Smudging in the New Year + Fostering Positivity Draw

Amber's chest of incense used for smudging

What is smudging? The act of smudging is an ancient ceremony, practiced all over the world. The fragrant materials may differ depending on the geography and culture—ancient Egyptians favored Khyphi and Native Americans White Sage and Sweet Grass—but the one thing that remains the same is the specific intention to clear and bless a space or person.

 

 

Amber Jobin of Aether Arts Perfumes in the style of Alphonse Mucha

It’s 2018!  Between all the changes the past year has brought and the head-long rush into the holiday season, I often find myself rather unceremoniously dumped into a new year not quite knowing how I got there. Whenever I find myself feeling dazed and out of step with time, I remember the importance of slowing down. 

White Sage bundles for smudging

To that end, I’ve developed a few rituals that bring me into the present moment and also set the stage for a fresh state of mind. One of my favorites is clearing my home of all the stale accumulated energies (and smells) that have collected over the last year through smudging.   I do this with fragrance and fire, using a smoldering bundle of White Sage to wash away impurities, sadness, anxieties, dark thoughts and any unwanted energies or emotions that may be clinging to a space or individual. I find this an especially nice way to welcome in and prepare for a new year.  The simple act of lighting the sage, blowing on it gently until it smolders, and walking the sage around my home puts me profoundly in the present moment and clears my mind of mental chatter. Start in your kitchen and move clockwise around the entire house and around all doors and windows. You should say a prayer  or have an intention as you sage or smudge

Palo Santo burning 

The process is smudging is simple:  chose your favorite, fragrant combustible—whether a bundle of White Sage, a sliver of Palo Santo,  (Never under estimate a good stick of Palo Santo—it can change your world) or simply a stick of ready-made incense—set it alight, blow out the flames and let it smolder.  Be sure to have a fire-proof vessel handy to catch any ash or sparks.  With your now smoldering incense, walk through the space you wish to purify with the clear intention of dispelling any negative energies with the smoke.  I like to carry the incense into each corner and any closets of a room I’m clearing.

Alternative to smudging:  The Golden Lotus Electric Incense Heater by Mermade Magickal Arts (photo Amber)

There’s a wonderful alternative for those of you that have people or animal friends in your home that may object to the smoke of smudging: The Golden Lotus Electric Incense Heater by Mermade Magickal Arts.  This beautiful incense heater has an adjustable thermostat that allows for gentle heating of incense materials which results in less smoke and more fragrance.  It is by far my favorite way to enjoy resins like frankincense, myrrh, and opoponax.  Frankincense in particular is a favorite all through the winter months; in addition to the beauty of its fragrance, it also great for a cold.  It can help eliminate phlegm in the lungs.  It also acts as an anti-inflammatory in the nasal passages, making breathing easier, even for those with allergies or asthma.  The scent is cleansing, refreshing and relaxing and clears away the anxiety and stress that frequently accompanies being ill.

 

photo via flickr

Indeed, perfume takes its name from the Latin “per fumare” which means “through” or “by” smoke. Try smudging; you will be surprised how this ancient ritual will clear negative energy and foster positivity. Happy New Year

Guest Contributor, Amber Jobin of AetherArtsPerfume.com

Note: If you missed our workshop on the art of incense making please read it here. All art by Amber unless otherwise noted-M.C.

House of Matriarch Antimony Incense

Thanks to Christi Meshell of House of Matriarch we have your choice of 100 percent natural Antimony incense (oud, palo santo, guaic gurgan balsam) which was based on her award- winning CaFleureBon Project Talisman

or

House of Matriarch

the highest quality palo santo incense wood to one registered reader Worldwide.  Please be sure to register. To be eligible leave a comment with what you learned about smudging, where you live and what you enjoyed about Amber’s article, our first of 2018.  Do you have rituals for welcoming in the New Year or making a fresh start? Are you familiar with smudging? Be sure to include whether you would like to enter for the incense cones or for the Palo Santo wood stick, which is only available to her clients. Draw closes 1/4/2018

We announce the winners only on our site and on our Facebook page, so like Cafleurebon and use our RSS blog feed…or your dream prize will be just spilled perfume.

 

 

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17 comments

  • doni says:

    Good read! Smudging has become one of my NYE rituals. I particularly appreciated the info about Frankincense being anti-inflammatory. DC, New York. I’d like to enter for the incense cones. Thank you!

  • Robert H. says:

    DNEM- wonderful article from Amber and the perfect read for the first day of a new year, thank you! Sage and sweet grass bundles are my preferred method of smudging, and I’ve been using them since the early 70’s, they’re even available in our local supermarket. Don’t dismiss this ritual as woo woo or new age nonsense, there’s something very powerful about smudging with intention, and the info about the health benefits is terrific! xoxo

  • xoe says:

    As an incense maker myself, I love to read about other people’s ways of using and enjoying the smokey arts. And it was good of her to talk about alternatives to sage and sweetgrass. While I love Palo Santo, I want to win the cones, definitely. I haven’t tried anyone else’s blends for quite a while. I am in the US.

  • esz says:

    Ooh yes please add me in to this draw 🙂
    I like incense and things that make a room smell nice but I’ve got to say I’m a bit of a skeptic when it comes to the banishing of negative energies and all that.

    I am in Melbourne, Australia 🙂

  • Jackie b says:

    Happy New Year to all! That electric burner looks like a great idea for incense resin. I am a big fan of smudging and have already been through my house with frankincense. i would love to win the incense cones and am in Australia.

  • Amy Maloney says:

    Very happy to hear Mermade Magickal arts incense burner mentioned! I use it often. I put pellets of Frankincense, Myrrhe, and Labdanum from Mermade in the burner and let them smolder. The pellets melt a bit and give off very little smoke. They also last forever.

    I’ve jumpstarted my meditation practice within the the last few months. I have a sage bundle brought back to me from a friend who made it from sage in Nebraska. I cleanse the little space where I sit. These little rituals are so important to me. Using scent within a meditation practice is indispensable! I’d love to win the Palo Santo stick! Thank you. I live in the US.

  • oldandsmelly says:

    I am very familiar with smudging but I learned about that wonderful incense burner by Mermade Magical Arts and I enjoyed learning about that very much in Amber’s article. My ritual for the new year is eating Black Eyed Peas and for clearing space and energy I like to ritually clean and then spay Florida Water and smudge with a mix of lodge pole pine pitch mixed with red ceder. I live in the US and I would prefer the Palo Santo wood stick. Thanks.

  • Fusiongel says:

    Happy New Year! I enjoy using my “Autumn Leaves” incense around the house. I’ve heard about smudging before but I never knew the term for it until now. Please enter me in the giveaway for the incense cones. I am in the US. Thanks

  • aurora_ru says:

    Energy cleanse through smoke – it really works. I mostly burn pure frankincense resins to clear out heavy stagnant energy burdens.
    I really would like to try out Antimony incense cones. I am in the EU. Thank you!

  • Timea says:

    Wonderful article, it was so interesting to read, and learning new things. I not really used to burning incenses, at least very rare. I wold like to win Antimony incense (oud, palo santo, guaic gurgan balsam). Thanks for the chance. I live in Europe.

  • Esther says:

    I love burning incense, especially frankincense but smudging us new to me, I’ll try this soon. Here in Germany (or North Europe)there’s a tradtion in the so called “Rauhnächte” in the time from 24th December to 6th of January to burn incense to chase away evil spirit that are around in this time of the year. I use this ritual to set intentions for the new year and burn incense each night. On the days I don’t want to use the charcoal, I use house of matriarch’s cones, I live their Alpha cones and would enjoy to try the Antimony cones. Thanks for the draw and the inspiration. Happy New Year!

  • doveskylark says:

    I burn Palo Santo sticks, frankincense resin, and Japanese incense. I believe smoke purifies and contributes to bringing sacredness to my home. I have yet to try burning sage bundles, but I’ve heard about it for a long time. I believe in the ritual of expressing gratitude as the year begins. I walk around the city and express gratitude (in my mind) for everything I come across.
    I’d love to win the Antimony incense.
    I live in the USA.

  • Kate C says:

    What a beautiful ritual! I’ve heard a fair amount of smudging but have never quite gotten to it myself. We don’t really have any traditions here, but I like to clean out the fridge on New Year’s day to have a nice clean, organized food-wise start to the year. I live in the US and would like to enter for the Palo Santo wood stick. Thank you!

  • yukon1 says:

    Huge fan of incense,love myrrh and all those lovely resins, also learned quite a bit about smudging from article and some of the benefits from frankincense which I had no idea.

    I would love to win the Incense cones !

    I live in Canada ….

    Thanks for giveaway !!!

  • rodelinda says:

    I’ve never tried smudging, but I love incense, and our house has been plagued with all sorts of weird problems lately, so I’m willing to try anything at this point! Now I’ll have to look into electric incense heaters. I’m in the US, and my choice would be the Palo Santo incense wood stick since say a good quality one can change my world. Thanks!

  • mahigermez says:

    I loved your article, Amber! Reminds me that our house, inside and out, is due for smudge. We use bundles of peach artemisia (Artemisia ludoviciana) or regular white sagebrush (A. tridentata) and burn frankincense on a electric burning. DNEM. Have a great New Year!

  • Diana D says:

    I actually am familiar with smudging. Many years ago, I was learning about native american indian cultures and I learned about smudging to help cleanse negative energy from my surroundings. I still have sage bundles that I still use from time to time.

    I’d love the Palo Santo Wood Stick

    I live in the US