The Saging Pot

Smudging, or saging, is an ancient spiritual ritual practiced by many Native American tribes.  Its purpose is to cleanse or purify people or areas, rid them of negative energy, bring about balance, enhance intuition and cognition, and more.  

Traditionally, smudging is done by burning sacred herbs or resins and allowing the smoke to linger around the person or object until the ritual is complete. 

My work with the spirit world can involve bringing negative energy into my space, or unbalancing it at the very least.  Unfortunately, though, the smoke from smudging can trigger my asthma, so I use an alternative method to cleanse my home and belongings.

Simmering pots of herbs on the stove is nothing new.  Many use aromatic herbs to fragrance their house and give it a homey feel.  In our home, we use herbs with magical and sacred properties to cleanse and protect our home.  It's as simple as putting a pot of water on the stove, or using a slow cooker, adding herbs to achieve the desired effect, and slow simmering for a few hours.

Be sure to open a window or door so anything bad can be released and filled with the energy from the saging pot.

Smudging Herbs
Herb	Properties
Agrimony	Banishing; Cleanse the aura
Ague	Hex breaking; Protection against evil
Alkanet	Purification; Replace negative influence with positive
Allspice	Attract luck and money
Amaranth	Healing; Summoning spirits
Amber	Protection from harm, outside influences, and psychic attacks. Mental clarity & focus. Transforming negative energy to positive energy.
Angelica	Very powerful protection herb ; Protects against negative energy and attracts positive energy; Creates a barrier against negative energy. Use in healing & exorcism incenses; scatter for purification, protection, and uncrossing. Add to incense to promote healing or to the bath to remove curses, hexes, or spells.
Anise	Used to help ward off the evil eye, find happiness, and stimulate psychic ability. Fill a sleep pillow with anise seed to prevent disturbing dreams.
Apple	Peace; Healing; Fertility
Arabic Gum	Protection, psychic and spiritual enhancement
Arnica Flowers	Increases psychic flowers
Arrow Root	Purification and healing; can be used as a substitute for graveyard dust.
Asofoetida	Protection and banishing negativity. Be forewarned that this herb is powerful, but has an awful smell when burned.
Aspen	Eloquence, clairvoyance, healing, and anti-theft. Plant in your garden for protection against thieves.
Astragalus Root	Protection and energy
Balsam Fir	Strength and breaking up negativity; Insight, progress against goals, and bringing about change.
Bamboo	Hex breaking, wishes, luck and protection. Carve a wish into bamboo and bury it in a secluded area to make your wish come true. Carry a piece of bamboo for good luck.
Barberry	Cleansing, sorcery, atonement, freeing oneself from the power or control of another.
Barley	Love, healing, and protection. Harvests. Scatter on the ground to keep evil at bay. Tie barley straw around a rock and throw into a river or lake while visualizing any pain you have to make the pain go away.
Basil	Love, exorcism, wealth, sympathy, and protection. Dispels confusion, fears & weakness. Drives off hostile spirits.
Bay Laurel	Purification, house and business blessing, and clearing confusion. Attracts romance. Place in a dream pillow for sound sleep and to induce prophetic dreams.
Bay Leaf	Protection, good fortune, success, purification, strength, healing and psychic powers. Write wishes on the leaves and then burn the leaves to make the wishes come true. Place under the pillow (or use in dream pillow) to induce prophetic dreams. Place in the corner of each room in the house to protect all that dwell there. Carry bay leaf to protect yourself against black magick.
Bayberry	Good fortune, luck, healing, and stress relief. Burn a white candle sprinkled with bayberry bark for good fortune and money.
Beet	Love
Benzoin	Purification, prosperity, soothing tension, dispelling anger, diminishing irritability, relieving stress & anxiety, and overcoming depression. Promotes generosity and concentration. Good to burn while using the Tarot or for success in intellectual matters.
Bergamot	Money, prosperity, protection from evil and illness, improving memory, stopping interference, and promoting restful sleep.
Betel Nut	Protection and banishing
Bilberry Bark	Protection
Birch	Protection, exorcism and purification. A birch planted close to the home is said to protect against lightning, infertility, and the evil eye.
Black Pepper	Banishing negativity, exorcism, and protection from evil.
Blackberry	Healing, protection and money. Sacred to Brighid. Leaves and berries said to attract wealth and healing.
Blessed Thistle	Purification, protection against negativity and evil, hex breaking. Carry for strength and protection.
Bloodroot	Love, protection, and purification. Steep in red wine for a full cycle of the moon to use as a "blood offering" for spells that call for this -- DO NOT DRINK THE WINE. Place in windows and doorways to keep curses and evil spirits out. A favorite root for use in voodoo to defeat hexes and spells aimed against you.
Blue Violet	Love, inspiration, good fortune, and protection from all evil. Carried for protection and to encourage fortune and changed luck. Mixed with lavender to attract lust and love.
Boneset	Protection, exorcism and warding off evil spirits. Sprinkle an infusion of boneset around the home to rid it of evil and negativity.
Borage	Courage and psychic powers. Float the flowers in a ritual bath to raise one's spirits. Carry or burn as an incense to increase courage and strength of character. Sprinkle an infusion of Borage around the house to ward off evil.
Brimstone	Dispels or prevents a hex on you; destroys an enemy's power over you. Burn at midnight near your back door to ward off evil. Also called: Sulphur Powder
Broom Tops	Purification, wind spells, divination and protection. Sprinkle an infusion of broom tops around the home to clear away all evil.
Buchu	Divination, wind spells, psychic powers and prophetic dreams. Add buchu leaves to the bath to enable yourself to foretell the future.
Calendula Flowers	Protection, legal matters, and psychic/spiritual powers.
Caraway	Health, love, protection, mental powers, memory, passion, and anti-theft. Carry to improve memory or use in dream pillows to help you to remember your dreams.
Carnation	Protection, strength, healing, enhancing magickal powers, and achieving balance.
Cascara Sagrada	Legal matters, money spells and protection against hexes. Wear as an amulet for protection against evil and hexes.
Cayenne	Dealing with separations or divorce; Cleansing & purification; Repels negativity; Speeds up the effect of any mixture to which it is added.
Chili Pepper	Fidelity, love, and hex breaking. Scatter powder around the house to break hexes and spells against you. Use in love charms & spells.
Chrysanthemum	Protection. Grow in the garden to ward off evil spirits.
Cilantro	Brings peace to the home and helps to attune one with their soul.
Cinnamon	Spirituality, success, healing, protection, power, love, luck, strength, and prosperity. Burn as an incense or use in a sachet to raise spiritual and protective vibrations, draw money, and stimulate psychic powers.
Clove	Exorcism, love, money, and protection
Cloves	Drive away hostile forces, stop gissip, protection, banishing hostile/negative forces, and gaining what is sought.
Coconut	Chastity, protection, and purification
Cumin	Fidelity, protection, and exorcism. The seed is said to prevent the theft of any object which contains it. Burn with frankincense for protection.
Curry	Protection. Burn curry powder to keep evil forces away.
Dill	Money, protection, luck and lust. Used in love & protection charms. Effective at keeping away dark forces, useful for house blessing.
Dragon's Blood	Protection, energy, and purification. Burn as an incense to increase the potency of a spell. Has strong banishing powers against negative influences and bad habits.
Eucalyptus	Attracts healing vibrations, great for protection and healing sachets. Use to purify any space.
Fennel Seed	Imparts strength, vitality, sexual virility; prevents curses, possession and negative problems. Use in spells for protection, healing, and purification. Provides help and strength when facing danger or dire times. Hang in windows and doors to ward off evil.
Fern	Mental clarity, cleansing, purification, and dispelling negativity.
Fleabane	Exorcism, protection, chastity.
Frankincense	Successful ventures, cleansing, purification. Burn for protective work, consecration, and meditation.
Galangal Root	Hex Breaking; Burn as incense to remove evil spells and break curses. Carry for protection, to improve psychic abilities and to bring good health.
Garlic	Healing, protection, exorcism, repulsion of vampires, and purification of spaces and objects. Guards against negative magic, spirits, and the envy of others.
Grapefruit	Cleansing and purification.
Hyssop	The most widely used purification herb in magick. Lightens vibrations and promotes spiritual opening; used for cleansing and purification. Said to protect property against burglars and trespassers.
Lady Slipper	Used for protection against hexes, curses and the evil eye.
Lavender	Magickal uses include love, protection, healing, sleep, purification, and peace. Promotes healing from depression.
Leek	Love, protection, exorcism, and strengthening existing love.
Lemon	Cleansing, spiritual opening, purification, and removal of blockages.
Lemon Balm	Love, success, healing, and psychic/spiritual development. Use in love charms & spells to attract a partner. Use in healing spells & rituals for those suffering from mental or nervous disorders.
Lemon Grass	Psychic cleansing and opening, lust potions.
Lime	Purification and protection, promoting calmness and tranquility, and strengthening love.
Mandrake	protection, prosperity, fertility, and exorcising evil
Marjoram	Cleansing, purification, and dispelling negativity. Place under pillow to bring revealing dreams. Place in the corners of the home for protection.
Nutmeg	Magickal uses include attracting money/prosperity, bringing luck, protection, and breaking hexes.
Palo Santo	Remove curses
Osha Root	Protection against evil spirits
Parsley	Calms and protects the home; Draws prosperity, financial increase, and luck.
Peony	Protection from hexes and jinxes. Good luck, good fortune, prosperity, and business success.
Peppermint	Use to increase the vibrations of a space or in spells and incense for healing & purification.
Plantain	Protection from evil spirits and snake bites, removing weariness, healing headaches; house & business blessing.
Rose Geranium	Averts negativity, especially in the form of gossip or false accusations.
Rosemary	Carried and used in healing poppets for good health, used in love/lust spells, worn to improve memory, used in dream pillows to prevent nightmares, burned as incense for purification and removing negativity.
Sage	Removes negative energy.
Sandalwood	Scatter sandalwood powder around the home to clear it of negativity. Burn during protection, healing, and exorcism spells.
Saw Palmetto Berries	Magickal uses include healing protection, exorcism, passion and spiritual openings.
Sea Salt	cleansing crystals, purification, grounding, protection magick and ritual. Used with water for asperging, sea spells, consecration and casting circles. Used with garlic and rosemary to banish evil.
Snapdragon	Protection, exorcism, and purification
Spearmint	Healing, love and protection
Sulfur Powder	Dispels or prevents a hex on you; destroys an enemy's power over you.
Sunflower	Energy, protection, power, wisdom, and wishes.
Sweetgrass	Peace, unity, and calling spirits
Tangerine	Promotes energy, strength, and vitality. Awakens joy and dissolves negativity.
Tansy	Health, invisibility, immortality, longevity; keeps evil out of the home.
Thistle	Healing, protection.
Thyme	Attracts loyalty, affection, and the good opinion of others. Wear a sprig to ward off unbearable grief or provide strength and courage when needed. Burn or hang in the home for banishing, purification, and to attract good health for all occupants. Use in dream pillows to ward off nightmares and ensure restful sleep.
Toadlfax	Protection and hex breaking
Vinegar	Banishing, binding, averting evil.
Violet	Calms the nerves, draws prophetic dreams and visions, stimulates creativity, and promotes peace & tranquility. Violet leaf provides protection from all evil.
White Sage	Use as an incense, for smudging or for purification.
Wood Betony	Magickal uses include purification, protection, and the expulsion of evil spirits, nightmares, and despair.
Wormwood	Used to remove anger, stop war, inhibit violent acts, and for protection from the evil eye. Carry in vehicle to protect from accidents on dangerous roads. Use as incense for clairvoyance, to summon spirits, or to enhance divinatory abilities.
Yew	Raising the dead, protection against evil, immortality, and breaking hexes.
Yucca	Transmutation, protection and purification. A cross of yucca fiber placed on the hearth protects the home from evil.

Note:  Please research each herb or oil to determine all of its possible uses and dangers.  Then proceed at your own risk.