging can remove bacteria, negative ions, and stress from your space, and its origins, benefits, and precautions are well-documented.
Smudging is a ritual of burning sacred herbs and resins to purify, heal, and raise vibrations. It is a critical first step in any sacred ritual and an important way to complete and seal sacred work. Burning sage is a prayer practice used by many North American Native Nations, and it is not open to outsiders except by invitation.
In New-age spirituality, smudging sage claims to eliminate stagnant energy and remove spiritual stagnation. The Blackfeet, for example, practiced burning sage before interacting with the divine. Materials like palo santo sticks and white sage are known to have occult roots and are used for various purposes, including expel negative energy and restore balance.
Smudging is a prayer practice used by many North American Native Nations, and it is not open to outsiders except by invitation. The practice is believed to carry spirits in certain herbs, and when burned, they can purify or bless people and places.
Alternative Imagination’s Torch Style White Sage Incense Sticks are perfect for small smudging rituals, spiritual cleansing, home fragrance, or gifts. Ivy Mae equips individuals with detailed smudging spells and rituals designed to enhance their magical practice, whether for protection, healing, or spiritual growth.
📹 Spiritual Benefits of Burning Sage and How to Use it | Yeyeo Botanica
In Elemi’s Previous video, we went over common mistakes people make when using Sage. Now Elemi shows you some great …
What do I say when I smudge?
To clear negative energy from your home and surroundings, either say a prayer out loud or in your mind. The prayer should be specific, expressing love, light, happiness, and protection. To remove negative energy, open windows and doors in each room and cupboards, starting from the front door and working clockwise. This will help remove the negativity and bring love, light, happiness, and protection to your home and yourself.
What is a smudge in spiritual?
Smudging is a ritual that purifies the soul of negative thoughts by using four elements: water, sacred plants, fire, and smoke. The container, a shell representing water, is the first element, while the sacred plants (cedar, sage, sweetgrass, tobacco) are gifts from Mother Earth. The fire from the plants is the third element, and the smoke from the fire represents air. Plant leaves or stems are placed in the container and ignited, then the smoke is wafted over the person, either by hand or with an eagle feather. The ashes are then returned to Mother Earth, believed to absorb negative thoughts and feelings. Smudging can be done by a person or someone leading the smudge.
Is smudging a sin?
Some Christians are vehemently against burning sage, citing biblical warnings against witchcraft. Others advocate the practice, sometimes pointing to the familiar ritual of the burning of incense in Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches. Others still are in favor of some aspects of smudging, but not others.
Like many such things, burning sage is not inherently good or bad, as it is neither good nor bad to burn any dried plant. However, the intent behind the burning determines the acceptability of the practice.
What Is Sage and Is It in the Bible?. Sage is of the genus Salvia, part of the Lamiaceae family that includes mint. It can be found all over the world, from Salva officinalis, or garden sage, around the Mediterranean, to S alvia apiana, white sage or bee sage, a shrub native to the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico.
What is smudging and what does it do?
Smudging is a ritualistic practice originating from Native American and Amazonian traditions. It involves the burning of sage or palo santo over an open fire, with the intention of cleansing individuals of negative energies and promoting positive outcomes such as wisdom, healing, and the accumulation of beneficial energy. It is a deliberate act of cleansing, both of the individual and their immediate environment, which serves to promote renewal and restarting. A guide to smudging provides instructions on how to perform this ritual.
What not to do when smudging?
To effectively smudge negative energy, it’s essential to state your intentions clearly and use a blessing or prayer. If you’re unsure about celebrating Canada Day or Indigenous Peoples Day, consult an article. During the smudging ritual, let the sage burn out on its own, rather than blowing or smothering it. Once the time is right, the smudging stick or bowl will go out, signaling the process is complete.
What to say when smudging?
The text encourages the practice of smudging as a means of finding positive energy and peace. It urges the release of negative energy and attachments and the guidance of a team of angels and guides to facilitate the infusion of higher vibrations into the space.
Am I allowed to smudge?
Smudging is a traditional practice in many societies and is considered an integral part of a good life. However, it is important to note that participation in this practice is always voluntary and should not be forced or pressured upon others. It is permissible for individuals to indicate their lack of interest.
How do you smudge respectfully?
Smudging is a traditional practice that involves sweeping a room clockwise, wafting smoke into the air, focusing on areas where energy might feel dense. The intention is to clear negativity and welcome positive energy. After covering the entire area, return to the starting point and extinguish the smudge stick or herbs. While smudging is popular for its spiritual and energetic cleansing benefits, it is crucial to approach it with respect, understanding, and cultural sensitivity. It serves as a sacred and meaningful ritual deeply rooted in cultural traditions, and should be performed with pure intentions and respect for the best result and the people it was adapted from.
Can non-natives smudge?
Cultural appropriation refers to the practice of stealing aspects from another culture that is experiencing oppression. White Sage and other smudge products, such as burning sweet grass and palo santo, have become increasingly popular among non-native people, but these practices are considered sacred medicine to many Native American/Indigenous Nations. The practice of smudging was illegal until 1978, only 41 years ago, and it is important for non-natives to understand its cultural significance and history of suppression by white-dominated society.
The history of Native Americans/Indigenous people is complex, with many being forced to attend “Indian Boarding Schools” after being forcibly moved to reservation lands. These schools were designed to “Kill the Indian, Save the Man” through assimilation, with over 150 schools across the U. S. being rampant with extreme neglect, sexual, physical, and emotional abuse. The passage of the American Indian Religious Freedom Act in 1978 allowed Native Americans to practice any part of their culture, including burning white sage.
Traditions were lost and could not be passed down to the next generation, and those that did survive were practiced and passed down in secret. Native Americans were often beaten or jailed if they were caught doing things like burning sage. To avoid cultural exploitation and appropriation, non-native people should purchase from companies that work with Native American/Indigenous Nations like WindRose. Reclaiming traditions is necessary to pass them down to the next generation and heal generations of trauma.
Can Christians use sage?
Smudging in the Christian faith is a matter of conscience and personal choice, with the Bible not directly stating whether burning sage is a sin. Christians can make their own decisions based on their beliefs and interpretations, but the intent behind the practice determines its sinfulness. Some may view smudging as a sin due to its association with witchcraft and pagan practices, while others may find spiritual benefits in burning sage for its pleasant smell or aroma.
How to smudge respectfully?
Smudging is a traditional practice that involves sweeping a room clockwise, wafting smoke into the air, focusing on areas where energy might feel dense. The intention is to clear negativity and welcome positive energy. After covering the entire area, return to the starting point and extinguish the smudge stick or herbs. While smudging is popular for its spiritual and energetic cleansing benefits, it is crucial to approach it with respect, understanding, and cultural sensitivity. It serves as a sacred and meaningful ritual deeply rooted in cultural traditions, and should be performed with pure intentions and respect for the best result and the people it was adapted from.
📹 The Best Smoke Witchcraft Practices || Everything you need to know to create your own rituals
Anyone who has followed me knows that I LOVE a candle and personally think that there is no such thing as too many. However it …
This feels like a genuine witchcraft website…I’m so thankful for this because nowadays the witchcraft world is being overshadowed by things that have nothing to do with witchcraft at all…it’s like lost or something this feels wholesome and genuine right here, a place to learn and grow within your craft. Also I do believe in the smoke cleansing very strongly because my father starts getting very irritated when I burn sage in the house, he yell and curse and I believe all the negative energy is being released from him. I also put salt on his desk so that he will continue to be cleansed I feel he’s got lots of negative energy…so yes smoke cleansing is very beneficial.
This is a very interesting topic and something id like to research thoroughly. I’m a practitioner of Buddhism, I go to a Vietnamese Western Pureland temple, that style is a mixture of Buddhism and Vietnamese folk magic Tradition. We burn incense sticks to Buddha, The Bodhisattvas, and the ancestors. I burn incense for all my past relatives. I’m also interested in the smoke to cleanse. I know in Brujaria (Hispanic witchcraft they have an egg cleanse where they rub an egg over every part of their body. This is meant to cleanse and ward off any negative entities that may have attached to you. It’s also said to rid one of the evil eye. Do you have any thoughts on that? I’d love to hear it. Thanks so much for all the articles. Someone like me who knew nothing about witchcraft at all till I started perusal articles like yours is a real treasure. Blessed Be, Peter
Hello Ginny, Thank you so much for this upload. I’m also a prolific user of smoke in my own practice. I started using it to cleanse my aura after perusal one of your earlier articles and it’s now part of my daily ritual. Nothing like a good hit of Satya Nag Champa (and a cup of Clipper tea) to start my day off right 🌺🌸
That’s very interresting, I use actually the same tools to cleanse or meditate in order to get my vibrations higher enough to enter in that transe that helps me heal and see stuff, I would recommand you mugwort as smodge to clean every evil eye or bad energies in general and you would be very fascinated by the results of this plant, it’s also an energizer and a mood healer .
I try to make sure I cleanse the main floor of our house monthly (daughter is responsible for upstairs) using smoke. But I get what you mean about seeing something attached to someone….I generally see it when using a bell. I had to push something off a student a couple weeks ago while guest speaking. Thank you for doing this article! I will be passing on again because you always have great information to share!
I am just a fledgling. I love the idea of smoke. I have noticed in articles my attention goes immediately to the smoke from the incense burner, sometimes to the point of distracting me from the article. It seems so meditative and mesmerizing. The problem is that I have severe asthma. Is there anything that you could recommend for someone that can’t handle aromas from oils or incense but would love to try working with smoke? Thank you for the article.
Hi Ginny – I do appreciate this article, it was incredibly informative. However, I would like to share that it is still inapproproate to use the word smudge in your practice. You mentioned that the word encapsultated ‘smoke cleansing’ without you having to say the entire thing – if this is important, you could just say ‘cleanse’. Language does envolve – you are right – but we also evolve to learn the power and history that using certain words hold. Thank you – T
Ginny do you have any deities you honor regular or have a relationship with? I know you where raised Christain and also in a magical family please explain that to me because I was raised christain as well but I don’t fit in that box I have a very much witchy gypsy spiritual soul and heart very pagan I’m engaged to a Cherokee and Inuit native American man and I have mostly or a HUGE amount of Celtic blood and ansestors but was born and raised in the United States and so I feel spiritually confused and conflicted on deities and journey I started out wiccan that told me about it actually I had two witchy friends back then that worked closely with me at a old old job. And finding friends of like minded here where I live that aren’t in college or very young and my grown children’s ages so I have tried make friends on line in groups and pages and yes here on YouTube and Instagram. I love you and your articles and enjoy your knowledge and all you do. I just could use a Crone experienced friend and that does want money to join or share with me and actually wants a friendship. anyway love and blessings my sister 💜 😊
Your* using the words smudge or smudging is not Native American cultural appropriation. It is not a word that originated from any Native American language. It’s Germanic in origin. First recorded in writing in the 15th century Europe. The term was ascribed to the smoke cleansing practices and rituals of various Native American tribes by Europeans and the name stuck. The only thing offensive in smudging is the broad term of “Native American Culture” to describe what was once hundreds of individual nations of indigenous tribal peoples to lump them all together as one thing, in order to market a sacred herb for wholesale consumption under less than noble pretenses. White sage does originate in the US and is held as sacred by many tribes. Its use is not offensive, but should be obtained from sustainable sources and not from greedy, over-harvesting, gimmick pushers.