Full Answer
What are the benefits and uses of white sage?
You can smudge pretty much anytime you wish to, but some ideal times include:
- Before and after guests visit
- Before and after energetic healing or spiritual rituals
- After an argument or disagreement in the space
- After returning from a vacation or trip
- During times of stress or duress
- After a long day at work
- Anytime you move into a new home or apartment
- When you begin something new
- Before or after meditation
- Before or after prayer
What is white sage used for?
White sage, or Salvia apiana, seeds were used by Native Americans as food and to heal their eyes. The roots were used after birth for healing. The leaves were used for numerous medicinal purposes, such as a cold remedy or shampoo, to treat sinus problems and to control lactation. The leaves were burned in ceremonies to purify and cleanse.
What can I do with white sage?
- As an antibacterial mouthwash, and to help heal sore throats and tonsilitis
- In a spray bottle as a deodorant (it is a treatment for hyperhydrosis)
- As a toner for oily skin
- Applied topically to treat eczema and skin rashes, and to relieve bugbites
- Applied externally to treat bruises, sprains, and swelling
Should I use white sage?
The herb was supposedly used to help clear the air of germs. "White sage is not just something you have to believe in for it to work," Hanekamp explains. "It cleans the molecules in the air that we breathe, too."
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What does white sage symbolize?
White sage is burned for meditation, smudging and cleansing of spirit and dwelling. In some beliefs, white sage smoke is believed to provide a barrier that prevents negative spirits from entering the room in which the ceremony is being held.
What are the benefits of burning white sage?
White prairie sage (Artemisia ludoviciana) is both antimicrobial and antibacterial . White sage (Salvia apiana) is also antimicrobial. And both have been shown to repel insects. Beliefs that burning sage clears out spiritual impurities, pathogens, and even insects have been fundamental to the practice of smudging.
What does a sage symbolize?
In Celtic lore, sage represented wisdom and immortality. Sage became a popular symbol of wisdom, believed to improve memory and grant wisdom. The very word sage means a wise man. There was also a superstition that sage thrived when all was going well, but would start to wilt when things were going badly.
Who is white sage sacred to?
That's because white sage, scientific name salvia apiana, is native to the Southwest of America and northwest of Mexico. It is a sacred plant to tribes such as the Lakota, Comanche, Cheyenne, Arapaho, and Navajo.
How often should you burn sage in your house?
“You can light one leaf, because a smudge stick will smoke a lot.” Both experts recommend burning sage regularly, even after you've finished moving, to purify the air and keep balance. “I recommend cleansing the space by smudging any time you do a seasonal cleaning, three times a year at a minimum,” said Meder.
What are 5 benefits of burning sage?
Benefits of burning sage are believe to include:Removing bacteria from the air.Repelling insects.Improving intuition.Purifying specific objects.Improving mood and reducing stress and anxiety.
Is white sage good?
White Sage has been known for its medicinal properties since centuries. It offers excellent anti-oxidants and anti-inflammatory properties that promote health and prevents infections. It also acts as a stimulant and is sometimes used to treat digestive problems.
How do you sage a house with negative energy?
Hold the sage at a 45-degree angle, light the sage, let it burn for about 20 seconds and then gently blow out the flame so that you see orange embers on one end. Then you can start the process of clearing your space. Clients sometimes complain that they can't get their sage to stay lit.
What do the different color of sage mean?
Each have their own unique qualities. For example, blue sage is often used in cleansing and healing rituals, while desert sage is used more for purifying and protection. White Sage is used for releasing what is troubling the mind and for removing negative energy. It is also used for cleansing homes and sacred items.
Why we shouldn't use white sage?
Because of all that complicated history of sage burning, when non-Native people use white sage to "smudge" their homes or other spaces, it infringes upon the cultural importance and authenticity of the ritual and prayer — simply, it's cultural appropriation.
How do you smudge respectfully?
0:283:21How to smudge: Burning sage - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipWe use a match to light it up at the bottom. And you never want to blow on it because that's blowingMoreWe use a match to light it up at the bottom. And you never want to blow on it because that's blowing your spirit away.
What to say when you smudge yourself?
Hello, my name is ___; I am moving into this space. I want to thank all of the land stewards and spirits of the land. I want to acknowledge the first people of the land. I want to state my intention of creating a home for myself here, living in reciprocity with the spirits that are present.
What does it mean when you burn a white sage?
The notion of this act is that when you burn the leaves, you are expressing gratitude for its help, the spirit of the white sage discharges its energy of clearing and protection into ...
What does it mean when you rub white sage leaves?
Its leaves are whitish light green, and if the leaves are rubbed between the thumb and forefinger, you feel a revitalizing, cleansing and refreshing fragrance is released. You encounter negative energy in all aspects ...
What is Sage Scmudging?
Sage smudging is one of the purest and ancient techniques of cleansing a person, a person or space. Although Native American white sage smudging is the most popular form of it currently, it has nonetheless been used in other cultures as well.
How to cleanse yourself with sage?
How do you cleanse yourself with Sage: Three simple steps: Use unattached dry white sage or smudge sticks. Its packs can easily be found at your local health store and herb shops or yoga healing institutions. You can also grow your sage plant and dry it out in a cool place overnight.
How to get white sage out of a fire?
When you have white sage smudged all that you needed to, come back to where you started and gently stub out your burning sage by plunging it into a bowl with sand with a little bit of pressure. When the fire is completely gone from, pack everything up.
Can white sage help with aura?
You encounter negative energy in all aspects of your life, and while your aura does an excellent job of blocking it, sometimes negative energy can begin to have an effect on your life. White sage can be used in a variety of ways to improve the strength of your aura. Consult your Guardian Angel to learn more!
Is Sage Smudging a spiritual ceremony?
What is imperative to admit, however, is that white sage smudging is an old, spiritual and blessed ceremony, so it is best that you must do it with full consciousness and in an unhurried, attentive manner. If you follow our steps, you are assured to observe a grace of energy and serenity enters into your lives.
What is white sage used for?
White sage is a perennial evergreen herb that is primarily used to clean the air, improve the aroma and energy of a space, or it can be brewed as a tea for a variety of potential health benefits .
How to use white sage?
Uses of White Sage 1 Tea – To make a tea from sacred sage, place two teaspoons of fresh sage leaves (or 1 teaspoon of dried sage leaves) in a mug. Fill the mug with boiling water and allow the leaves to steep for 2-3 minutes. Strain the tea and enjoy with lemon or honey. [8] 2 Compress – Similar to brewing tea, you place 3-4 teaspoons of sage leaves in a bowl with warm or cold water (depending on whether you want a hot or cold compress). Place a piece of cotton in the steeped water and allow it to get soaked through. Place the soaked piece of cotton where you want relief and attach it in place with a gauze or a bandage. 3 Burning / “Smudging” – If you buy your own bundle of dried sage leaves, follow the instructions in the section above. If you want to make your own, thoroughly clean the sage leaves, pat them dry, and then tie them into a bundle that is hung upside down. Let them air dry for 7-10 days before burning them. Some people will also cook the dried sage in an oven at 180 degrees for 30 minutes, in case any insects have found their way into the herbal bundle.
What is sage smoke?
It is traditionally associated with cleansing negative energy from a space. Beginning at the door of one’s home, sage is burnt and the house ‘scrubbed’ with sage smoke. The powerful aroma and smoke clear out ‘old air’ and negative energy from past experiences. [6]
How to make sacred sage tea?
Tea – To make a tea from sacred sage, place two teaspoons of fresh sage leaves (or 1 teaspoon of dried sage leaves) in a mug. Fill the mug with boiling water and allow the leaves to steep for 2-3 minutes. Strain the tea and enjoy with lemon or honey. [8]
How to get rid of sage leaves?
Place a piece of cotton in the steeped water and allow it to get soaked through. Place the soaked piece of cotton where you want relief and attach it in place with a gauze or a bandage. Burning / “Smudging” – If you buy your own bundle of dried sage leaves, follow the instructions in the section above.
How long do you let sage leaves dry before burning?
If you want to make your own, thoroughly clean the sage leaves, pat them dry, and then tie them into a bundle that is hung upside down. Let them air dry for 7-10 days before burning them.
Does white sage help with sinuses?
As mentioned above, white sage can have a number of benefits, depending on whether it is burned, topically applied or steeped in a tea, including helping to treat sinus infections and congestion, eliminating bacteria, reducing inflammation, aiding digestion, and cleansing a space of negative energy. Sinus Infections – If you burn white sage and ...
Where does white sage grow?
What Is White Sage? White sage, also known as salvia apiana in the botany community, is an herb native to California. It grows primarily in the desert, smells very fresh, and is a favorite traditional medicine plant of Native Americans.
Why do aromatherapists use white sage?
Its fresh fragrance is said to help reduce stress and clear minds. Needless to say, sage spray is becoming popular among natural health fans, too.
What is the smoke from white sage?
It is said that the smoke that comes from white sage cleanses energy, banishes negativity, and also acts as a healer. White sage is believed to amplify good intentions while cleansing negative vibrations. That’s why some call it “Sacred Sage.”.
How to make a sage fire?
Set your intentions and focus on them. Light the sage. Put the sage in the bowl (or shell) and use your lighter to burn it. When it starts to catch fire, blow out the sage. It should continue to emit smoke. Hold the bowl and use the feather to waft the smoke around your room.
Why do people burn sage?
Some people also burn sage over their possessions as a way to acknowledge their sacredness.
Does white sage harm spirits?
White sage is known for dispelling negative, lower vibrations left by hostile people or traumatic events. So, it won’t harm any good vibes or neutral spirits you may have in your area.
Is white sage poisonous to animals?
You don’t have to worry about that with sage. Unlike many of the plants associated with magic and spirituality, white sage is entirely edible and poses no threat to animals. In fact, it’s quite possible that you have eaten it before as part of a meal, ...
What is white sage?
White Sage is a perennial Mediterranean plant, Salvia Apiana, consisting of grey-green leaves and purple, blue, or white flowers from the Lamiaceae (labiates) family. Also derived from Latin salvia, meaning good health, and is attributed to the healing properties of the white sage plant.
What does white sage mean spiritually?
White Sage Spiritual Meaning. White sage spiritual meaning. The magical art of clearing and purifying the practice of. smudging with white sage, smudge in the morning before meditation.
Why do people smudge with white sage?
Smudge with white sage after a stressful day to release tension within the body smudge and connect with the earth and her natural healing powers. White Sage is also sacred in many Shamanic belief systems and is used in smudging, and other ceremonies to purify the body and surroundings.
Why is Sage important?
A Sage, therefore, is revered as a wise one, sharing a higher knowledge of the gods. The white sage plant has these qualities it is sacred, cleansing, purifying, and protective, revered for its healing properties and spiritual connection with all of the existence.
Why do Native Americans use white sage?
Native Americans popularised the tradition of using White Sage to protect against evil spirits and dispel negative energies as it is believed that White Sage also has a Spirit, providing cleansing, protection, and blessings.
Does white sage help with anxiety?
Smoking white sage relieves anxiety calms the mind relaxes the body and has a euphoric effect. Often used in herbal smoking mixtures with damiana and mullein. Research has found white sage stimulates mental function lessening depression and heightening the positive mood.
Is white sage tea safe to smoke?
White sage tea has all the benefits of smoking the herb without coughing. White sage contains antibiotic and anti-allergenic properties which speed up healing and prevent the illness from returning. White sage is medicinal protection it contains eucalyptol, or cineole, which kills bacteria and infection.
How to work with white sage?
The first step of working with White Sage. Sage intuitively. Everyone has a process. Some like to Sage counter-clockwise, some like to Sage from top to bottom, some like to focus on areas of concentrated energy, such as doorways and closets.
Why do Native Americans use white sage?
Native Americans started the tradition of using White Sage, also known as Sacred Sage, to release lingering energies. White Sage has been used in ceremonies to seek blessings of health and prosperity, release spirits, encourage protection.
How to smudge a person?
Smudging A Person. Bend over, so that the bowl is about the level of your feet and ankles. Start at the bottom of your body and gently waft the smoke upward. Slowly unbend and straighten up, you are bringing the Sage/bowl and fanning the smoke up, up, upward until you’ve sent the smudging smoke up above your head.
How to smoke a sage wand?
The movement and release of the energy come with the smoke, not with the flames. Place the lit, smoking end of the Sage wand, down inside the bowl, and rest the sides of the wand on the edge of the bowl.
What is sage smudging?
Sage Smudging is a ritual where the leaves of the plant are burned. The smoke is directed into and onto areas that need clearing and release. The goal of smudging with Sage is to release a person or an area of any residual energies that are different from what you presently intend for the space.
What to use to put Sage in?
Use a heatproof bowl to put the Sage in, after it has been ignited. Some prefer to use an abalone shell, but abalone is endangered, so any piece of thick, fired pottery is beautiful and just elegant.
How to smudge a room in Sage?
Keep the windows and doors closed to the area you have chosen to smudge, while the Sage burns. Choose one room to begin in. You might like to start from the back of the house and move to the front, or to start from the bottom floor and move to the top.
What does white sage do?
In this very simply way, the energy of white sage, brings cleansing, protection, and blessings into the space it's burned in. The smoke attaches to negative energies, and as the smoke then begins to dissipate it transforms those negative energies into universal energy. And so, your intention for cleansing, clearing and protection is fulfilled.
How to cleanse with white sage?
1. Set A Clear Intention. Your intention is immensely powerful when it comes to cleansing with white sage. Make your intention clear. In addition to asking the sage to clear and protect your energy and space, invite in your guides and angels to help release negative energy into the light as well.
What is the ritual of burning sage?
This ritual is known as sage smudging – and it’s practiced by burning a bundle of dried sage and then directing the smoke onto the areas that you want to clear or protect. As the bundle is burning and the smoke spirals, wafts, and begins to fill a space, it is cleansing.
How to make a sage bundle burn faster?
However, for it to really work, start small! If you light many sage leaves at once, or completely torch your sage bundle with a lighter, it will burn hotter, faster and create more smoke than if you carefully light the tip of the bundle, or pull out and set fire to a single white sage leaf.
How to use sage incense?
Treat Sage as you would Incense. Light your sage at the very tips of the leaves, and once ignited, quickly (but carefully) blow out the flames to allow the leaves to smolder. It's the wafting of the smoke, not the flames that allows the cleansing energy of sage to be released into your energy and space. 3.
What is white sage smudging?
White sage smudging is an ancient practice used for healing, ceremonial, and energy clearing work. It’s also a common tool that many spiritual practitioners and seekers use today to energetically clear and even protect spaces.
How to smudge a house with sage?
When smudging your house, you'll want to start from the back of the house and move to the front. If you have multiple levels, start from the bottom of the house and move to the top.
What is sage used for?
Burning sage creates fragrant smoke central to smudging’s benefits. You can use this incense to smudge yourself or specific spaces. Or according to some sources, you can smudge specific objects.
How to smudge a sage?
How to smudge your living space, an object, and more 1 Light the end of a sage bundle with a match. Blow out quickly if it catches on fire. 2 The tips of the leaves should smolder slowly, releasing thick smoke. Direct this smoke around your body and space with one hand while holding the bundle in the other. 3 Allow the incense to linger on the areas of your body or surroundings you’d like to focus on. Using a fan or feather can also help direct the smoke, though this is optional. 4 Allow the ash to collect in a ceramic bowl or shell.
What do you need to burn sage?
What you need. The practice of burning sage or smudging is fairly simple, with few necessary tools. Basic tools include: a sage bundle (or smudge stick) some recommend a seashell or bowl of ceramic, clay, or glass to hold burning sage or capture ash. some recommend matches over a manufactured lighter.
What is the ancient ritual of burning sage?
Burning sage — also known as smudging — is an ancient spiritual ritual. Smudging has been well established as a Native American cultural or tribal practice, although it isn’t practiced by all groups. We have the traditions of many Native American peoples to thank for its use.
What to do before burning sage?
Before burning sage, some recommend setting intentions if smudging for spiritual, energetic, and negativity clearing purposes. Remove animals or people from the room. It’s also important to leave a window open before, during, and after smudging. This allows smoke to escape.
What is smudging used for?
Smudging may also be used as a ritual tool to rid yourself — or your space — of negativity. This includes past traumas, bad experiences, or negative energies from others.
Why do people burn Sage?
For healers and laypeople in traditional cultures, burning sage is used to achieve a healing state — or to solve or reflect upon spiritual dilemmas. This may have some scientific basis, too. Certain types of sage, including salvia sages and white prairie sage, contain thujone.
