The ancient practice of smudging

Smudging is an ancient practice of spiritually cleansing a home, a space, an individual or a particular thing. It was traditionally practiced in many indigenous cultures and has been handed down through the ages. Most commonly, it is used to focus on an environment or specific place or area. It almost always involves the use of burning sage (although not exclusive to), usually bundled up in some form of stick or ‘wand’ like formation; where you burn the ends like a torch and allow the plumes to drift into all areas of space – either by using a feather or your own hand, thus releasing the necessary energy to cleanse whatever the intended thing is.

The most common manner of undertaking a cleansing is to waft plumes and speak out aloud and voice your intent on releasing whatever is present energetically you may wish to remove and disband. You would typically do this moving from room to room if it’s within a home where the entire property needs attention. It’s best to note that to effectively and thoroughly cleanse the house or place you need to do each room and make sure all cupboards and windows are open – energies like this can hide in anything! It forces the negative energies to flee or dissipate and it means nothing can hide or scramble away when you are engaged in the ritual and outside as well. It is particularly important, you are basically wiping the slate clean.

This is useful for ridding a space or environment of negative, disturbing, challenging or harmful energies that may have seeped in or that are pre-existing. Sometimes it can be used to cleanse an individual who may have attachments and feel that particular imprint is heavily affecting them and their daily cohabits. This is a form of ‘spiritual cleansing’ and is considered empowering and a sign of being able to breach whatever potentially negative or unwanted energy is at play and thus, being able to progress forward and feel enlightened, strengthened and purified.

Smudging is also a great way to release something old and allow for something new to take its place. In regards to crystals, smudging is considered a potent tool for cleansing the crystals themselves, especially crystals that are effective at trapping or containing unwanted energies and ostensibly acting as shields or force-fields against anything potentially harmful that we humans may come into contact with. The crystals will always need cleansing themselves to allow them to work consistently again, and smudging is a guaranteed way of purifying them.  

© Colin Ingram