DIY Sage Cleansing Prayer
For thousands of years, burning sage—also known as "smudging"—has been used to help clear negative or stagnant energy. Because a person’s energy can stick around well after they’ve gone, it’s best to smudge yourself after you’ve been in contact with someone else’s vibes. Energy can stick around for a long time. Smudging and saying a sage cleansing prayer (or setting your intention, if you’re not comfortable with that word) is a beautiful way to welcome a fresh start.
Here are some instances where you may want to sage yourself or your environment:
After a breakup
After resigning from a job
Before a vacation
After having a party or being around a lot of personalities
When bringing home an antique or previously-owned item
When you feel stagnant, sad, or frustrated
When entering a new work environment
Keep in mind that sage removes all energies, positive or negative, so saying a sage cleansing prayer is important (also would recommend following it up with palo santo). A sage cleansing prayer sets the tone during your smudging ritual—it can be short or elaborate, prose or rhyming, spontaneous or memorized. The purpose is to replace the energy you are clearing out with a high-vibration, positive intention.
Formal sage cleansing prayer
Cleanse this space, remove the past,
I’ve found my happiness at last.
Fill this space with joy and love,
Send your blessings from above.
DIY sage cleansing prayer
Remember, it doesn’t have to be super formal and memorized. It’s not so much the words as it is the intention and energy behind them. You could turn on Ariana Grande’s “thank u, next” after a breakup and dance around your room with a smudging stick, if that feels right to you. You could simply say, “I release all negative energy and fill this space with love.” Let your inner guidance tell you what you need.
Still not sure how to do a sage cleansing? Check out this blog post on how to smudge.
