Abalone Shell

Abalone Shell 

Abalone Shell is used for burning sage and herbs or as a beautiful dish for your gemstones or jewelry. It can also be used decoratively.

Here is an excerpt from the eBook – All About Smudging by Margaret Ann Lembo

How to Smudge

You can use either a ready-made smudge stick, make your own smudge stick, or use loose herbs. Smokeless alternatives are also available and will be discussed a little later. To use loose herbs for smudging, you will need herb-burning charcoal discs as well as a dish to hold the burning herbs. Abalone shells are often used for this purpose since they are sturdy and represent the element air. When a shell is used, the vibration of all four elements—earth, fire, air, and water—is present. (The dried herbs represent earth, the burning embers represent fire, and the smoke represents air.) When all four elements are working together, the cleansing effects are magnified.

Place one piece of charcoal in the dish, or shell, and ignite one section of it. Wait until the whole piece of charcoal has ignited, then add your herbs or herbal blend. If you are using a smudge stick, light one end of the stick and allow the edges to begin smoldering and letting off smoke. Hold the stick over a dish, or more preferably over an abalone shell for the full effect, to catch any wayward embers. The herbs only need to smolder. They should not be on fire after the initial lighting. Again, use caution, and practice mindfulness for fire safety. You may want to protect your hand with an oven mitt while handling the fire-proof dish or abalone shell. Have a plan on how to distinguish any embers that escape.

When the herbs are smoldering and releasing smoke, you are ready to clear the intended space, person, or items. If the embers go out during the smudging, simply relight the herbs until they are once again smoldering and releasing smoke.”

Photos are representational – shells vary in size. Each is picked intuitively for you.