Sage smudging kits provide all of the tools necessary for cleansing yourself or an area from negative energy. However, please remember that this practice can sometimes cause controversy, so any actions should be done with due consideration for those cultures that developed it.

Start by gathering your herbs and materials. Begin wrapping your bundle, tucking leaves into its core as you go.

Preparation

Sage smudging is a spiritual cleansing ritual commonly employed for purifying personal spaces and objects, connecting with one’s intuition, treating an illness or dispelling any bad luck.

First, prepare the sage or palo santo by burning its tip until it begins to smoke, and directing its smoke towards objects or areas to be cleansed – some recommend working clockwise, while others advocate working counterclockwise.

Be careful when handling a burning sage bundle. Be sure to have a fire extinguisher handy just in case something goes awry; additionally, avoid inhaling any of the smoke; don’t leave the bundle burning unattended in windy conditions as this may set off smoke alarms and pose risks to people with respiratory conditions such as asthma.

Setting an Intention

No matter if you use white sage smudging sticks or another purifying herb like palo santo, setting an intention is the key to successful clearing. Consider what results you desire for this cleansing session and how the space should feel following its completion.

If you need help starting, ask yourself some empowering questions to foster positivity – which is exactly what smudging should be about!

If you want to clear negative energy and bring positivity into your life, one way of setting an intention that will do just that would be “I will allow myself to be happy” or “I will find a new job”. By setting clear intentions with regard to outcomes you desire. In addition, setting your intention at Full or New Moon times provides ample opportunity for spiritual cleansing and setting new ones.

Using the Smoke

Many tribal cultures practice burning certain herbs to invoke positive energies, send prayers outward, and release any negative energy that might exist in their surroundings. This process is commonly known as smudging or censing (incense burning).

Sage, sweet grass and cedar trees are used in North America as part of this sacred practice to cleanse people or objects of any negative energies or spirits. Their smoke may then be used to purge it of any negative forces that might exist there.

Smudging your home should begin in each room’s center and move outward from there, taking special care to inspect any nooks and crannies or behind furniture that may contain unwanted energy. Some suggest working clockwise while others advocate working counterclockwise.

Doing a self-smudging with sage smoke is also an easy and efficient way to purify yourself; simply light one end of your smudging stick evenly over a heatproof bowl or abalone shell and waft the smoke around your body, from your head down both arms, heart, torso, feet.

Disposing of the Smoke

Smudging is an ancient spiritual cleansing practice practiced by Indigenous communities around the world to remove negative energy and promote positivity, peace and wellbeing in both home life and personal relationships.

Smudge only in a well-ventilated area and using a kit can assist in this process.

Smudge sticks are bundles of leaves and stems from certain plants that provide medicinal/psychological health benefits as well as historical spiritual significance, with popular choices including White Sage, Sweetgrass, Cedar and Palo Santo.

Your bowl must be fire-proof; traditionally an abalone shell works best but anything suitable should work as long as it extinguishes the flame quickly and completely.

Start by blowing on the smudge stick and trailing smoke throughout your space, paying special attention to all four corners where negative energies tend to gather (negative energies are often concentrated in tight places). Once finished, extinguish it and return it back into its abalone shell or any other fireproof container; any leftover ashes should be dispersed outdoors on bare dirt.