“We have the opportunity to build a Rainbow bridge into the Golden Age. But to do this, we must do it together with all the colors of the Rainbow, with all the peoples, all the beings of the world. We who are alive on Earth today are the Rainbow Warriors who face the challenge of building this bridge,"
~Brooke Medicine Eagle, Daughter of the Rainbow, Crow and Lakota ~
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The "Sacred Smoke Bowl Blessing" is a powerful Native American cleansing technique long practiced to remove negativity. It is believed that because smoke attaches itself to the negative energy and then removes and transports it to another space. Cleansing is the word traditionally used to describe this intent, as is Purification.
Smudging can be used to cleanse an object, a place, or your spirit, mind or body. Oklevueha Native American Church (ONAC) often use smudging in association with all ceremonies, services and blessings and encourage all our members to keep a smudge kit with them as one never knows when Creator will present a need of opportunity for a smudging and we would prefer to see you prepared if and when one arises.
Contemporary uses includes purifying a person's home, especially a new home their about to move into, the new family vehicle or even their old if they're preparing to embark on a trip. Many members ask that their work area be smudged, while others seek the purifying a sacred object such as a gift for a special loved one or a protective charm, or over documents and books when seeking clarity. There is no limit to smudge, and when in doubt, Do smudge indeed, please do!
Because Oklevueha members are considered "healers in training", smudgung is among the very first pratices our members are taught, as well as encouraged to do and practice, for self-cleansing before meditation, prayer just before they prepare to sleep, as well as for those you care about and especially those who seek you out and ask you to smudge them.
Certain plants are used for smudging. Smudging is done in a particular way. The herbs are burned in a small bowl or a shell, such as an abalone shell. The shell represents Water, a gift from the ocean. The smoke is distributed with a feather, a gift from our winged friends.
Cedar For cleansing.
Sage For driving out negativity and for healing.Sage: Is seen as a women's medicine, and offers strength, wisdom, and clarity of purpose. It is used to symbolize the life-giving power of women. Sage is often braided into three strands, similar to Sweetgrass, and hung within one's home. It may be tied with a ribbon in one of the colors of the medicine wheel: Red, yellow, black, white or green.
Sweetgrass is used for blessing after sage has been used.
- The shell represents WATER
- The unlit herbs and ashes represents the EARTH
- The lit herb represents the FIRE
- The smoke represents the AIR
What IS important to be known, understood and audibly expressed, is that Before a person can be healed or heal another, they must be cleansed both physically and spiritually of any bad feelings, negative thoughts, or negative energy. Just because the person is a healer, or in a good seeming moodset, doesn't mean that they're automatically exempt from being affected by unforseen negative or "Bad Medicine" energies.
Oklevueha emphasizes that our member healers practice and emphasis that smudging is an act of clensliness as well as an act of spiritual hygene. Proper clensing helps to further ensure that the healing to come through in a clear way without being distorted. Native peoples all over mother globe use specific herbs to accomplish their desired purpose mainly as available in their regions, but too, trading remains a beneficial option in which many are grateful.
It's simple to physically smudge yourself as a healer preparing to do smudge ceremony... all you have to do is light a small bundle or a pinch of herbs or incense in an abalone shell filled with raw earth, a pottery bowl or even a MacGyver style incense burner that will prove safe but yet effective in the moments needed.
Rub your hands in the smoke as if washing them and then gather smoke in your hands and pass it over your face, head and body... pushing the smoke completely from head to toe and into the earth on both your front and back. After this, using your feathers, waive the smoke again upon the entirety of your body while invisioning the smoke traveling through your body taking with it all inpurities with it as it floats into dissipation. Be SURE to also do the undersides (Soles) of your feet and too, all whom you smudge.
To cleanse an area, vacate the entire area in which you intend to purify with the acception of you and your assistant/apprentice, and then, once your sacred objects are ready, begin by smudging yourself first, followed by them, and then carry the smoke and your container throughout the area gently moving the smoke with your hand, a feather or a feather fan in proper direction.
Most ONAC healers will perform multiple smudgings upon a person, property or object in an order of sequence before declaring it complete. If the smudging is to be done indoors, for example, in a house...we teach to keep all internal accesways open to one another such as beedrooms bathrooms, closets and cupboards, but, to keep all of the windows and doors Closed but ONE, and only that one partially opened. This is to signify the starting point of the new change of coarse about to impact the energies currently inhabiting the space until this point of ceremony.
Initially, the healer will smudge areas of space such as a home, office or property Counter-clockwise to purify and dispell which is traditionally done with Sage. As you do this, clear your mind of any negative thoughts and say simple, sincere prayers. This is the time to express your intentions. Every inch of every wall and ceiling is brushed with smoke while chants and prayers focus on the intended clenzing is invisioned. Window and doorways, especially primary entryways are Extra smudged, and too will be Extra Protected!
Once all the walls/boundaries have been smudged completely specifically, the center area is then too smudged with the envisionment of all "loose" energies are caught up in the smoke then open your main opening starting point up COMPLETELY and then guide the smoke out from the smudged location, envisioning ALL of the energies, especially the negative and "bad Medicine" contaminents are wisked away into the world, carried and then dissoved away by the smoke and the sky.
Cedar: Is used for purification and to attract positive energy, feelings, emotions and for balance. Cedar tea has been used as a healing medicine.
We cleanse our eyes so that they will see the truth around us, the beauty of our Mother, the Earth, the gifts given us by our Creator, the love shared with us through our families, friends and communities. We cleanse our mouth, that all we speak will be truthful, said in a way that will empower the positive, only good things, always full of words of praise and thanksgiving for our Creator.
We cleanse our ears, so that our ears will hear the spiritual truths given us by our Creator, listen to the truth as it is shared with us by the Creator, the Grandfathers, Four Directions, Four Kingdoms, and be open to the request for assistance from others, to hear only the good things and allow the bad to 'bounce off'.
We cleanse our hearts so that our hearts will feel the truth, grow with us in harmony and balance, be good and pure, be open to show compassion, gentleness and caring for others.
We cleanse our feet so that our feet will seek to walk the true path, seek balance and harmony, lead us closer to our families, friends, community, walk closer to our loved ones and help us flee our enemies, and lead us closer to our Creator.
At this point, if people are present whom wish to fittingly be part of the smudging ceremony, this is when focus is turned to them. BEFORE extinguishing the sage smudge, the healer will take the smudge outside the main entryway and individually purify and bless each person by covering them from head to toe, front and back, including the soles of their feet while saying a little prayer and blessing them. Once blessed, each person is to then cross through the threshold of the entryway and await the healer to complete the individuals blessings and rejoin them immediately inside the location.
"As the smoke rises, our prayers rise to the Spirit World where the Grandfathers and our Creator reside. Negative energy, feelings, and emotions are lifted away. It is also used for healing of mind, body and spirit, as well as balancing energies."
Once this is done, the healer will then smudge the entryway once more, focusing on all whom have entered inside now be conjoined in peace and safety while within the area, and then Extinguish the sage smudge Completely before re-entering the saged area and return to the group of participants. A prayer will then be recited by the healer for the participants, and the second phase of the smudging will begin... the blessings!
While the second phase of the smudging is underway, sweetgrass as well as is introduced into the smudging ceremony.
Now, this next step of a smudging ceremony is to replenish the area of smidged space with the positive sought intentions and desires wanted present in the location. A good example of this is found in a sacrament dispensary as recently and yet more frequently is being sought for smudging and blessing. A sacrament dispensary is geared toward healing as well as balence of physical and spiritual health, with happiness and protection also highly desired for all who come in. Chants, prayers and blessings are all encouraged and implemented into this aspect of the smudging ceremony, and SweetGrass is usually the choice of sacrament burned as offering as well as to attract and anchor such positive energies to the building.
Sweetgrass: is a ritual cleansing. The smoke rises, as our prayers rise above us to our Creator, the Grandfathers, and the Spirit World.
Be SURE the area is well ventilated because the smoke, carrying the negative energy, must be willingly escaping out and is clear before the next step off smudging can commence, which is to next bring in the "Good Medicines" and desires intended and wanted within.
Take normal precautions to prevent an unwanted fire, such as placing your smudge pot or shell on a non-combustible surface. Make sure also that once each aspect of the smudging has finished that each smudge is extinguished completely and yet remains present until the final conclusion of the ceremony.
Remember, either a "Hemp-Wick" or Long wooden matches are the best tools to light your ceremonial offerings (herbs, candles, Etc.) because a candle can add dripping wax to the process and a lighter kind of too adds unecessary ingredients to your intended purpose.
Light the herb and when a flame appears, put the herb out so it will smolder and smoke. Before you smudge another person, an object or a place, you should smudge yourself. You can do this by bringing the smoke to you and rolling it in swirls over your head, shoulders and around your body. Send the smoke away with the feather.
When smudging a place, such as a room or car, pay homage to the cardinal directions which include the east, west, north, south, up and down.
When you are finished smudging, extinguish sweetgrass by damping the braid against the shell. For sage, you can crush it against the bowl or shell or in a bowl of sand.