Smudging:
How to do it – How Not to do
it
(Michelle
Chihacou White Puma Klein-Hass)
I
came across a very interesting article from "Shaman's
Drum" which was reprinted for Vision Quest Bookstore. I will
attempt to convey the gist of it, along with my views, as a
student of the Ways of the Teneh, about it. Smudging is a way of
using the smoke from burning herbs as a way to cleanse the body,
an object, or a given area of negative influences. I myself use
smudging to "cleanse" crystals before using them in
jewelry projects I may do, and for protecting my home from some
recent "bad vibe"-producing events. (landlord troubles!)
I imagine that the skillful use of the proper herbs could help in
warding and banishing ceremonies as well, if used properly and
with reverence. The three most used plant material for smudging
are sage of all types, cedar, and sweetgrass.
Sage
There
are two major genii and several varieties of each genus of Sage
that are used for smudging. Salvia, or the herb sage used for
cooking, comes in two major varieties: S. Officinalis, commonly
known as Garden Sage, and S. Apiana, commonly known as White Sage.
Salvia varieties have long been acknowledged as healing herbs,
reflected in the fact that its genus name comes from the Latin
root word *salvare*, which is the verb "to heal" or
"to save." Artemisia is the genus commonly considered
"Sagebrush", and is more common in the wilds out here in
California. There are two major varieties to the Artemisia genus:
A. Californica, or Common Sagebrush, and A. Vulgaris, or Mugwort.
There are many other varieties of both Salvia and Artemisia, and
all are effective in smudging. Sage is burned in smudging
ceremonies to drive out evil spirits, negative thoughts and
feelings, and to keep Gan'n (negative entities) away from areas
where ceremonials take place. In the Plains Sweatlodge, the floor
of the structure is strewn with sage leaves for the participants
to rub on their bodies during the sweat. Sage is also used in
keeping sacred objects like pipes or Peyote wands safe from
negative influence. In the Sioux nation, the Sacred Pipe is kept
in a bundle with sage boughs. I would think special crystals could
be so protected this way as well.
Cedar
True
cedar is of the Thuja and Libocedrus genii. Some Junipers (Juniperus
genus) are also called "cedar", thus complicating things
some. Some Juniper varieties are cleansing herbs,
especially J. Monosperma, or Desert White Cedar. But for smudging,
the best is Western Red Cedar (Thuja occidentalis) and California
Incense Cedar (Libocedrus descurrens). Cedar is burnt while
praying to the Great Spirit (Usen', the Source--also known to
Plains nations as Wakan Tanka) in meditation, and also to bless a
house before moving in as is the tradition in the Northwest and
Western Canada. It works both as a purifier and as a way to
attract good energy in your direction. It is usually
available in herb stores in chipped form, which must be sprinkled
over a charcoal in a brazier. I like a piece of charcoaled
mesquite for this purpose, rather than the commercial charcoal
cake.
Sweetgrass
Very
important to the Sioux and Cherokee nations, its botanical name is
Hierochloe Oderata. In these tribes, the sweetgrass is braided
like hair braids. It could be burnt by lighting the end of it, or
(more economically)by shaving little bits of it onto charcoal in a
brazier. Again, use charcoaled Mesquite (I believe it comes
packaged for barbecue use under the brand name "Red
Arrow") to burn it, not pressed charcoal tablets. Sweetgrass
is burnt after smudging with sage, to welcome in good influences
after the bad had been driven out. Sweetgrass is very rare today,
and traditional Plains people have been attempting to protect the
last of it. Myself, I believe that Cedar, which is not endangered,
can safely be used this way. Also Pinon pine needles (used more
frequently by the Southwest Teneh, like the Navajo and Apache as
well as the Pueblo people and the Zuni) and Copal (used by the
Yaqui and in ancient times by the Azteca and the Maya) have
similar effect. The three mentioned here are readily available
either through gathering yourself or, in the case of copal resin,
from any good herb shop.
Using
Smudging
Burn
clippings of the herb in a brazier...not a shell as some "new
age" shamanic circles do...it is an insult to White Painted
Woman (The Goddess)to do this, especially with the abalone shell
which is especially sacred to Her. If the herb is bundled in a
"wand", you can also light the end of the wand that
isn't woody and use that. I like the latter way. Directthe smoke
with your hands or with a Peyote (feather) wand over the person or
thing you wish to smudge. If you can see auras, look for
discolored places in the aura and direct the healing smoke towards
those places on the patient's body. For cleansing a house, first
offer cedar smoke to the four directions outside the house. Then,
take a sage bough and go throughout the inside of the house,
making sure the smoke penetrates every nook and cranny of the
house. It might help also, if you have a power animal, to
visualize your animal doing these things, to also dance your
animal, and if you have a power song, to sing that too. Then
finally, run through the house with a white candle that is well
protected, to "light up" the house. Careful not to burn
it down when you do it!!!
Final
Thoughts
Smudging
should be done with care, with reverence, and in an attitude of love.
Show your respect and honor to the plants that Usen' has given us
for our healing, and they will return the favor by keeping us well
and free from disease and negative energy. Aloe Vera plants,
though not to be burnt, are good for the cleansing angle as well.
Keep one or more potted Aloe Veras in the house (modern varieties
are too tender to plant in anything but full shade outside) in
organic (wood or ceramic, never plastic or metal) pots. To honor
the plant when you transplant it, sprinkle the roots with corn
meal and smudge it with cedar once it is transplanted. The spirit
of Aloe Vera is a good protective spirit, and if you burn
yourself, can also be used to heal your skin. Be Sure to Ask
the Plant’s permission before cutting part of the leaf off
for the healing juice. If you don't, the protective power of the
plant will cease, and you will be left with but an inert
houseplant...and perhaps some bad karma to boot. Hi-dicho, it is
finished....
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