What is the Smudge Ceremony
The Smudge ceremony is an age-old tribal tradition which has been used for centuries to bring harmony and peace. During the Smudge ceremony, smoke from burning herbs or incense is rubbed over a person, space, or object for cleaning and purification, protection of physical and spiritual bodies, and banishment of negative energies. This article will describe how to perform the Smudge ceremony on a person.
Why to Smudge Yourself (or Someone Else)
Smudging yourself can be used to restore physical, mental and emotional balance and to shield against negative energies. Smudging yourself on a daily basis can be very helpful in keeping yourself balanced and maintaining a peaceful state of being. After smudging yourself you will feel cleaner, lighter, calmer, and happier.
What is Needed to Smudge Yourself (or Someone Else)
For the Smudge ceremony, you will need smudge sticks (herbs that are tied into a bundle for easier handling), braided herbs and botanicals (like sweetgrass), or loose incense (burned on charcoal or in a fire pit). You will also need a proper container for the burning smudge (such as an Abalone shell or a heatproof bowl), a lighter or candle (to light the charcoal and/or smudge incense), and a willing participant (yourself or someone else). Optional items are a feather (for fanning the smoke) and any other sacred or magickal items you may wish to include in the ceremony (such as crystals or pendants). Some people like to listen to an appropriate mood setting music while smudging so you may also want to have a music player nearby. Last but not least, you should have a pot of sand or ash nearby to extinguish the burning herbs as well as easy access to water or a fire extinguisher just in case.
When to Smudge Yourself (or Someone Else)
The Smudge ceremony can be performed on a daily basis and is a great way to start the day feeling relaxed and full of positive energy. Smudging on a daily basis would be a very healthy habit to get into but you can still achieve benefits from it by doing it less frequently or only doing it when you feel you really need it. You should definitely smudge yourself after being around people who are ill, depressed, fearful, angry or generally emotionally unbalanced; when you’re feeling blue or depressed; or when you’ve been under a lot of stress. It’s also a good idea to perform the Smudge ceremony before meditation. Many people perform the Smudge ceremony as the first step before performing other rituals or ceremonies as it is the psychic equivalent of washing your hands before eating.
Where to Smudge Yourself (or Someone Else)
As a sacred and spiritual ritual, the Smudge ceremony should ideally be performed in a quiet, private place. Many people will have a separate room, or at least part of a room set aside for the Smudge ceremony. This space will often have an altar or table set up to hold all the items used in the ceremony, as well as to say prayers at before or after smudging.
How to Smudge Yourself (or Someone Else)
The first step in smudging is to choose which types and forms of incense you want to use for the smudging. Traditionally, smudging is performed with herb bundles known as Smudge wands or Smudge sticks, which can be made from several different types of plants such as Sage, Juniper, or Cedar. However, you may choose any type or form of incense, including loose incense burned over a charcoal.
After you have chosen which types and forms of incense you will use to smudge yourself, the next step is to get the smudge incense lit. Smudge sticks are most easily lit with a candle as it may take some time to get them burning. If you choose to use multiple plants so as to combine their properties or energies, you should make sure they are all burning before performing the smudge so that the smoke contains all their energies.
Once the Smudge incense is burning, you can begin wafting the smoke over your body with cupped hands, a feather, or a wing fan. You should try to rub the smoke over every part of your body, paying special attention to the Chakra points and areas that feel sore, wounded, or generally unhealthy. When you’re done, you may want to inhale a little of the smoke to purify your insides.
Techniques for Smudging Yourself (or Someone Else)
As a tribal tradition, the Smudge ceremony is performed in many different ways depending on each tribe’s beliefs and rituals. For example, one tribe may believe in rubbing the smoke over the body in a specific order or fashion, while another tribe may use an entirely different order or fashion. One way would be to start at the left foot (left being the receiving side of the body) moving the smoke up the left leg with the use of Peyote (feather), then proceeding up the central chakra line and around the top of the head, back down the center of the body, moving the smoke outwards to the sides and around the back, and finally finishing off by wafting the smoke down the right leg (right being the giving side of the body) and out and away from the right foot. Some traditions would do this four times, as four is the number of balance and harmony.
For someone not attached to a particular tribe or tradition, the techniques and rituals used while smudging is a matter of personal preference and many individuals add their own elements to the Smudge ceremony. Some people may chant specific prayers out loud during the smudge while others will simply say a silent personal prayer before or after smudging. Some may use a feather or wing fan to waft the smoke over their bodies while others use their cupped hands. Some people listen to music as they smudge while others prefer total silence. Some put the Smudge bowl on the ground and stand over it while others hold the bowl and move it around their body. Some people even smudge in the nude!
The specific techniques used for performing the Smudge ceremony are not important and are up to you. What is important is the act of actually doing it. Praying and visualizing while smudging is very important as well as the Smudge ceremony should be a spiritual experience. Smudging yourself should leave you feeling healthier both physically and spiritually!
Sorry, no comments yet.