Creative Smudge Sticks
/I thought I'd talk about smudging this week. It's been catching on over the years as a way to clear negative energy in a place, object or person. Sagebrush, white sage or sweetgrass is the most commonly used to smudge. I recently noticed sage becoming more expensive and harder to get. I found this out because it's less sustainable to grow, harvest and sell due to popularity and climate changes caused by colder temperatures in winter and drought in the summer. There are so many other ways to smudge besides using sage. Other plants to use are: cedar, pine, rosemary, juniper, mugwort, palo santo wood (also in limited supply) lavender, various resins and roots. Bundle it by binding it in natural (chemical free) twine, jute or hemp rope to keep the smoke going. You can use incense or the loose leaves of your chosen brush to burn too. Of course, be careful to light your smudge stick with care - always have your sage stick with a metal or ceramic pan underneath to catch the embers. If you have a loose bowl that is burning, try not to walk to fast or the embers will blow out - a deeper bowl will help. Fan the smoke lightly around your room using a feather, your hand or a paper fan. Move your stick (or walk) clockwise in direction around your room, object or person. You can say meaningful positive affirmations, state your intentions or just meditate. Your main goal is to simply uplift and change your vibration - this is a nice way to do it and it smells really sweet.
I wanted to be creative with all the plants I was drawing in all my pieces in my art show at Land, so I visually took them and drew them into creative smudge bundles. One is a love smudge stick and one is a magic smudge stick. So get creative and light it up!
Enjoy!
