Incense & Smudge Sticks

How to Smudge
In traditional belief, smoke connects us to the Spirit of the Air, and throughout the ages, smoke has been used as a part of religious purification rituals in many cultures around the world. Smudging is a ritual burning of herbs, using the smoke produced to alter energy or to cleanse the energy of a specific space. Sage is used as a part of many Native American ceremonies because of its purification powers. To create smudge smoke, first light the bundle of herbs or sage leaf at the unbound tip. When the herb(s) are ignited, blow the fire out and the bundle or leaf will continue to smoke. With your hand or a feather, waft the smoke over your body, beginning at the head (or throughout a room) working clockwise. When you have completed your smudge ceremony, extinguish the smoking herbs by rubbing firmly in a bowl or abalone shell until the smoke has died out completely. Caution: herbs can continue to smolder for a long time even after they are apparently completely extinguished.