How to Sage a House

Sage has ritual meaning

Rituals involving sage go back as far as ancient Rome. Its classified name, Salvia, implies salvation and good health. Long cultivated for its beauty and medicinal properties, sage has spiritual import for many cultures, including the native peoples of North America, according to University of Wisconsin Extension. Dried and burned in the home, it creates a beautiful scent that is considered cleansing and healing in some cultures. This process of saging a house is often called "smudging."

Things You'll Need

• Dried sage in small bundles
• Matches
• Heat-proof ceramic bowl
• Full glass of water

Instructions

1. Cut fresh sage from a plant in your garden. Tie it in small bundles with string, and hang to dry where it will be out of direct sunlight. The sage should be dry in about two weeks.

2. Take down a bundle of sage when the stems are dry and brittle to the touch. Pull several stems from the bundle and crush them into a heat-proof ceramic bowl. Light them with a match, keeping a full glass of water near you at all times. Let it flame up, and burn down to get the smoke started.

3. Walk through every room in your house with the burning sage, blowing lightly on the embers to disperse the smoke. Keep the glass of water handy in case there are flames rather than embers--in which case, just pour the water into the bowl to put it out. Include closets, bathrooms, and corners, both high and low.

4. Continue saging your house from top to bottom. Do this periodically to freshen the atmosphere and give it a pleasant, energized feeling. Create your own prayer or other positive message to accompany the process to create a smudging ritual that is uplifting and personal to you.

Tips & Warnings

• Grow your own sage in a large flowerpot. It takes about 75 days to grow, from seed to harvest.

• Add some sand to the bottom of your ceramic bowl as an insulator.

• Don't blow hard on burning sage, and keep a sharp eye out for drifting sparks.

References

• University of Wisconsin Extension: Sage
• Medicine Garden: Sacred White Sage
• Meyna: Sacred Sage-Suggested Uses

Resources

• Massachussetts Institute of Technology: Christian Andreason's Spiritual Housecleaning Advice
• University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey: Herbs: The Roots of Medicine