House Cleansing

[MrsBlue]

<span style="color: #3333FF">There was a discussion a while back about cleansing/smudging with sage and sweetgrass. I went looking for the thread but I can't find it. Who can tell me more about this? [img]/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/bubble.gif[/img] </span>

[RichD]

Re: House Cleansing

i have heard for that being done by the first nations ppl....where is damask? she might know

[CeaBee]

Re: House Cleansing

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: RichD</div><div class="ubbcode-body">i have heard for that being done by the first nations ppl....where is damask? she might know </div></div>

eh?

[RichD]

Re: House Cleansing

huh?

[CeaBee]

Re: House Cleansing

[img]/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/70365-flirt.gif[/img]

[RichD]

Re: House Cleansing

[img]/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/grin.gif[/img]

[Seveen]

Re: House Cleansing

For centuries the Native Americans have been burning herbs for the purposes of purification, protection and health. This practice is commonly known as ‘smudging’ and the following workshop illustrates the general technique, discuses the herbs that are commonly used, and explains the symbolism of the tools used and where to obtain the essentials from.

For the purpose of clearing a room of malevolent spirits or negative energies we will discuss primarily the use of sage and it's properties.

The general belief held among practitioners of smudging is that when sage is burnt, the smoke attaches itself to any negative energies that might be present and as the smoke clears it takes these energies with it, releasing them to regenerate into something more positive.

Whether you believe the spiritual explanation of this or not, scientific tests have shown that the smoke of burning sage literally changes the ionization polarity of the air and as investigators we know that negative ions within the air of a room causes airborne static electricity. This is usually witnessed as sparkles of light and in the physical form of your hair standing on end. Sage therefore should be considered an essential item of equipment to be carried every investigators kit box.

Regular smudging with sage can be done to cleanse your equipment, your living space and your physical body. The following steps demonstrate the typical 'smudging' practice as carried out by CaSPIR UK.

Begin by lighting the sage (you may hold the bunch in your hand or burn it in a shell).
Once ignited, gently wave over the flame to extinguish it (do not blow it out).
Gather the smoke with your hand (or feather) and draw it into the perimeter of your body.
To direct the smoke you may either wave the shell containing the burning sage or by directing the smoke by using your hand (a feather is more traditional).
For the living environment, start at the doorway and work in a clockwise direction.
Cleanse the door frame, the walls, and any window frames.
Pay particular attention to corners, the top of the walls and behind the doors.
By allowing the purification and cleansing properties of sage to clear your items of equipment, your body or your rooms, the space is created for new awareness and new direction to begin to take its place.

It is important to note that smudging with sage is not a permanent solution to your spirit problems as it only disperses the energies. For longer relief you should smudge with 'Sweetgrass' an hour or so afterwards or seek the help of a medium.

In mentioning 'Sweetgrass', it is useful for the investigator to be aware of the properties of other herbs that are used by the Native Americans during thir ceremonies. The following list introduces these plants and their spiritual properties.

Desert Sage (Artemesia tridentata) - This plant is burnt to drive out negative energies, spirits and influences.

Cedar (Libocedrus descurrens, Thuja occidentalis) - This plant is also used to purify, especially for negative emotions.

Sweetgrass (Hierochole odarata) - This herb is used to bring positive energy into an area after negative energies have been banished using sage.

White Sage (Salvia apiana) - This sage is used just like desert sage, but many people prefer White Sage because of the sweeter aroma it gives off.

Lavender (Lavandula officianalis) - This herb is burnt to restore balance and create a peaceful atmosphere. It is also used to draw in loving energy and spirits.

Mugwort (Atemesia vulgarus) - This herb is used to stimulate psychic awareness and prophetic dreams. The Lakota people also believe that when Mugwort is burned it 'makes the bad spirits sick', and they move away from it.

Copal (Bereseru microphylla) - This resin was used by the Mayans as a food for the Gods. They believe that as the smoke of the Copal would rise, it would carry their prayers to the ears of the Gods. Copal is used in divination and in purification ceremonies. Copal is the Frankincense of the Western Hemisphere.

Juniper (Juniperus ssp.) - This herb is also used to purify and to create a safe and sacred space. Juniper was often carried in a medicine pouch or a pocket for protection.

Yerba Santa (Eriodictyon californicus) - This herb can be used to purify and to set and protect boundaries. The name of this plant reflects its nature - Yerba Santa means sacred herb.

Osha (Ligusticum porteri) - The root of this plant can be burned as an incense or carried for good luck and protection from bad influences. Osha is also a preferred gift for Native American elders.

Traditional Tools Used and their Symbolism

The smudging ceremony, like most ancient traditions includes representatives of the four cardinal elements; earth, air, fire and water. Some traditions believe that their is a fifth element involved, the spirit of the practitioner. The following breakdown explains this representation.
Herb to be burnt - represents Earth.
Shell - represents Water.
The act of burning - represents Fire.
Smoke - represents Air. Feather - some nations believe that a feather is a more powerful representative of Air.

Most smudging supplies can obtained online at....



© County Society for Paranormal Investigation and Research - 2007

[turtledude]

Re: House Cleansing

...LB an I smudge the house a lot! ...when things get in discord, or are unusually chaotic...or after being bombarded with negativity from people via visits, or through the phone(which I rarely answer anyway)....you can also send yur prayers out to Wakantanka through the smoke...mitakuye oyasin! [img]/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/70459-hugs.gif[/img] Fortunately, or unfortunately,...my daughter is allergic to sage smoke. [img]/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smirk.gif[/img]

[diabolical_Tanya]

Re: House Cleansing

Blueness yu spreadsheet not kept up very well I see.....Yes everything Seveen posted is right.

Aboriginal peoples tradition....you can even get the sage and sweet grass bundled together to buy.

[img]/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/70409-waytogo.gif[/img] great cleanser [img]/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/70409-waytogo.gif[/img]

[diabolical_Tanya]

Re: House Cleansing

SMUDGING -HISTORY & INSTRUCTIONS

Smudging is the common name given to the sacred smoke bowl blessing.
A powerful cleansing technique from the Native North American Tradition. Smudging calls on the spirits of sacred plants to drive away negative energies and restore balance. It is the art of cleansing yourself and your environment using simple ritual and ceremony. For thousands of years smudging has been a part of Native American tradition but now its power of cleansing is available to everyone.

THE POWER OF SMUDGING

How can smudging be so powerful? The answer lies in the subatomic world of subtle or spiritual energy. Homes and bodies are not just made of purely physical matter; they also vibrate with quiet, invisible energy.
Cleansing a space or our bodies with techniques such as smudging clears away all the emotional and psychic 'garbage' that may have gathered over the years or even hundreds of years. it's like spiritual spring cleaning.
The effects of smudging can be surprisingly swift and dramatic. The rituals I will post in following lessons can help you banish stress, attract love, sooth you, or give you energy.
They can bring your family closer together and let you adjust to the healing seasonal rhythms of the year. Above all they can turn any space, however humble, into a soothing sanctuary - a place of renewal and happiness. In the following lessons, I will attempt to combine smudging with techniques from other ancient traditions to provide a totally holistic approach

The History Of Smudging

Smudging may seem a very modern practice. We read about city highfliers using it to sell their apartments or improve their business luck. But smudging has been used for thousands of years. When you light a smudge stick you are connecting with a spiritual tradition that originates from the depths of time.

A Tradition From The Mists Of Time

It is impossible to say for certain when smudging began. Perhaps early civilizations came to realize, through sheer trial and error, that the smoke generated by setting alight particular herbs had beneficial effects for humanity. Certainly many cultures have an old tradition of driving animals through smoke to kill off pests and diseases. Nowadays modern science has proven that certain herbs do indeed have cleansing powers, acting as strong pesticides.
Aside from this beneficial and practical aspect of burning herbs, humans have become aware that smoke ascends to the heavens - to the world of spirits - almost as if it were acting as a spiritual messenger.
The idea of purification through smoke is certainly not the sole preserve of the Native North Americans.
Most rituals have some element of cleansing, and incense or herbal smoke mixtures are burned around the world - from China, India, and Southeast Asia, to Europe and the Western world.

The Native American Way

Originally, mixtures of sacred herbs and resins were burned in a special bowl. Smoke was then wafted around the person or place needing purification and cleansing. However, smudge sticks (bundles of dried herbs tied together with colored thread or a strip of hide) offer an easier way of smudging that is just as effective.
The herbs most often used in smudge sticks are sage and sweet grass. Sage drives out negative thoughts, energies, spirits, and all influences. Sweet grass is used to attract positive energy after all the negative energies have been banished by sage.
Native Americans see smudging as a way of shifting between various levels of reality _ connecting us here in the material, physical world to the subtle realm of spirits.

How to Smudge

Get a shell, abalone is what I always use. Any small, flat, heat-proof container will do.

Light the sage and let it flame for a minute or so. Extinguish the flame so the sage is smoldering and smoking.

Take the smudge container and using circular clockwise movements, encircle yourself with the smoke, asking that all negative energies be cleansed away.

You can do this for the whole room and even the whole house. Start at the most northerly room and working again, clockwise, through your home, let the smoke from the sage permeate throughout. Try and finish off the smudging process by ending up at an open door towards the most northwesterly part of your home. You should have come full circle around your home.

A note of interest. Whenever I have done this, it has never set off any of my smoke alarms, which I have found very strange indeed. Now it MAY set off yours, so be prepared to disconnect it during your smudging and be SURE to re-engage it upon completion of your smudging.

I say a little prayer over and over as I do my smudging, asking the 'powers that be' (Spirit of the sage) to remove all negativity and unwanted energies.

IT WORKS!!!!...when first doing this on a regular basis, you may find yourself feeling agitated or uneasy and not sure why. It is because you are 'clearing' with the help of the smudging. This would indicate that there is a lot of 'negative' energies in your environment. I do not have a set amount of times to smudge. I personally smudge myself and my room once a day, because of what i do, and my home once a week. You will find your own feel for how often for yourself.

Sage is the most potent herb for smudging but you can also use cedar and sweet grass. I have a mixture of this that I also burn sporadically for extra strength in removal of unwanted energies.

source=http://www.pharrah13.com/smudging.html

[Green_Biscuit]

Re: House Cleansing

Blueness, all of the above info is correct. I am a strong believer in it. Smudging (which has other names) is practiced by diverse cultures and religions, worldwide. Please feel free to PM or email me. (((Blue)))

[Nanook]

Re: House Cleansing

I grow sweetgrass. Have a beautiful patch of it that I have been working on for years. It seems it is finally in a spot it likes. I am going to harvest tomorrow actually!

Other plant matter for smudging can also be used.. I grow Silver
Mound, which works well also. It is getting a trim tomorrow too!

I use both all of the time. I use it in the yard as well as in the house. I use the sweetgrass mostly as room freshener. It smells wonderful!

[img]/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/70409-waytogo.gif[/img]

[diabolical_Tanya]

Re: House Cleansing

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Green_Biscuit</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Blueness, all of the above info is correct. I am a strong believer in it. Smudging (which has other names) is practiced by diverse cultures and religions, worldwide. Please feel free to PM or email me. (((Blue))) </div></div>Can you share some of this info GB? please

[RichD]

Re: House Cleansing

in jamaica before you buld yuh haffi kill one chicken an sprinkle the blood in di foundation ..den dem eat di chicken

[diabolical_Tanya]

Re: House Cleansing

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: RichD</div><div class="ubbcode-body">in jamaica before you buld yuh haffi kill one chicken an sprinkle the blood in di foundation ..den dem eat di chicken </div></div>And white rum [img]/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/grin.gif[/img]