White sage - a large smudge stick

About White Sage (Salvia Apiana)

White Sage is an evergreen shrub that grows along the California Coast Mountains and in Mexico. It is one of the strongest incense herbs with a rich aroma and strong smoke.

Effects

Its smoke has a very strong purifying effect. The ritual of lighting incense has been present in all cultures for as long as mankind has existed. With the ritual of lighting white sage and other incenses, we purify the mind, body and spirit. With the help of white sage smoke and concentration and prayer, we can purify negative energy (things, people, animals...).
Incenses cleanse, balance and open the way for fresh energy and forces so that our life energy can flow freely and allows us to move forward. We clean energies with incense. The more we 'smoke', the clearer our life will become and the easier it will be to move forward. It is very important that we take care of purifying ourselves and our environment. The belief that bad forces cannot enter a room where sage is used comes from ancient cultures. To smoke means to purify with the smoke of sacred plants. We can purify the body, spirit, animal, home, office, treatment room or any place or thing in the world.

How to use

Lighting and using white sage incense is simple, but it is important to do it safely and with respect. Here are some steps you can follow:

• Prepare: Ensure adequate ventilation in the room where you will be using the incense. Dress comfortably, relax and focus on your intention.

• Prepare the incense: If you are going to use just the leaves, remove the top layers of dry white sage leaves and place them in an incense bowl. You can use a shell or some other resistant container for this purpose. If you are going to use a scroll, prepare it.

• Light incense: Use matches to light one end of the scroll or white sage leaves. Wait a few seconds for the fire to die down and the incense to start smoking.

• Blow the smoke: Blow the smoldering sage to make it smoke better. If it doesn't smoke, repeat the process.

• Cleaning the room: when the incense starts to smoke, hold it over the incense bowl and slowly walk around the room you want to clean. If necessary, blow into the incense, wave it in the air, or use a pen to help you until it is smoking well again. We can say our prayer during the ceremony. To cleanse a person, the process is similar, except that you circulate the smoke around the person.

• After use: wait for the incense to completely die out. If you are not going to use the incense roll to the end, extinguish it under water and leave it in the air to dry for the next time. For safety, do not leave smoldering incense alone. Clean the censer and store the incense in a dry place.

The use of white sage incense by North American peoples

White sage is, along with cedar and tobacco, one of the most important sacred plants among North American Indians. It is used as incense in spiritual and medicinal ceremonies. It is believed that white sage cleans negative energies, helps ward off evil spirits and brings positive energy.

Sage needs enough air to smoke. The North Indians use special bird feathers for this purpose. The smoke represents prayers that go into the cosmos. In Indian rituals, they turn to the energies of the four directions of the sky (north, south, east, west), or four powerful guides - animal spirits (white buffalo, coyote, eagle and grizzly), which are also connected to the four elements earth, water, fire , air). North - the spirit of the white buffalo: grounds, protects, gives knowledge about life and death. It rules the element of earth.

South - the spirit of the coyote: represents a clear and quick mind and rules the emotions and the element of water.

East - the spirit of the eagle: represents inspiration, foresight, protection, purification and rules the element of air.

West - the spirit of the grizzly bear: represents energy, strength, determination, purification. It rules the element of fire.