Smoking during the Rauhnächte

What and when are the Rauhnächte?

The 12 nights known as the Rauhnächte usually begin on the holy night of December 24th to 25th and end on the night of January 4th to 5th. However, the dates are not entirely uniform, as the Rauhnächte vary somewhat from place to place. Most often, it ends with the night of Epiphany, that is, the night of January 5th to 6th.

The 12 nights originally result from the difference between the lunar and solar year. While the moon has already orbited the Earth 12 times, the Earth still has 11 or 12 days left to orbit the sun once. Additionally, on December 21st or 22nd, the winter solstice occurs, the longest night of the year. The Rauhnächte are therefore the darkest time of the year.

In old traditions, it was believed that during this time the connection between the afterlife and this world was particularly permeable. Evil spirits and accumulated, negative energies are expelled from the house, so one can start anew in the brighter time and the new year. One way to do this is by smoking out the apartment and the house.

Instructions for smoking during the Rauhnächte

What you need besides smoking bowls for smoking out:

• Fireproof bowl with smoking sand, coals, and coal tongs

• Alternatively: Smoking incense warmer with smoking screen, tealights for the warmer, aluminum foil if you want to smoke incense or other resins on the screen

To smoke out the apartment, first prepare the fireproof bowl or the incense warmer. With the smoking bowl, it works by lighting the coal and letting it glow in the sand until it forms a white glow. You can then place the crushed herbs or incense on it.

This then smokes quite heavily together. With it, you go through the house, preferably from bottom to top. Each room is entered individually and the smoke is distributed in every nook and corner. The windows remain closed, and the smoke can also be distributed further with a feather or leaf.

Afterwards, all windows and doors are briefly opened to remove the smoke and with it the burdensome energies and germs in the air. Then, if desired, you can smoke with fragrant, pleasant herbs, without ventilating afterwards.

This can be done as often as desired. Some people smoke once on Christmas Eve, some on Christmas Eve, New Year's Eve, and Epiphany, some every night. Each night can be dedicated to a different theme, and herbs can be selected accordingly. It is also possible to burn messages on small notes, if one wishes to get rid of something specific, strong, and burdensome. The smoking method is also suitable for a housewarming to make a clean sweep, so to speak, and eliminate old quarrels and burdens.

Herbs & co. for smoking: white sage, mugwort, incense

Depending on the focus during smoking, different smoking materials can be used. The most popular herbs, especially suitable for the time of the Rauhnächte, are:

• White sage – specifically cleanses, has a germicidal effect on the air, provides peace and cleans old energies from the air

• Incense – brings blessing and increases energy

• Styrax – brings warmth and security and thus removes mental knots, which in turn increases self-confidence

• Mugwort – disinfects, similar to sage, resolves fears, wards off misfortune, and allows for a smooth new beginning

Preparation & support for smoking

The Rauhnächte are a time of transition from the old to the new year, from dark to brighter times. You can leave behind matters you don't want to carry on – both through smoking and through other rituals. Practically speaking, you can start by finishing various unfinished tasks, completing jobs, returning borrowed items, and sorting out matters of all kinds.

You can reflect on the past year, consider who has accompanied and supported you recently, and give thanks. Likewise, disputes can be settled, reconciliations made, or if necessary, people left behind. Meditations on certain topics accompany the purification through smoking and essentially cleanse the mind.

Meditating helps to organize and let go of thoughts, so that afterwards you can concentrate on things that are more important. Burdens are resolved and at the turn of the year during the Rauhnächte this is particularly fitting. A meditation suitable for this is the heart meditation, through which you can be guided.

Custom and spiritual meaning of the ritual

The rituals carried out during the Rauhnächte are intended to ensure as smooth a transition as possible between the old and the new year. Old energies are consciously made aware, bundled, and driven out, with various possibilities for doing so. The sensitivity and sensitivity of the days are used to cleanse yourself and the environment.

A blank sheet of paper is known to start a story more easily than one that is fully written. For an unburdened start, a cleansing is needed, a getting rid of all burdens, so that with new fire new (or existing) projects can be tackled. Smoking out the house during the Rauhnächte supports this transition.