Smduging

[lostsoulwanders]

Earlier today I did my first smudging of our apartment (Myself, mother, and sister) since things have felt off for me over the past few weeks (Kind of in a strange place internally). As I was going about the smudging my mother kept following around behind me touching everything with "Blessed Oil" and stating that the house was "In the favor of the one true God; Jesus Christ." Does this mean that the smudging might not have worked? I'm pretty new to all of this and my mother isn't fond of the idea that my religious preference is not the same as hers (long story short I'll be in my own place soon, just didn't have the income to strike out on my own after leaving military service).

[Rae'ya]

Re: Smduging

Smudging just infuses the energy of the herbs you used into the energy of a room. Most people use smudging for cleansing, and use herbs appropriate to that. It can be 'undone' if someone comes along and infuses some other energy into the room, but I don't expect a Christian blessing would do that.

If it helps your mother at all (and by that I mean, keeps her from following you around blessing everything) tell her that smudging is another form of incense, which is used for purification in the Catholic Church all the time. That may not help if she's Protestant (which I understand most US Christians are? We don't really use that distinction in Australia), but the point is that Judeo-Christian faiths use incense and smudging too. It's not unique to any particular culture, despite popular belief.

[lostsoulwanders]

Re: Smduging

Smudging just infuses the energy of the herbs you used into the energy of a room. Most people use smudging for cleansing, and use herbs appropriate to that. It can be 'undone' if someone comes along and infuses some other energy into the room, but I don't expect a Christian blessing would do that.

If it helps your mother at all (and by that I mean, keeps her from following you around blessing everything) tell her that smudging is another form of incense, which is used for purification in the Catholic Church all the time. That may not help if she's Protestant (which I understand most US Christians are? We don't really use that distinction in Australia), but the point is that Judeo-Christian faiths use incense and smudging too. It's not unique to any particular culture, despite popular belief.

Thanks for the response. My mother grew up Orthodox Catholic but has since changed to Christian but still keeps a lot of the old ways. She's very quick to judge anything that she isn't familiar with religion wise so even after explaining to her what I was doing she still felt the need to bless the house behind me as well as force blessings onto my sister and myself...

[Lilium of the Valley]

Re: Smduging

Smudging is a really nice way to cleanse a room or even an entire house. (there are other things that one can accomplish with it of course but cleansing and "blessing" are the most common) I have used it for cleansing in the past myself and found it very calming, soothing and helpful indeed.
I don't think what your Mother did there harmed anything that you were trying to create, as in, it sounds like you were doing your thing with the smudger and your Mother was doing her own thing with the oil.
I agree with Rae'ya, since she is catholic, I would also try that specific route of explanation with her. Hence I see Catholics doing the same thing with myrrh all the time, even in combination with markings above front doors.
if you feel bothered by this though, I would simply recommend to do these things while you have a quiet moment to yourself, when everyone else is at work or at school etc.

[monsno_leedra]

Re: Smduging

Earlier today I did my first smudging of our apartment (Myself, mother, and sister) since things have felt off for me over the past few weeks (Kind of in a strange place internally). As I was going about the smudging my mother kept following around behind me touching everything with "Blessed Oil" and stating that the house was "In the favor of the one true God; Jesus Christ." Does this mean that the smudging might not have worked? I'm pretty new to all of this and my mother isn't fond of the idea that my religious preference is not the same as hers (long story short I'll be in my own place soon, just didn't have the income to strike out on my own after leaving military service).

Might you care to state what you used as a smudging item? In most instances I am aware of people use white sage but white sage also has a smell that can drive you nuts in an enclosed area. Usually used as a bundle of strands or as a incense cone / stick as well which is easier to use. Others will use cedar, again as a frond or as a crushed / ground powder, to perform the same cleansing ritual but it doesn't have the odor that sage does. I've known a few that also use oils such as lavender or some other warm scent they like, think of like Apple Pie around certain holidays for instance and the essence it suggests. Occasionally, the usage of blessed or holy type water that has been left under both the new full moon and the mid-day sun to infuse it with masculine & feminine energies and the cleansing properties of both.

The other thing is what sort of vessel are you using? If your mother is hanging around that closely and using oil behind you the vessel might be what causes her concern. Figure if you use fronds or such then your basically carrying around a lit branch or clump of grass. If incense then probably a plate or handle holder type setting though I suppose one could also have one of those balls / half cups called a censer or thurible an hung from a chain.

Considering what type of vessel you use could also affect / effect how you mother responds to what your doing. While the shape of the holder will not affect how it works it could affect the cleansing in that you see it one way your mother or sister for that matter could see it as negative and be giving a negative cleansing right behind you.

Perhaps unrelated but the order the cleansing is done in could also affect / effect how it is viewed and thus the final outcome. Did you walk the house clock-wise or counter-clockwise? Did you start at the furthest room with open windows then walk the energy away from the open window and close it pushing the negativity before you from room to room until you reach the last room to sweep it out of the house? Much of that dependent upon ones individual practice for certain so it may vary from practitioner to practitioner.

The other thing to consider is how does your mother, your sister perhaps and your own self see the usage of smudging? Figure in many Christian practices the smoke is representative of prayers and such transmuting / transforming before you very eyes via the smoke and rising to God. The blessing touching and permeating everything as it does so, wiping away all the negativity before you. So in that instance you do have the potential of one persons aura and energy overlaying that of the other and changing its focus and purpose. A potential which seems to be suggest by this thread and your questions / beliefs as to how it will be affected. You've not made mention of any audio aspect of your action so I am assuming if there was such it was non-spoken aloud where your mother's appears to have added extra influence by being spoken aloud in what she did. Again not saying her's worked better only something to be aware of the next time you do a smudging.

Sorry about the basic aspect of much of my reply I was going by you saying this was your first smudging so wanted to keep it basic but potentially helpful as well.

[lostsoulwanders]

Re: Smduging

Might you care to state what you used as a smudging item? In most instances I am aware of people use white sage but white sage also has a smell that can drive you nuts in an enclosed area. Usually used as a bundle of strands or as a incense cone / stick as well which is easier to use. Others will use cedar, again as a frond or as a crushed / ground powder, to perform the same cleansing ritual but it doesn't have the odor that sage does. I've known a few that also use oils such as lavender or some other warm scent they like, think of like Apple Pie around certain holidays for instance and the essence it suggests. Occasionally, the usage of blessed or holy type water that has been left under both the new full moon and the mid-day sun to infuse it with masculine & feminine energies and the cleansing properties of both.

The other thing is what sort of vessel are you using? If your mother is hanging around that closely and using oil behind you the vessel might be what causes her concern. Figure if you use fronds or such then your basically carrying around a lit branch or clump of grass. If incense then probably a plate or handle holder type setting though I suppose one could also have one of those balls / half cups called a censer or thurible an hung from a chain.

Considering what type of vessel you use could also affect / effect how you mother responds to what your doing. While the shape of the holder will not affect how it works it could affect the cleansing in that you see it one way your mother or sister for that matter could see it as negative and be giving a negative cleansing right behind you.

Perhaps unrelated but the order the cleansing is done in could also affect / effect how it is viewed and thus the final outcome. Did you walk the house clock-wise or counter-clockwise? Did you start at the furthest room with open windows then walk the energy away from the open window and close it pushing the negativity before you from room to room until you reach the last room to sweep it out of the house? Much of that dependent upon ones individual practice for certain so it may vary from practitioner to practitioner.

The other thing to consider is how does your mother, your sister perhaps and your own self see the usage of smudging? Figure in many Christian practices the smoke is representative of prayers and such transmuting / transforming before you very eyes via the smoke and rising to God. The blessing touching and permeating everything as it does so, wiping away all the negativity before you. So in that instance you do have the potential of one persons aura and energy overlaying that of the other and changing its focus and purpose. A potential which seems to be suggest by this thread and your questions / beliefs as to how it will be affected. You've not made mention of any audio aspect of your action so I am assuming if there was such it was non-spoken aloud where your mother's appears to have added extra influence by being spoken aloud in what she did. Again not saying her's worked better only something to be aware of the next time you do a smudging.

Sorry about the basic aspect of much of my reply I was going by you saying this was your first smudging so wanted to keep it basic but potentially helpful as well.

I used a bundle of sage and sweet grass. Everyone agreed that it smelled really good. As for a vessel I carried it wrapped in wax paper to catch any of the ashes if they were to fall. My mother essentially thinks if it isn't associated with something she is familiar with or something she's seen in church it is not "right." I explained what I was doing was clearing negative energy and trying to usher in positive energy and from that standpoint it was just like the processions held in mass at her old church. I could post an entire other thread to talk about the oppression of her (Don't get me wrong, I love my mother but once it gets to religion it is walking on broken glass).

I did make a petition as I made my way clockwise, starting with the west most room, as I reached the corners of the rooms but she made sure to speak over me. Other than that I felt a difference in the air of the house, it feels calmer but I will be interested to see how it goes when I smudge my place without her following me in a few months.