If you are wondering how this post came to life, well do I ever have a story for you! When my ex purchased the home we formerly shared together, he did so when we were separated. That is how I initially missed a crucial piece of information regarding our former home – the previous occupant passed away in the house. Prior to spending my first night in the house, my ex’s mother, who was also his real estate agent, threw out a suggestion about how we might try cleansing the home with sage and a blessing. I initially scoffed at the idea but, an hour later, I was driving around town, desperately in search of a sage smudge stick. Long story short, my ex and I cleansed the house and, whether it was simply a mental shift on our part or whether the ceremony actually did something tangible, we immediately felt like our home was happier, lighter, and full of a lot less emotional baggage.
I have moved five times since leaving the aforementioned home and, prior to this last move, had not had a desire to cleanse a space again. This last move felt a bit different, however. Moving into this new house with my husband was in many ways a fresh start for us in terms of our relationship, our careers, and our life together as a whole. I wanted to ensure that we did everything in our power to make this a positive shift in our lives so, once again, I decided to cleanse my new home.
My husband and I wanted our sage smudge stick to be special so, prior to our departure from Los Angeles, we went to The Green Man, a metaphysical shop, in Burbank, California. Their knowledgeable staff walked us through the steps involved in cleansing a new home with sage, along with providing us with additional suggestions for creating a shift in energy in our new home. We gently packed up our smudge stick, carried it with us to Kansas City and, on our first night in our new house, we faithfully followed the provided steps on how to cleanse a new home with sage that I am sharing with you today.
The shift in energy following our ceremony was palpable. While I personally believe that there is actual science behind these rituals, ultimately it doesn’t really matter. The point of a ritual like this is that it serves you. When done correctly, a ritual can leave you with a tangible sense of new beginnings and abundance. Even if these shifts are occurring solely in our minds, who cares?! We can all use an infusion of hope and possibility into our lives wherever we can get it.
While sage and metaphysical practices often get a bad rap, there is actually serious history and science to back up this ritual. Burning sage as a method to cleansing and purification dates back to prehistoric times. Over the course of history, the woody herb has been used to treat everything from snakebites to infertility.
It turns out that our ancestors faith in sage was not unfounded. Modern research has demonstrated that certain medicinal smoke, such as sage, reduces airborne bacteria, meaning that this practice has a very real application to new home owners and dwellers of smog ridden cities alike (LA and London, I’m looking at you!). In addition to it’s medicinal and cleansing properties, sage is also used to help people heal from emotional and physical trauma, is known to assist in chakra balancing, and is shown to increase relaxation, aiding in deeper meditation. With this many benefits, what do you have to lose by giving sage a try?
How to Cleanse a New Home with Sage
- Prepare Your Materials – It is best to create a sense of ceremony when cleansing a new home. Gather your materials – sage, something to light it with, and a heat-proof burning surface like an Abolone Shell or a pan.
- Open All Doors and Windows – Before you light your sage, open all doors and windows so the unwanted energy you’re trying to clear has somewhere to go. This is also to keep the smoke from settling in your home.
- Light Your Sage – When you’re ready to light your sage, hold your smudge stick at approximately a 45-degree angle. Light your sage, allowing it to burn for about 30 seconds before gently blowing out the flame so it smolders.
- Bless Yourself – This step is optional but, at the beginning of your ceremony, you may find that you want to bless yourself. Once your smudge stick is smoldering, direct the smoke waves around your body, beginning with your head and working down towards your feet. Breathe deeply while doing this, focusing on cleansing your body of negative energy.
- Bless Your Home – You are now ready to begin cleansing your new home. Begin at your front door and move clockwise around your house. Gently wave your smoking smudge stick in the air, focusing additional time on corners. Take care to smudge the interior of your closets and often forgotten spaces like basements, garages, and laundry rooms. You want to get smoke into every corner of your house. As you sage, you may wish to say a blessing such as, “Air, fire, water, earth. Cleanse, dismiss, dispel.”
- Gently Extinguish Your Sage – Returning to where you began and gently put out your smudge stick, either by letting it smolder out or by applying pressure to the tip.
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Have you ever used sage to cleanse a new home? If not, is it something you would be interested in trying in the future?
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