452 The Professional Counselor | Volume 13, Issue 4 with the tobacco secured in the fist and prays to Mother Earth and gives gratitude for the healing medicine offered by sage; they also ask the sage to help all who smudge with it. After the prayer, the tobacco in the left hand is gently placed next to the sage plants intended for harvest. One of the Anishinaabe Original Instructions from Creator is to take only what one needs, so that there is enough for others. Individuals typically pick enough sage for those who are unable to do so, such as elders or those affected by an impairment. The sage is cut or picked from the stem of the plant, leaving the root intact; in this way the sage is able to regrow each year. Once picked, the sage is hung upside down to dry, a process that can take several weeks depending on the heat and humidity. It is then bundled and stored in a dry place to be used throughout the year. Although smudging can be used at any time of the day, it is often done in the morning. To smudge, a small amount of sage is taken off the bundle and rolled into a small ball. It is usually placed in a shell or a special bowl and then lit with matches. The teaching Smith-Yliniemi received is that, when smudging, the smoke from the burning sage is initially taken into the hands and placed over the heart while asking Creator to open one’s heart to the experience they are about to have, as a new beginning. That beginning may entail the opening of the day, a counseling session, an event related to a life transition, or something else. In this way, a person asks for help to open their heart to a new experience. Next, the smoke from the sage is smudged (fanned or wafted) toward the throat area while asking Creator to help with one’s words—to formulate loving and respectful words and thoughts and to know when to use them thoughtfully. Hence, one smudges the throat to reduce impulsivity and increase thoughtfulness and deliberation in speaking. Next, the ears are smudged while asking Creator to help the person hear what they are meant to hear, as so much of what one hears can cause undue worry. Hence, smudging the ears allows others’ words not meant to be heard to dissipate. In this way, Creator helps people to better hear only that which promotes learning and growth or the calming of our minds. Next, the eyes are smudged while asking Creator to help one see what they are meant to see, including the best in others—knowing that all persons have flaws and wounds from living in a world full of chaos and worry. Additionally, the person asks to look beyond the physical, to use a lens that Creator intends. Seeing in this way allows one to live in a more peaceful manner. The person then smudges their head while asking Creator to help them with healthy thoughts and the ability to welcome a positive mindset. Consequently, through this ceremony, a person seeks spiritual and physical healing through the cleansing of any negative feelings, thoughts, or energies. They ask Creator to help them to be present and open to a more positive, healthy, and compassionate way of being toward themselves and others. Counselors or clients of any identity can smudge if it is something they feel called to do and it makes them (or their clients) feel better. As the process is used by Indigenous communities around the world, anyone can have their own smudging routine. Some groups use smudging in association with ceremonies, as a means to feel connected to something they have lost, such as their culture and ways of being, or to address loss from war, genocide, intergenerational trauma, or colonialism. Smudging can be used as a precursor to a “welcome home” ceremony for Native American clients who were adopted and do not know their culture well or urban Indians lacking direct connection to their reservation or tribe. The ritual serves as an opening process that clears the space of any negative energy before enacting that ceremony. Smudging in this way brings in positive energy and allows attendees to be fully present and with open spirits, hearts, and minds. In turn, the welcome home ceremony acts as a coming-together process that helps individuals feel a part of their cultural community, as a symbolic rebirth of their connection to their culture.
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