How to Burn Sage and Banish Negative Energy

(Some people "see" or visualize negative energy as dark, cloudy energy.) Take a deep breath and replace it with clean fresh air and white light. Allow the white light to flow down from your lungs and heart, joining the clean smoke in your hand. Whether you call it sage cleansing, sage burning or sage smudging, the sacred ritual can have many positive effects for your mind, body and home. I encourage you to continue to practice the art of sage cleansing whenever you feel there is a dissonance between yourself and the energies in your home.

Closing Your House Smudging Ceremony

Like blowing cinnamon on front doors, sage is most commonly burned in a new home, but are a few reasons why you may want to burn sage in your space, Amanda Gibby Peters continues. ‘Burning sage in a new space helps to clear its predecessor's energy. Another popular smudging method is with Palo Santo,  meaning "holy wood" which is used for bringing positivity and good fortune into your space and, and is considered more intensive than burning sage. Palo Santo is found in South America and can only be harvested once trees have naturally fallen in the rainforest and lie dead for several years.

Benefits of Burning Sage, How to Get Started, and More

Smoke cleansing, or burning sage, is often called “smudging,” but these two things are NOT the same. Smudging is a religious practice for Native tribes in the Americas and shouldn’t be practiced by non-Native peoples. Smoke cleansing, however, can be done with any kind of safe-to-burn dried herb or plant. It taps into the power of aromatherapy and intention, the same energy power that’s at work when we use essential oils to, say, calm anxiety or help with sleep. Blue Sage - Also known as Grandmother Sage, Blue Sage is often used in rituals thanks to its strong ancient wisdom vibes. This kind of sage has deep links with the Native American community and can be used in all kinds of cleansing practices.

Smudging Personal/Creative Spaces

You can place the bundle in a fireproof bowl or burner and allow it to smoke for a while. You can also light and burn sage to improve odor, fragrance, and mood. Some people burn sage over special objects, to acknowledge the object with sacred meaning. This can be done to a new item, such as jewelry, furniture, or clothing, to protect or dispel it of negative energy. Items related to negative experiences or memories may also be cleansed.

How to Get Rid of Bad Spirits in Your House

Keeping a clean, clutter-free home means negative energy won't have a place to congregate. Make sure it’s fully extinguished before walking away Don’t set burning materials down directly on wooden or flammable surfaces. Getting it wet will cause it to harden, and you won’t be able to relight it at that same spot. If you don’t feel it’s right to use herbs and tools from other cultures, you need not miss out completely. Spiritual use of herbs and incense is common to most world traditions and there are plenty of plants to choose from.

We, as humans, can feel energy from different sources, even if our logical mind can’t quite place what it is that we are feeling. Before you begin, think about what you want the saging to accomplish, and say a little mantra to yourself. If you’ve ever practiced yoga before, you may be familiar with this process. It’s extremely important to open a window or door before you begin to use sage to energetically clear your house, and that’s for several reasons. Sweetgrass Sage - Rich and sweet and filled with fragrance, this combo is often used alongside sage to bring sweetness and wilderness to a space. However, it is important to be respectful and humble, especially when sharing ritual space with others.

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You can also cleanse your space with light, water, crystals, sound (voice or bells), or visualization. These smoke-free methods are not technically smudging, but they can be just as effective when combined with your focused intention. For those who host public workshops and gatherings, it’s smart to have a few smudging alternatives in your toolkit. That way, you can be prepared to accommodate allergic and scent-averse ritual participants. Once you learn how to sage your house, you can cleanse it whenever you want. Respect the culture and origin of burning sage by acknowledging where it began when you cleanse your space.

Step 3: Purify yourself

It’s believed that the swirling smoke symbolizes your intentions and carries them to the heavens, thus your wishes for a peaceful environment being fulfilled. This practice has been around for a long time and is a great way to instantly shift the feeling of a space. It’s common in homes, healing spaces, and religious structures. Negative energy from arguments or illness can accumulate in shared spaces such as living rooms, kitchens and dens.

Any time you smudge your home, you can, of course, say anything that comes to mind or choose to keep it silent. However, adding a verbal component can only amplify your intention further. Mikaelah explains it's always a good idea to introduce yourself to the land and the first people of the land—and then the home itself. After all, the space isn't just about the walls that have been built there! Consider learning the name of the indigenous people that once inhabited your new land addressing them by name. You can also make an offering to the land such as flowers or water.

Cleansing rituals use sage to clear a space or a person of impurities, including thoughts, sadness or anxieties. For centuries, indigenous cultures and Native Americans have burned sage as a part of a cleansing ritual. If you want to learn how to sage your house, follow this guide to cleanse your home. Native Americans were known for burning herbs such as sage and palo santo in a smudging ritual to remove bad energy. Whether you choose cedar for its practical benefits or its symbolic meaning, it can contribute to creating a positive and refreshed energy within your space.

It is often used ceremonially for energy clearing, purifying, and chasing out unwanted spirits. The practice of smudging clears a person, group, or space and helps to bring the balance back. There are so many benefits to burning sage which is why it's a practice that has been around for centuries. This salvation plant is primed to elevate your well-being across the board - in everything from your physical health to spiritual wealth. Soothe anxious tendencies, cleanse the air around you, and remove any trace of negativity caught up in your space all by simply burning sage. Burning Palo Santo is similar to sage, but it needs to be blown on more often in order to maintain its trail of smoke.

Then light the sage for 30 seconds and blow on it, which will create enough smoke for cleansing and neutralizing any toxins. Using the feather in our sage cleansing kit, waft the smoke into the corners, ceilings, and other small areas of your home, especially since these places can accumulate negative energy over time. We like to start our sage cleansing practice at the front door, which helps keep out negative energy from the outside. It’s important to be respectful to sacred communities and ancient cultures when burning sage. The best way to do this is to always enter the act with intention, mindfulness, and with purpose and thought. When sage is burned, it is said to release negative ions which can help elevate a space and put people in a good mood.

Smudging can also set off smoke detectors and (Goddess forbid) fire sprinklers in small homes and offices. At least once a month, someone tells me that candles and/or smudge sticks should never be blown out with the breath. This is one of those witchy superstitions that never seems to die. Like most magickal “don’ts,” I think it’s mostly silliness with a grain of truth.

You can speak your intention aloud, or just use a silent prayer or visualization. If any areas feel particularly thick or heavy with bad energy, spend some extra time there. These subtle cues are signals from your environment, urging you to get to the bottom of whatever’s bothering you. Cleansing + smudging can really restore that balance and invite in positive energy when you need it most. Smudging with sage involves sourcing the right type of sage for your needs, lighting, smoldering, and wafting through your space with your bundled sage as it burns. The concept here is that this burning of the sage is an incredibly sacred, traditional cleansing process.

Walk around the outside perimeter of your home and inside your home in a clockwise direction. Gently wave the sage back and forth to keep it lit and smoking the entire time. Some people prefer leaving the bundle sitting inside a shell or bowl and using a feather or fan to keep it going.

If you have slipped in through the back door, you can catch up here for a background and history on sage cleansing. I command any negativity, any low vibrational energy, and nonbenevolent beings within this space to leave and go to the light. Set your mind on thoughts of cleansing, healing, wisdom or spiritual connectedness. The most important part is to set an intention for the cleansing. Sage was (and still is in holistic medicine) used as a key ingredient for stomach distresses and other ailments.