Make your own… smudge sticks Begin this Autumn cleansed and surrounded by pure, positive energy. You’ll notice the difference both inside and out!

Whilst working at Italy Farm Stay near Sora, Italy this summer, I made all of the lovely guests on my La Dolce Vita retreat in Ischia, a gorgeous smelling sage, lavender and rosemary cleansing smudge stick as a welcome gift. Here, I’ll explain how to make and use them.

What is smudging?

Smudging is a Native American practice of burning certain plants and herbs to help clear negative energy from yourself, an object, or your surroundings. Traditionally, sage is the chosen herb burned at the beginning of a new season, year or even week.

Why sage?

From the Latin word salvia, which literally means ‘healthy’ or ‘to heal’, the medicinal smoke from sage and other herbs can actually help clear a great deal of bacteria in the air. This is why sage is a well-known air purifier and used for ambience during ritualistic ceremonies. Other ritualistic smokes include palo santo (which I often use myself) sweetgrass and cedar wood. They are used to treat issues with the pulmonary, neurological, and dermatological systems.

When sage is burned, it releases ions that have been closely linked to creating a positive mood. So, if the atmosphere around us ever feels negative, tense, low, or generally unhappy, now would be the perfect time to burn your smudge stick. When sage is burned, it releases ions that have been closely linked to creating a positive mood.

Make your own…

Aswell as a lot of sage, I chose to collect and include other herbs:

Rosemary – it smells divine, aids concentration and it’s a wonderful herb for general wellbeing.

Lavender –  induces a sense of relaxation and also smells very calming.

Rose petals – for feminine energy, a lovely smell and a pop of colour!

It’s important to pick the herbs fresh, tie them fresh and leave the bundle upside down to dry for a few days.

Top tip – leave the bundle drying above your bed or in the kitchen to enjoy the lovely smell!

How to complete the ritual…

Choose a time to complete this ritual while you’re in a positive state of mind. It’s important to visualise and manifest positive, clear energy for yourself and the space around you.

Once your herbs are dry set light to the bundle until it begins to smoke. Start by cleansing yourself from the feet up and complete a few circles around the top of your head. If you’re cleansing an object like your crystals or mala beads, woft the smoke over the entire object(s).

If you’re cleansing your home, walk around each room clockwise, smudging all the corners and pay particular attention to any openings like the windows and doors.

Each sage bundle should last for 3 rituals or so. It depends how big your home is and how much negative energy you wish to clear!

If you prefer not to burn your bundle, you can keep it to smell nice in the kitchen, on your pillow, coffee table etc. They also make wonderful gifts!