By: Alyssa Vazquez
In today’s New Age practices, the most common way of “cleansing” is to burn sage bundles and waft the smoke around the house. While many have adopted the ritual as part of their practice, it is important to know and respect those who have used this ritual for centuries. That credit goes to the Indigenous people. Unfortunately, they have had their culture appropriate by non-Indigenous practitioners while simultaneously being denied their right to practice freely in certain areas.
Smudging:
White sage is the most common herb used in the new age practice, however there are a variety of herbs (sweet grass, palo santo, etc.) that are used for similar reasons. All these herbs are holy and medicinal to the Indigenous people who use them. Depending on the tribe, one or a mix of selected herbs will be used in a ritual called, “smudging.” Smudging is a ritual/ceremony that the Indigenous people preform in order to spiritually cleanse or bless a person or place. In many cases, both in the past in present times, Indigenous practitioners were frowned upon and restricted from practicing the ritual freely.
In modern times, business have commercialized white sage and other herbs for the Non- Indigenous consumer. Not only do they profit from this injustice, but the also misappropriate the ritual and materials. Many kits include a “smudge stick” or a bundle of herbs that you burn whenever you feel like. In actuality, the origin of the ritual requires the use of loose herbs and is performed for ceremonies. The ritual is not for just “if the vibes are off.” Furthermore, commercialized smudge sticks could contain toxins that are harmful to the environment and body when burned.
Ethical Ways of Obtaining:
Since those that have a rightful claim to the practice face discrimination for said practice, it is best to support Indigenous owned businesses. If you have to buy sage or other herbs, find an Indigenous owned store, and make sure that the people there are fine with you using the herb in your ritual. Same principle applies with incense and resin.
If you cannot find a valid source to buy your herbs, you can take up gardening. It is possible to grow your own herbs and create your own bundles to use. While you might not be able to grow White Sage, Kitchen Sage or Common Sage can work just as well and can serve as a replacement.
Other methods:
If you are still concerned about buying or growing herbs, not to worry. In the New Age practice, there is more than one way to cleanse a space, object, or spirit.
Moon Water: Moon Water is simply water blessed by the moon’s light. Depending on the phase of the moon the water will have a different purpose (e.g. Full moon is great for charging and cleansing, while the New moon is better for clean slates). Moreover, it’s very simple to make and adapt to your practice. The one downside would be if you wanted to cleanse non-waterproof objects. Also of note, please do your research on what crystals can and cannot go in water before trying this method.
Sounds: Ever just jam out to a song that made you really happy, or do you have a power playlist you listen to? Sounds and music can be used to cleanse a room and bring in good vibes. Weather you love the sound of wind chimes, or Stevie Nicks, you can easily cleanse a space and yourself of those negative energies. This is a fun and subtle way to cleanse your room, especially if you cannot use smoke cleansing.
Crystals: Many objects can be cleansed with crystals, such as tarot cards, or yourself. The most common crystals used to cleanse and/or charge are clear quarts, selenite, and obsidian. Clear quarts is used to manly charge pure, clear energy; selenite is used for both cleansing and charging; and obsidian is used to absorb negative energy. Put a crystal in your pocket, in your cubical, or on top your cards. It’s as simple as that.
“White Light”: In my personal belief, you do not always need tools to practice. Tools like crystals, incenses, cards are all there to help focus energy within the practitioner. Here is an exercise that will help cleanse and protect your space. Imagine a flicker of candle light in your core (or your heart). Feel the warmth of that growing light spread throughout your body and into your hands. From here, you have two orbs of white light in hand. You can either cleanse and object in hand by holding it or allow those orbs to grow and engulf the area/yourself. If doing the latter, feel the warmth inside the orbs. Proclaim that this area will only allow positive energies. This can be modified in anyway the practitioner sees fit.
In Summary
It pays off in the long run to do your own research on new practices. Plenty of cultures have been appropriated and even when those cultures are credited for the invention, the rituals/materials/symbols tend to become used incorrectly and misinterpreted in popular culture. Some rituals and materials are more than just a new trend. If you want to be a good ally to these cultures, such as the Indigenous people, support their practices, research and gain a new respect, and listen to what the people are saying.