Smudging for skeptics
You can walk through any street in my town and smell smudging taking place.
People do it to cleanse the energy of an area. Science backs this up in its own way. Burning sage kills 94% of bacteria in the area where it’s burned. The study actually looked at a variety of herbs, which is great because frankly I‘ve never loved the smell of sage.
But I do love ritual.
I find that creating my own rituals is a way of centering my mind and brings me to a place where I can focus. The idea of smudging always seemed a little mystical to me and the smell of sage always took me back to my grandmother’s house at holidays when the stuffing was full of it and I stayed as far away as possible.
A few months ago I found myself needing to reclaim my space.
I found myself in a home that was all my own and I needed to make it just that, a way to make it smell like me in every nook and cranny. I remembered this moment in the movie Practical Magic when all the women gather together to rid the space of the spirit of an evil ex-boyfriend. There was something about it that always stuck with me and so I gathered a bundle of something I loved. Something that felt like me. Rosemary brings me joy. I love the way it looks and tastes and smells. It feels like home. I lit a few branches and walked all the spaces of my home.
Every window, every door, every inch of every room I covered in rosemary smoke and my words. Blessings and promises of joy, hope, healing, and so much laughter.
I learned afterwards that the lore surrounding rosemary is that of protection of the home, especially for women.
It has become a part of daily ritual for me since. I burn it everywhere in my home especially in my doorway creating a future where every person who walks in my doors will welcomed in and know love, warmth, and what it is to come home to themselves. There’s also the underlying idea that anyone I haven’t allowed in will have to deal with rosemary’s ability to kick their butt. It’s how I like to imagine myself. A seven foot tall Amazon gently but firmly tossing the toxic matter in my life out on its ass.
Smudging isn’t just about clearing actual toxins or about some magical practice you incorporate into your life.
It’s an intentional moment you take in your day to think about what is no longer serving you in this present moment and what you would do best to let go of. Do you need herbs and smoke and ritual to do that? No, but the soul longs for the sacred. So, feed it. Find what feels right to you. Listen to your body, your heart, all your pieces. And lean in.
