Maybe you’ve heard of this phenomenon called smudging. Maybe you’d like to learn how to smudge your home. Here I provide a full tutorial on how to smudge plus answer the question does smudging work? I also give tips on what kind of herbs to use in your smudging rituals and simple smudging affirmations.
What is Smudging?
Smudging is a spiritual ritual in which a bundle of sacred herbs is burned and the smoke from the bundle emanates throughout a room or over a person to clear out negative energy. This is a cleansing ritual used in many spiritual paths that dates back to ancient times. Multiple cultures, including the Native Americans and ancient Celts, and Romans, used the smoke of plants to clear a space in preparation for rituals and for healing purposes.
How to Smudge Your Home: Full Tutorial
Are you feeling as though your home is being blocked or invaded by negative vibes? Perhaps you feel like a negative spirit is visiting your home. Either way, consider smudging to cleanse your space and set it right. How do you smudge your home? It’s actually quite simple. First, open a couple of windows. Negative energy isn’t eliminated completely, it has to go somewhere. So let it escape through a window. If you leave the windows closed, you serve to potentially anger any negative spirits trapped inside the house.
Smudging Your Home Step-by-Step:
- Start at the front door of your house. You’re going to move from room to room in a counter-clockwise fashion.
- Light one end of your smudge bundle with the flame of a candle (if you light it directly with a lighter/match, the herb bundle won’t stay lit for long). Have an abalone shell or fireproof container underneath the bundle to catch the ashes.
- Walkthrough each room, letting the smoke reach every corner of every room (use your hand or a feather to fan the smoke out in all directions). As you move through the house, say a prayer or chant-like this: “In the name of God, I cleanse this room of all negative energy.” (See below for more smudging affirmations.) Repeat the affirmation as many times as you’d like.
- Repeat this until all of your rooms have been thoroughly smudged. If there’s spirit energy or intense negativity, smudge your garage, attic, basement, and closets too.
- You should end your smudging ritual back at your front door. State, “It is done, So mote it Be, amen, etc.”
Smudging Affirmations and Prayers
Depending on your religion and beliefs, use any of the following provided smudging affirmations, make up your own, or tailor them to suit you. Some of my favorite smudging affirmations and prayers include:
- “All negative energy must go away. Only positive energy can stay.”
- “In the name of God/Universe/Spirit, I cleanse all negative energy from this space.”
- “Negativity that invades my sacred space, I banish you with the light of grace.”
- “Into this smoke, I release all negative energy from my home that no longer serves me.”
- “Bless this space with smudging smoke. We release all negative energy from this home.”
Why Smudge Your Home? Does Smudging Work?
Why should you smudge your home? When negative energies build up in your home, it can wreak havoc on its residents. This could include familial arguments, attracting negative spirits, illness, injury, and misfortune of many kinds. Not to mention, it will block one’s personal growth and spirituality. Smudging your home also allows for positive energy to flow more freely, which means blessings for all inhabitants! So, in answering the question does smudging works, in my experience (among many others), it truly does.
Different Herbs for Smudging
There are many kinds of herbs for smudging your home; some popular ones include white sage, cedar, sweetgrass, Dakota sage, garden sage, lavender, rose, pine needles, juniper, and even red willow bark. Many herbs are, however, in danger of being over-harvested. This includes the sacred herb white sage. Instead of buying white sage and adding to the over-harvesting issue, grow your own smudging herbs in your garden (or in pots in a window). For example, I grow lavender, sage, rosemary in my garden. It’s easy to grow and harvest and easily tied up into bundles for smudging rituals.
NOTE: Make sure whatever herb you’re using for smudging isn’t toxic when burned AND has purifying effects.