'Bless this house' gets a new-age twist
A smattering of ‘smudgers’ emerge in New York to wipe out unpleasant memories, clear auras and remove bad mojo for new homeowners.
Nowadays, many homebuyers discover they’ve bitten off more than they can chew. Between trashed foreclosed properties and houses used for marijuana and meth production, a new homeowner’s first call may be to a platoon of Merry Maids armed with vats of bleach instead of the cable guy. But how can you disinfect spiritual funk?
Call in the “smudger.” According to The New York Times, a “tiny industry” of professionals has surfaced to clear the auras of previous residents and recent decedents, as well as improve the feelings in the homes of current residents.
Smudging arose from Native American rituals that included burning herbs such as sage and sweet grass to drive away negative energy and restore balance. It can take a variety of forms, from burning incense to lighting candles and chanting.
Judith Wendell, a New York feng-shui consultant, performs smudging rituals for clients like Ziporah Reich, a 38-year-old lawyer.
“I want to bring a positive energy that’s not tied to anything specific and also get rid of the energy of the previous owner,” Reich tells the paper.
Despite the housing downturn, business is good for Wendell.
“I thought my business would go down because it’s not a necessity what I do,” Wendell said. “But when people are trying to create some security for themselves, this is one way to do it. This is part of their lives they have control over.”
Wendell charges between $900 and $1,800 to perform her ritual, but don’t think you’ll get a discount for a studio apartment. Her rates are based on “what’s in the space energetically.”
Of course, you don’t need to shell out big bucks to get a little benediction on your home. House blessing has taken many forms throughout the years, including formal visits from the local priest, housewarming gifts from the neighbors and the spreading of salt and oil.
What’s the first thing you do when you move into a new place? Do you have any blessing or good-luck rituals? Tell us on Facebook.
— Greg Lee is a producer for MSN Real Estate.
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This is a just the latest example of the Classic "New York City, Politically Correct, hipster, limousine liberal's narcissistic FAD chasing. First it was Catholic "house Blessing", then Jewish Cabala "something-or-others, then Wicca/Neo-Pagan "whatever", then Feng shui, and now this since "Native American is "All the Rage" this year. It is the same way they "support" all "The Arts" types. Artists, Fashion consultants, Musicians, psychiatrists, Pet psychiatrists, Hair Stylists, etc. The entire culture that caters to the "IN" "Jet-Set" crowd and wanna-be's.
Notice that this Wendell women was a Feng shui consultant and has now branched out into this new fad of Native American "Smudging" at $900 to $1,800 a pop. I would bet she doesn't have a drop of Native American or Japanese/Chinese blood in her vanes. I have to agree with Native Grandmother and find this and all the rest morally repugnant. If it were truly a spiritual thing for people like Wendell, charging for it would destroy the "magic" of the ritual/ceremony at least that was what I was always taught. Wendell and her kind are the just the newest version of the "old gypsy fortune tellers/psychics" with their "smoke and mirrors".
Don't get me wrong. I do believe that there are evil spirits, demons, and negative energy that can "possess" a person or space, and these rituals/ceremonies can "Cleanse" them, when done by a true/pure practitioner. But as usual, there are a lot of "Fakes" out there trying to make a buck off ignorant "Marks".
Smudging is done for cleansing/purification, however to make a profit off of it is ridiculous. That ruins the reasons for smudging. In our traditional beliefs, when one does not use the prayers for proper reason, they will bring worse things into the environment. Furthermore, if one does not obtain the sage or sweet grass properly, the likelihood of prayers or ceremonies working is slim to none.
I have been smudging my home with sage bundles that I had picked and dried while visiting western South Dakota. It is easy to do and "yes" it is good, I have been doing it for over ten years. I think sage is the only way to go when smudging because that is what the American Indians used themselves. The closer to nature, the better. I will even smudge the detached garage and entire property. Try it.
About Teresa Mears
Teresa Mears is a veteran journalist who has been interested in houses since her father took her to tax auctions to carry the cash at age 10. A former editor of The Miami Herald's Home & Design section, she lives in South Florida where, in addition to writing about real estate, she publishes Miami on the Cheap to help her neighbors adjust to the loss of 60% of their property value.
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