THE SACRED STORIES OF SMOKE SMUDGING AND CLEANSING

In this new era of spirituality, and mass awakening of human kind, people of all ages are starting to realize the powerful benefits of having a spiritual practice. Everything from meditation, to reading tarot cards are being practiced as a means to cultivate a stronger connection between the body, mind and spirit. Perhaps one of the most popular practices that is being promoted though, is smoke smudging. But the real question is, where does it come from? 

THE ORIGINS OF SMOKE SMUDGING 

We can presume that early humans most likely ventured the land, then picked and saved the aromatic stems and herbs they found growing on the forest floor. As the properties of plants became more well known, the ancients started using them in a multitude of ways, and started incorporate them into their everyday lives and ceremonies. Plants become a staple in many cultures and types of herbs such as sage and rosemary were found to have antibacterial, and even insect repelling properties. Its easy to imagine that as these discoveries were made, the people of the old would burn certain plants and inhaled their smoke causing them to move into a meditative state.

This practice that originated in antiquity, has since been practiced by many cultures. Smudging, though is most associated with Northern Native American Traditions. Native Americans were the first on record for using it in a ceremonial and ritualistic manner. They would use different types of plants such as tobacco, cedar, yarrow, sweetgrass, and the most popular, white sage. The clouds of smoke created during smudging ceremonies were used to repel negative energies and purify spaces, and people. The "medicine" was often put in an abalone shell and/ or a fireproof container and lit, and a feather was often used to fan the smoke into the air. In many Native cultures, plants are more than living things. They have a soul, a spirit, and sage was no different. Burning sage was a way of communing with the spiritual realm, and connecting the spirit of the plant and the earth.

SMOKE SMUDGING VS. SMOKE CLEANSING 

Its no secret that the cultural appropriation of using smoke smudging has been a popular topic amongst a lot of people. While the use of burning herbs has been around for many centuries, the use specific indigenous herbs is appropriated from Native American Tradition. Specifically, the burning of white sage was a tool of invocation, performed by certain members of the tribe. They used the herbal smoke as an element to the rituals they preformed, therefore being a part of their culture, faith and heritage. 

Smoke cleansing is a much more creative practice, using different components such as spells, crystals, and tarot. Because this is not tied to a specific rite or culture, creativity is a key component in these practices. While there are many similarities between the two practices, they are also remarkably different. Some people like to refer to their practice as "smoke cleansing," rather than "smoke smudging" to differentiate the two and avoid cultural appropriation. 

OTHER CLEANSING HERBS

While sage is the most common herb used for smoke cleansing, its important to know other herbs that have can be used for cleansing purposes.

  • Rosemary
  • Mugwort 
  • Pine 
  • Juniper 
  • Spruce 
  • Thyme 
  • Lavender 
  • Cedar 
  • Garden Sage 
  • Bay 
  • Rose  

RESPECTING TRADITIONS  

If you are going to use these methods, its important to respect the traditions of the Native American people. It was not until 1978 that the American Indian Religious Freedom Act was passed. Prior to that, many Native American ceremonies, including smudging, were illegal in some places and it was only through the courage of people practicing in secret, that these traditions were retained and passed down to current generations. And due to the mass exploitation of these sacred practices, many items used in sacred ceremony are becoming endangered. We simply cannot overlook the wishes of people who have sustained so much damage and trauma to their culture because of colonization.

 

SOURCES: 

https://www.thesacredscience.com/the-art-of-smudging/

https://www.powwows.com/native-american-smudging/

https://www.beautyindependent.com/native-americans-troubled-appropriation-commoditization-smudging/

https://www.nativescents.com/blog/525-history-of-smudging-with-sage

https://www.taosherb.com/store/sacred-herbs.html