1. Perform a Cleansing Ritual: Sage New Years Eve. They say how you enter the new year is how you will continue throughout the year-- why not start it with good vibes.
There are many occasions and situations when you might want to smudge. One of my friends always smudges her home every New Years Day. It is the perfect time to symbolically start a new year fresh with positive energy in your nest. For the same reason, many people will smudge themselves on their birthday.
Sage Smudging: Light a stick of sage in the area you want to cleanse. Sage also works as an aromatherapy to create a calming environment. Ringing Bells: Ring a bell throughout your home, particularly where negative experiences may have occurred, to rid the negative energies.
The burning of sage and ritualistic use of fire clears your space of all energy- good and bad. This creates an open and welcoming environment for you to step into the New Year with.
Start by lighting the smudge stick and let it catch fire. Extinguish the fire by blowing on it lightly, and let the smoke billow from the stick. Walk around your entire house and allow the smoke to touch every room, corner, even closets, and cupboards.
Sacred items and locations can be smudged to clear away negativity. Smudging can be done at any time of day or night, whenever it is needed.
You may be wondering what's the best time of day to sage your house. You can sage your home at night or during the day. What's most important is that you sage your home when you feel it needs to be done, or if you feel negative, sluggish, anxious, or stressed.
If you have a seizure disorder, don't take sage in amounts higher than those typically found in food. Surgery: Common sage might affect blood sugar levels and interfere with blood sugar control during and after surgery. Stop using common sage as a medicine at least 2 weeks before a scheduled surgery.
Spend New Year's Eve in meditation.
Spend it in quiet meditation or prayer as a way to start the year in peace and harmony. Make sure you arrange for your meditation time to extend past midnight. It's the perfect way to not only start a brand new year but end an old one. You can also do this with others if you prefer.
The idea is that you sweep out luck if you sweep on New Years Day. The first guest in your home on New Years Day fills an important role in the coming year. It is said that that person (sometimes called a first footer) foretells the kind of luck you can expect during the next 12 months.
One common tradition is cleaning your house thoroughly on or before New Year's Eve. Out with the old, in with the new they say. Most people believe in the idea that cleaning your house before the first day of the New Year ensures that you don't carry in your old, somewhat soiled, life into the New Year.
Chinese tradition and superstition dictate that homes be clean before the start of the new year, ridding the house of the bad luck and misfortune of the past, and opening up spaces for all the new, good luck to enter and infuse your life.
Don't wash those clothes
This is an odd one. According to folklore, if you wash clothes on New Year's Day, you'll be “washing for the dead” or washing a loved one away -- meaning someone in your household will die in the coming year. Get your laundry washed, dried, folded and put away by New Year's Eve.
According to WebMD, blue sage is used for cleansing and healing, while desert sage is used for purifying and protection. White sage is the most common for smudging because of its strong and heavy presence, perfect for smudging your entire home.
Hold the sage at a 45-degree angle, light the sage, let it burn for about 20 seconds and then gently blow out the flame so that you see orange embers on one end. Then you can start the process of clearing your space. Clients sometimes complain that they can't get their sage to stay lit.
In Native American culture, smudging or burning a bundle of dried sage leaves is said to expel bad vibes and leftover energies and replace them with harmony and light.
Moving into a new home or office space is a perfect time to burn sage in order to clear the previous owner's energy and set your own intention for the space. However, you can sage your home any time you feel called to, whether you want to energetically reset or just chill out a bit.
A common misconception with sage smudging is that you need to burn the whole stick, but D'Avilla suggests burning as much or as little as you need. "You don't need to use an entire smudge stick," she says.
People should never be forced or pressured to smudge. It is completely acceptable for a person to indicate that they do not want to smudge. That person may choose to stay in the room and refrain from smudging or leave the room during the smudge. Respect for all is the guiding principle in any Indigenous tradition.
When we smudge, we first cleanse our hands with the smoke as if we were washing our hands. We then draw the smoke over our heads, eyes, ears, mouths and our bodies. These actions remind us to think good thoughts, see good actions, hear good sounds, speak good words, and show the good of who we are.
Make sure to use a heat-proof bowl or abalone shells to hold your smudge stick. Once you're ready to engage, light the end of the sage bundle until it starts to smoke. Be sure to light the sage evenly, and — after letting it burn for a few seconds — the flame should go out on its own.
Certain colors like green, black and gold are not only great options for stylish New Year's Eve outfits, but they are also associated with meanings that will hopefully spark ambition, new beginnings and joy in 2023.
Don't wash those clothes
According to folklore, if you wash clothes on New Year's Day, you'll be “washing for the dead” or washing a loved one away -- meaning someone in your household will die in the coming year. Get your laundry washed, dried, folded and put away by New Year's Eve.
The Swiss drop a dollop of cream on the floor, which is believed to bring luck, wealth, and peace in the coming year.