Plants have a profound way of clearing space, in our bodies, as well as in the energetic fields around us. Certain plants have been used by the indigenous peoples of the earth for centuries to ward off energies from a space, a group, or a person. Smudging, or burning plants with intention is a beautiful way to keep spaces clean and people-centered, clean, and protected.
Common smudging plants are white sage, sweetgrass, lavender, rosemary, mugwort, cedar, and palo santo. Each plant has a specific energy it invokes. For example, white sage clears the room of all energies, so if one is about to perform a ritual and call in helping spirits, it is best to burn sage before, clearing space for the benevolent helpers to enter and not smudging them away after their arrival. Lavender is offered up to the Grandmother spirits in sweat lodges and can be burned after spirits have been called as an offering of gratitude to their presence. Palo Santo brings sweetness and tranquility to a space.
In order to truly understand and work with the energies each plant invokes through burning them, it is important to form a relationship with that plant. Relationships with plants are formed over time, through continual interaction, honoring, use, growing them, etc. There are infinite forms of connection. I find that when first getting to know a plant, simply sitting in their presence is a wonderful way to become introduced to one another. Similar to how we form connections with people, we too form connections with plants through time well spent, intention, and attention.
Because many of these practices have recently gained popularity, white sage is being overharvested, as well as palo santo and many other medicinal plants. As more people are returning their awareness to the earth’s magic and our innate roots in Gaia, we must simultaneously be aware of the times in which we walk.
The ancient ones who walked upon these grounds and worked extensively with plant medicines understood that they were more than a physical entity composed of chemical constituents and molecules. They knew deeply, from first hand experience, that each plant has a spirit, a personality, and a unique doorway into a vast realm of consciousness. They knew that if they crossed a plant, much like if you betray or anger a human, there are consequences.
As we deepen our love for the earth and our interaction with her medicines, it is imperative that we take the time to sit down with the plants in which we work with and get to truly know them. If we are working with their medicines without knowing their spirits, we are not receiving half of the medicine they offer and can potentially be harming ourselves and others in the process. The reason Amazonian shamans can heal people with a single plant is not solely because of the power that plant holds, but the dedicated time the shaman has spent getting to know the plant’s spirit, merging their matrixes, and coming to understand how that plant interacts within the human body, mind, and spirit. The shaman has allowed the plant to grow inside of themselves.
These practices of reverence are not limited to the shaman in the jungle. I believe each of us innately desires to know the earth in her fullness, To witness the plants in their true majesty, and to live in right relation with how we interact with ourselves and the world outside of us. When we know the earth in her fullness, we begin to honor ourselves in our fullness; living a life of balance and harmony.
Every year, I seed hundreds of white sage plants in order to educate and share this medicine humans have for so long honored and utilized. I also make a point to make smudge bundles with what is local and abundant. I like working with plants I have a deep relationship with. They know my weak spots and therefore understand the spaces that may need extra clearing and assistance.
“Footsteps in the forest
& the beating of the heart
Invitations to become
Who we truly are”
– Oregon Fairies
I made these smudge sticks in honor of Sage – a plant that is now “At Risk” due to over-harvesting. To find out more about which plants are on this list check out https://unitedplantsavers.org/species-at-risk/
These magical bundles are made from: (top left, sunwise around) Cedar, Rosemary, Wild Lilac, Lavender, Common Mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris), Chinese Mugwort, and Madrone Leaves.
If you are not already familiar with many different plants, I recommend making bundles with a single plant and getting to know the elements and energetics it works on before combining multiple spirits.
When I started working with plants, I burned purely cedar for months in silent awareness to gain an understanding of its medicines.
When we come to a plant with honor and respect, with a truly humble heart; they open themselves to us. In this connection, all energies that are not aligned with the highest vibration both within and without can be taken care of.
Blessings on Your Path,
Jules
