Smudge sticks have been used for centuries to cleanse spaces and promote positive energy. These bundles of fragrant herbs are not only soothing but also believed to clear away negativity.

Join us as we explore and learn about the various different types of smudge sticks, what they're made of, and how they can enhance your spiritual journey. Whether you're new to smudging or you smudge regularly, there's plenty to uncover about these powerful tools of cleansing and purification.

Types of Smudge Sticks

 WHITE SAGE: Clears negative energy ~ Raises Vibrations ~ Fresh Beginnings

White sage is a sacred herb used for centuries in cleansing ceremonies by many native cultures. It's used to seek blessings, prosperity, and protection, and to clear unwanted energies. Burning sage aims to cleanse people, spaces, and objects of negativity and unwanted spirits, while also raising positive energy during ceremonies and rituals.

 

BLUE SAGE: Cleanse and Protects ~ Brings Wealth ~ Promotes Healing

Blue sage, like white sage is also known as a sacred herb that has been used for hundreds of years as part of cleansing ceremonies in many native cultures. Blue sage is used to ask spirits for blessings, prosperity and protection and to clear unwanted energies. Its calming aroma is ideal for meditation or relaxation. Blue sage has a milder scent compared to white sage, making it more accessible for those sensitive to strong smells. Use blue sage to invite abundance, health, and healing into your life.

 

DESERT SAGE: Wisdom ~ Increases Inner Strength ~ Purification ~ Protection

Desert sage is believed to repel negative feelings and replace them with uplifting thoughts. It also helps relieve anxiety and stress-related headaches. With its warm, herbaceous, slightly peppery scent, its smoke detoxifies people and spaces from negative energies. It is commonly used for protection, enhancing inner strength, meditation, and cleansing environments.

 

BLACK SAGE: Encourages Dreams ~ Visions ~ Protection ~ Cleanses Atmosphere

Black sage, also known as dream weed, is frequently used for nighttime smudging to enhance dreams and encourage lucid visions. It's particularly useful for exploring different levels of consciousness, especially during shamanic practices, trance work, and inner healing journeys. When burned, the smoke from black sage provides a sense of safety and protection as your mind connects to the astral realms.

 

SAGE BRUSH: Blessing ~ Inner Strength ~ Protection ~ Purification

Sagebrush is a widely recognised Native American ceremonial herb used for purifying the body and spirit. Known for its medicinal properties as an anti-rheumatic, antiseptic, and disinfectant, it has been traditionally used to treat various ailments, including preventing infections in wounds and relieving headaches and colds.

 

ROSEMARY: Psychic Protection ~ Mental Clarity ~ Purifies Vibration

Rosemary is valued for its protective properties against negative energies and spirits. With its earthy aroma, it has long been associated with improving memory and honoring the departed in burial rituals. Rosemary is renowned for enhancing memory and promoting heightened awareness, making it ideal for use before meditation or any spiritual practices and spellwork.

 

YERBA SANTA - Empowerment ~ Purification ~ Growth ~ Emotional Healing

Yerba santa, also called holy herb, is used in tradition for beauty, empowerment, purification, growth, and releasing emotional pain. When burned, it emits a pleasant uplifting scent that protects and purifies you and your surroundings. Its smoke clears energy, sets boundaries, and promotes healing.

 

LAVENDER - Increases clairvoyance ~ Psychic protection ~ Tranquility

 

Lavender, known for its uplifting yet calming energy, brings positivity into a space. It opens the heart, calms the mind, offers protection, and dispels fear or worry. Often used at night for tranquility, relaxation and promoting restful sleep, burning lavender also defends against negative energies while bringing light into your home. It's ideal for cleansing, blessing rituals, and calming the overall energy in a room.

 

JUNIPER: Protects Negative Energy ~ Promotes Healing ~ Invites Abundance

Juniper is known as a symbol of good luck and is believed to attract abundance and prosperity. It carries a protective masculine energy that, when burned, cleanses spaces of negative energy. After clearing away unwanted energies, juniper helps to center and detoxify the environment, allowing positive healing energy to flow freely. The smoke from juniper attaches to negative energies, dispersing and transforming them into universal energy.

 

 EUCALYPTUS: Protection ~ Spiritual Cleansing and Healing ~ Strengthens Immunity

Eucalyptus smudge sticks are used for protection, spiritual cleaning, and healing. Eucalyptus naturally removes bad energy from its surroundings, making it a strong tool for cleaning altars or preparing for rituals. When burned, its smoke renews, purifies, and heals, easing mental tiredness. It also helps clear congestion and relieve tension. Many people find smudging with eucalyptus to be a calming and centering practice, useful for creating a peaceful environment and enhancing spiritual well-being.

DRAGONS BLOOD SAGE: Productivity ~ Protection ~ Spell Potency

When you burn white sage rolled in dragon's blood resin, its spicy, woody scent creates a calm and pleasant atmosphere. The dragon's blood resin enhances the sage's ability to clear energies, and it's also thought to offer protection and attract blessings related to love and money. People often use it for purifying energy, boosting the magickal power of spells and rituals, getting rid of negativity, breaking bad habits, and bringing good luck.

PINE: Healing ~ Control ~ Balance ~ Protection

Pine, with its captivating scent, is renowned for reversing negativity, offering protection, and drawing long-term prosperity. When burned as a smudge stick, the smoke emits a fresh and pleasant pine fragrance believed to cleanse negative energy, purify spaces, people, and objects. It also brings a soothing calmness to those feeling irritated or upset, while also igniting positive and uplifting energy when needed.

MUGWORT: Clears Psychic Energy ~ Protection and Healing ~ Prophetic Dreams

Mugwort is a sacred herb used for clarity and enhancing psychic abilities when burned. It has a gentle, sweet scent that can aid in dream stimulation. Burning mugwort releases smoke that helps open the third eye and facilitates entering deeper meditative states. This powerful herb cleanses the atmosphere, providing spiritual protection for your space. If you're seeking extra spiritual support through smudging, mugwort is an ideal choice.

CEDAR: Cleanses the Aura ~ Attracts Good Spirits ~ Eliminates Negative Energy

Cedar is revered as one of the four sacred plants in the Native American medicine wheel. It's considered a tree of protection, healing, wealth, and purification. Cedar is often used in ceremonies to protect, renew, and ground individuals. When burned, cedar smudge sticks burn slowly, making them perfect for thorough smudging rituals. The smoke from burning cedar enhances energies, clears away negativity and stagnation, and strengthens connections to positive spirits.

 PALO SANTO: Clears Negative Energy ~ Purifies the Environment ~ Brings Good Luck

Palo Santo, also called holy wood, has been used for centuries to cleanse negative energy. Its high resin content naturally purifies both people and spaces when burned. It emits a woody fragrance with notes of lemon, pine, and mint. Palo santo comes in several forms for smudging, raw wood pieces, milled power or smudge sticks with a core of eucalyptus and bay leaf rolled in resin and palo santo chips.

From those new to smudging with sage to experienced practitioners who use herbs like lavender, rosemary, and mugwort, understanding the variety of smudge sticks and how to use them is vital for cleansing your space before rituals, sabbats, meditation or yoga. Exploring these options helps you create a peaceful and purified environment that aligns with your spiritual intentions and practices.