How to Smudge: A Beginner's Guide to Clearing Energy with Sage

Ever walk into a room and just feel... off? Maybe it's after an argument, a long day of back-to-back Zoom calls, or when you're just craving a fresh start. That's where smudging comes in.

Far from just a trendy wellness aesthetic, smudging is an ancient Indigenous practice of burning sacred plants—like white sage—to cleanse a space, an object, or even a person of negative or stagnant energy. It’s a ritual of reset.

If you're new to this, it can feel a little intimidating. But at its heart, it's a simple, powerful act of setting intention. Here’s how to do it respectfully and effectively.

What You'll Need (The Basics)

✨A Shell or Fireproof Vessel: This catches the ashes. A shell is traditional and beautiful.

✨A Feather (Optional but helpful) Used to gently waft the smoke. Your hand works perfectly fine, too!

✨A Candle: Lighting a candle before you begin can help signify your intention.

The Step-by-Step Guide to Smudging

Step 1: Set Your Intention
Before you even light a match, take a moment. Why are you doing this? Is it to clear stress from your home? To bless a new room? To find mental clarity before a big project? Your intention is the engine of the entire ritual.

Step 2: Prepare Your Space
Crack open a window or a door. This is crucial! You're creating an exit route for the stagnant energy you're clearing out. You don't want to just trap it inside with the smoke.

Step 3: Light Your Smudge Stick
Hold the bundle at a 45-degree angle over your shell or bowl. Light the end until it has a steady, glowing ember. Gently blow out the flame, so it's smoldering and releasing a steady stream of smoke.

Step 4: Cleanse Yourself First
It’s common practice to cleanse your own energy before cleansing a space. Draw the smoke towards your heart, over your head, and down the front and back of your body. Take a few deep, calming breaths.

Step 5: Cleanse Your Space
Slowly walk through your space, guiding the smoke with your feather or hand into all the areas you feel need clearing. Pay special attention to:

🌿Corners: Where energy can get stuck.

🌿Doorways and Windows: The entry points of your home.

🌿Your Workspace: To clear mental clutter. Don't get lazy, open those cabinets and drawers!

🌿Anywhere that just feels heavy.

As you do this, hold your intention firmly in your mind.

💫My personal favorite is "Return to what is not mine, return to the sender.  All and any energies that wish me or my household harm have to get out now!"

💫You can even say a quiet prayer, recite scripture or affirmations like "I release any energy that does not serve my highest good,"  

💫For protection and to set those boundaries, "This space is filled with peace and guarded by love, Only harmony many enter."

Step 6: Extinguish Your Smudge
When you're finished, don't just drop it in the sink! Press the burning end firmly into your shell, a bowl of sand, or dirt until the ember is completely out. You can relight it for future use. Always store it in a safe, dry place.

A Final Whiff of Wisdom

Smudging is a practice, not a perfect. It’s about the mindful act of creating a reset. So light your smudge stick with respect, move through your space with intention, and breathe deeply, welcoming in the fresh, clear energy that follows. Your home—and your spirit—will thank you for it.