This is my practice. Seasonal holidays in the Celtic calendar like Beltane and Samhain traditionally included a fire saining. This is a type of ecstatic dance where you give your energy and focus to your fylgja and can connect to and see your fate. You can also smoke newly bought or received crystals to get rid of unwanted energies that may have touched them. Just a reminder: Heathenry does have a term for smoke-cleansing. You can also speak a chant if it feels right to you. Aromatherapy, Herodotus wrote that they would construct a temporary structure similar to a tent, throw marijuana onto hot stones underneath, and bathe in the smoke. [2][3] Saining can also refer to less formal customs like making religious signs to protect against evil, such as the sign of the cross. Smoke cleansingburning botanicals, resins, wood, etc. Let the cleansing stick catch fire, and allow it to burn for about 30 seconds. The name was written using the hieroglyph for kid (a young male goat) leading some to suggest that it was based on musk. In ancient China and across Asia, incense was ever-present in Buddhist, Taoist, and Shinto temples and in the veneration of ancestors. Perhaps you heard about an issue that came up a few years back that started when a number of popular American media outlets featured smoke cleansing articles with titles like, The Science Behind Smudging and The Benefits of Burning Sage Include a Better Nights Sleep (no wonder its an ancient ritual). The articles referenced a 2007 study, Medicinal Smoke Reduces Airborne Bacteria, published in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology. one need not do much research on the topic of smoke cleansing to discover the terminology discourse that currently exists within the online witch community. The Assyrians burned cedar, cypress, juniper, boxwood, and fir. Fylgja is a supernatural being or spirit, that in Norse spirituality was seen as an alter ego that took form as an female animal spirit. It holds the essence of the person, or even an animal and allows you to focus your energies on the proxy for the cleansing. , mango wood, etc. Retrieved March 23, 2022, from https://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-17875/a-sage-smudging-ritual-to-cleanse-your-aura-clear-your-space.html, Smudging. I either use my hand or just gently wave the Juniper stick in the air. Users of both practices must, however, use herbs that are sustainably harvested and are significant to their intention and ancestry. Focus on corners of the space, where stale energies tend to linger. Exodus 34-35 tells us it included storax, onycha, galbanum, and frankincense in equal parts, which was to be blended and salted in such a way that it would be pure and sacred. Join me as I. Smoking ceremonies mark rites of passage; they are used to protect a newborn or a mother who has just given birth. Make sure you place your Juniper stick in a fireproof container, use caution while burning and do not leave unattended. This was particularly true within Assyrian culture in northern Mesopotamia. Add to cart. Little is known about the beliefs and rituals of the Vikings, with most information coming from the clues at burials sites or the sagas written from the time after the conversion to Christianity. Throughout the rest of the year, saining was and continues to be used to mark lifes passages: births, handfastings, funerals, etc. She had a deep understanding of healing herbs, energies, communication with the spirit world and the spiritual essence of all things like animals, vegetation, mountains and water. Writing a story about Stonebridge Imports? But over the years, this ritual has become widely known in the metaphysical world as smudging which is a sacred ceremony specifically practiced by Indigenous groups in North America. reykr m. smoke; Declension Let stand for 5 minutes, or until a layer of ash forms around the charcoal. The discovery of cannabis pollen near a Viking settlement in Newfoundland raises the question of whether the Vikings were smoking or eating pot while exploring North America. Hold the Cleansing Stick above a fire safe as you light it. Smudging can bring physical, spiritual and emotional balance. https://www.forbes.com/sites/drsarahbond/2017/06/26/recreating-the-aroma-of-the-ancient-city-incense-and-perfume-in-the-ancient-mediterranean/#64085282586a, Takpirtu or Takpertu, inscribed tak-pir-t and as a gloss to the term u-gur-gur-me, and literally meaning wiping, from kupurru,[1] to wipe, rub, or more generally to perform a wiping rite, were Mesopotamian purification rituals whose oldest attestations go back to the Old Babylonian period. Although it doesn't produce much smoke, it is a highly aromatic wood to burn. Old English, like Gothic, had a second term of similar meaning, woh "holy", with a substantive wh or wg, Old High German wh or whi (Middle High German whe, Modern German Weihe). Awakening Our Relationship to Nature: The Need to Belong. I will leave you with the leftover juniper and items and leave with all the negative energy and spirits banished. Ask your spirit guide to assist in purifying and cleansing you, your space, and/or your crystals. In Romanian lore, the besom is a potent object which becomes truly magical at special occasions. Recaning. This is cleansing via smoke, whether through incense or a bundle of herbs put together for a particular type of cleansing. Throughout the rest of the year, saining was and continues to be used to mark lifes passages: births, handfastings, funerals, etc. Ancient Romans burned, In Africa, traditional healers and spiritual leaders burned herbs on charcoal or threw herbal powders into the fire so that the smoke spread around a person, and they bathed in it. Smoke cleansing can be a powerful, renewing, and healing practice for many people, particularly when they are embracing a form that resonates with their genuine self. Make sure you reach out to the corners and crevices of the room. Norse religion was a folk religion (as opposed to an organized religion), and its main purpose was the survival and regeneration of society. Other smoke cleansing burnables used in India include star anise,cedarwood, vetiver, valerian, patchouli, clove, etc. Smoke cleansing can be used in different ways and contexts: 1. The Roman Catholic church practices incense burning to amplify prayers so that petitions and intentions would rise to heaven. The day started when the cock crowed at dawn. Hold it in the flame until the stick is ablaze and a steady stream of smoke is produced. Topics: Depending on the herbs used, the goal might be a purely healing one and/or it might be part of rituals to connect to the spirit world. Whereas one smoke cleansing practice might be used to connect with a spirit world or as a purifying act in preparation for a ceremony, others are intended to eliminate negative energy, to bring together a community, to create a sacred space, or simply to provide herbal support. While smudging is unique to the Native peoples (and must be duly recognized as such), the use of aromatic smoke for spiritual healing and warding off negative energies has been a common practice among diverse cultures, customs, and faiths all over the world for thousands of years. Once again, by keeping your runes either with you, or in a private space, you will be empowering your runes with your energy. So, very similar to a Spirit Animal. [2] The noun form hallow, as used in Hallowtide, is a synonym of the word saint.[3][4][5]. Ancient Romans lit up cinnamon during funerals and rosemary to stimulate healing. At this time, communities would build a ritual fire, often with juniper, rowan, or elder. As a polytheistic religion, the Norse believe in a range of deities. Smoke cleansing was traditionally used in Europe in much more secular ways as well. You are combining these forms of magick and setting intentions to create a positive energy and space. The same pattern is repeated on the domed lid, which is decorated with small ridges and perforated at regular intervals to allow the scented smoke to escape. Gotland is under a spell and under water during the day and out of water only during the night, a spell that is broken by ieluar lighting a fire on the Island. In this article, we talk about smoke cleansing, how its practiced all over the world, when to do it, and how to do it. Our ancestral record shows we have been farmers and gardeners of one sort or another for centuries. Light up. Let it fade completely by itself. Around the world, traditional smoke cleansing rituals are more commonly performed with incense or loose botanicals and resins burned on, My people are mostly of northern European descent. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/reocan#Old_English, Reek From Middle English rek, reke (smoke), from Old English rc, rec, from Proto-Germanic *raukiz (compare West Frisian reek, riik, Dutch rook, Low German Rk, German Rauch, Danish rg, Norwegian Bokml ryk), from Proto-Indo-European *rowgi- (compare Lithuanian rkti (to smoke), rkas (smoke, fog), Albanian regj (to tan)). The subject is depicted on some of the picture stones on Gotland. The circle, once cast, should be anywhere from six feet and up. Once a stream of smoke is produced, fan the smoke with your hand or a feather in your desired direction. Sage is a fantastic medicinal herb that has been used since ancient times.Sage belongs to the Salvia plant family and it's name is derived from the Latin word ' salvere', which means "to heal, cure or save."Aside from the metaphysical uses of smoke cleansing, research is showing us that sage can also be used to benefit our physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Light the end of the herb with a candle. Cider was also poured over the tree roots. On a secluded Iron Age farm in Southern Norway, archaeological findings show that it was common to cultivate cannabis in the Viking Age . The "Nine Herbs Charm" is an Old English charm recorded in the tenth-century CE[1] Anglo-Saxon medical compilation known as Lacnunga, which survives on in the manuscript London, British Library, Harley 585. According to Galen, the result was rolled into balls and placed on hot coals to give a perfumed smoke; it was also drunk as a medicine for liver and lung ailments.[7]. Aim for sustainable herbs, ones we can grow or which the earth offers us in organic abundance. As the smoke wafts from the stick, cleanse yourself using your hand to waft the smoke . Please note that smoke cleansing is not the same as smudging, which refers to a specific indigenous tradition. European Smoke Cleansing Traditions Saining is an age-old Celtic practice. This is done with a smokey outdoor fire, and uses a number of different plants, depending on region and availability. These rituals were carried out in large groups on the estate of the local chief who functioned as a priest during the ceremony. Bath additive for rheumatism and tired legs. These are only a few of the smoke cleansing rituals practiced in many cultures around the world. Seir was considered a secret and sacred knowledge. 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