"Plants are strong. And old. They were here long before us. Fire is an even older being in the world. Let your heart be open, in respect, when working together with these great beings. My best advice for good results in your cooperation is to see yourself as apprentice to them and seek their friendship when you harvest, and throughout the smudging ceremony. If you do that, it will also be easy to find words or songs of thanksgiving, once the work is completed."
Annette Høst
Smudge fills the space with the essence of the plant material in the form of herbs and flowers, woods, or resins.
In her book “Blackhorn’s Botanical Magic", Amy Blackhorn “describes the a hierarchy of smoke tools related to their efficacy. The weakest of the smoke tools is floral smoke. Lavender buds, for example, are very pleasant smelling. Flowers are well suited to brightening a space. Leaves are slightly stronger and are good for refreshing the energy of a space…The roots of a plant are stronger magically than its leaves. Roots will remove energies and entities that were not bothered by leaf smoke…Even stronger than the root allies are wood allies…The strongest tool of the plant ally families is the resin group. The resins are hardened say structures.
Wood, leaves, needles and resins have traditionally been used in smudging.
Woods, Leaves, and Needles
Balsam Fir, Abies balsamea
Family: Pinaceae
Native Region: North America
Affinity: Balance, comfort, uplift, purify, wisdom
Element: Earth
Cedar, Cedrus libani
Family: Pinaceae
Native Region: Africa
Affinity: Abundance, cleanse, grounding, peace, purification, protection, strength, wisdom
Element: Fire, Earth, Air
Cedar, Thuja plicata
Family: Cupressaceae
Native Region: Pacific Northwest
Affinity: Cleanse, inspiration, guidance, healing, renewal, strength, wisdom
Element: Fire
Cypress, Cupressaceae spp
Family: Cupressaceae
Native Region:
Affinity: Clarity, consecration, grief, healing, longevity, loss, love, mourning, protection, purification
Element: Earth
Elder, Sambucus nigra
Family: Adoxaceae
Native Region: Northern Africa, southwestern Asia
Affinity: Awareness, fairy, healing, protection, transition
Element: Water, Air
Juniper, Juniperus communis
Family: Cupressaceae
Native Region: Hungary
Affinity: Abundance, cleanse, heal, protection
Element: Fire
Palo Santo, Bursera graveolens
Family: Burseraceae
Native Region: South America
Affinity: Clearing, ground, harmony, heal, joy, uplift, purification, relaxation
Element: Ether
Pine, Pinus
Family: Pinaceae
Native Region: North America (New Mexico, Arizona, Utah)
Affinity: Abundance, blessings, calmness, clarity, cleanse, confidence, harmony, heal, hope, nurture, prosperity, protection, renewal, strength, uplift
Element: Earth
Resins
Resins come from refining or extracting sap from trees and plants. Resins are produced by the plant to repair, protect and heal itself. It has been referred to as the “blood of trees” and is considered to be the purest form of incense. Resin can be burned in a fireproof incense burner filled with sand or salt or on a hot rock in a fire-pit. For more information about burning resins, you can check out this article on wikihow.com. You can find resins and incense burners at the Shamans Market.
Copal (Black, Gold, White)
Family: Burseraceae
Native Region: Mexico and Central and South America
Affinity: Balance, blessings, clarity, cleanse, ground, manifest, meditation, protection, purification, relaxation
Element: Water
Dragon's Blood, Daemonorops Draco, Dracaena draco
Family: Arecaceae
Native Region: Southeastern Asia
Affinity: Cleanse, purification, protection
Element: Fire
Frankincense, Boswellia sacra / carterii, B. frereana, B. serrata, B. papyrifera
Family: Burseraceae
Native Region: India, Southern Arabia, Northeastern Africa: Somalia, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Kenya
Affinity: Cleanse, creativity, ground, meditation, prayer, protection, purification, relaxation, strength, uplift
Element: Fire
Myrrh, Commiphora myrrha
Family: Burseraceae
Native Region: Oman, Yemen, India, Somalia, Sudan, Ethiopia, Eritrea
Affinity: Cleanse, ground, heal, meditation, protection, purification, relaxation, sedation, strength
Element: Water
Smokeless Smudging Alternatives
Sometimes it not convenient to work directly with fire for smudging. In this situation, here are a few of the botanical alternatives:
Hydrosols are one of the most versatile and easy-to-use products. Very simply, a hydrosol is the water, that along with essential oils, is produced in the distillation process. Hydrosols are generally safer to use than an essential oil and can be used undiluted with adults, children, pregnant and nursing women, the elderly, and even most pets. Use them separately or combine them to make a smudging spray. Hydrosols need to be stored in a cool, dark environment (like a refrigerator) to prevent spoilage and have a shelf life of 6 months to 2 years. Hydrosols are available from Plant Therapy.
Essential Oils are available for many of the plants that are used in smudging. Essential oils can be added to water or hydrosols to create a smudge spray or for diffusion. Essential oils are stronger than dried plant materials and hydrolsols and should be used in accordance to essential oil safety and use instructions. The following essential oils are not recommended for home use: Mugwort, Wormwood, Thuja.
Aqua de Florida (“Water of the Flowers”) is a blend of various scents including orange flower blossom, clove, cinnamon, rose and bergamot in a grain alcohol base. It is used for cleansing and protection, as well as for grounding. Aqua de Florida can be used, with distilled water, in a spray bottle. For more ways to use Aqua de Florida check out this article. Aqua de Florida is available at the Shamans Market.
For more information check out these books:
Modern Guide to Energy Clearing, Barbara Moore
The Healing Power of Smudging: Cleansing Rituals to Purify Your Home, Attract Positive Energy, and Bring Peace into Your Life by Rodkia Tchi
Sacred Smoke: Clear Away Negative Energies and Purify Body, Mind, and Spirit, Amy Blackburn
Sage and Smudge: Secrets Of Clearing Your Personal Space by Donna Stellhorn
The Smudging and Blessings Book: Inspirational Rituals to Cleanse and Heal by Jane Alexander
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Sources for this series of posts include:
http://networkmagazine.ie/articles/smudging-rekindling-ancient-traditions
http://blog.shamansmarket.com/wisdom-north-american-sage/
http://networkmagazine.ie/articles/smudging-rekindling-ancient-traditions
http://rebekahgambleholisticpractitioner.com/2016/03/11/smudging-101-an-introduction-to-smudging/ https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/smudging-101-vessel-rebekah-gamble?published=t
http://www.fesflowers.com/sagebrush-letting-go-old-and-receiving-new/
http://www.taosherb.com/store/sacred-herbs.html
https://chopra.com/articles/clear-your-energy-and-lift-your-spirits-with-the-sacred-art-of-smudging
https://druidgarden.wordpress.com/tag/sweet-grass/
https://exemplore.com/new-age-metaphysics/How-to-Perform-a-Smudging-Ritual
https://helloglow.co/what-is-smudging-how-to-smudge
https://naturalmentor.com/145/
https://naturalmentor.com/tag/benefits-of-smudging/
https://naturalmentor.com/tag/smudging/
https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/d9bf/8fa9f62407d0e64cc4a32dc3fb25d9f64829.pdf
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17913417/
https://spiritualityhealth.com/blogs/your-creative-spirit/2015/11/23/bess-oconnor-7-sacred-resins-burn-clearing-negative-energy
https://www.crystalmagic.com/Cleansing-Smudging_bc_3.html
https://www.epicgardening.com/white-sage-plant/
https://www.fbts.com/sacred-salvias/guide-to-growing-and-respecting-sacred-white-sage.html
https://www.herbstead.com/14-herbs-smudging/
https://www.learnreligions.com/best-smudging-herbs-1732110
https://www.learnreligions.com/smudging-1725092
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/smudging-101-plants-used-rebekah-gamble
https://www.marconews.com/story/life/2018/11/12/ask-pharmacist-health-benefits-white-sage-how-use/1936469002/
https://www.thesacredscience.com/the-art-of-smudging/
https://www.thespruce.com/what-is-smudging-1275274
https://www.whiterabbitinstituteofhealing.com/herbs/
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