[Spirit Dancer]

Clearing A Spiritual Space
Smudging
Everything that happens within your home leaves a trace. The morning after a party, the tired-but-happy revelry from the end of the evening is still in the air; a morning argument is usually hanging around when you come home from work. Focusing your true intention to purify your space with a time-honored method can return a dwelling to its rightful place as your sanctuary. One such cleansing method is known as smudging. Smudging originated as a Native American custom, and the modern practice can reinvigorate your living space. The vital action of smudging is lighting an aromatic bundle of herbs and allowing it to burn away the negative energy that has been collected. You can celebrate a new phase in life by conducting a smudging ceremony, or improve someone's day by smudging the space around a friend. Offices and work spaces can benefit from smudging as well, allowing clarity of thought and improved productivity.

The essential object for smudging is the herb bundle. It can be purchased or made by hand. Using a match or candle, put the flame to the smudge stick. Then blow or wave it out, allowing the stick to smolder and the aromatic smoke to fill the room. If you don't have a smudge stick, you can also place loose herbs directly onto burning wood in an indoor fireplace or into a fireproof container with some charcoal. As the herbs begin to burn, the honored method is to use a feather to move the smoke around the person or place you are smudging. You may also use your hands. As you feel the space fill with the herbal scent, take time to consider the parts of your life that need cleansing. Imagine the smoke lifting away all the negative thoughts and emotions around you.

Tradition teaches that each smudging herb is used for a different purpose. So an important aspect of the ritual is finding the right herb for the moment.

* Sage is the most prominent herb and is used to purify and protect one's living area by removing negative energy.

* Sweetgrass is often burnt after smudging sage to welcome in the positive influences.

* Lavender restores balance and creates a peaceful atmosphere. It also attracts love.

* Rosemary is effective for gaining clarity about perplexing problems.

* Mugwort is celebrated for stimulating psychic awareness and powerful dreams.

* Bay leaf is used to protect against colds and flu.

* Cedar is burnt upon moving into a new home. It works as a purifier and as a way to attract positive energy.

The act of cleansing your space can help you to truly put the past behind you. As the herbal aromas gently enter a room, clearing out accumulated spiritual clutter, you'll be free you to enjoy your abode as the place of respite it was meant to be.