Smoke cleansing allows us to better connect with ourselves, the earth and the world around us.  It is also an excellent way to tap into our internal power and create a more zen, grounded space within and without.

1. To begin, set the intention for your smoke cleansing ritual.  There are no limitations as to what you can request; however common supplications are to release anything or anyone that is no longer at your service and to welcome the energy that is connected to your greatest and highest good.   

2.  After setting your intentions and before beginning the smoke cleansing, consider offering tobacco as a sign of respect and gratitude to the spiritual entities or natural energies you are inviting into your space. Tobacco is traditionally used by many Indigenous cultures as an offering of thanks and is considered a sacred plant that can bridge the physical and spiritual worlds.

   • Natural Tobacco Leaves: Ideal for offering, these can be found at some spiritual shops, herbal stores, or online. Ensure it's natural and untreated for the most respectful offering.
   • Loose-leaf Tobacco: Often available in smoke shops or specialty stores, loose-leaf tobacco is a suitable alternative if whole leaves aren't accessible.
   • Cultivated Tobacco: If you have access to tobacco grown in a garden or a community space, using leaves from these plants adds a personal and potent energy to your offering.
   • Finding Tobacco in Nature: In some regions, wild tobacco plants can be responsibly harvested for personal use. However, it's crucial to ensure you have the right to harvest these plants, whether through permissions from landowners or under guidance from local foraging or Indigenous groups who understand the significance and ecology of tobacco.

   Incorporating Tobacco into Your Ritual:

   1. Prepare the Tobacco: If using leaves, you might crumble a small piece into your abalone shell. For loose-leaf tobacco, simply measure out a small pinch.
   2. Offer the Tobacco: Before lighting your sacred bundle, sprinkle the tobacco over the black sand in your abalone shell, stating your intention for the offering—whether it's asking for protection, guidance, or gratitude towards the spirits or energies you work with.
   3. Proceed with Smoke Cleansing: Light your sacred bundle and carry out your smoke cleansing as planned. The presence of tobacco is meant to honor the spiritual assistance you are calling upon.

   Responsible Usage and Consideration: Always ensure that your use of tobacco, especially when sourced from the wild or in culturally sensitive contexts, is done with respect, awareness, and legality. Understand the cultural significance of tobacco in your local area or the traditions you are drawing from, and always approach with humility and the willingness to learn.

   By incorporating tobacco into your ritual, you acknowledge its powerful role in spiritual practices and demonstrate reverence towards the cultural roots of smoke cleansing. This addition not only enriches your personal practice but deepens the connection with the energies you seek to harmonize with during the ritual.

3. Gently fill the abalone with enough black sand to protect the iridescent inner shell.  Using the candle, light your sacred bundle.  Allow it to smolder.  
4. Place the sacred smoke stick in the abalone shell (to catch stray ashes), and use your feather to waft the smoke around yourself so that you may walk through life in light.  
5. Repeating the intention you set, guide the incense smoke to each corner of your space.
6. Once you have cleansed your space, extinguish the smoldering plant essence.  Offer gratitude to the peaceful and calm energy that has replaced the stagnant energy.