Friday

Banishing Negative Energy With Smudging Products

By Odessa Edwards


Smudging is a practice associated with Native Americans and spiritual groups. It is believed smudging can cleanse people or objects of negative energy. There are a range of smudging products available to achieve this.

Among native American groups, sage is bound together into what are called smudge sticks. The sticks are set alight and allowed to smoulder. Smoke from the sticks is then blown over the area being smudged. As the smoke drifts away, it takes any bad energy with it. The blowing is usually done by hand or by using a feather. When using the feather however, you must use the side which faced the ground when the bird was flying, because this is the side which brings good luck.

Various herbs are used for smudging a house. Sweet grass is twined together, then smudged in sage and set alight. This invites good energies into the house. Cedar is burnt while praying to spirits, it clears the atmosphere of bad energies which may have gathered.

Mugwort creates a heightened self-consciousness. Lavender creates a peaceful and friendly atmosphere. Sagebrush is used for raising spirits.

A bowl is used to hold smouldering herbs. There are several small holes in the bowl. This is to help the herbs smoulder for longer by letting air in. The bowl is usually made out of a shell, but a clay bowl will do.

Spiritualists smudge their home by lighting a stick with a candle, then they waft the smoke around each room with their hand. They do this in all of the rooms, making sure smoke reaches into corners because this is where most of the negative influences can be found.

It is also possible to smudge yourself. The smoke from a stick is waved around the body, starting from the head and working down to the feet. It is useful to focus your mind on the areas within yourself where you may be feeling deep emotional or physical pain. For example, if you have tension in your shoulders, you may place your focus on them, and let the smoke carry the tension away.

Other people can be smudged too. This usually happens when guests arrive at a special gathering or ceremony. Smoke from the stick is wafted over the guest, again starting at the head and working down to the feet. This will get rid of any bad energy the guest may have brought with them.

If an object needs to be smudged, it should be held above a smouldering bowl. Then concentrate your mind on pushing your own good energy onto the object, as this forces out the bad energies. Make sure you turn the object over when holding it above the bowl, because it's important all the sides of it are smudged.

Always be careful when using smudging products. Be aware of dangling clothing or any other items which can catch fire easily, and if you are inside, look out for smoke alarms or hot ash falling onto carpets and furniture. If you are going to smudge the home or workspace of someone else, be sure to get their permission first, otherwise it can create chaos which makes it harder to get rid of bad energies.




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