| |
| |
|
Alternative Information |
|
|
|
The Fine Art of Smudging
An Aboriginal Canadian friend of mine who teaches at the Whispering Lodge in Toronto was explaining to me how physical or emotional healing cannot take place until the person is cleansed of any of the following conditions: 1) Emotional conditions such as resentment, bitterness, envy, jealousy and guilt 2) Negative thoughts about others or one's past or future 3) Negative emotions such as grief, hatred, desire 4) Bad or evil spirits 5) Attachments or negative energy sent to us from other people In most Aboriginal traditions, a sweat lodge, basically a tent or teepee or cave filled with smoke and heat, is used to remedy the sick person of these conditions. In ancient Rome, buildings called purgatoriums were used for the same purpose. These smoke and heat filled places were considered sacred spaces in which the spirits or God could lift negative entities and energies from an individual without interference with others. Many indigenous cultures throughout the world use burning herbs, plants and resins to accomplish the same purpose. In some cultures the smoke is taken into one's hands and rubbed over the body to blacken it. This is where the modern day practice got its nickname -- smudging. Below is a list of common herb, plants, grasses and resins that are commonly used in smudging ceremonies. You can light these substances yourself and carry a bundle of the substance around your home in a counter-clockwise circle to cleanse your space. I highly recommend cleansing the body outside, however, as I have found that sage can burn very fast and create a lot of rapid whirling smoke that easily sets off the fire alarm. Sage Sprigs - the most common substance used for cleansing is sage. The word sage comes from the Latin word Salvia which means, "to heal." There are also varieties of sage, which are from the Artemisia family of plants. This includes mugwort which s used for cleansing and protection. White sage is used for cleansing and protection. Combining branches of pine and white sages together and burning them is used to attract prosperity. Cedar and Juniper branches - These evergreen boughs have historically been used to help cleanse, purify and protect ones belongings. Sometimes brooms are made from them to use the smoke "sweep" to cleanse a home during a house blessing. Sweetgrass - This musty smelling grass is used to drive out bad influences and draw good influences into the home. It is often used after a prayer or ritual to "hold" the magic" in its place. Copal - this aromatic plant resin is mainly used in South American rituals. The touch of the strongly scented smoke from burning copal is thought to cleanse and purify any object or person. Frankincense and Myrrh - these "biblical" resins are used in Africa, the Middle East and Europe for ceremonies and rituals. Burned together they are thought to balance yin and yang, or the masculine and feminine energies in a place or dwelling. Either is thought to draw blessings into a home. Tobacco - Tobacco is burned to float prayers upwards to the Creator where they will be heard and answered. Burning a tobacco along with sage, cedar or sweet grass is thought to enhance the magical intentions of the smudge. Smudges and resins can be bought commercially from occult, new age and gift shops. I usually put the branches, plants or resins in the bowl and blacken my hands and face with it. While doing this I pray for protection, purification and blessings from above. If healing another person or purifying a room I will sometimes use a feather or a branch to waft the smoke in the desired direction. Smudging is not all hooey and voodoo. The practice is also thought to created negative ions in the air that remove static and create a positive atmosphere. Not only do people usually feel good afterwards, it also creates a space for the free flowing of positive energies and prayers. Samantha Steven's articles have been published in many high-standing newspapers and she has published several books. If you wish to buy Samantha's books about metaphysics click here http://www.insomniacpress.com/author.php?id=110 You can meet Samantha Stevens at http://www.psychicrealm.com where she works as a professional psychic. You can also read more of her articles at http://www.newagenotebook.com
MORE RESOURCES:
Alternative - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Martial Arts Martial arts are currently studied worldwide from a variety of cultures. Martial arts can improve your fitness levels and muscular condition immensely. Natural Remedies for Eliminating Warts Quickly & Safely! Warts are a type of infection caused by virus called human papillomavirus (HPV). There are about 60 types of HPV viruses that cause various sexually transmitted diseases. Homeopathy: A Natural Health 101 Article What It IsIn Homeopathy, extremely dilute preparations are given to a patient to spur the patient's immune system into action and re-balance the body's "vital force". The preparations are extremely dilute--often going well beyond Avogadro's Limit--but are "succussed" or rapped firmly onto a padded surface to, as Homeopaths believe, send healing vibrationationl energy throughout the remedy. Sinus Infection Symptoms, Antibiotics, and Alternative Medicine Modern Living, Complex Health ProblemsIn our post-modern industrial polluted stress-filled bad-diet culture, no one's health is simple. We are plagued by complex long-term illnesses like lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, AIDS, even sinus problems. Parasites: The Missing Diagnosis? Parasites, commonly thought of as only affecting those in developing countries, actually affect 1 in 6 people in North America and are the most common disease condition in the world. For many chronic conditions this can be the missing diagnosis. Body Calling: All Natural Cures Natural remedies can heal and have been around for centuries. They are affodable cost wise: vitamins, minerals, calcium supplements, digestive enzymes and essential oils. Anxiety & Panic - Two Steps to Take Before the Healing Process Begins Anxiety sufferers are usually at a loose end after trying methods such as Cognitive Behavioral Techniques, Hypnosis, Sessions with psychologists, Meditation, Herbal Alternatives and probably the most popular of them all is Medications such as anti-depressants and Benzodiazepine's.Now I was no different to any other sufferer, I was pulling my hair out in the hopes of one of these alternatives would kick in and free me of this dreadful nightmare that I lived, day in and day out for years. Natural Poison Oak-Sumac-Ivy Remedy Have you ever casually strolled into a patch of poison oak or sumac? And then, of all times, you realize for the first time in your entire life, that you are extremely allergic to these wonderful, little plants? Have no fear, Holistic Junction has the perfect and most natural remedy for you.Most affected persons would spontaneously run to their local drug store or family supermarket for the latest cortizone treatment. Back Pain and Pain in Other Extremities: If Nothing Else Has Worked, Try Doing Visualizations (*In this group are included pain in the back, neck, shoulder, arm, elbow, wrist, hand, hip, leg, knee, ankle, foot, and other extremities.)If you've had back pain or pain in an extremity for more than 90 days and haven't seen a doctor, you need to do so right away. How to Cure Allergy Naturally? When the immune system in our body finds or realizes anything as foreign to the body, it immediately releases antibodies like histamines to fight against the foreign substance. This causes inflammation which is called allergy in our body. Laxatives You Find In The Drugstore A laxative is defined as,A substance that is used to promote a bowel movement when you are constipated.Laxatives work by starting and stimulating peristaltic action. Holistic Methods: Color Therapy and Aura Soma in Steamboat Springs, Colorado The human body is recognized as a series of colors, detectable only in the last fifty years with the technology of Kirlian Photography. The colors relate to the body's subtle energy fields, known as auras and chakras. Pyrethre: Pest Terminator HistoryThe pyrethre herb is supposedly named after a famous temple in ancient Greece called Parthenon, hence the name Parthenium.In the 13th century, Welsh physicians used pellitory (pyrethre) as a remedy for toothache. Can We Sleep For Three Hours and Still Function Normally? Polyphasic sleep - also known as *Uberman's Sleep Schedule*, consists of six daily naps taken every four hours instead of one long sleep every night (monophasic sleep)The naps can last from a minimum of 10 minutes up to 30 or 40 minutes. 25 minutes is considered optimal. Understanding Aromatherapy In the 1920's, a French cosmetic chemist named Rene-Maurice Gattefosse, was one day making fragrances in his laboratory, when he accidentally burned his arm. He then thrust his badly burnt arm into the nearest cold liquid, which turned out to be a tub of lavender oil. 1st Textbook on Sleep Psychiatry An informative textbook confirming a newly established field: Sleep PsychiatryBook Review by Nikos M. Linardakis, M. What are Some Benefits For Quitting Smoking? There are immediate benefits for quitting smoking. Within eight hours after you quit, the level of dangerous carbon monoxide gas in the blood returns to normal. Working with an Intuitive Counselor: Opening the Door to Yourself "Oh, I've had a psychic reading before. They read some cards and wanted to know when my birthday was and then told me I'd meet a man in the next 6 months, but I never did. Alternative Medicine, Complementary, Integrative, Wellness, Holistic - What Do They All Mean? Alternative medicine has grown in so many ways in North America. More people are visiting alternative medical practitioners than Western medical doctors. Heart Healthy "Open your heart to me, my own," whispers Grandmother Growth so softly you aren't certain you hear her. "Open the wisdom way of compassion here in your heart and draw me inside.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2008 |
