Both types are considered acceptable for smudging purposes. While this type of ceremony isnt reserved exclusively for weddings, it has found its way into many. Read on to learn more about this benefit and others, the tools you. This helps the healing to come through in a clear way without being distorted. Experts explain how to sage a house correctly to cleanse it of negative energy.
Please practice handwashing and social distancing, and check out our resources for adapting to these times. We put these questions to knowledge keeper debra courchene. A smudging ceremony is the ritual of burning plant resins and herbs in a shell or a clay bowl while intentions and prayers are called forth. Smudging is a na ve american smoke ceremony used to purify spaces, individuals and objects. This smudging prayer, combined with white sage and or palo santo is wonderful for cleansing the energy of your space and yourself. Smudging is the ritual practice of burning certain natural plant materials in order to produce smoke that is used to bless items, symbolize spiritual purification, and to symbolize the rising of prayers from earth to heaven. The original meaning of the ritual was that the rising smoke carried the. Smudging ceremony for cleansing and purification native americans have taught us that before a person can be healed or heal another, they must be cleansed both physically and spiritually of any bad feelings, negative thoughts, or negative energy. Aside from the metaphysical uses of smudging, research is showing that sage can also be used to benefit physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing, says reshma patel, pac, mms, ceo and founder of ananda integrative. Since you are burning things, be sure to use a firesafe cauldron or another device and add sand to the bottom.
The mostused sage types have antimicrobial properties. The sweet grass reminds us of our impurity before the creator. Well there you have it how to sage smudge your home, office, and yourself. Native people throughout the world use herbs to accomplish this. To get some insight into the ancient art of smudging, native american healer and singer grandmother wapajea walks on.
Yet of the many sacred plants that have been used around the world for this purpose, indigenous cultures in north and south america believe that palo santo and sage are the most powerful. Traditionally, people use an abalone shell to hold the sage and then use a feather to fan and spread the smoke around the space once the sage is burning, says colleen mccann, a shamanic energy practitioner. The smudging ceremony is a custom of native american and other indigenous cultures. The other type of sage we see, common in smudge sticks, is actually not related to the culinary sage and is called sagebrush. Today, an indigenous smudging ceremony will occur in this gathering space. Stephen augustine, dean of cape breton universitys unamaki college explains the smudging ceremony at a frosh week event on campus. Not surprisingly, these are also four of the most sacred plants in this part of the world. At indian metis christian fellowship imcf the elements used for smudging may include one or more of the following. If you are having problems keeping it lit, occasionally blow on it to keep the embers burningyou want to continue. How to perform a smudging ritual and prayer exemplore. This simple smudging ceremony, using natural herbs, is available to all. The smudging ceremony is no different because it has its own creation. Not every nation smudges although many indigenous performing artists include this ceremony in their practice to prepare for a performance.
This document is an introduction to the ceremony of smudging and how venue. Smudging, or burning sage in a ritual manner, is a native ameri can tradition for healing, clearing a space and as a religious ceremony. Sage is one of the most popular plants used for smudging, as the smoke carries an amazing fragrance that lifts the spirits. Sage is a perennial with one of the more familiar varieties having wooly. Anything to do with fire has the potential to be dangerous. The area must be supervised by program staff during the smudging ceremony. Remember to use your intuition and adopt the parts of this routine that fit in with your time and space. There are many varieties of sage, and most have been used in smudging.
The art of smudging a shamanic cleansing ritual the. I have hard copies and pdf copies available for each health care facility. Smudging is a tradition, common to many first nations, which involves the burning of one or more medicines gathered from the earth. This allows the negative energy and smoke a place to escape. How to sage smudge your home, office, and yourself. How to perform a wiccan smudging ceremony and smudging. Has anyone incorporated the blessing to the seven directions through a smudging of herbs. The most common one is mashkodewashk, otherwise known as sage in english.
Ceremonies manidookewinan smudge nookweziganoon the smudging ceremony is a purification ceremony. The most common medicines used in a smudge are sweetgrass. Some pipe carriers and elders recommend that when people. Smudging protocol and guidelines for school divisions manitoba. Burning sage also known as smudging is an ancient spiritual ritual. Even though sage grows abundantly in many locations, the most commonly used sage for burning and ceremonies is desert sage, or white sage.
White sage smudging is an ancient practice used for healing, ceremonial, and energy clearing work. If you are just getting started, you can find a sage kit online or in. Smudging is a ritual way to cleanse a person, place or object of negative energies, spirits or influences. Today, science is catching up to sage s potential as a healing herb. In other words, smudging can be thought of as a purification ceremony, a native american healing ceremony. Smudging, or other rites involving the burning of sacred herbs or resins, is a ceremony practiced by some indigenous peoples of the americas. Marriage is a bond to be entered into only after considerable thought and.
Much like washing your hands before the start of a meal, smudging is the act of cleansing your aura before you feed your soul through ceremony or ritual. These four medicines are tobacco, sweetgrass, sage, and cedar. What to say when smudging a house 7 white sage uses. Smudging prayer sage smudging mantra paranormal spiritual cleansing.
The four sacred medicines used in first nations ceremonies are tobacco, sage, cedar and sweetgrass. How do you balance the practical aspects and experiences in your life with the spiritual, intuitive, eversearching curiosity of your real authentic self. Should people be buyingselling traditional medicines like sage. Its also a common tool that many spiritual practitioners and seekers use today to energetically clear and even protect spaces. Its important to not only cleanse your space, but also cleanse yourself of the energies of others, as well as negativity from your past that no. See more ideas about smudging prayer, smudging and sage smudging. The most common herbs used for smudging in north american traditions are white sage, sweet grass, tobacco, and cedar.
They are gathered fresh in nature in a ritual where only what is necessary is taken and something is often. In the book you will find complete outlines of several popular useful sage and smudge ceremonies, and a list of 101 suggestions for personal. Our officiant has provided us with the order of service of marriage, which includes a blessing. A smudge is a bundle or loose collection of magickal herbs, the smoke from which is used like an incense to purify, sanctify, and bless a person, place, object, or energy field which may be a human aura, or the energy that is any object or mentalemotional state common herbs are sage, cedar, and sweegrass, but many other herbs can be used as well. When we, as native christians, burn incense sage, cedar, sweetgrass. For centuries many cultures have used smudging as a way to create a cleansing smoke bath that is used to purify the body, aura, energy, ceremonialritual space. In some cases the ceremony is for spiritual cleansing or blessing, but the purposes and particulars of the ceremonies, and the substances used, can vary widely between tribes, bands and nations. Smudging blessing to the seven directions weddings.
How to perform a native american smudging ceremony a. Interested in sage smudging your home but have no idea where to start. If available, a tribal elder in the area can be approached for guidance and further. It is important to approach smudging with respect for the beliefs and customs of native american people. Smudging imitates a native american ceremony in which certain herbs are burned to purify or bless a home in order to rid it of negative energy and restore positive, healing energy. The smudging ceremony involves burning of special, sacred plants and herbal resins. Smudging is an ancient ceremony in which you burn sacred plants, such as sage, to allow the smoke to clear and bless a space. How to perform a smudging ceremony supplies a smudge stick white sage is the best for purifying matches, preferably wooden fireproof dish or abalone shell sand or soil 2014 nancy rector. To get some insight into the ancient art of smudging, native american healer and singer grandmother wapajea walks on waterwith lineage from the choctaw, creek and cherokee tribessheds some light on the topic. Sage smudging is not complicated at all, or hard and is completely safe when you do several very easy steps. On the eventmeeting day, signs should be posted at the venue to indicate that a smudge ceremony is scheduled or in progress. Its a wonderful way to clear negativeold energy and purify your space. Smudging ceremony explained by stephen augustine, cbu.
Smudging is one such ceremony and includes the burning of four 4 sacred medicines. For many nativeindigenous cultures, smudging is a universal way of entering into prayer. Plants, our living relatives, or more accurately, medicine, are used for this ceremony. For centuries, native american and indigenous cultures have practiced smudging rituals to clear away negative energy, to invite in peace and harmony for individuals or environments. What is critical to understand, though, is that sage smudging is an ancient and sacred ceremony. Sage is burned in smudging ceremonies to drive out bad spirits. Remember to keep a dish under the burning herbs to catch any ash. Smudging is the burning of certain herbs to create a cleansing smoke bath, which is used to purify people, ceremonial and ritual space, and ceremonial tools and objects. Smudging can help combat this negativity, clear the energy in your field, and help you start anew.
The burning of herbs or incense is a practice held sacred. Sage belongs to the salvia plant family and is derived from the latin word salvere, which means to heal. If youre new to the practice of smudging, there are a few items youll need to get started. Smudging is a native american ceremony that you can easily. If you are having problems keeping it lit, occasionally blow on it to keep the embers burningyou want to continue to coax the flame until you get a steady smoke. The ultimate guide can guide you to a deeper understanding of the world of smudging.
The four sacred medicines used in first nations ceremonies are tobacco, sage, cedar, and sweetgrass. This would be used at a funeral, in ceremony after sage is burnt to cleanse the space first, or if you were in despair and seeking to channel higher realms. My fh and i arent religious and we wont be having a religious ceremony, but we are hoping to make it more earth centered and spiritual in that sense. Guidelines for indigenous smudge ceremony ontario federation. As the cleansing smoke rises, the ancestors are welcomed into the space. I hope this guide helps you understand the process of saging smudging your home. In western north america the three plants most frequently used in smudging are sage, cedar, and sweetgrass. A smudging ceremony is often carried out for the purpose of clearing negative energy, and inviting peace, harmony, and ease into a persons life, a challenging situation, or an uneasy or negative environment. We have seen both salvia and artemisia subspecies used in smudging. Native healing circle and smudging traditional native. One common ceremony is to burn certain herbs, take the smoke in ones hands and rub or brush it over the body.
1312 25 1336 803 1100 236 1089 85 1513 846 309 1309 57 1332 1253 621 702 1338 1115 887 1326 1329 548 759 846 774 585 751 736 1431 73 1453 1042