Smoke Cleansing 101: Clearing Rituals for Shadow Work

Shadow work can bring up complex feelings, but it is often the gateway to healing and transformation. As you look within, prepare to shed what no longer serves you. Trust that you are safe in this liminal space, and embrace the opportunity to observe your growth from the inside out. Connecting with your shadow self allows you to notice aspects of yourself that need care, as well as patterns you have outgrown and are ready to release. Shadow work requires intention, vulnerability, and supportive rituals.

Maintaining spiritual hygiene is a form of everyday magic, essential for deepening your connection with your own energy and your magical practice. Cleansing regularly helps your energy flow freely, unencumbered by stagnant or uninvited energy. If you’ve recently moved, your home feels stagnant, or your energy feels heavy, smoke cleansing can help ground you and restore your vibrancy. Think of it as a spiritual deep clean, removing lingering energy and refreshing the space within and around you.

Smoke cleansing is done with the intentional burning of herbs. You can smoke cleanse with the use of smoke bundles, and incense. Remember, each plant ally you collaborate with has their own magical properties and can be used to for specific purposes as you cleanse. Like all spiritual practices, be mindful about collaborating with herbs in your magical practice. While white sage (and palo santo) have become popularized resources to smoke cleanse with, these herbs are a part of closed indigenous practices. There are plenty of alternative herbs available that have been used for centuries for the purpose of cleansing that are not within a closed practice. Some of these cleansing herbs include:

• Rosemary for Protection
• Lavender for Peace
• Cedar for Grounding
• Rose Petals for Love and Healing
• Copal for Purification

To read more about navigating your magical practice ethically, read this blog.

Take a moment to check in with yourself. Notice any habits, patterns, or shadow aspects lingering in your energy that no longer serve you. Smoke cleansing is a way to release and purge this energy- imagine the smoke moving through your space or aura, carrying away what you wish to let go of. There are many ways to smoke cleanse: light a smoke wand, burn incense, or use a mix of loose herbs in a heat-safe dish, such as a cauldron, to clear your space.

What You'll Need:

• Herbs, incense, or a smoke bundle
• A heat safe dish (to prevent falling ashes)
• A lighter, candle, or matches

To begin smoke cleansing, open up your windows or front door. You're intentionally removing energy from yourself and your surroundings, so be sure to give this unwanted energy a way to leave. Set an intention. What is it exactly you are cleansing? Did a guest overstay their welcome, leaving behind a sticky energy? Do you feel that your energy simply needs a refresh? Or do you feel called to cleanse your energy so you may enjoy the present with more pleasure? Give the magical tools you are working with a task for the most desired outcome.

Once you have deciphered why you are smoke cleansing, gather your herbs, incense or smoke bundle. You can speak this intention out loud, for example "I am letting go of the patterns that once supported me to make space for new growth and joy" or "I am removing stagnant energy and revitalizing my energy." To begin cleansing, light the smoke cleansing tool of your choice and begin walking in your space counter-clockwise. Moving counter-clockwise is associated with release and banishment. If you'd solely like to cleanse your own personal energy, circle your smoke cleansing tool of choice around your body counter clockwise.

Trust your intuition as you smoke cleanse and don't be afraid to communicate with the energy you are releasing. Play music that you feel correlates with your intention if that feels exciting to you and be direct as you shoo this undesired energy out of your home or energetic field. Let your personality shine as you weave this magic, especially when cleansing yourself. In this moment you are doing more than just cleansing, you are setting an energetic boundary. As you commune with the energy that exists within and around you, be clear about what you are letting go of and why. Cleansing your own energy is an act of shadow work, you are explaining to past versions of yourself that their help is no longer needed. This is a moment to offer softness to these aspects of yourself while encouraging them to move forward so you may too.

To close your circle and complete the cleansing ritual, return to the spot where you began. For example, if you started at your bedroom door, end there; if you began cleansing yourself from the top of your head, drift the smoke back over that area. Keep windows or doors slightly open for a while to allow any released energy to fully exit. Pause and tune in- notice how the space feels. For a more practical check, observe whether the room still holds smoke. When you’re ready, close any openings and seal the ritual with a clear declaration: “The released energy is not invited back.”

Smoke cleansing is a gentle yet powerful addition to your magical practice. It helps you reconnect with your own magic, feel grounded in your spiritual energy, and move through your environment and body with ease. As a foundational ritual, it supports your growth and expansion as the magical, powerful being you are. Use it to release what no longer serves you and sweep away energy that leaves you feeling bogged down, uninspired, or distracted.

Support shadow work and reconnect with your pleasure through this approachable magic. When parts of yourself remain hidden in the shadows, it can be challenging to fully know and honor yourself. Smoke cleansing offers a pause, a chance to check in with the energy that may be blocking a richer relationship with yourself and your magic. Shadow work can feel overwhelming, but gently lifting the veil allows you to see what’s happening behind the curtain and understand yourself more clearly. This practice nurtures a sense of kinship with yourself, a security in your own magic, and the willingness to release anything that obscures the hidden aspects of your being. When you feel weighed down by the past or untethered in the present, ground yourself through release and allow the energy to flow freely.