Smudging is the action of purifying or blessing an area or object with the smoke of a sacred herb, or with an essential oil mist spray. You use the properties of the sacred plants or essential oils to clear negative energy and even evil spirits. Smudging is often included at the beginning of most spiritual work and magical ceremonies to make sure only positivity is brought into the situation.
Smudging a person
For a ceremony, group meditation, spell casting, or event with more than one person, it is fun and helpful to smudge each other before you start. The easiest way to do this is with a bundle of white sage (called a smudge). Other delightful herb combinations can also be used, like white sage and lavender.
To begin, light the smudge with a lighter. Then gently blow it out a bit until it's smoldering and not actively flaming. It may go out occasionally, that is the way of natural herbs. Just relight it if needed.
The person being smudged can stand in the center of the sacred space and hold their arms out to their sides. The person doing the smudging wafts the smoke over and at their body, starting at the head, moving down the body, directing the smoke over each limb and body area.
Don't forget to have them turn around so can smudge both sides!
Smoke is naturally free flowing so you might find it hard to waft or push the smoke in the way you want. It doesn't have to be perfect, just a general once over with the aromatic smoke does the trick. Some people use a small feather fan to help.
Smudging a space
Sometimes bad sh*t goes down in a room or house. The bad vibes and negativity from that can hang around and we certainly don't want to be hanging around in it.
Best to smudge it! You can basically repeat the smudge wafting from above, but move around the room paying special attention to the corners and any dark spaces. For a truly deep energetic clean, move furniture, sweep, and clean at the same time! Smudge behind and around things. Play some energetic cleansing music like singing bowls.
For extra purifying, you can place bowls of rock salt in the corners and dark spaces. Salt is an amazing absorber of negativity. The next day take the salt and empty it into the trash or out in the woods. Get it out of there!
Smudging with a mist
You want to smudge without open flames or embers? Mist!
Is this cheating because it's so much easier? Maybe. Essential oils of sage and other herbs mean you have the same power as white sage in a convenient spray bottle. Gosh, that was easy! Just spritz away the negativity. You can smudge each other (close your eyes, that will sting) and smudge your home or office. Or bathroom. We're not judging.
Say you got gifted a shawl or other article of clothing from a relative. The item is nice, but the relative is often in a bad or negative mood. Smudging it with a mist is a good way to remove their energy from the item so you can wear it without picking up on that bad mojo.