Have you ever felt like the energy in your home is just off? Maybe you’re not feeling those relaxed, zen vibes you really look forward to when you step back into your sacred space. It could be that you have accumulated some negative energy and a spiritual cleansing is in order. Your home absorbs and reflects the energy you allow in — either from you or the people you invite. Stress from work or relationships, energy that sticks to you while you’re out in the world and any frustrations felt or expressed in your home can all lower the vibration of your home. Smudging, or the practice of burning sage, is a ritual anyone can perform to cleanse a space or your aura field of low vibrational energy. Some even believe burning sage acts as a spiritual bleach, sterilizing the energy of a space so it can be rebuilt with specific intentions.
What Is Sage Exactly?
Many of us are familiar with sage as a herb used in cooking, but did you know that burning sage has been connected with healing and well-being since ancient times? This low-growing shrub, a member of the mint family, has a long history of being used for its beneficial properties. With its strong, herbal and earthy aroma, it has been burned throughout the centuries to cleanse energy, promote fertility, repel insects and keep bacteria at bay. Sage is also burned during meditation to help connect you with your intuition and messages from the spirit realm.
What Is The Purpose Of Sage Cleansing?
Burning sage is one of many ways to take action towards restoring energetic balance. More specifically, sage cleansing can take on the intentions or purpose given at the start of each ceremony. Grab your sage when you need to release tension from your aura, spiritually cleanse a new place before you move in, or as a regular practice after cleaning a room in your home. The purpose in each case is to release and create space for new intentions and positivity.
The Benefits Of Sage For Cleansing And Purification
While it has not yet been scientifically proven, sage is thought to positively affect mood and aid in the transmuting of negative emotions. When combined with other spiritual and self love rituals, sage can be powerfully beneficial for your wellness. If you are sensitive to the energy and mood of people around you, burning sage will help you relax your body and release tension. If you are moving into a new home, performing a smudge ritual will open the space up to release the old and invite your intentions. After an argument or emotional conversation, cleanse the area and yourself to trigger relaxation and prevent the build up of tension. Anything you wish to pour good intentions into can begin with the burning of sage.
How To Cleanse Your Home With Sage
Start by opening the windows of the space you are in to allow for proper air flow. The tools you will need are your sage bundle, a lighter or matches, and a firesafe plate or container to catch falling embers.
Make A List Of Your Goals And Objectives.
Just before you begin, take some time to consider your goals and utter a small mantra to yourself to help you focus your attention on them. If you have ever done yoga before, you're probably familiar with the steps involved in the procedure.
Setting your objective and keeping it in mind as you move around the space while burning the sage are both important steps.
Getting Started With Your Sage Ritual
Light your sage and allow it to burn out on its own. If it is taking longer than a few seconds or the flame is growing too quickly, go ahead and blow it out. An unruly flame can mean that there is a good amount of chaotic energy that needs to be brought into balance. No worries, this is why you are here performing the ritual!
Drift through your area allowing the smoke to reach all corners of each room, paying special attention to the doorways, windows and mirrors. Starting in one corner and "pushing" negative energy toward the door may be an effective method of releasing negative energy. You may be expressive with your waving here, but keep in mind that you're carrying a burning object. Look for and extinguish any ashes that may have fallen to the ground.
At the end of your ceremony, extinguish your sage or allow it to burn out on its own in a safe area. Be sure to gratitude for the balance restored.
Make Sure You Know What Sage To Get
There are many different types of sage to consider when you are on your search. You can start with a sage kit that includes several options for you to explore. As you burn each one, see if you notice any subtle differences in the energy of your space or yourself. White sage is the most common variety, easily found in the wild all over the US and the world. As it has grown in popularity, you can now find white sage adorned with different colored flowers, other herbs such as eucalyptus or peppermint.
As you make your selection, consider the meanings of each color and do your research on any additional spiritual properties of special sage varieties.
For example, our Smoke Cleansing Ritual Kit contains the following:
- White Sage w/Dragons Blood: psychic protection, shadow work, self-awareness, psychic realizations
- Blue Sage: abundance, wealth, prosperity
- Desert Sage: blessing a person or space, meditation, purification
- White Sage: deep cleanse, raise the vibration of a space
- Cedar Sage: attract good energy, eliminate negative energy, calm
- Yerba Santa: honor and connect with ancestors, bring balance and harmony
If the options are too much for you, start simple and go from there. We invite you to explore using sage with openness and excitement for the benefits you are sure to experience.