How Often Should You Smudge?

Smudging with sage is an excellent way to clean your aura and also cleanse your living space. It is helpful to periodically smudge yourself and your home to ensure that the energies around you are not murky or stagnant. But, you might ask, is it possible to smudge too much or too often?

There is no simple answer. You should smudge yourself anytime you feel "energetically" dirty or are experiencing illness, exhaustion, or sluggishness. Weekly smudging may seem a bit much, but it won't cause any harm. Only you can judge for yourself how often you need to smudge.

Seasonal Smudging

Freeing your home of stagnant energies can be done anytime, but it's a good rule of thumb to do a thorough smudging of your home four times a year when the seasons change.

You may also wish to smudge your living space whenever it has been compromised by negativity or foreign energies. This can happen anytime someone enters your living space. Visitors who spend time inside your home can leave behind lingering energies that need to be cleared.

Be sure to smudge after the plumber or other repair person has come and gone from the premises. You will want to smudge your house or apartment the day after you host a party to clear it of possible lingering "ickies" such as Aunt Florence's over-powering cologne, your sister's boyfriend's anxious energies, or your co-worker's negative take on life in general.

An Argument Against Smudging

While it is not harmful, in general, to smudge too much, some healers caution against smudging in certain circumstances. Alice Violet, a sound healer and space clearing expert, is against ritual smudging when dealing with earthbound spirits. It is her opinion that smudging does not help a confused soul who needs help transitioning into the light. In fact, Violet is not an advocate of smudging except for minor energy shifts.

It is true that sage burning may not be the best course of action for helping a soul make its transition, but it could be a good tool for ghostbusting. Not everyone knows how to assist a lost soul, but everyone needs to learn how to create appropriate boundaries in their living space. Smudging is an action intended to clear your space. It is a tool to help you.

Smudging an area may help get the message to an uninvited spirit that he isn't welcome to hang around in your living quarters. It may seem uncaring or unfriendly choosing not to assist the soul to transition, but you must ask yourself if doing so is truly your responsibility. Naturally, there are people like Violet who have taken on the role of helping lost souls transition. This is an admirable vocation. Still, if a little smudge can give you the peace and quiet you want, it is worth trying before calling in the big guns.

Ghosts aside, think about it this way. If a stranger walked off the streets uninvited into your home, would you call a psychologist to come over and sit on your couch with him and talk out his problems? Or would you call 911 and anxiously wait for the police to show up and escort him off your property?

Disclaimer: The information contained on this site is intended for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for advice, diagnosis or treatment by a licensed physician. You should seek prompt medical care for any health issues and consult your doctor before using alternative medicine or making a change to your regimen.