Today I attended a small Pow Wow with some friends. As we waited for the grand entry of the dancers we noticed the distinctive smell of sage permeating the air. This led to the discussion of the importance of sage in Native American culture. Many tribes consider sage a sacred herb. To these Native Americans, the smoke from burning sage offers remedy for physical, emotional, spiritual, or mental imbalances. Sage is thought to cleanse the body and mind of negative spirits and impurities.I thought it would be interesting to try sage smudging so I did some research.
Here are some basic directions.
You will need a heat proof container, or hollowed rock.
Tie the sage in a bundle or crumble the dried sage and place in the container.
Light the sage, let it flame for a minute or two then extinguish the flame so the sage is smoldering and smoking.
Take the smudge container and using circular clockwise movements, encircle yourself with the smoke.
Additionally, you can use a large feather to fan the smoke around the room.
Start at the most northerly room and work clockwise through the house
Try to end at an open door.
Smudging is a sacred ceremony and should always be performed with sensitivity and respect
1 comment:
My husband and I opened our home to a young woman who is half Cherokee. She walked out the door early one morning and an owl swooped over her head. I came home that evening to find her smudging sage at all corners of our home. Apparently, the owl was a bad omen. Thanks for your blog and reminding me about the beauty in diversity.
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