Smudging: A True Story of “Last Days” and Energy Clearing to Allow Peace, Love, and Deep Sleep
Smudging: I love the smell of cedar chips for smudging, so I’ll share this example of using it for a transformation that took place in mere minutes. It is in memory of Beloved Ronald W, a musician par excellence, whom I met at a shelter when he was recovering from drug addiction. He was homeless and dying of AIDS. I was a shelter volunteer. In Washington, D.C., Ronald was among the homeless people whose stories I scripted.
Note: My troupe of homeless people and I performed them widely as monologues to raise awareness about homelessness, addiction, and AIDS. Click here to read more about “Three Hots and Cot.” To buy the paperback on Amazon, click here.
This also the story of Beloved Bill P, a husband of my soul with whom I lived for 14 years and whom I made Vice President of Variety Pack. I had formed that company to support the performances of the performing troupe mentioned above.
Though we were long separated, Bill had become incapacitated by congestive heart failure and narcolepsy, and he had come to live with me again, before he proceeded to Louisiana where he would soon die near his family home. He was broken-hearted that we would not reunite as a couple, and the atmosphere of his ill health and despondency were left in the guest bedroom where he had stayed. This was the bedroom for Ronald when I invited him to leave the chaos of the shelter and come to my house for a week so he could concentrate on studying for a GED test. (The GED is an exam people may take to get a high school equivalency diploma that is accepted by nearly all U.S. colleges and employers).
So, What Happened? Smudging Happened!
Ronald knew nothing of what had transpired that guest room before his visit. But he was very sensitive to energetics. When I showed Ronald into the room, he came out wide-eyed and said he could not stay in there! To him, something felt very heavy and sad.
I told him to “sit here for a minute” in the living room. Then, I found my cedar chips and a glass saucepan cover, which I used to hold the cedar, so I could light the chips and smudge the room. I probably spent only about five minutes smudging the room, wafting the cedar smoke to the four directions, above, below, and within, with whatever words were given to me to speak.
When finished, I invited Ronald to come back into the bedroom. Again, he was wide-eyed, but, this time, it was with amazement, and he said, “It feels BRAND NEW!!!!!”
He slept there that night and for the few nights afterward that he remained in my house. He told me he had never slept better.
I give thanks to the Cedar and to all the helpmeets in the unseen worlds who helped us cleanse and purify the room’s energies and also helped enable Ronald to succeed in his mission to attain his High School Equivalency Degree! Hallelujah! After years of drug addiction and feeling “less than” for being “uneducated,” he passed the first time he took the test. He remained clean and a blessing to others through the end of his life!
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Now, A Little Researched History About Smudging
Smudging is a sacred practice in some Indigenous North American communities and elsewhere around the world. It involves creating smoke from particular plants for prayer, cleansing, preparation, or spiritual connection. For beginners, the most important principle is respect. There is no single universal ceremony, and an online “sage your house” checklist is not the same as learning a community’s traditions.[7generations][northlandscollege]
History and Cultural Context
Smudging belongs to living Indigenous traditions, not simply to an ancient practice that has disappeared. Seven Generations Education Institute describes it specifically within Anishinaabe life, where medicines gathered from nature (including sage, sweet grass, and cedar) are used according to community teachings. Its guidance identifies a particular approach in Treaty #3 territory rather than presenting it as a rule for all Indigenous peoples.[7generations]
The plants and their uses also reflect geography. White sage, for example, is native to Southern California and northern Baja California and has long been used by Indigenous peoples of that region for ceremonial and other purposes.
Burning aromatic plants also occurs in other cultural traditions. The modern commercial market adds an ethical concern. Demand for white sage has contributed to poaching and damage to wild populations. A commercially packaged “smudge kit” therefore does not, by itself, establish either responsible sourcing or cultural legitimacy.
Beginner Protocols: Ceremony Versus Personal Ritual
If You Attend an Indigenous Community’s Smudging Ceremony
Follow the host’s or knowledge keeper’s guidance rather than bringing a procedure learned elsewhere.
- Participation of outsiders should be welcomed by the hosts and knowledge keepers. Do not attend if not welcomed.
- Ask what participants should know beforehand, including any expectations about handling medicines or participating.
- Participation should be voluntary. It is acceptable to decline without being pressured.
- Let the person leading explain the sequence and meaning.
- Ask about the community’s approach to the remaining medicines and ashes; disposal protocols vary.[7generations][northlandscollege]
For example, the Anishinaabe guidance from Seven Generations describes drawing smoke toward the head, eyes, ears, mouth, heart, and other parts of the body. These actions relate to preparing one’s thoughts, perceptions, speech, and whole being. It not merely making a room or space smell different. This is an example of a particular teaching, not a script to apply to every nation.[7generations]
Personal Home or Office Cleansing Rituals
A useful distinction is to describe a self-created practice as a “personal cleansing ritual” or “smoke cleansing,” rather than claiming to perform an authentic Indigenous ceremony. This keeps your personal spiritual intention separate from the community-specific teachings described above.[7generations]
You do not need to reproduce a ceremonial sequence or buy a collection of culturally significant objects to mark a fresh start. The following is a suggested personal practice, not a traditional Indigenous protocol.
A Simple Beginner Practice
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Decide Whether Smoke is Necessary
A smoke-free ritual is a reasonable starting point: tidy the space, pause quietly, and state what you want to cultivate there. For example:
“May this space support peace, clarity, kindness, and healthy boundaries.”
This wording is an original suggestion, not a traditional prayer.
Smoke-free practice also avoids adding combustion particles to indoor air. Research on incense burning shows that it can release substantial particulate pollution and other contaminants; “natural” smoke should not be treated as an air purifier.[scielosp]
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If Using Smoke, Prepare for Fire and Air Safety
Use a stable, purpose-made, heat-resistant vessel on a noncombustible surface. Keep burning material away from clothing, curtains, paper, children, and animals. Arrange ventilation, and do not leave anything burning unattended. Institutional smudging policies likewise emphasize ventilation, fire precautions, and careful handling of remnants.[clearview.ab]
If anyone has asthma, respiratory sensitivity, or discomfort with smoke, choose the smoke-free version rather than asking them to tolerate exposure. Ventilation can reduce exposure but does not make smoke pollution disappear.[scielosp][pdfs.semanticscholar]
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Check the Source of Any Plant Material
Do not assume “wild harvested,” “natural,” or “sustainable” on a label means the supplier can substantiate its claims. For white sage, ask where it was grown and whether it was cultivated or legally harvested. Do not collect it from public or Indigenous lands without authorization; documented poaching is a significant conservation concern.[csulb][cnps]
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Keep Smoke Volume Minimal
If you proceed, use a small amount rather than trying to fill the room. Seven Generations explicitly notes that only a small stream of smoke is necessary in the practice it describes. You do not need thick clouds to make an experience meaningful.[7generations]
For your own personal ritual, you might remain beside the vessel, speak your intention, and sit quietly for a short time. Deliberately inhaling smoke or directing it into the face is unnecessary exposure.[scielosp][pdfs.semanticscholar]
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Finish Safely
Never place hot ashes or smoldering plant material in a trash receptacle. Ensure everything is completely extinguished and cold before disposal or storage. If participating in a traditional ceremony, ask the leader how the remnants should be handled rather than assuming that burying, washing, or saving them is always appropriate.[7generations][clearview.ab]
What Not to Treat as Universal Rules
Be cautious with instructions asserting that everyone must:
- Walk clockwise or start in a particular direction.
- Use white sage, an abalone shell, or a feather.
- Follow a particular body sequence.
- Dispose of ashes in one prescribed way.
Specific communities may have teachings about these matters, but one community’s protocol should not be generalized to all Indigenous peoples. The public guidance from Seven Generations explicitly directs people to local Elders and knowledge keepers when protocols differ.[7generations]
Finally, distinguish spiritual meaning from medical claims. Cleansing, blessing, and preparing oneself can have religious or personal significance; those meanings do not establish that burning herbs disinfects a home, treats illness, or improves indoor air quality. The evidence cited here instead supports caution about smoke exposure.[7generations][scielosp]
Smudging and Other Energetic Cleansing Protocols
ENERGETIC CLEANSING PROTOCOLS: Daily Space Clearing Rituals:
Morning Activation Protocol:
Light a white candle while stating your intention: “I consecrate this space for healing and the highest good for all concerned.” Ring a Tibetan singing bowl (396 Hz frequency) in each corner for 30 seconds. Spray rose water mist in a spiral pattern from the center outward.
Between-Client Clearing:
Burn white sage or palo santo for 2 minutes minimum. Use a selenite wand to “comb” energy from the ceiling to the floor in vertical sweeping motions. (As a bonus, here is a link to Insight Timer’s selenite cleansing meditation by Camilla Sacre-Dallerup ) Visualize golden light filling the space while stating: “All that does not serve the highest good is now released.”
Popular Optionos for Weekly Deep Cleansing or Full Moon Energy Reset:
- Place bowls of sea salt in corners overnight during the full moon, then dispose of the contents in running water.
- Crystal Bed Activation: Arrange healing crystals under therapy chairs/massage tables in specific patterns based on client needs.
- Elemental Balancing: Incorporate all four elements weekly – earth (crystals/plants), water (sacred water bowl), fire (candles), air (incense/smudging).
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