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Author Topic: Smudging Advice?  (Read 3332 times)

FantasticSpastic

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Smudging Advice?
« on: July 17, 2011, 11:50:51 am »
My father, and a close friend of mine are going to perform a smudging in a couple of weeks, and we all realized that none of us has any experience with smudging.  We've been researching and what not on what we should do, but does anyone have any suggestions?
   -Ariana

SatSekhem

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Re: Smudging Advice?
« Reply #1 on: July 17, 2011, 11:59:21 am »
Quote from: FantasticSpastic;5700
...but does anyone have any suggestions?

 
Well, first of all, what specifically are you guys smudging for? And what kind of advice are you looking for? Do you want to know what kind of smudging you should do? Do you need to know what herbs to use or what we like the best for this kind of a thing? I need a little background to answer those kinds of questions. However, I will tell you what I do for smudging.

I use white sage when I smudge. I have a smudge stick, but I find this to be incredibly aggravating since I can never get it to light or keep it lit. I've since switched to using whole sage leaves. I place them in a pot or cauldron and set them ablaze. I live in an apartment, so I can't do this often since a lot of people could mistake the smell of burning sage for burning pot. (I don't know why, but they do.)

One last bit of advice, depending on how much you're using, I'd take the batteries out of your smoke detectors. :D:
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DomesticWitch

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Re: Smudging Advice?
« Reply #2 on: July 19, 2011, 12:10:49 pm »
Quote from: SatSekhem;5701

One last bit of advice, depending on how much you're using, I'd take the batteries out of your smoke detectors. :D:

 
Another tip - open the windows while you do it. One reason is that the smoke could end causing coughing fits, certainly if there are any asthma sufferers there at the time and another reason I always open the windows is so that the stagnant energy (or whatever you are cleansing the room for) has an escape via the smoke. If that makes any sense >.<

Rahni

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Re: Smudging Advice?
« Reply #3 on: July 19, 2011, 07:57:22 pm »
Quote from: DomesticWitch;6193
Another tip - open the windows while you do it. One reason is that the smoke could end causing coughing fits, certainly if there are any asthma sufferers there at the time and another reason I always open the windows is so that the stagnant energy (or whatever you are cleansing the room for) has an escape via the smoke. If that makes any sense >.<

 

That sounds like a good idea.
What exactly is 'smudging'? It sounds to me like you are taking your finger or thumb and smudging something. Pardon my ignorance.

Aisling

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Re: Smudging Advice?
« Reply #4 on: July 19, 2011, 08:06:23 pm »
Quote from: Rahni;6328

What exactly is 'smudging'? It sounds to me like you are taking your finger or thumb and smudging something. Pardon my ignorance.

 
The short answer: Smudging is the use of smoke to cleanse or purify a person, place or object.  Typically it's done by burning herbs like sage or sweetgrass.

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Rahni

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Re: Smudging Advice?
« Reply #5 on: July 19, 2011, 08:27:38 pm »
Quote from: Aisling;6331
The short answer: Smudging is the use of smoke to cleanse or purify a person, place or object.  Typically it's done by burning herbs like sage or sweetgrass.

 Ah. When I saw 'smudging' in a spell on the old version of the site, I was all liek "well, that sounds messy" and now it makes sense.
So, do you say something? A prayer while you walk around the house or something, waving the sage/sweetgrass?
Mmmm Hmmm.
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Owl

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Re: Smudging Advice?
« Reply #6 on: July 19, 2011, 10:06:40 pm »
Quote from: FantasticSpastic;5700
My father, and a close friend of mine are going to perform a smudging in a couple of weeks, and we all realized that none of us has any experience with smudging.  We've been researching and what not on what we should do, but does anyone have any suggestions?
   -Ariana

 
We just smudged the house we just bought.  We picked up some loose dry sage from the market and one of those tiny tinfoil loaf pans, set if alight, and with only the front door open, starting at the furthest point from the front door, we smudged to push anything negative out the front door.  We did this because the house was involved in a nasty divorce followed by a bankruptcy and we got it from the bank.  Not something you want left in your house!  The SO handled it - we each pulled smoke over ourselves and then as he went through the house he pushed smoked in all directions in each room - circling to push stuff out the door of the room.  Other people could do it differently - he learned from his Cherokee grandfather.
Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away.

ZombyFrogg

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Re: Smudging Advice?
« Reply #7 on: July 20, 2011, 12:33:36 am »
Quote from: FantasticSpastic;5700
My father, and a close friend of mine are going to perform a smudging in a couple of weeks, and we all realized that none of us has any experience with smudging.  We've been researching and what not on what we should do, but does anyone have any suggestions?
   -Ariana

 
I made a smudge stick of sage and rosemary that I from walmarts produce section you can find how to do it on about.com I think. It does smell like marijuana when it burns unfortunatly. I have heard of two ways to smudge. You can light the bundle and put in something that is fairly heat proof and waft the smoke over body with your hand or a feather, or you can light the bundle and hold it and waft the bundle itself over you body, just be careful not to get it too close to your skin or clothing. I also have heard you can do the same thing with incense. If I am wrong please correct me someone, but that is how I do it.

monsnoleedra

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Re: Smudging Advice?
« Reply #8 on: July 20, 2011, 01:28:21 pm »
Quote from: FantasticSpastic;5700
..  We've been researching and what not on what we should do, but does anyone have any suggestions?
   -Ariana


I've seen a couple of methods used to smudge a place.  I will forwarn though that differing methods were used for differing purposes.

As part of a bannishing I've seen a smudge pot used outside of the front door with a fan to pull in the smoke.  In this process all the windows in the home are open and you go through and close the windows as the smoke gets to each room and purifies and cleaneses the touched area.  Just a warning but this method gets really messy and dangerious depending upon size of the home, material used as a smudge and health potential to the ones doing it.  Not one I'd advise if your dealing with a large home or many roomed structure.

You can also use a hand held brazier to smudge the structure.  Similiar to what you see in some churchs were the priest carries a ball shaped brazier that is used to spread either an inscense or smudge source.  These are safer to both the one(s) doing the ritual and in confined spaces.  Usually carried suspended in front of the person doing the ceremony though there are some variants that are used like a stratapolis which is swung about the head in a circular pattern.

Similiar to the brazier ball is an inscense plate.  You use either stick inscense or cone inscense and walk about the room or structure.  Some have clips or fasteners to hold in the stick inscense or depressions for the cone inscense.  I personaly rate them on the same safety scale as the braziers.

One could use the swinging of the brazier / plate to spread the smudge through out the house.  Equally you could use a feather (element of air) to sweep and move the smoke.  You could also use part of a branch to do the same thing.

While many people have started to use Sage as a smudge there are other things that can be used as well.  Many Native American's that were found along the Southern coast or Atlantic actually used Cedar as a smudge source for purifications during sweet ceremonies.  I can not prove it but have heard that a number of the Pacific Northwest tribes also used Cedar as a smudge source vice Sage.

Tobacco is actually another item that is used in ritual smudging and offerings.  Not the processed tobacco used in cigerettes but actual tobacco leaves.

Living in the mountain of West Virginia I tend to use Cedar vice sage. Though I do use tobacco as offerings to the local land spirits and spirits of place.

If at all possible I'd suggest using a brazier ball to hold the smudge source for safety purposes.

Of course these are just my thoughs and opinions so may vary greatly from others.

monsnoleedra

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Re: Smudging Advice?
« Reply #9 on: July 20, 2011, 01:55:03 pm »
Quote from: monsnoleedra;6547
..


Just an aside or after though but something I though worth mentioning.

In most situations I have participated in or observed the person(s) who were to do the smudging had detailed ritual purifications they underwent themselves before hand.  It was from the belief that if they were to use their energy and combine it with the power of intent then they had to be clean and purified themselves less they corrupt thier intent.

In that light there was fasting for a couple of days before hand to cleans the body innards.  There was a ritual bath to cleans the outer body of corruption.  Even to the point of using certain kinds of material to bathe with, certain types of clothing to be worn afterwards.  Even differing in regards to what the men did as compared to what the women did.  

Sorry I can't speak on what the ritual purifications the women did as being male I was not invited to that part.  Though I do know they wouldn't undertake such a task while bound to the moon lodge or blood time.  Though my grandmother also said they would not lie with their husbands for 24 to 48 hours prior to prevent the energies from being unbalanced or corrupted.

But again this is just my understanding and usage so use or dismiss as it suits your needs.

SatSekhem

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Re: Smudging Advice?
« Reply #10 on: July 20, 2011, 04:48:06 pm »
Quote from: Owl;6368
...he learned from his Cherokee grandfather.

 
I guess if you're going to learn from someone, a native American relative is the best choice, huh?
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Owl

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Re: Smudging Advice?
« Reply #11 on: July 20, 2011, 09:40:49 pm »
Quote from: SatSekhem;6602
I guess if you're going to learn from someone, a native American relative is the best choice, huh?

 
He has a very laid back attitude about this kind of thing - which he says is normal in a NA setting.  

After his grandfather died ( he was in high school at the time), every few months he'd run into one of his grandfather's NA friends who would be checking up on him and who would ask questions related to what his grandfather had taught him.  But his parents weren't really aware of the teaching, just that he spent time with grandpa.
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