In its most basic form, a smudge stick is a bundle of dried herbs which are ceremonially burned to cleanse a specific area or individual.
Smudge Stick Uses
It is most likely a derivative of the Native American “Sacred Smoke Bowl Blessing” where an assortment of appropriate herbs and resins were placed into a bowl and either burned or placed over hot coals in order to achieve spiritual cleansing.
Smudge sticks achieve the same effect, but are more portable and easier to use. The burning or smudging summons the spirits of sacred plants to keep negative energies away and to restore a state of spiritual balance to either a person or a place. As far as energies are concerned, smudging may be seen as the spiritual equivalent of showering or thoroughly cleaning a space.
Inside a Smudge Stick
The plants and herbs used in the smudging process vary a great deal from tribe to tribe and depend on their specific rituals and beliefs; what some tribes choose to burn may be considered taboo for burning by other tribes. Although the combination of herbs inside each smudge stick may change, the most commonly used plants are sage, cedar, and sweetgrass.
Using a Smudge Stick or Smudging
Although smudging has had a resurgence in the past few decades, the Native American tradition goes back thousands of years, and even then, they were not the exclusive practitioners. Many cultures have relied on the powers inherent in the smoke; the Zulus, the Chinese, the Maoris, and the Balinese, all have their own ancient methods of performing this ritual. Today, even the West retains some remnants of it; the incense drifting through churches is cleansing the space, performing the same function as antiquity’s bowl of sacred smoke, or smudge sticks.
The North American tradition of smudging was also seen as a way to connect the spiritual plane and the material plane, using the smoke as a method of connection. Sometimes the smoke was used as a way to convey prayers to the spirit realm, and sometimes it was used to remove accumulated spiritual “refuse” and bring peace and enlightenment. Smudge sticks can be purchased, but those you create are accepted as being more powerful.
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