How to Burn Sage: 13 Steps (with Pictures)

2024 Author: Samantha Chapman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 09:13

Sage has been used since time immemorial for its medicinal and purifying properties. Many are convinced that its smoke can purify an environment and drive away negative energy. The plant gives off an incredible therapeutic aroma whether in the wild, wet or burned - no wonder the tradition of burning it is so widespread.

Steps

Part 1 of 2: Finding the Salvia

Step 1. Purchase some bundles or sticks of sage

You can also buy it in loose leaves, but the prepackaged one is a little easier to manage.

White sage was traditionally burned by indigenous peoples of southwestern North America, but other varieties may be fine as well.
You should be able to find dried sage in health food stores, in some grocery stores, in ecological food stores and farmers' markets, in establishments where smoking products are sold, such as tobacconists and more, or where incense is sold. You can find a wider selection if you search the Internet for "sage bundles".
Sage is a ceremonial, sacred product: therefore the intention to burn it, the way it is cultivated and the intentions of the seller have a symbolic value. These subtle energies can be transferred from the people to the sage and from this to the environment to be purified. You must therefore be well aware of how and where you get it.

Step 2. Collect the wild one if you can find it

The plant grows wild in different subspecies in the Americas, Asia and the Mediterranean. Learn about the varieties that grow in your area and consult a botanical guide to learn how to recognize the plant in the wild.

Use sustainable practices for nature conservation. Never take wild sage together with the root and do not collect all that is present in one area. Make sure it can continue to grow for years to come. Leave the plant intact enough so that it doesn't die.
Take the tallest and most developed stems and leave the others. Be careful not to shake off an excessive amount of seeds and flowers. Use scissors or a knife to cut the stem as close to the ground as possible.
Ask for permission before collecting it on private property or in a public park. In some areas there should be no problems for harvesting and processing if they are not protected species. Depending on where you live, the plant may even grow close to your home.

Step 3. Consider cultivating it

If you have a dedicated herb garden, you can grow sage plants and ensure a constant and lasting supply.

You can scatter or sow the seeds of a sage plant that grows in your garden. Water constantly, make sure there is enough room for growth, and be patient.
Or, you should be able to purchase sage seeds or a seedling at a local nursery.
Whether you are transplanting a bush or growing it from seeds, be sure to give the plant enough time to adjust to your garden. Be patient. Do not harvest the stems until you are absolutely certain that this will not kill her.

Step 4. Dry it

This step should take about a week, depending on the climate. Collect the sage in bundles, tie it tightly, and hang it in a dry environment so it dries evenly.

If you hang the bundles outside, remember to bring them inside or cover them overnight. If dew or moisture gets into the sage, the drying process will be impaired.
When the sage is dry enough, it should crunch slightly when pressed.
Do not use the oven or microwave to dry it - this way the essential oil would be extracted from the bundles and roasted; it would also accelerate the deterioration of the plant and reduce the purifying effect when you burn it.

Part 2 of 2: Burn the Sage

Step 1. Plan your ritual

Decide your purpose by burning the sage. This practice is ancient, full of meaning and is part of the cultural heritage.

The power of purpose here is total. If you burn it with the intention of clearing the house of negative energy, this is incredibly more likely to happen. Whatever effect you intend to attribute to the plant, it must be rooted in your mind.
It may be that you want to cleanse the house of negative energy. Or you would like to participate in an ancient tradition and revive ancient rites. Or maybe you just want to burn incense and make your home cozy thanks to the pleasant scent.

Step 2. Find out what sage can do

Many benefits are spiritual and psychological, but there can also be a physical component.

On a spiritual level: Many people burn sage and use fumigation to give continuity to an ancestral tradition. It is a widespread belief that strong scent can eliminate negative energy from a room, a house, and a person's heart.
On a psychological level: the act of burning sage can mark a beginning, a decision, a radical change in one's life. When you accept the time-honored ritual and entrust your faith to the power of the burning sage, you can be able to get rid of the negativity and find true peace of mind.
Physically: Burning sage releases negative ions into the air and these, according to research, are correlated with lower rates of depression. The strength of this correlation is still unclear, but sage has certainly not been shown to have any negative effects.

Step 3. Prepare the place to burn it

Take out a ceramic plate, bowl, incense tray, shell, or any other container that can collect the ash. Fill it with clean sand or greasy earth.

Choose a container that has a particular meaning for you. It can be anything (almost): your favorite cup for coffee, a piece of grandma's porcelain service, an ivory bowl as a souvenir from your trip to India, any personal relic that will make the ceremony more important to you.
Some Native American tribes traditionally burned sage in the hollow shells of the abalone (Haliotidae), which represent the element of water. If you wish to pay homage to ancient rituals, consider purchasing a large abalone valve or empty one of your own.
Avoid using wood, paper, rubber or anything flammable. Keep water on hand to put out the burning sage if the flame becomes uncontrollable.

Step 4. Open a window or door before starting

In this way, the sage smoke will have an escape route to leave the house along with the negative energies.

Open a window or door in any room where you intend to burn it. You want the smoke to purify, not persist in the house.
Consider turning on a fan if you want the smoke to clear more quickly. You may not like the pungent smell or the smoke may irritate your nasal passages.

Step 5. Place the sage in the pan you have chosen to burn

Use a candle, match, or lighter to light it. Let it burn for a few seconds and then blow to put out the fire, then let the embers emit smoke.

Dried sage will ignite very quickly, be careful.
Make sure it burns long enough for the embers to continue smoking. If the smoking stops before you have finished your ritual, you can ignite again with caution.
You are ready to spread the smoke.

Step 6. Define your intentions in each room

Consider saying a cleansing prayer. Burning sage is the spiritual equivalent of opening all the windows and letting the light shine in the soul; dedicate your act to this light.

For example, you might say, "I cleanse this room of any impurities, negativity, or anything that doesn't or doesn't help the people who live here."
If you are furnishing a room for a newborn, you might say, "I banish all the ghosts and darkness from this room to dedicate it to life, love, light and goodness."

Step 7. Let the smoke slowly fill the room

Walk along the perimeter walls of each room spreading the smoke in every corner; let me draw swirls on the walls, windows and ceiling; let it spiral and meander by wrapping itself around itself in the environment. Imagine the negative energy floating away with the smoke, outside your home, outside your life.

Focus on the access routes: windows, doors, closets, corridors. Use your intuition. If you pay attention to your environment, you may find that some areas need more cleansing than others.
Consider focusing on the most congested areas - workspaces, kitchens, lobbies. If you have a pet, treat their environment with sage, but don't bother them with smoking.
Moderation is the key. Don't thicken the room with too much smoke, otherwise purification can become a suffocating nightmare.
Try not to inhale the smoke directly as it can harm your lungs.
This process can trigger the fire alarm, if you have one. Moderate the spread of smoke, avoid rooms equipped with detectors, or remove the batteries from the plant before burning the sage.

Step 8. Try burning some incense right after the sage as well

The second is pungent and is known for its yang (masculine) characteristics and the incense complements and complements the yin (feminine) energy.

Try waving bells and clapping your hands between burning sage and lighting incense; this can multiply the purifying effect

Step 9. Consider burning the sage more often

If you can do it at least once a week, you will notice how this habit imbues the house with light and serenity.

There is no need for a full fumigation ceremony every time you burn sage - this depends on how well you intend to adapt to traditional rituals. You can simply burn the sage from time to time, as you would with incense.
Consider burning it to show that you appreciate the significant changes in your home: a new family member, a new pet, a new job, a new passion. Burning sage can have whatever value you intend to give it. The important thing is that he is convinced that it can help make your life more meaningful.