Cleansing Your Home With A White Sage Smudge Stick

White Sage is a sacred plant that has been used for many centuries. The art of “Smudging” with Sage is done to help drive out negative and stagnant energies from a person, place or object (Eg. Crystal). The burning of Sage releases an abundance of negative ions into the air, much like when you are by the beach or when you’re near moving water. These ions make us feel lighter, balanced and improves our well-being.

To begin the cleansing process, you can either hold the stick in your hands or place it in a heat proof dish (Eg. Abalone shell or Smudging Bowl). To clear your home, start by opening all doors and windows as the intention is to drive away all the negative energies out of your spaces. Light the top end of the Smudge stick and allow it to smolder and smoke, eventually filling the room from top to bottom and every nook and cranny.

As an optional part of the ritual, you can also say (either silently or out loud) a simple affirmation such as "I clear away all negativity and invite positive energy into my home" OR "this smoke cleanses negativity from my home and allows me to move forward in a new and positive direction".

Another optional part of ancient tradition is the use of a large feather to help fan away the smoke into the spaces as well. It doesn’t matter if you go in a clockwise or anti-clockwise direction. It doesn’t matter if you go at a certain speed either. What’s most important is your intention so always do it with a clear purpose!

Remember to never leave things unattended and if you happen to still have a bit of Sage left over, put it out and you can use it again next time. You could also burn Palo Santo after this ritual to help complement and reinforce the purification and cleansing process.