Leasa ~ I have read about Sage Smudging and think it's a great idea. I bet it did smell nice and your place became filled with positive, healing energy.

Thanks for sharing ~ FlowerLady

I smudged my home in Berkeley a few times, and myself. I keep a bowl of cedar in the house, which is a Native American practice for harmonious energy, a form of purifying. There should be cedar in all four corners of the house, or the four corners of a room. I just have one bowl. Since I have six cedar dog beds scattered about, it seems to me that bases are covered. Might be cheating, but it works for me!

When the Oakland Fire Storm wreaked devastation throughout a large area of the Oakland Hills, one home stood completely unscathed. The owners said they had a Buddhist priest bless their home, when they moved in. They felt that was the reason their home didn't burn! The man and woman were not Buddhist. It simply made sense to them to have their home blessed, and they chose a Buddhist priest to do it.

Lorna

Very interesting, Leasa!
(perhaps Chase wasn't bored, just meditating :-)

Yes! I've been saged. And it comes with a long story. Forgive me as I ramble.

When Brian and I moved in to our first apartment together in San Francisco, we got the place through a word-of-mouth deal. I could write pages about this funky piece of real estate. There were 10 apartments in all, 4 in the 1875 Victorian in the back and 6 in the slightly newer (1903) but entirely different style apartment building in the front. Both these buildings stood through the 1906 earthquake. The two structures created a very eccentric central courtyard where everyone gathered and socialized. In order to get admitted to this dysfunctional family of Waller World dwellers, you had to know someone and be thoroughly vetted. Well we knew Brian's friend, Ellen.

The people who lived in the apartment before us were there by Ellen's recommendation. Well, they eventually pulled some mighty rotten tricks on a couple of tenants and became universally loathed as a result. They were banished from the kingdom but did not go quietly. They left this apartment in absolute shambles.

Trying to find an apartment in San Francisco during that time was difficult. Vacancy rates were running around 2%. Brian and I had recently bought an English bulldog puppy. Boo was staying with me in my 3rd floor walk-up. Did you know that even as puppies bulldogs are heavy? We were getting desperate when Ellen told us that this apartment was available. Ellen's word wasn't particularly golden at the moment so we were suspect from the start.

We were introduced to the ring leaders of this circus and sized up from every angle before we were even allowed to see the place. When we were permitted in, our jaws dropped. The place was uninhabitable. And here we were, being scrutinized to see if we passed muster to live in that mess. We left in shock.

But the more we thought about it, the more we knew we belonged there. There were beautiful architectural bones. We knew we could make it beautiful if we were given carte blanche.

So we broke out our secret weapon. We went back that afternoon with Boo. Jane, the manager, took one look at that puppy face and we were in. On one condition: we sage the place from top to bottom. I didn't put much stock in it at the time, but we said sure. We never anticipated the elaborate ceremony that was to come.

Everyone who lived there turned out for it. First Jane led us all room by room with the sage. Then everyone but Brian and I were given big pots with spoons. We were given brooms. On Jane's go, two dozen people started from the front door banging their hearts out on their pots, while Brian and I followed ceremoniously sweeping behind them. Jane circled back through with a fresh batch of burning sage. When we all made it out the back door into the courtyard, there was a huge party waiting for all of us.

I can tell you this. The gloom in that apartment lifted that night. Every bit of negative energy I had been feeling there was gone. We lived there with much happiness for nearly 10 years.

That sage is some good stuff.

Steven

My daughter saged the halls and her apt and the whole floor of her condo in SLC. There was something very very sad that happened ...it made it much easier in her mind and heart. c