Ready to discover the benefits of white sage?
White sage is an herb held sacred by Native Americans for hundreds of years.
Used in rituals and ceremonies for centuries, white sage is often burned to create its intended effects.
Burning sage is a ritual known as smudging.
Smudging is a cleansing ceremony used to help people, places, or even objects get rid of negative energy or even bad spirits.
– Updated 2/11/2020
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How to Perform a Smudging Ceremony
A smudging ceremony can be as elaborate as you wish depending on both the time available and the reason for engaging in the ceremony.
We begin a smudging ceremony by expressing our intention for the ritual and sharing our gratitude to white sage for helping us on our journey.
Only after the intention is set is it possible to burn sage for your given purpose whether it be physical or spiritual healing.
Once your mind is clear of all but your intention for the ceremony, begin burning the sage.
White sage is always best and is easily purchased from health food stores, Chinese medicinal shops, and from New Age stores.
If the need for a ceremony is imminent and you can’t get any white sage, then dried garden sage will suffice.
Sage is burned in a pot or in a smudging stick.
Again, the process you choose depends on your personal preferences.
The vessel isn’t important as long as it is heatproof and safe.
Burning white sage will help you physically and spiritually.
To perform the ceremony, place a bundle of sage in the vessel and set it alight for a few seconds.
After a few seconds, blow the flame out to allow the smoke to billow up. If the sage is particularly dry, the flames will catch on quickly, so be prepared to blow it out just as quickly.
The smoke given off by white sage cleanses by attaching itself to the negativity in the space.
As the smoke spreads, so do its cleansing and healing properties.
Sage can also be brewed as a tea or eaten
Although it is a common culinary ingredient, it’s not an herb to consume in large quantities.
Eating or drinking too much sage may result in complications including dizziness, rapid heart rate, and even seizures.
White sage has many properties.
Here are some of the benefits of burning white sage:
Physical Healing
Native Americans have used white sage for its medicinal properties for centuries.
Sage offers antioxidants, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial properties to promote overall health and target emerging infections.
It is also used as a diuretic and a stimulant.
Tea made from sage has many healing properties.
Sage tea is often drunk in conjunction with other therapies to soothe joint pain, colds, sprains, and kidney and liver troubles.
It’s also sometimes used to treat digestive problems.
Spiritual Healing
Sage smudging is used to begin a spiritual spring cleaning for your soul or your house.
Burning sage in your home allows you to remove all the negative energies and experiences from the room.
For best results, work on one room at a time.
To start, open the windows and doors to provide the negative energy an escape route.
Light the sage smudging stick and leave it to burn until it begins to emit smoke.
Once the cleansing smoke arrives, keep your intentions in mind and with the stick in your hand, make your way through the room, rotating clockwise as you move through the room.
Continue until peace and love begin to fill the room while sending the negative energies away.
See this video for more amazing information about this magical herb:
Aromatherapy
Sage has spiritual and health benefits, but it also has a very practical use: leaving a lasting, lovely scent around your home.
Are there any spots in your home that tend to stink?
Perhaps a well-used carpet, a litter box corner, or the area around your garbage can?
Clean them up with a sage smudging stick and leave them smelling fresh for several days or even weeks.
Bring Health and Good Intentions into Your Life with White Sage
A smudging ceremony completed with white sage is a simple way to relieve the negativity in your soul or your home and replace it with positive intentions and energy.
How have you used white sage in your life? Share your stories in the comments below.
