my new place

[Guest guest]

Hello, I just moved in to my new place and i have heard that, certain

kinds of oils, may be used to cleanse a home, if so can you help me by

telling me what kind to use, Thanx

[Guest guest]

do you mean energetically cleansing, as in removing negative energy, or do

you mean CLEANING as in killing germs and bad smells and mold, etc?

 

different choices.

 

At 08:20 AM 8/23/2007, you wrote:

>Hello, I just moved in to my new place and i have heard that, certain

>kinds of oils, may be used to cleanse a home, if so can you help me by

>telling me what kind to use, Thanx

 

 

Over 10 years online supplying Aromatherapy and Healthcare Professionals

Essential Oils, Hydrosols, Accessories, Hard to find Books and Videos

<http://www.naturesgift.com>

[Guest guest]

oh my goodness, I just saved this this week~! I was hoping to use it~ shoot me

your email addy and I'll be happy to send all kinds of hints and cleaning

suggestions~!

sindy

-

] Re: .

 

At 08:20 AM 8/23/2007, you wrote:

>Hello, I just moved in to my new place and i have heard that, certain

>kinds of oils, may be used to cleanse a home, if so can you help me by

>telling me what kind to use, Thanx

 

 

Over 10 years online supplying Aromatherapy and Healthcare Professionals

Essential Oils, Hydrosols, Accessories, Hard to find Books and Videos

<http://www.naturesgift.com>

 

 

 

 

The information contained in these e-mails is not a substitute

for diagnosis and treatment by a qualified, licensed professional.

 

 

Step By Step Instructions For Making Herbal Labna Cheese! So easy, SO yummy!

http://www.aromaticsage.com/cz.htm

 

 

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[Guest guest]

The Smudging Ceremony

 

By Adrienne Borden and Steve Coyote

 

 

 

--

 

 

Our Native elders have taught us that before a person can be

healed or heal another, one must be cleansed of any bad feelings, negative

thoughts, bad spirits or negative energy - cleansed both physically and

spiritually. This helps the healing to come through in a clear way, without

being distorted or sidetracked by negative " stuff " in either the healer or

the client. The elders say that all ceremonies, tribal or private, must be

entered into with a good heart so that we can pray, sing, and walk in a

sacred manner, and be helped by the spirits to enter the sacred realm.

 

Native people throughout the world use herbs to accomplish this.

One common ceremony is to burn certain herbs, take the smoke in one's hands

and rub or brush it over the body. Today this is commonly called " smudging. "

In Western North America the three plants most frequently used in smudging

are sage, cedar, and sweetgrass.

 

 

 

Sage

 

--------

 

There are many varieties of sage, and most have been used in

smudging. The botanical name for " true " sage is Salvia (e.g. Salvia

officinalis, Garden Sage, or Salvia apiana, White Sage). It is interesting

to note that Salvia comes from the Latin root salvare, which means " to

heal. " There are also varieties of sage which are of a species separate from

Salvin Artemusia. Included here are sagebrush (e.g. Artemisia californica)

and mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris). We have seen both Salvia and Artemisia

sub-species used in smudging.

 

Sage is burned in smudging ceremonies to drive out bad spirits,

feelings, or influences, and also to keep bad spirits from entering the area

where a ceremony takes place. In Plains nations, the floor of the sweat

lodge is frequently covered with sage, and participants rub the leaves on

their bodies while in the sweat. Sage is also commonly spread on the ground

in a lodge or on an altar where the pipe touches the earth. Some nations

wrap their pipes in sage when they are placed in pipe-bundles, as sage

purifies objects wrapped in it. Sage wreaths are also placed around the head

and wrists of Sundancers.

 

 

 

Cedar

 

--------

 

There is some potential confusion here about the terms used to

name plants, mainly because in some areas, junipers are known as " cedar " -

as in the case of Desert White Cedar (Juniperus monosperina). This doesn't

mean that J. monosperina wasn't used as a cleansing herb, though; in the

Eastern U.S., its relative, Eastern Red Cedar (Juniperus virginia), was used

ceremonially. However, in the smudging ceremonies we have seen or conducted

ourselves, Western Red Cedar (Thuja occidentalis) and California Cedar

Incense (Libocedrus descurrens) were used ... not varieties of juniper.

 

Cedar is burned while praying either aloud or silently. The

prayers rise on the cedar smoke and are carried to the Creator. Cedar is

also spread along with sage on the floor of the sweat lodges of some tribes.

Cedar branches are brushed in the air to cleanse a home during the House

Blessing Ceremony of many Northwest Indian nations. In the Pacific

Northwest, the people burn cedar for purification in much the same way as

sage - it drives out negative energy; but it also brings in good influences.

The spirit of cedar is considered very ancient and wise by Pacific Northwest

tribes, and old, downed cedar trees are honored with offerings and prayers.

 

 

 

Sweetgrass

 

--------

 

One of the most sacred plants for the Plains Indians, sweetgrass

is a tall wild grass with a reddish bas and perfume-like, musty odor. It

grows mainly on the eastern side of the Rockies in Montana and adjacent

Alberta, Canada. It also shows up in some small areas of Wyoming and South

Dakota. Its botanical name is Hierochloe odorata. Some common names for it

are Seneca grass, holy grass and vanilla grass. We have been told that a

variety of vanilla grass grows in North Central California. But, how similar

it is to the Plains variety we don't know.

 

On the Plains, sweetgrass is usually braided together in bunches

as a person's hair is braided, although friends have said they have seen it

simply bunched and wrapped in cloth. Either way, it is usually burned by

shaving little bits over hot coals or lighting the end and waving it around,

letting the smoke spread through the air. This latter method is how we were

taught to burn sweetgrass in the sweat lodge - allowing the purifying smoke

to get to all parts of the lodge.

 

We were taught that it was good to burn sweetgrass after the sage

or cedar had driven out the bad influences. Sweetgrass brings in the good

spirits and the good influences. As with cedar, burning sweetgrass while

praying sends prayers up to the Creator in the smoke. High Hollow Horn says

in the The Sacred Pipe " This smoke from the sweetgrass will rise up to you,

and will spread throughout the universe. Its fragrance will be known by the

wingeds, the four-leggeds, and the two leggeds, for we understand that we

are all relatives; may all our brothers be tame and not fear us! " Sweetgrass

is also put in pipe bundles and medicine bundles along with sage to purify

and protect sacred objects.

 

Sweetgrass is very rare today, its territory severely cut by

development, cattle-grazing, and wheat fields - and tradition Indians in the

northern Plains are trying to protect the last remaining fields. The best

way for most folks to get sweetgrass is to buy it at Native American retail

outlets. This gives support to Indians who can help the fields from being

depleted.

 

 

 

Smudging

 

--------

 

To do a smudging ceremony, burn the clippings of these herbs

(dried), rub your hands in the smoke, and then gather the smoke and bring it

into your body, or - rub it onto yourself; especially onto any area you feel

needs spiritual healing. Keep praying all the while that the unseen powers

of the plant will cleanse your spirit. Sometimes, one person will smudge

another, or a group of people, using hands - or more often a feather - to

lightly brush the smoke over the other person(s). We were taught to look for

dark spots in a person's spirit-body. As one California Indian woman told

us, she " sees " a person's spirit-body glowing around them, and where there

are " dark or foggy parts, " she brushes the smoke into these " holes in their

spirit-body. " This helps to heal the spirit and to " close up " these holes.

 

Recently we did a " light " house cleansing for a friend. We use the

term " light " , for this is a relatively simple ceremony as opposed to some

that are more lengthy and complicated. Our friend had some serious emotional

and relationship problems, and he felt they had left a heavy and dark

atmosphere. First, we prayed together to the Creator and to the spirits for

help. We then, burned sage, purified ourselves, and took the sage to all the

corners, closets, and rooms of the house. We pushed the smoke with our hands

to cleanse every bit of space - lingering over dark or cold spots that

" felt " uncomfortable.

 

We used sage first in order to drive out the bad influences. Then

we purified ourselves with cedar and, then repeated the cleansing process

throughout the house with that. Then sweetgrass was used in the same manner

to bring in good influences. All the time we prayed for help in this

cleansing. Finally, we took a candle over the whole house and pushed its

light into every corner. The People of the Pacific Northwest Coast taught

this " lighting-up " of a house to us. We've been doing this type of house

cleansing for ten years, and it never fails to " clear the air. "

 

One more note about smudging. It is very popular among many

novices to use abalone shells in smudging. There are many Native elders who

are pleased to see so many new folds smudging themselves, but - some are

concerned that abalone shells are being used when burning the herbs. On the

Pacific Northwest Coast, for example, some holy men have said that abalone

shells represent Grandmother Ocean, and that they should be used in

ceremonies with water, not burning.

 

We know enough Native elders in the Northwest, the Plains, and

California who don't use abalone shells - but instead clay or stone bowls -

that we don't personally feel comfortable using a shell.

 

In any case, smudging is a ceremony that must be done with care.

We are entering into a relationship with the unseen powers of these plants,

and with the spirits of the ceremony. As with all good relationships, there

has to be respect and honor if the relationship is to work.

http://www.asunam.com/smudge_ceremony.html

 

And for the google on smudging your home for cleansing:

http://www.google.com/search?q=white+sage+house+clearing & rls=com.microsoft:en-us\

:IE-SearchBox & ie=UTF-8 & oe=UTF-8 & sourceid=ie7 & rlz=1I7ADBR

 

 

 

-

" Marge Clark " <marge

 

Friday, August 24, 2007 2:54 AM

Re: my new place

 

 

> do you mean energetically cleansing, as in removing negative energy, or do

> you mean CLEANING as in killing germs and bad smells and mold, etc?

>

> different choices.

>

> At 08:20 AM 8/23/2007, you wrote:

>>Hello, I just moved in to my new place and i have heard that, certain

>>kinds of oils, may be used to cleanse a home, if so can you help me by

>>telling me what kind to use, Thanx

>

>

> Over 10 years online supplying Aromatherapy and Healthcare Professionals

> Essential Oils, Hydrosols, Accessories, Hard to find Books and Videos

> <http://www.naturesgift.com>