We have so many ways of cleansing our environment around us: burning incense or candles, ionizers, orgone generators, elixir room sprays, and smudging.
Smudging is one of the oldest and purest methods to cleanse the air, your room, other people, crystals, or anything that you want to reset the vibrational energy for. You can even smudge yourself! While smudging sounds like the kind of ritual that may carry some kind of a semantic or meaning behind it, really it’s just a matter of cleansing the environment of negative energies, and replacing the negative vibrations with healing or positive energies.
Why does burning sage work to dispel negative energies? Because burning sage does several things that make an environment feel better. The process of the sage burning sparks a chemical reaction; as the sage burns, it actually transmutes particles in the air that we’re trying to clear. Burning sage has been shown to clear the air of almost all of the airborne bacteria, actually disinfecting the air.
Another cool thing happens when you burn sage. While the chemical process is eating up the airborne bacteria, the sage releases negatively charged ions. Those negative ions overcome the positively-charged ions that are prevalent in areas or rooms with electronic devices and other EMF creators.
Negative ions are naturally in areas like outdoors, beaches, and parks. That’s why those kinds of places bring feelings of calmness, quieting the mind and the nerves. Using sage to release those same kinds of negative ions bring that same energy and vibration to any space. Sage not only has antimicrobial and antibacterial effects, it also helps with mood stabilization, relaxation and can help with insomnia troubles.
Palo Santo is wood from a tree in South America and “palo santo” actually translates to “holy wood”. It’s actually from the same plant family that gives us frankincense and myrrh. The smoke from the wood, as it burns, is medicinal much like white sage that we burn for smudging. The aromatic substance is called limonene, which is present in many medicinal plants including cannabis. It has also been used by shamans to assist with vision quests.
Burning palo santo is much like white sage in regard to having antibacterial and antimicrobial benefits. Science has been studying the effects of the mood-calming and anti-inflammatory effects of the limonene for some time. It clears away the negative and unwanted energies to make room and bring forth the energies that we do want.
Using palo santo is thought to have the power to stop negative or issue-filled situations from even starting. It blocks those kinds of energies from taking hold. Palo santo also has the power to bring sacredness and benevolence to your space as it clears away the negative energies.
Palo santo is thought to help focus our attention, unify our senses, and quiet the mind. The scent actually raises our vibrations and calms our nerves. As you clear and raise your vibrations, you are preparing for clear thought and mindfulness. It is terrific for meditation and setting intentions!
And the smoke of palo santo also chases away bugs!
These kinds of plants have been used throughout time for many purposes. Because many of the uses have been centered around holy, religious, shamanistic, and cultural rituals, people wanting to nurture and heal themselves have taken to using these plants.
You do not have to be of some particular religion or group to use these beautiful things from nature. Don’t let anyone tell you that you are somehow doing something wrong by learning about and using sacred plant medicine in your own practices.
The important thing to note is this: these plants are given to us to be used for higher purposes. Anything in this realm deserves respect and careful treatment. The appreciation and respect that you give directly impacts how these practices work for us. We don’t want to tarnish our very practices with negative energies!
To keep the uses pure, positive and meaningful, use these plants with reverence. Remember to set the stage before you use them. Infuse them with your own energies and intentions. Stop and say thanks to the Universe for this amazing gift. Say aloud and in your third eye something like, “I use these plants to remove negative and unwanted energies so that my space has room for the positive and uplifting energies! I thank you, Nature and the Universe, for bringing me such an amazing gift! I honor you!”
As with other magical, spiritual gifts, we want to keep respect and a feeling of thankfulness to the earth for sharing her holy wood with us.
The act of smudging itself is easy and fun! Many people use an abalone shell to contain the sage or palo santo stick while they smudge. The shell can withstand the heat of the fire and is easy to carry around with you while you disperse the smoke.
To prepare, open a window or a door, so that negative energies and beings have a place to escape. Consider your intention, clear your mind, and focus on your intention. Breathe, keep your mind focused, and repeat your intention in your third eye and mind. Say it out loud as you begin burning the plant.
Light the plant material and then blow on it a bit to get the embers going. The palo santo wood will take a bit longer than sage to start burning well. You can use a fan or your hand to waft the smoke towards specific areas i.e. to move the smoke over your own head and body. Be sure to clear yourself first before proceeding. In any room, let the smoke move into the corners because lingering negative energies collect there.
Walk around slowly, wafting the smoke over your rooms, over anyone around, and over all of the furniture. Maybe waft some of the smoke into a fan or air conditioner so it blows the scent throughout the house.
Once you feel that you have set the intention and spread the smoke around your space, give thanks and put the shell (or other container) with the burning material into a spot it can continue to burn. It will burn for a while, depending upon how hot it is. Let it burn itself out.
Repeat this process whenever you sense that your surroundings are out of whack energetically. Remember that smudging can help to clear out sickness as well. At the end of the day, this is your ritual, it is your cleansing. No one else can tell you exactly how you need to smudge. You can learn tips and tricks, but just like with crystal healing, you will find your own methods that work for you in your practice! Do what’s best for you and your family.
Our bundles of white sage and palo santo is all-natural, no additives, hand-picked, gathered, and bundled by feminine energy in the coastal regions of California. Our set includes 2 bundles of white sage that are approximately 4.5inches long and 3 sticks of Palo santo that are approximately 4 inches long. Happy clearing!