Smudging and Beyond: Multi-Cultural Approaches to Clearing and Attracting Energy

Smudging and Beyond: Multi-Cultural Approaches to
Clearing and Attracting Energy

by: Barbara F. Steinberg, PhD, a SoulPath Alchemy™ Facilitator

Intention

The intention of smudging is to cleanse, attract and/or bless. Most likely we are familiar with this ancient act being performed around someone’s personal energy field or inside a space that will be used for a group gathering.

This practice has been done for millennia, and it is most commonly performed by burning some kind of plant material. The choice of herb determines the intention of the ceremony. For example in the traditions of Native America, sage, a common herbal used for smudging, is said to remove negative energy. Sweet grass can follow to attract positive energy. Flicking the smoke with a feather or another sacred object can accelerate the process and intensify the effect on the energies.

The smoke from this fired plant material fills and purifies the environment. As it rises, it carries our wishes and intentions into the universe, connecting the higher realms with earth and humanity.

Beyond Smudge: Other materials

Other materials besides plants can be used for smudging. Sound is a particularly effective way to clean and clear energies. Singing bowls, a rattle or a drum all create a vibration of sound that can be applied to an energy field. As long as the intention is clearly set, a shift can occur.

Candles, light or even the pure energy that emanates from your hands can also be used when a situation calls for smudging, and other materials or instruments are lacking.

When we meet electronically, our intention is to create a sacred space around everyone who is involved in the group. It is helpful for you, if the leader is smudging his/her personal space, to set your own intention to extend this sacred space to wherever you are. You can also imagine that whatever is being used smudges you as well so the entire group can be involved in the smudging process.