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Smudging is a ritual burning
of sacred herbs such as Sage (for purity of spirit), Sweetgrass (for healing
ceremonies), and Cedar (for dispelling negativity). Bundles of these sacred
plants are tied together forming smudge sticks or braided together and then
dried.
Traditionally a council,
central, or cooking fire was used to light the end of a smudge stick or a braid.
Today a candle is often used instead; and, then the herbs are put in an abalone
shell or a ceramic bowl.
Generally, the smoke is
first offered to the Four Powers, then to Mother Earth and Father Sky, and then
a smudging prayer is recited.
Afterwards, the hand or a
feather is used to direct a few curls of smoke, imbued with the fragrance and
spiritual energy of the sacred herbs, to the people, places, or objects that
need cleansing.
Then the Elder puts four pinches
of tobacco in the bowl of the sacred pipe and offers a pinch to each of the Four
Directions.
The Four Directions are four
equally important ways of perceiving things in life and of pursuing knowledge.
These are the four cardinal points of the circle, each of which represent
different power essences of nature, seasonal rhythms, and stages of life.
These Four Directions are
North (Wisdom, White, Buffalo, Maturity, Strength and Stamina); East (Peace,
Gold, Eagle, Elder, Clarity and Illumination; South (Expansion, Green, Mouse,
Infancy, Wholesomeness and Expectation); and West (Nourishment, Black, Bear,
Youth, Introspection and Authenticity).
Afterwards the pipe holder
asks the Spirits to come and join in the smoking of the sacred pipe and to pass
the participants prayers and requests on to Great Spirit and then the sacred
pipe is passed from person to person in the circle.... Continue on Go back  Explore Native American ArticlesAll are Kin Clans and Making Relatives, Clans Giveaways and the Keeping of Souls, Cosmology of Sacred Hoop Great Spirit, Drumming Smudging and Sweat Lodges, Glossary Terminology, Goddesses Gods and Star Teachers, Medicine Wheels and Four Directions, Native American Indian Spiritual Beliefs, Sacred Pipe Ceremony and Powwows, Visionquests and Power Animal Totems, Wakan Tanka and White Buffalo Woman
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