White Sage: What It Is And How To Use It

Last Updated on May 31, 2021

It’s become a cliche among spiritual groups. Whenever something negative happens or bad vibes are detected, without a doubt, at least one person will suggest “saging” or smudging the area.

The popularity of white sage is undeniable; it’s become a mainstream phenomenon. For the first time in a very long while, spiritual supplies involving sage are now being sold on mainstream store shelves.

Sage is the new hot topic in metaphysical circles. Everyone, even those who don’t really “believe in all that stuff,” seem to want to smudge their homes. Though all sage seems to be going through a Renaissance as a whole category, white sage is particularly popular. The reasons why explain it all.

What Is White Sage?

White sage, also known as salvia apiana in the botany community, is an herb native to California. It grows primarily in the desert, smells very fresh, and is a favorite traditional medicine plant of Native Americans. It’s called white sage because of its white-green leaves, which are extremely different from traditional sage plants.

Is White Sage Safe to Use?

Many plants associated with magic have a reputation for being unsafe, or even deadly. You don’t have to worry about that with sage. Unlike many of the plants associated with magic and spirituality, white sage is entirely edible and poses no threat to animals.

In fact, it’s quite possible that you have eaten it before as part of a meal, drank it as a tea, or even taken it as part of a supplement. Traditional medicine uses white sage as a treatment for respiratory and digestive problems. Some people even swear by it as a tool to help alleviate allergies.

White Sage and Aromatherapy

Considering how fragrant sage is, it’s not surprising that many aromatherapists use white sage in their therapy fragrances. Its fresh fragrance is said to help reduce stress and clear minds. Needless to say, sage spray is becoming popular among natural health fans, too.

In some studies, white sage has been linked to better sleep cycles and better cognition.

Why Do People Use White Sage?

The most common use of white sage deals with its reputation among Native American medicine men. It is said that the smoke that comes from white sage cleanses energy, banishes negativity, and also acts as a healer.

White sage is believed to amplify good intentions while cleansing negative vibrations. That’s why some call it “Sacred Sage.” It is a seriously protective plant and acts as a natural blessing for people, homes, and items.

Does White Sage Get Rid of Good Entities and Energy, Too?

For the most part, no. Entities that are benevolent towards us tend to have a very high vibration level. White sage is known for dispelling negative, lower vibrations left by hostile people or traumatic events. So, it won’t harm any good vibes or neutral spirits you may have in your area.

How To Smudge Your Room

Smudging can be done through a variety of different methods, but this is the most common way to do it…

Tools You’ll Need

You can’t smudge a room without having the right tools. Here’s a quick list of the basics.

• White sage, ideally tied in a bunch
• A lighter
• An abalone shell (or bowl)
• A feather, ideally of an eagle or similarly powerful bird

Instructions

Ready to get rid of that negative energy? This ritual usually works wonders, regardless of the type of energy around you. It also makes your home smell amazing as an added bonus.

1. Get in the right state of mind. Be confident. Be ready to be joyful. Be ready to stay calm. Don’t be afraid of the negative energy. Think about inviting in positivity instead. Set your intentions and focus on them.
2. Light the sage. Put the sage in the bowl (or shell) and use your lighter to burn it. When it starts to catch fire, blow out the sage. It should continue to emit smoke.
3. Hold the bowl and use the feather to waft the smoke around your room. If you don’t have a bowl or a feather, just gently wave the sage stick around to spread the smoke.
4. Ask the universe to get rid of the dark energy or negative entities in your area. Or, just ask the entities to leave. A secret rule of the universe is that no energy or non-human entity can stick around if you ask it to leave. Use that, and be forceful about your intention.
5. Walk around each room in a clockwise manner, spreading smoke until you’ve covered the area. This prevents the negativity from staying in one particular spot you might have missed.
6. When you finished the ceremony, open a door or window and ask the negativity to escape. The energy can and will leave. What will be left is a happy, loving, and warm feeling.

Go Sage Yourself

Feeling a bit low lately? Having a hard time with your luck? It might just be that you have some negativity attached to you. Smudging your body can help with that, too. Just get a friend to waft the smoke around you to release bad energy, then ask it to leave and not come back. Chances are, you’ll see your mood improve.

Bless You(r Stuff!)

Superstitious people often believe that negative energies can attach themselves to items, and they might not be wrong. Some items just seem jinxed from the beginning. Medicine men have used white sage to remove curses from items and also bless item for ages. Some people also burn sage over their possessions as a way to acknowledge their sacredness.

Physical Safety Tips

Even the best of rituals can turn terrible if you are not careful about your safety. Though white sage is safe compared to many plants, it’s still important to pay attention to your surroundings and practice your craft safely.

Since fire is involved in this ritual, it’s important to make sure that there are no glowing embers left on the sage. Putting the sage in an airtight jar will keep it from lighting on fire again and burning your house down. Also, never leave an open flame unattended.

If you are sensitive to smoke, using sage-infused spray may be a better option.

Spiritual Safety Tips

Though white sage can take care of a lot of negativity, there are certain times when white sage alone won’t do the job. It’s rare, but it happens.

This can happen due to a variety of reasons, including having a smudger who isn’t focusing on the positive or who feels too threatened by the negative vibes to command then to leave. If you’re sure this isn’t the reason why it’s not working, you may have a more complex issue on your hands.

Intelligent Beings

Imagine you walk into a new apartment you just rented. You like it here. There are problems, yes, but you make it your own. Then, pests start showing up. The pests start trying to push you to leave.

You would be angry, right? You want your home! All of a sudden, pests start spraying a foul odor in the house as a way to make you leave. You don’t want to leave! For an intelligent spirit that isn’t quite benevolent towards you, that’s what sage probably is like.

When you’re dealing with a negative entity, commanding it to leave and using holy items will work. So, if it’s openly aggressive and hostile, you might want to try smudging followed by an exorcism.

When you’re dealing with a neutral entity that just wants its own place, it might not work. So, your best course of action is to try to talk to it and ask it to either leave you alone or go away. In many cases, politely talking to it out loud will make activity stop.

Things Get Worse

On rare occasions, things can actually get worse after saging a place down. You may have missed a room, or forgotten to open a window. Try smudging it again to see what happens. In many cases, it’ll clear up.

If it gets even worse, it’s time to realize you might be in over your head. This is a sign that you’re dealing with a serious entity and may need professional help from someone who is more experienced in dealing with it.

When In Doubt…

If you are ever doubtful of your ability to make the negativity go away, it’s absolutely fine to ask others for help. An experienced spiritualist will be able to help you fix things up and also teach you how to do it next time around.