The common smudging ceremony is to burn certain herbs, and rub or brush the smoke over the body. The three plants most frequently used in smudging are sage, cedar and sweetgrass.

Sage - is burned in smudging ceremonies to drive out bad spirits, feelings, or influences, and also to keep bad spirits from entering the area where a ceremony takes place. In Plains nations, the floor of the sweatlodge is frequently covered with sage, and participants rub the leaves on their bodies while in the sweat. Sage is also commonly spread on the ground in a lodge or on an altar where the pipe touches the earth. Some nations wrap their pipes in sage when they are placed in pipe-bundles, as sage purifies objects wrapped in it. Sage wreaths are also placed around the head and wrists of Sundancers.

Cedar - is burned while praying, either aloud or silently. The prayers rise on the cedar smoke and are carried to the Creator. Cedar is also spread along with sage on the floor of the sweatlodges of some tribes. Cedar branches are brushed in the air to cleanse a home during the House Blessing Ceremony of many Northwest Indian nations. Sage is said to drive out negative energy: but it also brings in good influences. The spirit of cedar is considered very ancient and wise by Pacific Northwest tribes, and old, downed cedar trees are honored with offerings and prayers.

Sweetgrass - is one of the most sacred plants for the plains Indians. Sweetgrass is usually braided together in bunches as a person's hair is braided, although friends have said they have seen it used simply bunched and wrapped in cloth. Either way, it is usually burned by shaving little bits over hot coals or lighting the end and waving it around, letting the smoke spread through the air. This latter method is however were taught to burn sweetgrass in the sweatlodge-allowing the purifying smoke to get to all parts of the lodge. Sweetgrass brings in the good spirits and the good influences. It is good to burn the sweetgrass after the sage & cedar. As with cedar, burning sweetgrass while praying sends prayers up to the Creator in the smoke. Sweetgrass is also put in pipe bundles and medicine bundles along with sage to purify and protect sacred objects.

Smudging - To do a smudging ceremony, burn the clippings of these herbs (dried), rub your hands in the smoke, and then gather the smoke and bring it into your body--or rub it onto yourself, especially onto any area you feel needs spiritual healing. Keep praying all the while that the unseen powers of the plant will cleanse your spirit. Sometimes one person will smudge another, or group of people, using hands or more often a feather to lightly brush the smoke over the other person(s). To do a simple house cleansing, due to emotional, or relationship problems, first pray together to the Creator and to the spirits for help. Then burn sage, purify yourselves, and take the sage to all corners, closets, and rooms of the house, pushing the smoke with your hands to cleanse every bit of space--lingering over dark or cold spots that "feel" uncomfortable.

Use sage first, in order to drive out the bad influences. Then purify yourself with cedar, and, with it, repeat the cleansing process throughout the house. Then sweetgrass is used in the same manner to bring in good influences. All the time, pray for help in the cleansing. Finally, take a candle over the whole house and push it's light into every corner.

Smudging is a ceremony that must be done with care. We are entering into a relationship with the unseen powers of these plants and the spirits of the ceremony: and, as with all good relationships, there has to be respect and honor if the relationship is to work.

*excerpts taken from article in SHAMAN'S DRUM/SPRING, 1987