herbs
The Real Secret To Smudging Is Your Intention
The secret to smudging isn’t just in the smoke alone. It is powered by your intention. The herbs may help to cleanse the air, but it is your focused energy and mindful purpose that makes the real difference.
This is what I learned from my mentor when I undertook my Ukuthwasa as a shaman initiate many years ago in Southern Africa. An initial part of my rigorous training as a Sangoma, or traditional healer, was a self-cleansing ritual using Mphepo, made up of herbs indigenous to Southern Africa.
“Smudging,” simply put, is the burning of certain herbs to create a cleansing smoke bath. The smoke is used to cleanse areas used for rituals and ceremonies, as well as any tools or objects used for such cleansing, as well as to cleanse people.
The practice of burning incense or herbs is held sacred by many indigenous cultures. It is aimed at protecting, cleansing and purifying the spiritual and physical bodies, with the smoke being the key to rid one of negative energy.
The intention behind any smudging ceremony is a very significant part of its success. With the focus and intent of the “smudger” fully aligned, spiritual, emotional, physical and mental balance can be achieved.
It may be a good time to smudge yourself, or your environment, when you feel depressed or angry, or feel that any exterior negative energy is affecting you, your surroundings or your possessions. Or you may just wish to ensure or enhance positive energy in spaces used for meditation or healing. Continue reading
Making Space For New Blessings To Arrive
At the beginning of a new year many people feel pressured to set big new goals, make major decisions, and “get it right” immediately.
But for the spiritually aware person, the real work of new beginnings starts somewhere simpler and quieter. It starts with clearing. It means releasing what no longer serve you, so there’s room for what’s next.
Over time, we all accumulate energy that is no longer ours to keep: old emotions, outdated beliefs, and stale patterns that once were protective but now just feel heavy.
If these things are not acknowledged and addressed, they tend to follow us into the every next chapter. That’s why the start of a new year can be a powerful time to pause and intentionally create space.
One simple place to begin is your physical environment. Just opening the windows can already shift the energy in a noticeable way.
Fresh air helps move stagnant mindset and stale energy out and brings in a sense of renewal. As you do this, take a moment to set an intention to release what feels old and invite in clarity, ease, and support.
Some people also choose to cleanse their space with sage or palo santo. This doesn’t need to be elaborate or ritualized. Slowly move through your space, paying attention to areas that feel heavy or overused, such as corners, entryways, and especially places where you often sit with your thoughts. As the smoke moves, silently name what you’re ready to let go of and the kind of energy you want to keep.
Create Your Own Energy Cleansing Spray
Remember the last time you changed out a dirty air filter from your air-conditioning unit, vacuum cleaner, or your car? Remember how clogged with dust it was? In our living spaces, negative energies accumulate over time just like those ‘dust bunnies.’
Even though we can’t see these energies, there is a way to clear them on a regular basis. Think of it as the spiritual version of house cleaning.
Just as we’re drawn to refresh our surroundings with a good spring clean, our homes and sacred spaces crave energetic renewal, too.
Energies from arguments, stress, illness, or even just the daily grind can leave behind subtle residue. This energetic debris doesn’t vanish on its own. Left unchecked, it can affect your mood, your sleep, and even the flow of abundance into your life.
The first and most obvious step to take is to physically clean your space. Clutter and unwanted items work as repositories for negative energy, so it’s important to get rid of it.
After you’re done, imagine the space being deep-cleaned with an indigo or violet-colored flame. Use this as a silent meditation, and picture the flames consuming all that invisible ‘dust.’
And, just like your body or your car, your space can be cleansed and cleared of obstructions.
The easiest way to do this is to create a personal essential oil blend, which can be sprayed throughout your office and home. If made right, these smell wonderful, although their main purpose is for energy clearing and not aromatherapy.
Here’s what you’ll need to make your very own space-clearing spray blend. The ingredients can be purchased at an herbal supplies or natural products store.
The Powerful Properties Of Lavender And Sea Salt
If you’re looking for natural, organic ingredients to purify, cleanse and detoxify yourself and your space, there’s no better choice than lavender and sea salt.
These two ingredients are relatively inexpensive and easily found. You can even make potpourri or enjoy a relaxing bath with homemade salts without breaking the bank.
Depending on your preference, and its intended use, you may wish to obtain your lavender in crushed or essential oil form. Either can be found at an esoteric or herbal shop.
In crushed (flower) form, lavender is well-known for its aromatic quality and can be mixed with another floral scent if preferred. Lavender is also famous for its autoimmune properties and ability to stimulate mental clarity, including psychic ability.
If you like the scent of lavender, as so many do, consider buying it for multiple locations: your bath; a sachet for your pillow to assist in dreamwork; and a vial of essential oil for the nightstand.
Lavender is a cleansing herb; its name comes from the French word meaning “to clean”.
We all look for quick fixes in life to detoxify and relax, and there’s no better way than this herb which has been used for centuries. For those who practice psychic work, it is a must-have. Just be sure to test yourself for allergies first!
Why Psychics, Healers And Empaths Use Essential Oils
Essential oils have long been sacred allies in spiritual and healing traditions around the world. Extracted from the aromatic essence of plants, these oils carry more than just fragrance; they carry the energetic blueprint and vibrational frequency of their botanical origins.
In spiritual practice, essential oils are potent tools for emotional alignment, energetic cleansing, and deepening our connection to the self, spirit, and earth, far surpassing their role as mere pleasant scents.
Essential oils act as bridges between the tangible and the intangible. They provide sensory cues that encourage relaxation of the body, focus of the mind, and openness of the spirit. While they don’t replace deep inner work or professional guidance, they provide gentle, supportive energy that enhances existing practices.
The use of essential oils in spiritual practices is anything but modern. Prophets, priests, shamans, and oracles across the ancient world worked with aromatic oils and resins as sacred tools to facilitate divine connection, purification, and inner vision.
In ancient Egypt and the Near East, frankincense and myrrh were revered not just for their fragrance, but for their ability to open spiritual gateways. Frankincense, often referred to as “liquid gold,” was burned in temples and used in rites of passage. Myrrh featured in sacred anointing blends and was considered essential for emotional release and spiritual attunement.
Clearing Toxic Energy From Your Home
When I do a reading for a client, I not only read their energy, but I also tune into the energy of their loved ones, co-workers, friends, home and work environments, and community. Often, it quickly becomes apparent that the client’s home environment is toxic, stagnant, or energetically polluted, deeply affecting their health, well-being, and spiritual harmony.
In these cases, clients often report a mix of physical and emotional symptoms commonly seen with energy pollution, which may include fatigue, irritability, anxiety, depression, oversleeping or insomnia, cravings for sugar, caffeine, or alcohol.
Sometimes there are also spiritual, supernatural, or paranormal issues in the home. These may include a persistent feeling of “being watched” or an unexplained heaviness or unusual temperature variations in certain areas of their home.
Clients may also describe disturbing dreams and nighmares, an inability to connect with their intuition, or a sense of spiritual detachment. Some even mention hearing unexplained noises or experiencing a frequent loss of items in the home that later turn up in strange or unexpected places.
The reason for this is that a energetically polluted environment tends to amplify negative spiritual attachments or attract energies that feed on the chaos. Such clients often express difficulty maintaining protective spiritual practices, such as meditation or grounding, and feel that their energy feeling drained or blocked.
The Ancient Spiritual Tradition Of Smudging
Just as our physical environment can become cluttered and unclean, our aura or energy field also accumulates stagnant and negative energy.
Regularly cleaning our homes and workplaces promotes health, hygiene and optimal function — and the same principle applies to our personal and spiritual energy. Clearing our energy field and environment helps to release negativity and toxic emotions, stress and anxiety, and promotes a sense of calm, clarity and balance.
Energy cleansing is essential for removing blockages that may be hindering personal and spiritual growth or disrupting your connection to spirit and the divine. Over time, lingering negative or toxic energy can even manifest as mental health issues, spiritual disconnection and even physical ailments.
By maintaining a regular practice of energy cleansing, you create a positive, harmonious flow of energy that supports overall health and well-being. In addition, a clear energy field sharpens your intuition and inner guidance, making it easier to align with your higher self and make decisions that are aligned with your greatest good.
Smudging is also a powerful way to clear negative energy attachments and banish malevolent spirit entities.
One of the most time-tested and effective methods of clearing unwanted energy is smudging, or smoke cleansing — an ancient purification ritual steeped in history and practiced by various cultures, religions, and spiritual traditions around the world.