BOTANICAL SMUDGE STICKS

 
Smudge sticks are bundles of dried herbs, typically tied together, used for spiritual and energetic cleansing, purification, and rituals. Smudging clears negative energy from people, spaces, or objects. It's a ritualistic way to cleanse the aura or energy field. Smudge sticks are often used before meditation, ceremonies, or other spiritual practices to create a clean, sacred space.  The process can help focus and calm the mind, grounding the person performing the ritual. Smudging is used in various traditions for promoting emotional and spiritual healing. It can symbolize letting go of old energy and welcoming new beginnings.
 
WHITE SAGE | Salvia apiana
Sacred White Sage is a woody perennial native to California. Sage belongs to the Salvia plant family, whose name derives from the Latin word salvere, which means “to heal.” The smell of white sage incense is often described as woody and earthy. Sage has been used for centuries to cleanse, purify and maintain health. Modern research has shown that it can also help people with anxiety, depression, fatigue, and even menopause symptoms. Sage has a long history of use in Egyptian, Roman, and Greek medicine, as well as in Native American healing traditions. Dried sage is burned as a way to heal, protect, increase wisdom, and boost defense against disease. Sage has long been used to energetically clear and cleanse objects, people and spaces.

DRAGON’S BLOOD | Calamus draco
Dragon’s Blood is a resin that comes from the Dracaena Tree. This natural red resin has been used for thousands of years in everything from paint to spiritual practices. This potent resin was used by the Ancient Greeks and Romans, along with traces of its use in India, China, and the Middle East. Dragons Blood is used in incense as it has a strong and powerful aroma with notes of amber, vanilla, and spices. Dragon’s Blood is strongly associated with the element of fire - active element energy that can bring warmth and life or burn through that which is no longer wanted. There are three main uses for Dragon’s Blood when it comes to spiritual rituals: banishing, healing, and protection. It is also believed that when used alongside other herbs and blends, you can increase their power.
 
YERBA SANTA | Eriodictyon californicum 
Yerba Santa means ‘holy herb’ in Spanish. Yerba Santa is a flowering shrub native to Southwest America and Northern Mexico. It is considered to be a sacred herb in Native American and Spanish cultures, where it is regularly used for protection, courage, purification, and healing. It has traditionally been burned to help heal broken hearts and in smudging practices and rituals to increase a person’s connection with a higher power, as it works to open the crown chakra. Spanish Priests revered this herb for its ability to heal the body and spirit, as well as increase psychic awareness. Yerba Santa can be used to help you find your inner strength, heal emotional wounds, and increase psychic abilities. Yerba Santa is known to have a highly protective energy, which makes it an excellent herb for smudging.

CEDAR | Calocedrus decurrens
Often referred to as arborvitae - ‘Tree of Life’ in Latin. Cedar has been used for healing, purification, and spiritual protection for thousands of years. When burned, Cedar acts as a purifier, cleansing the area in which it is burned and emitting a pleasant scent. It’s one of the four sacred medicines for the North American indigenous people, the other three being sweetgrass, sage, and tobacco. Cedar wood is known to have a sweet-woody, rich, and light balsamic fragrance that’s calming and elevating. The fragrance relaxes and harmonizes, while building inner confidence and self-acceptance. Research has shown that burning cedar incense activates ion channels inside the brain, which in turn alleviate any anxiety or depression.
 
JUNIPER | Juniperus
In various cultures around the world, Juniper has been known as a protector tree. Native Americans and Tibetans have used juniper incense in ceremonies and as traditional medicine for millennia. In ancient Egyptian its fragrant wood, needles and berries were used as incense and medicine. It has been widely burned since antiquity as a fumigant to stave off viruses and plagues of sickness all over the Mediterranean and surrounding regions. It has also been a symbol of strength, fertility, and longevity for centuries. It is known for its stimulating and mind-clearing properties, its cleansing and purification of the atmosphere, its calming and relaxing effect on the nerves, and its sharpening of mental awareness and alertness. It is strongly protective and dispels negative energies and entities.
 
BLACK SAGE | Salvia mellifera
Black Sage is a small, highly aromatic, evergreen shrub of the genus Salvia native to California, and Baja California, Mexico. Black sage also known as Mugwort, Black Sagebrush, Magical Sage or even Dream Weed. During drought the leaves of black sage darken dramatically. Black sage is used to encourage visions and vivid dreams and is known as an herb for inner healing and introspection. When burned before bedtime, it aids in restful sleep and pleasant dreams. Black Sage is used for shamanic journeying and for protection during such excursions. It is burned in the home to increase positive energy and remove negative and harmful energies.