There’s nothing like a trip away to make you appreciate the value of coming home.
Tis the season for travel my friends, and in less than a year my Holiday travel time has gone from about 2 hours in the Thanksgiving weekend to about 26 hours.
Last week I was able to drive up home to upstate NY with my husband and spend several days with my beloved family. As much as we crammed into the 4 day visit, we managed to relax quite a bit and cover many bases in visitation terms.
One thing I’m beginning to really appreciate though is coming home. Whether we are away for a weekend or 2 weeks, the feeling of heading south and back to our cozy neighborhood is really satisfying to me.
My amazing friend Caitlin did a wonderful job watching the house and our creatures during the weekend and when we walked in the front door we were able to crash hard on freshly washed sheets and close our eyes in the comfort of our own bedroom.
:Sigh:
It always feels so good to snuggle into your own bed.
During my time visiting in NY I was able to pick up a fresh white sage smudge stick. It has been on my list of things to grab for a while now… a necessity in clearing the energy, the air around my house and even my Tarot cards. I was excited to bring the sage wand home and give my home a good cleansing.
Why sage? Well… from what I gather, the ritual of burning dried white sage (and many other types of incense) help drastically shift the energy in and around you and your home… and can even help with ionization of the air. Using sage to clear your space is perfect for when you go away and come back home, after having a big party or a house guest, when you want to change the energy around your home or home office, and I’ve even used sage to change the energy in my car and purse!
Last night I had some interesting dreams. One dream in particular came to me. There was a ghost in my upstairs bedroom that was continuing to manipulate the lights. It was making me really upset… I stood at the bottom of the stairs, watching in frustration as the lights were going on and off, defying my request to stop. I abruptly broke the dream cycle and woke up in bed… the first thought that came to me, ‘I need to smudge the house.’
Today while my daughter lay asleep in her crib for her mid-morning nap I got my fire and sage ready. I don’t believe there is any “wrong” or “right” way to smudge. I think it is totally based on your intention, and on the need or desire to change the energy of you or your surroundings. For today, I did things a little differently, a little more ritualistically. I plugged in my headphones and put on some beautiful spiritual music, and began sweeping the sage wand across the walls, the air in my home. I spent a lot of time around the windows, while in my head I set the intention to have good things coming in through the windows and doors of my home. I spent several minutes smudging the door, intending for good to come and bad to go. I smudged the mirrors, asking to only see beauty and wellness in the reflections that pass by. I spent time over the doorways, asking for fluidity and soft movement throughout my house. I smudged the sink, in the shower, and the tub, intending that water flow with ease.
When I got to my office, I spent a lot of time smudging my desk. I repeated thoughts to myself that wonderful creative endeavors take place at this desk. I thanked Spirit for my desk, for my work space, smudging my laptop, my phone, intending that good things come from both. I smudged my meditation chair, asking for peace and clarity of mind when I spend time in it. I smudged the door to my office, asking for healing energy to come in and for clients who grow with me, and I with them.
When all was said and done, I had spent about 30 minutes smudging the house. I felt good. I felt VERY good. I could see a thin veil in the air for a little while and allowed some fresh air from open windows to add to the cleansing.
If you feel you may be surrounded by stale energy and stagnant air, I would encourage you to go purchase some sage and create your own personal ritual to clear your surroundings.
I’ve had wonderful experiences with smudging and I expect that this encounter will be the same if not better!
Happy Smudging!
Natural Peace Living 