Cleaning House – Sacred Sage Smudging Ceremony

Tomorrow we are, once again, changing offices here in Dickinsonville. Long, boring story that I won’t get into!

This morning as I was thinking about the move, I remembered a beautiful Sage Smudging Ceremony my Shaman mentor Barbara taught me many years ago. Native American smudging ceremonies have long been used for cleansing and purification of people, places and things.

Here’s the idea:

Ceremonial Tools Needed

• sage – white or gray, bundled or loose
• smudging bowl – rock, abalone shell, metal
• matches or lighter
• tool for moving the sage smoke – feather, dream catcher, hand

Preparation For Sage Ceremony

If you are going to bundle your sage, I like to use different color thread to signify the Four Directions – Red for the East, Yellow for the South, Black for the West and White for the North.

I learned this ceremony by using an abalone shell as the sage container so I always feel drawn to them. I have used a rock with a hollow center as well. You simply need something that will hold the sage while burning.

I use a ceremonial feather for moving the sage smoke. Here’s a tip – don’t buy them. The idea here is to connect with Mother Earth. Get anywhere near tress or a hiking trail and you will find your feather. Find your feather and then dress it up a bit if you like.

The last bit of preparation is the most important – your personal preparation. I am unashamed about the fact that this is a spiritual process of not just cleansing my office, but cleansing me.

Meditate, pray, offer gifts to the Four Directions and the Great Spirit. Do what you do in order to have the proper and respectful mind and spirit for this ancient ceremony.

The Sage Smudging Ceremony

The ceremony has three parts:

1. Outside of the space or room. Ensure you have enough sage in your bowl before beginning. Sage produces a good deal of smoke and burn moderately quick. After your spiritual preparation, light the sage by bringing it into the center of your bowl. Once ignited, spread it out in the bowl and fan with your feather, dream catcher or hand to ensure proper burning.

Before entering the room you must cleanse yourself. Offer the sage smoke above your head first. Fan it to encircle your head and shoulders. Bring the bowl to your center near your heart and fan once again. Lastly, with the help of someone else, fan the flame under your feet. Your body and spirit is now clean and can be used to cleanse/smudge your chosen person, place or thing.

2. Inside of the space or room. Move into the space and as close to center as possible. If several people are celebrating with you, have them stand in a circle facing in towards you. This is a symbol of the Native American idea of the Sacred Circle of life. By the way, I always have a designated helper in case I need something or to help if the sage would burn out.

Once positioned in the space, you are now going to offer the sage and it’s cleansing to the Seven Directions: East, South, West, North, Father Sun, Mother Earth and The Great Spirit. You always begin in the East and move following the path of the sun as above.

My version of this ceremony is pretty ritualized and a bit longer than others I have seen. Once inside the room, the ceremony is approximately 15 minutes. Again, ensure you have enough sage to burn for this time frame.

Facing East begin the cleansing by offering the bowl above your head to Father Sun. Look up as you do this so you can move the smoke without disrupting the bowl. Some chant during this time. I am Blue Mask Cherokee, but I have never learned the language, so I simply pray to the Great Spirit. I do this inwardly not audibly.

Secondly bring the bowl down below your waist to make offering to Mother Earth. Again, fan the smoke and chant or pray. The idea here is that both Father Sun and Mother Earth will participate in the cleansing of this space.

Lastly, bring the bowl up to your center, near your heart. As you fan, you are making an offering to the Great Spirit. Take a moment here. Don’t move on too quickly. Remember, it is the involvement of the Great Spirit that does the cleansing or purifying. The sage is simply the vehicle, the offering.

Now move sun wise to the South. The remainder of the ceremony is a repetition in each direction of what you just performed in the East. Move slowly and respectfully. Enjoy the smell of the sage and the emotion of the process.

3. The ceremony after the ceremony. This is not “clean up”. This is the final stage of the cleansing. After leaving the room, have everyone follow you outside. You are now going to offer the ashes of the sage back to the earth from whence it came. Place the ashes at the base of a tree or near a special garden that you might enjoy. Offer it to the wind. Offer no disrespect by simply throwing it in the trash.

There you have it – The Sacred Sage Smudging Ceremony.

Use it. Experience it. Enjoy it.

Blessings,

Frank

Share your Sacred Ceremony story. Have you seen or used any other forms of this? What effect has a cleansing/purification like this had or your person, place or thing? Continue the conversation below!