Smoke Cleansing 101: How To Cleanse Your Home or Office with Plants and Herbs
Years ago when I was gifted my first bundle of sage I was quickly drawn to the wafts of streaming smoke and the cleansing scent that immediately gave me a serious mood boost. I loved the hippie aroma right away.
I had no idea, however, what working with sacred plants was really about.
Today I’m an avid moon practitioner. I create rituals and ceremonies for cleansing and manifestation for the New Moon and Full Moon and lead a course guiding others through these practices. One of the very first ceremonial moon rituals I began to practice was smoke cleansing.
It’s a wonderful practice to set the space for releasing on a new moon or manifesting on a full moon, and it was my gateway into my regular ceremonial practices.
That first bundle didn’t come with a history lesson explaining the traditional rituals practiced by indigenous people or the scientific evidence explaining why my mood was immediately lifted.
All I knew was that the smell permeated the room, and seemed to fill me up with a sense of calm. I have hooked up right away. I was gifted that small bundle by a friend who instructed me to burn it as a sort of spiritual hygiene practice. I was just getting into meditation, and her advice was to light up, cleanse my space, and then sit down to meditate.
As I read more about this gift I discovered that sage supports so many things - including memory retention and brain activity. For me, as someone running a business, teaching manifestation, leading communities, and being a forever student anything that could increase cognitive focus was a serious plus.
What is a smoke cleansing ritual?
Before making this recommendation far and wide, it’s important that I share the difference between this practice and smudging in order to pay respect to cultural and spiritual rituals.
Smudging is one of the oldest sacred methods of cleansing a person or space, and getting rid of unwanted spirits, and refers to specific cultural practices.
Smoke cleansing may look like smudging, but is the simple act of incorporating healing plants (cinnamon sticks, lavender, or bay leaves are great options) into your home cleansing rituals.
The smudging ritual has roots with Indigenous people in North America. When Indigenous people gather white sage, they always leave the root and say a prayer of thanks for the harvest. Today, because the plant has become a trendy one, it’s sold on Amazon and in Sephora “Witch Kits.”
Palo Santo (“holy wood” in Spanish) has become a popular alternative to white sage. It is traditionally harvested and used by Amazonian tribes - and due to its new popularity, the tree is over-harvested and at risk for extinction.
My recommendation is to be incredibly mindful when sourcing sacred herbs. The commodification of white sage has created concern among Native American communities that it’s being over-harvested, and has contributed to a loss of respect for their religion and rituals.
As you make this a part of your regular practice be sure you’re buying high-quality, ethically cultivated herbs and resins. Shaman markets or herbal shops are good places to shop. Online stores often aren’t concerned with selling a high-quality ceremonial, and ecologically responsible product so treat your medicinal plants like you do your food: shop organic and from a local source.
Non-Indigenous people should learn to cleanse their spaces in ways that are culturally and ecologically sensitive.
As with a lot of holistic healing methods that have gone mainstream in recent years, smokes and herbs have become common household tools. To incorporate this practice into your routine, there are many sustainable herbs to consider as well.
When my mother-in-law bought a new home last year she hired a contractor who ended up being quite a con artist. She called and asked what she should do to get his bad vibes out of her new home? My recommendation: rosemary and juniper smoke cleansing. Rosemary is particularly good for new beginnings; juniper has a comforting aroma.
Herbs are also useful to keep around a busy office. Lavender leaves, for example, can be used in teas to help calm nerves. I love offering up herbal tea during a meeting rather than a second or third cup of coffee.
Sustainable Medicinal Plants for Smoke Cleansing:
Cinnamon sticks
Lavender
Bay leaves
Rosemary
Juniper
Lemongrass
Spruce
Pine
Mugwort
Peppermint
Chamomile
Rosebuds
These plants are excellent tools when bundled together in a smoke wand. Like white sage and Palo Santo, each plant has its own meaning and medicinal uses. I highly recommend reading books like The Book of Herbal Wisdom: Using Plants as Medicines and The Modern Herbal Dispensatory: A Medicine-Making Guide to learn more about the herbal traditions.
How to Use Medicinal Plants For Smoke Cleansing
You can smoke cleanse yourself, others, a space (home, office, apartment), or any other healing tools you have like crystals. Before you get started consider your intention.
Are you cleansing to create sacred space to call in your manifestations and big dreams? Are you cleansing to open up your intuition and inner wisdom?
Once you’ve established your intention follow these steps:
Holding your plant, light the end and let it burn well for a few seconds. You want the burn to be slow, we’re not trying to burn down the place. Once you have a steady stream of smoke, allow the smoke to envelop you.
Next, walk counterclockwise around the space and fan the smoke focusing on the corners of the room. Corners are where stale energies accumulate.
Once you’ve covered the space, open a window or a door and let the old energy leave the room, flowing outward.
When the purification is complete place the plant in a bowl and allow the ember to slowly fade by itself.
Practice feeling into the energy of the room and notice when it changes. Some places will need more than one round of smoke cleansing.
Have questions or want to learn more? Leave a comment or send a DM over on Instagram!
