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Smudges, or smudge sticks, are natural incenses characteristic of shamanic culture and indigenous peoples. They are typically associated with the tradition of South American Indians, although they are widespread in many other parts of the world, for example in Africa, where they are part of purification rituals performed by the Sufis.
Smudge sticks are incenses made with dried herbs and flowers, and are used to purify environments, people, or objects from negative energies, combining the release of aromas and essential oils through combustion, with the beneficial and therapeutic properties of plants conveyed through fumigation: smudging means precisely burning herbs and incense.
Smoke is a very important element in shamanic spiritual purification rituals, and the use of dried plants as incense in religious ceremonies and healing rituals for the sick is ancient: its use dates back to the times of the Greeks, who used incense to heal the sick, and later to Buddhist monks, who used incense smoke during meditation. In Europe, fumigation was also used to purify and sanitize environments, such as hospitals, and domestic animals, to rid them of parasites and insects.
Today, smudging is better known for its association with purification rituals and indigenous spiritual religious ceremonies, where the smoke obtained from burning smudges is used to free environments, people, and things from negative thoughts and energies. It is increasingly easy to find herbal shops and stores in Europe that sell smudge sticks and shamanic incense to cleanse one's environments or to facilitate a spiritual connection with one's energies.
For example, on Terza Luna you can buy white sage smudge or lavender smudge. If instead you want to make them using different types of plants, in this article we explain how to prepare perfect smudge sticks and how to use them for purification rituals.
As we have said, smudge is a type of natural incense traditionally used in shamanic purification rituals.
Although the practice of smudging is more spiritual than physical, in addition to the mystical dimension, these incenses allow you to enjoy the countless properties of the plants used inside them: from plants with a relaxing and calming effect, such as lavender, to herbs that improve concentration and focus, and even plants with antibacterial effects, smudge sticks do not necessarily have to be used in religious ceremonies but can be burned to release essential oils with numerous benefits for the mind and body.
In shamanic purification rituals, smudge sticks are used to free places, objects, and people from negative energies: it often happens to enter a room and feel a heavy air, an unpleasant sensation, which can be associated with bad energy. In Native American cultures, smudge sticks are used in rituals and religious ceremonies to purify environments, people, or objects they come into contact with. In shamanic culture, smoke has a very important symbolic value, as it is believed to create a communication channel with the realm of energies and spirituality. In indigenous rituals, sweetgrass, cedar, white sage, and tobacco smoke are generally used to free a person, room, or object from negative thoughts, spirits, or energies.
Smudging is also used for meditation in various tribes and cultures around the world since ancient times, as tradition holds that purification through the smoke released by plants allows movement between the physical and spiritual worlds. Today, shamanic incenses are very popular in the West as well, and are used in purification rituals and practices inspired by shamanic traditions.
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Smudge sticks are prepared using various aromatic plants and herbs, often combined together. Depending on the tribe, the herbs used will vary, but among the most commonly used are certainly white sage, typical of America, rosemary, thyme, tobacco, and cedar.
In reality, various medicinal plants can be used for smudge preparation: although smoke is the fundamental part, a plant can be chosen based on the properties associated with it. Just as we prepare herbal teas with beneficial plants and herbs for different aspects of health, we can use smudges made with aromatic plants with different properties to stimulate the mind and body in different ways.
The most commonly used plants and botanicals are:
It is also possible to mix the plants in smudges, as there are some that act more on the psychic sphere and others on the physical and on the purification of environments. Let's see how to choose the plants to use and how to prepare smudges at home.
Smudge sticks can be purchased ready-made, or prepared at home if you have aromatic herbs and flowers: making a DIY smudge is very simple, and allows you to use your favorite herbs and aromas, combining them to enjoy their scents and properties.
To make a smudge stick, it is necessary to use fresh plants, leaves, and flowers, as using already dried herbs would risk breaking them during binding. Therefore, it will be necessary to collect the plants, making sure to gather them in their balsamic time, that is the period when the content of essential oils in the plant is higher and they are more ready to give their purification and protection power. Through fumigation, in fact, the essential oils of the herbs are released, which through breathing allow you to enjoy the attributed properties. The balsamic time varies from plant to plant, but often falls in the summer months: however, it is preferable, if you decide to combine several plants in a single smudge stick, to choose herbs that have the same balsamic time.
To prepare smudge sticks, you can use different plants and flowers; the most used are sage, rosemary, lavender, cedar, laurel, and thyme, but you can choose your favorite aromas, and decide whether to prepare smudges with a single type of plant, to enjoy their individual properties, or combine them in fragrant mixes, depending on the type of purification you want to perform.
For smudges, you will need branches of about 10-20 cm in length (depending on the desired length). You can also use flower petals or leaves to embellish your incense bundles, but you must be very careful when tying them, as they could slip away from the thread: in this regard, larger petals like rose petals are preferred, as they can be wrapped around the bundle of herbs.
You can also insert pieces of bark inside the branches, such as pieces of palo santo, or incense grains or resins, like myrrh grains, to create combinations of scents and even more special properties for your purification rituals. You can discover the different types of incense grains in the Terza Luna online shop and choose from different aromas and properties.
After collecting the herbs and cutting the branches so that they are more or less all the same length, join them, keeping them in the same direction, in a small bundle, which will be tied using a natural cotton thread or twine.
To tie the smudge, twist the thread spirally along the length of the bundle of herbs, from the bottom to the top, and then go back, making a double loop at the base and securing the stick with a knot, creating a loop that allows you to hang your smudge for drying. Make sure to tie the branches carefully to prevent any leaves from escaping the knot.
At this point, your smudge is ready and must be left to dry before use. Hang it using the loop you created with the thread: this will allow the essential oils to flow down and concentrate at the end of the smudge, which is the part that is normally burned.
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Once the smudge stick is dried, it can be burned for purification rituals. As we have seen, smudging is a very ancient practice aimed at purifying environments, people, and things from negative energies. They can be used for meditation, before going to sleep, or simply to scent a room and improve breathing. By using certain plants with antibacterial and antiviral properties, environments can also be purified.
To use the smudge stick, simply light the end of the herb bundle with a match or lighter, immediately extinguishing the flame. The herb bundle will continue to burn, releasing smoke that will spread throughout the environment.
To use the smudge in the purification of environments, make sure to close the windows so that the smoke remains inside. You can let the smudge burn in a stone container, or move around the room, always clockwise, making sure to linger longer in the most lived-in areas of the environment, such as a table or bed, without forgetting the corners. Open the windows to let the smoke and negative energies out.
For body purification, light the smudge stick in the same way, extinguish it, and move it around the body, starting from the head, breathing in the smoke deeply, passing around the chest and shoulders, down to the legs, spreading the smoke with your hands or a feather.
In this article, we have seen how to make smudge sticks at home to use in body and space purification rituals. If you are unable to find the plants to make them yourself, you can buy smudge online on Terza Luna, such as white sage smudge, a plant that is almost impossible to find in Italy, or palo santo sticks. At Terza Luna, we offer a wide variety of incense, including rare ones, for those who are passionate or want to approach the world of shamanic purification rituals. Visit the incense section and discover new fragrances and smudge with different properties.
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