Hello, and welcome to Part 2 of the Smudge Series! Part 1 was all about the basics of smudging. This post is exactly what it sounds like: how to get started. If you’d rather experience this in video format, head on over to my Instagram and watch the posted video!

Getting started with smudging is actually very easy! Step one is what you’re doing right now! You’ve realized you’re interested and now you’re choosing to begin. Step one: check!

Next, you’ll need supplies. This is so easy! You’ll need:

• A smudge stick of some sort (or smudge oil if you can’t do smoke)
• A way to light the smudge stick, like a match or a lighter
• Some sort of heat resistant holder like a bowl, dish, wood stand, or abalone shell (this last one is not actually heat resistant, so be sure to only put the unlit end in the shell!)

That’s it! That’s all that’s really necessary for smudging. Some people add in other things to their experiences, such as crystals, tarot cards, other symbols, and feathers for wafting the smoke. But none of this is absolutely necessary for smudging!

Once you have your supplies, you’ll need to choose your reason, your time, and your place. 

Your reason is your intention for your smudge session. Are you trying to clear negative energy? Are you looking to cleanse and purify a space after illness? Are you trying to focus? Are you simply looking for a time to be still and meditate? Perfect! ANY reason is good enough!

Choosing the time, and the amount of time, is important. Choose a time for smudging that you can be free of distraction. The LENGTH of time isn’t actually very important! As a matter of fact, I recommend for beginners to only have a smudge session that lasts for a few minutes, not a few hours. But, of course, the choice is yours!

The place is also entirely up to you, just be sure it’s well-ventilated! Don’t go locking yourself in a closet and lighting up! We’re still dealing with smoke, here. If you have asthma, my first recommendation would be to use a smudge oil instead, but if you really want to have the full smudging experience, I understand. Light your smudge, set your intention, then set your smudge in your heat resistant dish and leave the smoky area. Check in often— you don’t ever want to leave your smudge stick actually unattended. Once it extinguishes itself or you extinguish the smudge, you may return to the room, clear of smoke. The benefits are still there!

Here’s a little heads up: You’re going to smell like your smudge stick. Some are stronger than others, and they have different scents, but in general, you’ll smell like it until you change your clothes and/or shower. If this doesn’t bother you then don’t worry about it! But I only feel it’s fair to warn you, just in case.

Now that you’ve chosen your reason, your time, and your place, all that’s left is to actually do the thing! 

Go ahead and light that smudge stick! Try to light it evenly,  rotating the smudge stick through the flame, so that you get a nice, even burn. If your smudge stick continues to go out too quickly, this could be for a few reasons. 1) It may be too tightly bound. You can clip the string towards the top where you’re burning and spread it a little. 2) It may just need a little more air flow. You can gently blow on it or fan it with a feather. Just watch out for jumping ashes!

You don’t have to say or do anything special if you don’t want to! If you’d like to do something specific during your smudge session, feel free! One example would be if you want to cleanse a space of negative energy and invite positive energy in, it’s a good idea to hold your smudge stick and walk around the space widdershins (counterclockwise). If you’d like help coming up with a ritual, I would love to help! I provide different rituals and blessings/prayers to people for different situations such as cleansing a space. I’m working on listing the more basic rituals in my Etsy shop, but for now just send me a message and we can get it set up!

When you’re finished, extinguish your smudge stick (if it hasn’t already gone out on its own). You can do this either by stamping it out in sand or dirt, in an ash tray, some people stamp it into a sink, or just let it go out on its own (carefully watched). DO NOT EVER EXTINGUISH YOUR SMUDGE STICK IN WATER. Not only does this extinguish the energy you’ve created in a very harsh way,  but it can also lead to a health issue by allowing for mildew.

That’s it! That’s all you need to get started! No magic words, no fancy movements, and only a few simple supplies! You’re ready to go!

If you’re still feeling a little unsure about doing this on your own for the first time, don’t worry! Part 3 of this series is a Smudge-Along Experience video. You’ll have a direct shot of my altar and I will lead you through a short smudging experience. This will be posted on Thursday, May 21, 2020. It’s only a couple of days away! Keep an eye on my instagram leading up to that post, so that you can prepare for the video!

Until then, if you decide to go for it on your own, then remember that there’s NO pressure! You can do this however you’d like!

Happy Smudging! 

Your Smudge Buddy,

Dannika