Smudging

Smudging is traditionally a ritual or ceremony for purifying or cleansing using sacred smoke from burning medicinal or sacred plants.

Normally, there are four elements involved – water, earth, fire, and air.

The container, which is usually a shell, represents water.

The sacred plants, gifts from mother earth, represent the second element.

Fire, or the third element, is represented by lighting the sacred plants.

The smoke from the fire represents air.