As we head into 2021, many of us are taking with us a feeling of vulnerability. This legacy from the previous year, during which we've all had negative experiences, may have left you feeling low so cleansing your home, your space, your surroundings is an important part of being able to move forwards in a positive way.
The birth of summer on the 21st December beckons us down the path to a brighter period of our lives, encouraging us to move forwards with open heart and arms ready to embrace better times. Regularly cleansing your home and surroundings is an excellent way of promoting this positivity.
White Sage has been used for thousands of years to cleanse negativity from people and their surroundings, and one of the ways its does this is to release negative ions into the atmosphere, which naturally encourage positivity.
To cleanse, you can either use Smudge Sticks which are chunky bundles of beautiful white sage leaves, sometimes mixed with other herbs such as Lavender, Rosemary and Mugwort.
Light your smudge stick by holding it above a lighted candle and allow to burn for up to ten seconds, after which time you should blow out the flame if it hasn't already gone out of its own accord. There should be a continuous stream of smoke from your Smudge Stick, although you may need to periodically blow on the end gently to keep the smoke going.
It's usually suggested that you work your way around your space in a clockwise direction, starting at the main entrance and being sure to smudge all corners, as this is where stagnant energy will build up. Before you start to smudge, make sure you have some ventilation in the area...this is simply to allow the negative energy to leave your surroundings easily. When you've finished, stub out your smudging stick gently in a container suitable for the purpose, like the beautiful Smudge Stick Bowls available in the Enchanted Magpie shop.
Whilst Smudge Sticks are lovely, some people prefer to use incense sticks, cones and even homemade incense, which will fill your space with clean, fresh, positive fragrance and help to chase out the bad vibes. White Sage is not the only herb or plant that can be used to cleanse - Palo Santo, Mugwort, Cedar, Rosemary, and Lavender all have purifying qualities. You can find White Sage Incense Cones, Incense Sticks and Smudging Sticks in the Smudging Collection in our shop.
Smokeless cleansing is becoming increasingly popular. Not only is it safer since no actual flame is needed, but it is also suitable for anyone suffering respiratory problems for whom smoke is not an option. Our handmade Smudging Sprays are available in the Enchanted Magpie shop, and although they all contain White Sage due to its strong cleansing properties, there are lots of variants to choose from depending on where your focus is with smudging.
For instance, if you want to concentrate on creating a positive love-filled ambience, you might like to try our White Sage & Rose blend; for a calming influence our gently fragranced White Sage & Chamomile is perfect; to reboot spiritual energy and introduce an uplift in the energy, give our White Sage & Sweet Orange spray a go; for a pathway to clarity, try White Sage & Rosemary; for cleansing with a healing kick, we have White Sage & Sandalwood; to draw in abundance aswell as positivity, give our White Sage & Bergamot a go; for a wave of refreshing, clean energy our White Sage & Peppermint is an effective spray; for an air of peace and serenity, try our mix of White Sage & Lavender, or you may want to try our new Three Sage Smudging Spray, which is a glorious mixture of White Sage, Clary Sage and ordinary Sage.
If you're anything like us, you'll be wanting to smudge on a daily basis, and with this in mind we have created a multi-pack listing for the Smudging Sprays, which is much cheaper than buying the sprays individually, and you can choose as many different fragrances as you like.
Making your own incense is a wonderful way of personalising the emphasis you give to the cleansing of your space. You can make an incense mix easily by choosing the particular herbs that are meaningful to you in your particular situation, crushing them (most easily done in a pestle & mortar), and then using a safe fire retardant container, such as a small cast iron cauldron, in which you place a small charcoal disc (easily obtainable online). I would recommend using some metal tongs to hold the disc over the container, whilst you light it. Once the disc is smouldering, place a small heap of your incense on the charcoal disc and let it gently burn. Of course, great care should be taken when using a flame or anything burning indoors. Herb kits containing a huge variety of herbs are available in our shop.
Cleansing your space is such an important part of moving forward, and can help with sleep quality, improve the relationships of those living together, lift your mood and calm stress, induce clarity of the mind, as well as cleansing tools and spaces used for rituals. Smudging can ease our paths and our minds, and whilst there are suggested practices to follow, the most important thing is to make smudging an enjoyable, soothing experience. Create your own smudging ritual, add in an intention if you want, make it a spiritual exercise if you choose to, but follow your intuition and make it a time to savour, and one that you emerge from feeling cleansed, rebooted and more positive.