Friday, June 14, 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.

Lavender is used to create a harmonious mood. Mugwort causes an acute self-awareness. Sagebrush helps when trying to contact 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.

It is also possible to smudge yourself. The smoke from a stick is waved around the body, starting from the head and working down to the feet. It is useful to focus your mind on the areas within yourself where you may be feeling deep emotional or physical pain. For example, if you have tension in your shoulders, you may place your focus on them, and let the smoke carry the tension away.

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 think before you use smudging products. If you plan on smudging the property of someone else, get them to grant you permission before you start. If you don't do this, you may accidentally create turmoil in the atmosphere which makes it harder to get rid of negative influences. Stay away from anything that burns easily, and be careful hot cinders don't fall onto the carpet. Ensure no alarms are set off when lighting herbs, and that loose clothing doesn't get caught by a flame.




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