Our early ancestors documented the burning of herbs, such as sage, to cleanse individuals, groups, places, and things from negative energy and evil spirits. 

Burning sage is rooted in Native American Indian history and is called smudging, which is still a revered ritual in many modern-day communities. Practices involving burning sage for protection, cleansing (healing), and spiritual enlightenment should be met with respect for all who came before us. Today, smudging with sage is commonly used to promote perspective and wisdom and aid healing. While I wouldn't expect sage to heal a herpes breakout, it may help to ease stress. 

Scientifically speaking, the use of sage goes beyond folklore. There is a science behind using sage and other herbs for smudging. Studies have proven that sage can help to clear up to 94 percent of all airborne viruses, bacteria, pollen, and mold spores from spaces. It does this by releasing negative ions. Ions are molecules or atoms with an electric charge that attach to groups of charged particles and negatively charge those particles, purifying them and rendering them harmless. Sage purifies the body much in the same way.

Smudging is a straightforward and inexpensive method to remove negative energies from your energy field or aura quickly. The smoke from sage is absorbed into your body when inhaled and rapidly delivered to the brain, where it helps reduce stress and create a more positive mood.

Smudging the body could be considered an act of spiritual hygiene. Smudging aids the spiritual (energetic) body in maintaining balance, which promotes better health, which is especially helpful when you spend a lot of time around other people. The energy of others can negatively affect your aura. It can also help to smudge yourself when you've been around someone very ill or highly negative.

The following are some common suggestions for smudging with sage. 

• Purification: Common types of sage have antimicrobial properties. They are antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal, which help keep disease at bay. 

• Relief for Allergies, Asthma, and Bronchitis: Because sage helps clear spaces of allergens, such as mold and pet dander, it may benefit those with respiratory distress-caused allergies. However, an individual should only be allowed to take place in the ritual or enter the smudged space once it has been aired thoroughly to avoid having the smoke aggravate their condition further.

• Connecting With the Spiritual Realm or Contact the Deceased: Smudging has been used for centuries to communicate with one's ancestors, the dead, to enhance intuition, and resolve spiritual issues, likely due to a mildly psychoactive chemical in common types of sage called Thujone. 

• Dispelling Negative Energy: Smudging can be used to clear a space of past experiences, traumas, and experiences of others. Smudging with sage is often the go-to for ridding a home of bad energy or evil spirits. 

• Meditating: Smudging can help create a more positive environment and a meditational experience. 

• Cleansing Objects: Sweeping the smoke over objects can help clear away bad vibes, especially when an item is secondhand or antique and has survived an unknown history.

• Relieving Stress & Improving Mood: White Prairie Sage is a traditional remedy for relieving mood disorders like anxiety and depression. It is also thought to curb pain. 

• Improving Sleep: Kitchen sage is known to improve sleep and relieve stress and anxiety.

• Promoting Clarity & Focus: While more research is needed, it has been suggested that sage may be able to promote clarity and focus to the extent of helping to treat Alzheimer's and dementia. 

• Boosting Energy Levels: Any time the body, one's spaces, and objects are cleansed and purified, stuck energy is released to allow positive energy to flow more freely, which helps relieve fatigue and promote better energy levels. 

• Freshening & Deodorizing the Air: Sage makes wonderful-smelling incense that can control odors and freshen the atmosphere.

Tools for Smudging

Smudging is relatively simple, but the following tools will be necessary. 

• A seashell, abalone shell, or bowl made of ceramic, clay, or glass
• A sage bundle (or smudge stick)
• Something to light the sage (matches are preferable)
• A large feather or small fan for fanning smoke (you can use your hand to waft the smoke if these are not available)

White sage (salvia apiana) is commonly used for smudging. It's the one preferred when trying to connect with ancestors and space clearing. It is soft grayish-white and often tied in small bundles at metaphysical shops. However, it is on a watch list, which means people are using it much faster than it can grow back. This plant could become extinct if harvesting and sales are not monitored. So, instead of white sage (salvia apiana), white prairie Sage (artemisia ludoviciana) can support white sage's growth worldwide. Additionally, bundles of black sage, cedarwood, holy basil, juniper, lemon balm, pine, mint, mugwort, rosemary, and wormwood can be used as alternatives to smudging.  

Kitchen sage (salvia officinalis) is commonly recognized as the muted-green spice used in food dishes. While some report it to work just as well as white sage, others say it isn't best for ceremonial rituals.

Where to Find Sage

You can purchase smudge sticks at most shops owned by Native Americans or online through Mountain Rose Herbs. See The Tarotpothecary for resources.

The Best Times to Smudge with Sage

• When moving into a new home or office space
• Between patients at work (sage spray works best in this case)
• After having entertained or had people over
• Whenever there seems to be ghostly activity
• Whenever someone has been ill or shows signs of sickness
• When one feels out of sorts emotionally

How Often to Smudge With Sage

How often you smudge is purely personal. There are no rules about how often you should smudge using sage or other similar herbs. Smudging spaces that feel "heavy" even after tidying and cleaning is generally a good idea. You might intuitively experience spiritual (energetic) heaviness as if something isn't right. There may be an eerie feeling about the space. A room may make you feel stressed. Smudging is beneficial when there's been illness (or suspected illness) or after a heated argument in the home.

In situations where the smoke of sage is not an element that is considered safe or allowed, such as in a hotel, sage can be infused into spaces using an aromatherapy diffuser. A spray bottle can also spray a diluted essential oil of sage oil into the air. Essential oils can be dangerous to children and pets, so it is vital to understand essential oil precautions before using them where children and pets reside.

Before Burning Sage

The most important thing about smudging is understanding your intentions, so before lighting up the sage, it is essential to reflect on the purpose of the ritual itself. What's the purpose of smudging? Is it to clear negative energy from a room, purify a space from germs or insects, or remove spiritual energy from someone or something? Understanding your intention needs to be clear before you begin your ritual.

Additionally, before burning sage, a room should be organized and cleaned as much as possible. All garbage should be taken out and placed in the trash. People and pets should also be removed from the room before smudging unless you are smudging an individual. Do not smudge babies and pets. The smoke could cause adverse side effects. Furthermore, it would help to properly ventilate the area to allow smoke and negative energy to escape. Your smudging tools should be close at hand and ready to use.

Begin walking around the room while wafting the smoke into the air to disperse it. Pay special attention to mirrors and corners where energies can cling or become stagnant. If the sage starts to go out at any time, gently blow on it or relight it. When smudging yourself, waft the smoke over your face and body from head to toe. While keeping your intentions in mind, you can smudge objects similarly. Once the smoke is circulated, you can end your ceremony by saying aloud, "I let go of all negativity and release what does not serve this home." or something similar.

After the ritual, tamp the smudge stick and store it away for subsequent use. At this point, bathing is suggested to clear out any leftover residue and to relax while breathing in positive vibrations.

NOTE: Those serious about smudging never save any part of sage that's been burnt. To hold on to sage that has already been used would be to hold on to the negativity the sage absorbed. Instead, all leftover ashes are buried away from the house.