ADVERTISING: Advertorial — The benefits of different smudge bundles

What is sage and where did it originate?

Burning sage, or any type of smudge, is a spiritual practice that is ancient. Smudging has been well established in Native American cultural ancestral practice, though this is not practiced by all groups. However, many other cultures from around the world have similar rituals.

How to use smudge

Smudging your own sacred space or home.

Direct sage smoke over all surfaces and spaces in your home or sacred space will do the job just right. When smudging make sure to let the smoke touch everything. When smoke cleansing set your intention for whenever you want the smudge to do, in this practice intention is key.

Smudging and object

Use direct smoke on the object, and just like smudging your sacred space, set your intention for the cleanse. You can do this with a new item or crystal you buy to cleanse any unwanted energy left over from the previous owner or place it came from. You can also do this with an object of your own if you just want to reset the energy, wether it was something you used while you were in a bad headspace, or something very special to you that someone touched. You can use smoke cleansing to purify, protect, and dispel negative energy. You can also smudge over sacred objects, to acknowledge the beauty of the object. Letting it know that you understand and respect it.

Aromatherapy

You can use any smudge bundle simply for its natural aroma. This can purify odor, add a natural scent, and improve your overall mood. If you want to learn more about how aromatherapy can help improve your health, I touched on it in our essential oils blog post. Just to keep our posts from being repetitive. However all forms of aromatherapy stimulate your Limbic System in the brain, this is the system that is responsible for registering smell, forming long term memory, as well as controlling your emotional and behavioral responses. Also helping with unconscious bodily responses such as breathing, heart rate, and blood pressure. The smudge can also cleanse and purify your emotional and mental state as well as adding to all the natural benefits of aromatherapy.

How to set intention for smudge

Setting intention can be very unique from person to person. If you have never set intention before I recommend trying all of the ways I list below and combining and experimenting to find your perfect intention ritual.

Clairsentient intention setting. (clear feeling)

Before you begin to smudge feel the energy that you want it to bring into the space or object you are smudging. Feel the cleansing and protective energy of the smudge you use leak into every part of your room or object, as well as felling it cleanse and protect you. This will help you understand the feeling and the state that you want your area to be in as you are experiencing the feeling as it spreads into your space.

Clairvoyant intention setting. (clear seeing)

This can be one of the easiest, or the hardest ways to set intention. When using this method, visualize the cleansing and protecting happening. I will use an example but this is not necessary. Visualize the smoke changing dark, gross energy, into a beautiful light energy. This one is a beautiful way to help develop a deeper sense of connection with energies. Especially if you are a visual thinker.

Claircognizant intention setting. (clear knowing)

Now we move to the slightly more difficult ones to explain. This method of intention setting can be tricky, it is all about knowing that the cleanse is happening. Similar manifesting, you just know with your whole being the smoke is cleansing and protecting.

Clairaudient intention setting. (clear hearing)

The best way to use clairaudience in smudging is by speaking. This will help you hear the words and understand the exact type of energies you can bring in all by hearing and speaking it for yourself. This is very good for people who like(d) lectures in school. As well as people who learn from repetition. This will train your brain to set the intention automatically, like muscle memory.

Try out all of these and see what works best for you. You can always mix and match these methods making the intention setting unique to you and more complex and fitting for yourself. Remember to use whichever method you like through the entirety of the smudge. Keep doing it the whole time.

What to do after you smudge

Many people believe to leave the smudge bundle or stick your using going until it burns out itself, it is believed that when the cleanse is done it will burn out itself. Using universal guidance by letting the smudge control when it’s done. However other people believe that you can feel and know when the smudge is done, and just like everything else, do whats best for you and let your intuition guide you to know what you need to do and when you need to be done doing it.

Different benefits of smudging

Most smudge is used to cleanse and ground, but they all have some unique properties.

• White Sage: Releasing what is troubling the mind, also has antimicrobial and protective properties. Boosts energies, aligns chakras, reduces stress as well as anxiety.

• Blue Sage: often used in cleansing and healing rituals. As well as helping with soothing and prosperity.

• Black Sage: Used to encourage dreams and visions. It’s the sage of introspection and inner healing. Helps with a peaceful and restful sleep.

• Palo Santo: Helps with purification, changes negative energies into positive energies. Aids in spiritual healing and calming, burn before meditation.

• Lavender: Brings positive energy. As well as opening the heart chakra and calming the mind and nervous system.

• Eucalyptus: Used for protection, cleansing, promoting relaxation and boosting energy.

• Mugwart: Helps with divination, protection, and purification. Also helps with dreams and sleeping

• Sweet Grass: A great gift for someone moving into a new home as it brings in home blessings. Aids in healing and bringing in positive energies.

• Dragons Blood Sage: Helps with protection and healing, this is a very powerful sage and it brings in prosperity.

• Cedar: Brings prosperity and protection, helps with grounding and brings a sense of harmony.

• Yerba Santa: Brings protection, concentration, and love.

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Cari Hoffman is the owner of the Clarity Center.

Stop by The Clarity Center for more information or to see their selection of crystals, gems and healing items — 6848 N. Government Way, Unit 116 and 117, Dalton Gardens, ID 83815, MyClarityCenter.com.