Friday, June 21, 2013

Create Positive Energy With Smudging Products

By Odessa Edwards


Smudging is a practice associated with Native Americans and spiritual groups. It is believed smudging can cleanse people or objects of negative energy. There are a range of smudging products available to achieve this.

Among native American groups, sage is bound together into what are called smudge sticks. The sticks are set alight and allowed to smoulder. Smoke from the sticks is then blown over the area being smudged. As the smoke drifts away, it takes any bad energy with it. The blowing is usually done by hand or by using a feather. When using the feather however, you must use the side which faced the ground when the bird was flying, because this is the side which brings good luck.

To welcome good energy into their homes, Native Americans pray to the Great Spirit while burning cedar. Cedar is believed to purify and cleanse the atmosphere. Sweet grass is used to bless the home, and make it inviting. The sweet grass is braided like hair, then smudged in sage and set alight.

Mugwort creates a heightened self-consciousness. Lavender creates a peaceful and friendly atmosphere. Sagebrush is used for raising spirits.

A bowl is used to hold smouldering herbs. There are several small holes in the bowl. This is to help the herbs smoulder for longer by letting air in. The bowl is usually made out of a shell, but a clay bowl will do.

When smudging a house, spiritualists believe it is important to get into hidden areas like closets, as this is where most bad energy lingers. They light a smudge stick with a candle, and waft the smoke around the room. They do this in every room in the house.

To banish your own emotional or physical pain, you can smudge yourself. Concentrate on the part of your body or emotion where the bad feeling is, then waft the smoke over your body, starting with your head then working your way down to your feet. The smoke will banish your pain.

Other people can be smudged too. This usually happens when guests arrive at a special gathering or ceremony. Smoke from the stick is wafted over the guest, again starting at the head and working down to the feet. This will get rid of any bad energy the guest may have brought with them.

To smudge objects, the item is held over a bowl of smouldering herbs, and turned to make sure all its sides are smudged. This is done with the clear intention of forcing your own positive energy onto the item, pushing out the negative energy given to it by other people.

Always be careful when using smudging products. Be aware of dangling clothing or any other items which can catch fire easily, and if you are inside, look out for smoke alarms or hot ash falling onto carpets and furniture. If you are going to smudge the home or workspace of someone else, be sure to get their permission first, otherwise it can create chaos which makes it harder to get rid of bad energies.




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