Most of us, even if we are filled with positivity, will have moments when we feel overwhelmed and consumed with negative energy. This is just the way the universe works. At times we are filled with light and at other times we can be overcome by darkness.

(A Neptune transit mixing in with either Pluto or Uranus may also be the culprit to one experiencing what they may perceive as negative energy, & it very well maybe! Do consider when you have Neptune & either Pluto or Uranus in the mix it's your Etheric Web thinning. I had that very issue, It's not pleasant! See: Bed Shaking ).

            Sometimes this can be caused by internal issues in our lives, or we can, unfortunately, attract negativity through other people. The important thing to remember is that everyone stumbles in life sometimes! But, if you are consumed by negative energy, then it can start to build up and it may affect your health, your mental state, and your emotional life. That is why it is so important to always have a good cleansing ritual on hand so that you can clean your emotional and physical life when you need to!

            If you have never heard of “smudging” then this is the blog post for you, as this is a Native American tradition that involves burning resin or herbs to purify your space and also to bless your home, objects or people. What you use during a smudging ceremony is really up to you and people often use things such as lavender or cedar, but perhaps most often people use sage. In Native American communities, white sage is known for being one of the most potent herbs that you can use for smudging and it is said to get rid of negative energy and any dark spirits that may surround you. Native American shamans often burn white sage and then disperse the smoke using feathers.

But the good news is that even if you are not a shaman, there is no reason why you can’t also use sage! Keep reading to find out how you can hold your first smudging cleansing using this sacred herb!

• Buy some sage

The first stage, if you want to perform a smudging cleansing, is to buy some sage which costs around $10 for a bunch and can be found in supermarkets and health food stores. You will need to dry the sage before you perform the cleansing which should take about a week. If you want to save money and get in touch with your roots, literally, then you can also grow your own sage at home.

• Get a bowl

For smudging, you will need a smudge bowl. There are so many things you can use for this but you need something that is fire safe. Some things you could use include clay pots and burners which usually stay cool enough to handle. If you are not sure where to look then you can try a new age shop and ask about burners or bowls that are made for ceremonies.

• Get some feathers

Most shamans use feathers in smudging as they are thought to be more environmentally friendly and add an ethereal touch as they come from the animal kingdom rather than being man-made. They also help you to spread the clouds of smoke from the sage as widely as possible. One thing to keep in mind, however, is that you need to make sure that you do not pluck the feathers from birds as this may cause them harm, but instead only use feathers that you have found on the ground. Hurting an animal to get the feathers will completely negate the intention of the cleansing.

• Be clear about your intentions

Before you begin smudging you need to think about your intentions and what it is you hope to achieve. This is usually about letting go of negative energy or about attracting positive energy into your life and home. Make sure that you are in a calm and quiet space and try to free your mind of any troubling thoughts. Begin by doing some deep breathing as you would if you were meditating and then make sure to give thanks to God, Spirit, Guide, or the Universe. Ask your spiritual guide to help you to clear your life of any negativity through the use of your sage.

• Have

  a space for the bad energy to leave

You need to make sure that you have a door or window open when you do your smudging ceremony. If you don’t, then how can the bad energy leave your life? As such, make sure that you plan this before you start and make sure that the smoke can escape from your home and won’t trigger any fire alarms or smoke detectors in your home or building.

• Start the cleansing 

Once you are ready you can set fire to your sage, which may take some time as it is a slow-burning herb. When it catches fire it may flame for a while and you just need to blow gently on your sage to get rid of the flames. It will then smolder and emit smoke. If the smoke starts to go out then you need to fan the sage around so that it keeps smoking. Waft the sage so that it emits smoke into the air around you.

• Start smudging  the area(s)

Usually, during a smudging cleansing, we start by cleansing our space which means wafting the sage through the air to get rid of any dark energy that may be lurking in the shadows. With that in mind, make sure you wave the sage into all the corners in your space to fully cleanse the energy. At the same time, you may also want to smudge items that you use a lot and which may have a buildup of toxic energy including electronics like your cell phone. As you are going around, you may feel that one area or several areas, in particular, need more attention than others and if that is the case then you should follow your intuition. You may also find that your sage stops burning or sparks in some areas and this means that these parts of your space have especially negative energy, so you may want to spend more time cleansing them.

• Smudge yourself

You can use sage to cleanse your home and you can also use it on yourself to get rid of any dark energy. If you have had an argument or you are feeling low or unwell then this is very important. You can also smudge other people. In order to do this, the best thing to do is stand in front of the person, or on your own if you are smudging yourself, and then waft the sage from the feet, up the body to the top of the head. Make sure you wave the smoke along each arm and leg. Lift up your feet and then waft the smoke underneath them as well. Also make sure you smudge both the front and the back of the body including areas like the neck, armpits, and the backs of the legs. If one area feels particularly heavy then you may want to spend more time on it – just follow your intuition.

• Put out your sage

Once the cleansing is over you need to put out your sage by pouring water on it or burying it in the ground. Make sure you don’t leave any ash from the sage in your pot or your home as you need to clear all the energy from your home. If you want to reuse the sage then you can extinguish the flame by snuffing it out with soil.

• Put away your sage

If you have any sage left then keep it in a dry space, preferably in a high place as this is meant to honor this sacred herb. Once you have done this the smudging process is complete!

The most important thing to remember however is that you need to trust your intuition when you use sage, but if you do it regularly then you will find that it is one of the best ways to free negativity from your life and embrace all the positivity!

If you are interested in a consultation with Bree please click Bree's Services 

Warm wishes, Bree

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