As we find ourselves in the beginning of a new year, many of our thoughts turn to 'clearing the slate' as we resolve to become better people or to let go of things and tendencies that are no longer useful to us. As a species we've been doing this for over 4,000 years - and that's just the oldest surviving written accounts of this idea, though back then it was more about resolving to pay your debts and to return things you'd borrowed! But here it's the clearing of the air, the cleansing that provides a solid foundation for health or action, that we're focused on. And as pouring a half glass of clean water into a half glass of dirty water gives you a full glass of sorta dirty water, we realize the value of such physical and spiritual housecleaning to begin with. And that brings us to smudging, something that has been practiced world-wide for thousands of years.
Tom Brown Jr had this to say about smudging: "...all smudges started out as a fumigation to get rid of insects, to get rid of vermin, to get rid of foul smells. And somewhere along the line, somebody said 'hey, if it gets rid of all these vermin and everything else and these horrific smells in our shelters, it must be able to get rid of anything else', meaning demonic or spiritual, and that's how it evolved. But when we take it further past the symbol, past the act of that smudge... we find that it becomes more than just a fragrance that triggers a spiritual mind in someone."
Smudging has the ability to clear, protect, and empower – not only yourself, but also your loved ones, and your surroundings. This class will cover the basics of smudging before diving into various physical and spiritual aspects of this powerful tool. It will include the protocols to follow before, during, and after smudging for the deepest cleansing, healing, and protection. Ultimately, this class is designed to bring further power to this ancient practice and bring it into use in both everyday life and along your spiritual path.
Elizabeth Moes will be taking point on this class, and we'll also be hearing from Nancy Klein, Meredith Blackwell, Matt Corradino, Charlie Blackwell, Bill Moes, Randy Walker, Seth Perelman, Jorge Brana, Jon Young & Ruth Ann Colby Martin.