Smudging it away

For Christmas someone in my office gave me a set of sage smudge sticks. She explained that they are burned and used to eliminate negative energy in your home. I was intrigued!

I kept waiting for the right time to smudge my apartment. For some reason, I really wanted it to be at a moment when everything in my home was neat and in good harmony. This never seemed to happen. So, this past weekend, my friends were over sipping some martinis and being the drama queen that I am, I jumped up to tell a story and smashed one of our brand new glasses and almost drenched my laptop in one quick motion. THEN, my friend that is suffering from major back issues was laughing hysterically at a youtube video when our dining room chair completely gave out from underneath him, toppling him to the floor. Call it "bad jou jou" or "maloik" but whatever it was... it had to go! After finishing off a cosmo, I decided to break out the smudge stick.

My friend Courtney, the boho hobo, is a bit more experienced in feng shui and other energy practices... so I had her step me through what to do.

THE PROCESS: First, I lit the tip of the smudge stick and let it burn for about 30 seconds. I blew it out so that it would smoke, similar to incense. It gives off a very light smell that is a bit floral but with a touch of citrus.

I started at the front door and traced around the frame with the smudge stick. Then, I proceeded around the apartment in a clockwise direction. Every time I reached another doorway, I would draw the smudge stick around it. I entered each room and walked around the outskirts, letting the smoke "bless" each area. I paid special attention to my bed and couch. I also twirled it around a bit over the broken chair.

After I finished, all I had to do was sit the burning stick on a plate and let it extinguish itself. It hardly used up much of the sage, so I can use it again & again!

THE RESULTS: Our apartment honestly doesn't feel much different. But I suppose it's hard to tell. Courtney said that sometimes at her work they will smudge an area after a very negative person leaves and the stick smokes like crazy. So maybe it's a good sign that the stick only let off a little smoke when I used it. I also didn't take my time as I probably should have - rushing through for the first half and then realizing I should probably be allowing the smoke to disappate in each area and take a moment to reflect and let it work it's magic. I think I will give it another go soon!

The use of smudge sticks are a Native American tradition & can be used in many ways - read more here.

I love the idea of using it whenever something negative happens, to cleanse the area and start anew. Whenever I have an argument, sometimes I can literally feel it hanging in the air long after it is over. The lady in my office told me that she smudged the heck out of a chair that her ex-boyfriend sat in regularly after they broke up to rid him of her home. I've been feeling negative energy creep up on me lately - easily slipping into a bad mood, snapping at little things, and just giving in to the "blah" - so I am going to try whatever I can to remove it!