Abalone shells are often used as tools to perform smudging rituals. Their very practical use is as a bowl to catch hot cinders and hold what remains of the smudging stick after it’s burnt.
Abalone shells are also a gift from the sea and, thus, symbolically represent the water element while the unlit herbs represent earth, the lit herb represents fire and the smoke represents air. In this way, the act of smudging invites Mama Gaia into the center of the ceremony to hold space for any transformations that will occur.