Magical Properties of Incense and Smudge Sticks

.What is Smudging?

"Smudging" is the common name given to a powerful cleansing technique from the Native American tradition; however, the burning of herbs for emotional, psychic, and spiritual purification is a common practice among many religious, healing, and spiritual traditions. It is a ceremonial way to cleanse a person, place or an object of negative energies or influences. It is also an effective method for energizing or blessing a person, place or object.

Smudging can be useful when you're feeling depressed, angry, resentful, unwell or after you have had an argument with someone. It is common to smudge yourself, the space and all the guests or participants before a ritual or ceremony or celebration. You can smudge your home or work space as part of a general spiritual housecleaning, and you can cleanse crystals or other objects of any negative or lingering energy with a smudging ritual.

How to Smudge

Any action undertaken with intention and belief can become a potent ritual, so consider your intention before you smudge and hold it clearly in your mind. Smudging should be done with care, with reverence and in an attitude of love.

A candle flame is recommended to light the smudge stick as it may take a little time to get the stick smoking. Once the stick is alight with flame, blow it out so that the smudge stick is smoldering, not burning - be careful not to blow ash everywhere. If you're using loose leaves, a candle is still recommended, but the single leaf will light much more quickly - again, you want to blow out the flame so the sage doesn't burn away too rapidly (you won't get the sweet sage smoke if it burns rather than smolders). And yes, it is still called smudging if you are only using loose leaves not rolled into smudge sticks.

What is the advantage to using loose leaf vs. smudge sticks? You may need to light more than one leaf for your purpose, but you won't be relighting a smudge stick that may smell like old ash the next time you need the power of sage. Further, a goodly portion of a smudge stick can be "wasted" in snuffing out a stick. A smudge stick goes a long way, so it is unlikely that you'll use the whole thing in only one use unless it is a lengthy ceremony.

Smudging yourself or another

Fan the swirls of smoke around your body from head to toe. You may want to especially focus on areas where you feel there are blockages or where there has been or is physical, emotional, or spiritual pain. Imagine the smoke lifting away all the negative thoughts, emotions and energies that have attached themselves to you. If you are feeling depressed, for instance, you could visualize the smoke carrying away all your feelings of depression.

You may want to speak an intention or a suggestion for the smudging as you do it. Repeat this process with your guests as they enter the space at a ritual, ceremony or special event.

Smudging a room or space

Light the smudge stick as suggested above, and walk about the perimeter, giving special attention to the corners and the places behind doors. You can also fan the smoke throughout the room with a large feather. If you are amenable to the notion, you should state a prayer of gratitude for the cleansing and keep in mind your intention of removing any negatively inclined energy from the area during the ritual.

This is a list of Herbs used in Incense and Smudge Sticks

AFRICAN VIOLET: used for spirituality and protection. 

ALOESWOOD: used for spirituality, meditation, luck, love and to strengthen other incenses.

AMBER: used in healing, meditation. 

APPLE: used in love, peace and happiness.

BAMBOO: Bamboo is the stick used to hold the herbs and resins in most stick incense. It has magical uses of its own. It is used in divination in Chinese Temples. Used in luck, protection and hex-breaking rituals.

BANANA: used for fertility, potency and prosperity rituals. 

BASIL: used for happiness, peace and money. 

BAY: used for psychic awareness and purification.

BENZOIN: used for purification, prosperity, knowledge, peace, and psychic protection 

BERGAMOT: used for peace, happiness, restful sleep. 

CAMOMILE: used for sleep, meditation and peace. 

CAMPHOR: used for purification, physical energy and celibacy.

CEDAR: used for purifying, protection and to banish bad dreams. Used by Native Americans in sweat lodges to release heavy emotional energies.

CHAMPA: used for meditation and for creating your sacred space. An auric energizer. It brings one's energies into harmonious balance.

CHERRY: used to attract love and divination.

CINNAMON: raises spiritual and protective vibrations, stimulates psychic powers, physical energy.

COPAL, BLACK: used in immunity, heart rituals, purification. An earthy, spicy Copal. Burned during "Day of the Dead" Celebrations.

CLOVE: used to drive away hostile, negative forces, a psychic enhancer. It is also used to produce spiritual vibrations and to purify the area.

DESERT SAGE: used to drive out bad spirits, feelings and influences. An important, strong, herbaceous Native American Plant. Burned for wealth, wisdom, knowledge, protection, and purification.

DRAGON'S BLOOD: Resin from the palm tree. It is used in rituals involving love, protection and exorcism. Burned for consecration, protection, good luck.

EUCALYPTUS: used in healing and to maintain good health, purification and protection.

FRANGIPANI: used for psychic work to restore peace and harmony with its soothing vibrations.

FRANKINCENSE: used as an incense for purification, spiritual growth, knowledge and meditation. Has been used for over 3,000 years and is still burned in Catholic churches. 

FRANKINCENSE & MYRRH: A powerful combination that is used for spirituality, healing, protection and exorcism. Used as an incense for purification, spiritual growth, knowledge and meditation.

GARDENIA: used in love spells and to attract good, peaceful spirits during rituals. Possesses very high spiritual vibrations. Also used for peace and love. 

GINGER: Used in money and success rituals, for psychic growth, success, sex, love money and courage.

GUM ARABIC POWDER: used in protective and psychic awareness rituals. Burned for purification. 

HONEYSUCKLE: used for love, fidelity, money, protection and clairvoyance. A mental stimulant that aids intuition and psychic perception.

HYACINTH: used for love, protection, happiness and overcoming grief. Guards against nightmares.

HYSSOP LEAF: used for wealth and psychic protection 

IRIS: used for love and psychic awareness.

JASMINE: used to create prophetic and psychic dreams, love, peace, spirituality and raising vibrations.

JUNIPER: used to promote psychic powers, protection, purification and healing. Guards against evil and sickness. Used in sick rooms throughout Europe.

LAVENDER: used in love and healing rituals. Used to attract and protect relationships. Promotes sleep and peacefulness.

LEMONGRASS: used for psychic awareness and purification.

LILAC: used for love, protection, exorcism and protection. Brings peace and harmony into everyday life. 

LIME: used for purification, physical energy and protection.

LOTUS: The Lotus has been long revered in the East as a mystical symbol of life, spirituality and the center of the universe. Burned for protection and as a sacred offering to the Gods. It is said to attract good fortune and love while promoting long life. 

MACE: used for psychic awareness. 

MAGNOLIA: used for fidelity and love. 

MELON: used for healing and health. 

MIMOSA: used for psychic dreams and love. 

MUGWORT: used for psychic awareness, psychic dreams and astral projection. MUSK: used for protection, enlightenment and sexual magnetism. Stimulates self-confidence, determination and enhances extroversion. 

MYRRH: Was used in the temple of Isis. Great meditation and contemplation incense. Used or protection, spirituality, healing and stimulates crown chakra. NAG CHAMPA: A blend of costly, highly fragrant rare gums, resins & powders for meditation and for creating your sacred space. An auric energizer. It brings one's energies into harmonious balance. 

NUTMEG: used for physical energy, magical energy, psychic awareness and money. 

OSHA: A plant revered by all Native American healers for its powerful healing abilities. Used to treat respiratory and rheumatic complaints. 

ORANGE: used for beauty, luck, fidelity, love, purification, joy and physical energy.

PEPPERMINT: used for healing, protection, prosperity, growth and renewal. 

PINE: used for healing, purification, protection, grounding, physical and magical energy.

PINEAPPLE: used for luck, money and chastity.

PINION PINE: used in healing, money, exorcism and protection rituals. PLUMERIA: used for peace and love. 

ROSE: used in love, luck, grief and healing rituals. Induces thoughts of loving affection and peaceful harmonious vibrations. Used for prophetic dreams.

ROSEMARY: used as powerful cleansing and purifying vibrations. One of the oldest incenses. Used in love, healing and mental rituals. Stimulates memory and clarification.

SAFFRON: used for love, healing, happiness, lust, strength and clairvoyance.

SANDALWOOD: used for spiritual awareness, meditation and psychic development. 

STAR ANISE: used for psychic awareness. Sacred Japanese temple incense used to drive away negativity and to bring good luck 

STRAWBERRY: used for love and luck.

SWEETGRASS: used to purify spaces and to attract positive influences. 

SWEETPEA: used for happiness and courage. 

TEA, GREEN: used for money, courage and strength.

Tobacco: Sacred Plant of Native Americans

The custom and belief is that when you pick sage (or receive any gift from nature) you should give the gift of tobacco to the plant first. This is a respectful way of thanking the earth, the sage plant, and the Creator for the gift you are about to receive. Just sprinkle a little tobacco on the plant first, then after your give thanks pick only as much as you need and will use.

TUBEROSE: used to ward off evil and negativity. It restores happiness, peace and harmony.

VANILLA: used for love, lust, healing, luck and mental powers.

VERBENA, LEMON: used or carried for protection and love.

WHITE SAGE: used to purify and protect objects, places and people.

White Sage is traditionally used as a cleansing plant by Native Americans for healing, ceremonies, and to remove negative energy. The belief is that it also said to be mind enhancing

WISTERIA: used for protection and calling higher spiritual forces.

WOOD BETONY: used in protection and reunion rituals. 

YARROW: used for psychic awareness, courage and love. 

YERBA SANTA LEAF: used to drive out negative influences and restores a guarded boundary of protection. 

YLANG-YLANG: used for peace, sex, love, calming and tension relieving'