As our growing season winds down, we may have herbs in the garden, not yet harvested. What to make with these special green allies? I make herbal blends of all sorts and have a few traditions outside of the kitchen too. Smoke clearing sticks (smudge sticks) are bundles of herbs that are dried and burned for purification and ceremonial uses. Herb bundles are a super way to make something special in the fall!
They are used by many plant lovers for their purification purposes The term “smudging” often refers to Native American practices, and so other folks often use “smoke clearing” (or “saining”) instead. These 'herb bundles' are a good way to bring a bit of ceremony into the everyday.
WHY do herbalists make these Herb Bundles?
When we are are crafting our own smudge sticks, we can develop them for specific purposes.
Here are 3 ideas:
mullein-sage-rosemary smudge for our own personal clearing
sage-sweet clover-cedar smudge to help with house energy cleansing/clearing
juniper-lavender-mugwort smudge to encourage good dreams
Over time our homes may become a little stagnant or accumulate negative energies as people and situations come and go. With all of the worries + anxiety being shared with each other, it's possible to have accumulated troublesome energy lingering in our homes + workspaces. It can be helpful to create an herbal bundle with this purpose in mind. Clearing the energy in our homes, and we can create a wonderful experience to smudge ourselves as well!
Smudge sticks or smudging wands (aka herbal bundles) have been used for many centuries to clear spaces from these unwanted energies and purify the air.
We can craft smudges that can be used for different purposes and craft each of them with intent. Our herb bundles don't need to be a mixture but ONE single herb is good also. Our intuition comes in to play here. What do you feel ? How do these herbs make you feel? Individually? Together? It's fun to experiment!
Many folks order white sage online as it is well used traditionally in bundles for personal clearing.
Here's a simple sage bundle:
Sage + Cedar = one of my faves.
I also use Mullein, Sage, Cedar + Goldenrod.
I've made many over the years. I love them all!
How to make your own Herbal Bundle:
Here is one of the ways you can create your own herbal bundles from herbs in your own garden as part of your clearing, cleansing and space clearing ritual:
a bunch of lovely herbs
string/cotton/hemp chord.
Scissors
- Pick a few bunches of herbs in your garden about 5 – 8 inches long. It’s okay if they are all different sizes!
- Gather all the herbs, so that the cut ends are all together and the leaves facing in the same direction. Tie around the bottom to secure them all in place.
- Take about 2 feet of kitchen string or chord and begin to wrap it around the herbs, ensuring that the leaves are pointing in the same direction, flattening as you move along the bundle
- Gradually, work your way along the length of the bunch and pull the string a little tighter as you move up the bundle, 'criss-crossing' the string as you go.
- When you reach the end of the bundle, just secure the string and clip it.
- Hang it up to dry. Typically it will take 4-8 days to dry completely. Traditionally this was hung in the kitchen area.
- When your herb bundle is dry, you can burn it by lighting one end ( + blowing out the flame itself)
- You can use your hand or perhaps a feather or a special fan (if you have one) to help to move the smoke.
If you aren’t sure if the plant in your area would make a nice smudge, just harvest a little and dry it. Then burn a little to see and feel if it seems like a good choice. Never choose poisonous plants. Common sense is needed. We need to choose plants that are edible or that we use medicinally in some way. How does it feel? How does it smell?
Aromatic herbs often make great additions to smudge sticks because they smell great and have good energetic qualities of clearing. Experiment though, as some .. like my fave Lemon Balm.. are amazing + wonderful fresh or dried.. but do not really 'work' in this sort of 'burning' herb bundle.
Examples of good choices for Herb Bundles:
Note: I am including the plants I have personally used. There are many more.
Some of these are known to be plants that 'smolder well'. I've marked these with **
Aromatics:
Bay Leaf **
Eucalyptus **
Hyssop
Lavender
Rosemary
Sage **
Smoking herbs:
Mugwort
Mullein **
Yarrow
Trees:
Eastern white cedar
White pine
It's a lovely addition to consider adding a 'floral' component to your smudge stick . I typically use lavender, goldenrod or yarrow.
A quick search online will offer some specific "thoughts" on qualities of the herbs.
I tend to rely on what appeals to me, personally, as well as what I have access to.
For example:
Cedar: Purify places, objects and people.
Lavender: Burning lavender attracts positive energy.
Here's a great article about "clearing sticks" aka smudge sticks from "The Druids Garden" online.
Maybe you'd just like to purchase an herb bundle to try -- as you don't have time to make or don't have anything in the garden to work with.
Here's an online resource for you. This company makes a variety pack of smudge sticks. Check out Blue River Sage here.
I have ordered from them in the past. This is a beautiful white sage
In the North American native/first nations traditions of smudging, the most common combination is the sage, cedar and sweetgrass.
I think it's important to add that smudging with herbs (the act of burning our herbal bundles) is always done with
reverence for the plants, for our ancestors + with good intentions. Here's an example:
Please clear this space of negative and unwanted energy.
All negativity be gone forever.
I welcome love, light, happiness and protection to my home and to myself/my family.
Herbal Bundles ~ ceremony and the sacred
Here's to gratitude -- and to our health -- and to self-care.
Here's to embracing the plants + their gifts in every way every day.
until next time -- Carol xo
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