Cleansing/Smudging

[Laoghaire]

Two weeks ago, when I was in England, I bought a smudge stick, with only sage. My sister doesn't like my room and is convinced that are 'things' there... I believe her, although I feel nothing in my own room. Above that, the killing of the babies last month close by our village has scared the hell out of her. She know sleeps with some light on, otherwise she is too scared. And she's 17...
I know cleansing my room and the rest of the house, while I'm at it, will give her some comfort.

But I found a lot of contradictions on the Internet. One says I have to open all the windows, the other urges me to keep them all closed. Clockwise? From to top to floor, or the other way around?

Any simple ideas?

[Invidosa]

Well, Personally, I smudge twice, once to cleanse and once to consecrate.

The first time, for cleansing, I leave all the windows open, and move counterclockwise around the room, focusing on the intent of pushing out anything negative, beginning and ending at a window. The second time, for consecration I move clockwise around the room with intenet of filling my space with protective energy, and then finish by saluting at n, s, e and west with a pentacle.

[skilly-nilly]

I use smudge, so I can tell you the process I use although it's by no means the only process that there can be.

First, a good sage stick will put out a huge amount of smoke; disable the fire alarms for the ritual! As well, if the weather permits, windows open is good but not essential, I think.

What you are doing is 3 steps:
emptying
barring/warding
filling

I start at the top of the house and pick one end. Going room by room, I circle clockwise visualizing driving out all negative influences/evil from the door and then back to the door again. I ward the windows (I use salt or StJohn's Wort oil) and make a gesture (hand flat, palm out, across the window) muttering "avert evil". I also ward the drains in the bathroom/s. When I'm back at the door I visualize pushing/sweeping all the bad out into the hall. And so on on that floor.
Then I sweep everything down the stairs and do the main floor, still going clockwise from the main outside door. Since the principal entrance (the 'front' door, not the 'most used' door) is usually facing the stairs, I visualize picking up the bad from the upstairs and adding in the bad from the main floor-- unless there's a basement, I'll do the basement before the main floor and make a pile of all the bad from the whole house.
I generally make ward-stones for the doors but I don't think that's essential as long as you ward them and really put energy into thinking of them as 'closed'. Then I open the front door (opening is now essential) and sweep/push it all out. Stand on the door-sill for a moment visualizing the empty house.
Ward the front door very hard. Then welcome in good things.

I use poetry, here are a couple I've used; feel free to use one yourself if you like them:

Let the storm break,
Let the clouds clear.
Sleeper, awake!
The Gods are always here.


Goddess, cover us with your wings.
In this good place, let us find,
The peace that safety brings,
The strength of the single mind.

Then close the door and try to not invite in negativity.

Good Working to you :smile:

[~Nixie]

I think that, in this case, it's good to go with your intuition and what feels right...
I personally like to open my window either during or after the smudging, depending on how much I'm burning, and other factors. Some of it boils down to mundane purposes. Do you feel comfortable being in a very smoky room? Or would you rather there be fresh air? How does it feel to you energetically? What is the energy like outside your home?
Just a few things to think about. :)

[Cobalt]

I think that, in this case, it's good to go with your intuition and what feels right...
I personally like to open my window either during or after the smudging, depending on how much I'm burning, and other factors. Some of it boils down to mundane purposes. Do you feel comfortable being in a very smoky room? Or would you rather there be fresh air? How does it feel to you energetically? What is the energy like outside your home?
Just a few things to think about. :)
I'm with Nixie. I'm very comfortable sitting in the strong sage-smoke, so I leave it. I find the smell extremely relaxing, and I figure it can't hurt to give my house a good "soak" with it. However, I have also used sage to quickly "rinse" off the walls and floors, allowing all the nasty crap to run like water out of the house through a window or door.

Generally, though, if I'm breaking out the sage I'm looking at a spiritual stain I don't want to leave to set. So I leave the smoke where it is for as long as possible.

[Laoghaire]

Thank you guys, for all the help... I still haven't smudged, because the family had a week off, and I'm a bit reluctant to do it in front of them.

I have a few more questions though...

On what side do you start to burn the sage? The leaves, or the branches end?
I'm a Roedie (soon to become Neophyte) in a coven, and I have my own robe. Shall I wear this while working?

My sis had a couple of bad nights, complaining about certain things in her and mine room. She is so sensitive...

[skilly-nilly]

The leaves, the branches end is a sort of handle and is often tightly wrapped to make it a better one-- you need the bunch to be at least a little wrapped in order to burn well and not fall apart unless you are going to use a fire-proof bowl and charcoal. A fire-proof bowl is a good thing in any case to catch any falling bits-- have some protection (oven mitts fr'example) between the bowl and your hand.

I think that wearing your robe is an excellent idea-- it will help put you in a powerfully Working mind-set.