Burning herbs such as white sage, as well as other plants, is an ancient tradition. You may have seen it on TV or the internet, or perhaps you’ve witnessed it in person.
But why do we do this?
In many shamanic ceremonies or traditions from Central and South America, sage or Palo Santo is commonly used. In the Netherlands, these plants were not known, and herbs such as mugwort or lavender were used instead.
The smoke that rises from these smoldering plants cleanses energy.
To cleanse your own energy, you can "smudge" yourself. You can do this when you're not feeling well, or before giving someone a healing.
I learned this ceremony from Greenlandic shamanism:
In a shell or bowl, burn a small amount of sage so that it creates a thick, pleasant smoke. Over the smoking bowl, make movements with your hands as if you're washing them, holding the intention in your heart: "I cleanse my hands so I may work with pure energy." Then bring the smoke to your face and waft it toward your eyes. You may want to keep your eyes closed; otherwise, you might end up crying 😉.
This is done with the intention: "I cleanse my eyes so I may see with full honesty." Continue this process with each of your senses. Follow your intuition or feelings as you create the intention for each.
Finish by blowing your breath softly into the room and placing a hand on your heart. This is how you "sign" your ceremony! A tip from Angaangaq, the shaman from Greenland.
This is just one of many ways to use sage. You can also cleanse a room or other spaces with the smoke. This works the same with Palo Santo and other herbs. Keep in mind that Palo Santo doesn’t burn as long, so it may not be suitable for the ceremony above.
Palo Santo means "holy wood," and the tree grows in places like Peru and Ecuador. The wood you can purchase is gathered from branches that have naturally fallen from the tree. This tree is sacred and is treated with great respect and reverence. The Mayans have used this wood for centuries to cleanse energy, to reach deeper layers within oneself during ceremonies, and to drive away spirits. When burned, it releases a warm, sweet fragrance that is very pleasant and relaxing.
As I mentioned earlier, many herbs can be used for cleansing rituals or simply because they smell wonderful. You can even create your own smudge stick with herbs of your choice!
Nowadays we are very fortunate that we can order or purchase these products easily and accessible. I would like to invite you to discover this if you are curious about this. Make sure you check whether the plant was obtained in a respectful manner. Always treat the plant with respect and honor the energy it carries and thank the plant for its active force.
Hoho!
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