There are few things as relaxing as the gentle drift of smoke from burning sage in a candle lit room. It’s one of my favorite practices to do.
So what is this craze with sage and smudging and cleansing? Well, it’s a pretty magickal ritual that has been practiced for many, many years.
Sage in latin is Salvia, which literally means Healing. Sage has also been known to promote wisdom and grace and this is why we refer to an aged wise being as a Sage. Native Americans used sage to “smudge” or clear energy in rituals and in daily life. As the smoke of sage begins to enter a room, it begins to cleanse the air and neutralize any negative energies. Stagnant energy in a home can harbor negativity and hold painful emotions. Sage helps to neutralize any floating emotions and invite in only love and light.
You can sage your home, your car, yourself… the possibilities are endless. At one point in my life, I seemed to be attracting negativity towards my car. All within a year, my car was stolen, returned, was hit while parked on the side of the road, was banged up and seemed to constantly have something going on with it. Finally, I got fed up. I chose to no longer invite this negative energy to attach to myself or my car, so I saged it!
During ritual, sage is a powerful tool to have on hand to prevent any negative energies from entering the sacred space. Sage helps leave any expectations, worries and fears at the door. Always, one of the first things I do in a ritual is sage everyone in the room. It creates a clean slate of energy.
When to Sage:
-When you’ve moved into a new home or apartment
-After a big argument
-After a traumatic event in the home
-After a long day at work
-After a dark experience
-Before a sacred ritual
-Before a meditation or yoga practice
-Before bringing a new piece of furniture or décor into your home
White sage is very powerful, but you can also use garden sage. It is quite easy to find sage. Any herb or crystal store will carry it.
So Sacred Woman, what is your favorite way to use Sage?
