GRANDMOTHER SAGE/May the Smoke Carry our Prayers

Grandmother Sage Smudge Sticks

Smudge Sticks made with New Mexico sage, healing herbs and flowers…..woven together with dyed hemp for ceremony, removing negative energy, perfect for altars or as a gift for a bereaved person $17.00 includes free shipping US only

$17.00

A FIRST NATIONS ELDER…

A First Nations Elder strikes a match, lights something in a bowl or a shell, fans it with a

feather until it smokes, and then proceeds to waft the smoke around the area or room, or

towards individuals who are gathered, often in a circle. As people are approached with

the smoking bowl, they use their hands to pull the smoke over themselves

This is a scene you may have seen in a movie, on the television news or, in person, at a

meeting or ceremony. But were you aware of the significance of what you were

watching or perhaps even participating in?

The purpose of the smudging ceremony is to cleanse, to remove any negative energy that

may be present in a place, an object or a person. And that is why many First Nations

activities start with a smudge

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Smudging has long been recognized as an effective way of removing negative energy and evil spirits, but does this spiritual practice have more to offer? New data reveals a reason that everyone, regardless of their spiritual beliefs, should give this ancient cleansing technique a try. In their research, the team revealed that a 1-hour treatment of the medicinal smoke, created by burning both wood and a ‘mixture of odoriferous and medicinal herbs’ was effective in removing over 94% of the airborne bacterial populations in the space.

~Awareness Act

SEVERAL YEARS AGO, I was invited to Igniting the Fire, a First Nations event in Manitoba which brought together, people from several different countries and cultures.

It was a magical and beautiful experience that I’ll never forget ….and there are so many things I could say about those 3 life changing days

First Nations Elder offering sage and cedar smudge before a ceremony begins

but what remains with me still, is the scent of burning sage and cedar,

the sound of the drums,

the power of the ceremonies

and the feeling

of Returning

to another time…

and a Memory..

of the way I once lived…..in another place…far in the distant past

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I went home after that–to the Texas Hill Country and with my son, made 3 First Nations documentary films and then I moved to a tiny community in the mountains of northeastern New Mexico.

And again the

scent of sage….. and cedar, piñon and pine

A few weeks ago, while in a Taos gallery, I noticed Sage Smudge Sicks with rose petals wrapped around them, for sale. When I got back to my place, I saw there was nearly everything I needed for smudge sticks….growing on the land I live on: ‘

‘Grandmother Sage’, various healing herbs and flowers and lots of roses.

The New Mexico Sage/sagebrush and the piñon pine grow nearby.

I decided to give it a try and strangely enough [or maybe not[, the process was very familiar to me. I carefully picked the sage, herbs and flowers I needed, ordered some hemp string and began weaving everything together.

And I liked them so much and got so many compliments that I decided to sell them.

A Lakota friend named them GRANDMOTHER SAGE.

They are each one of a kind–I never make the same one twice and

they depend on what flowers and herbs I have available. They are approximately 13 inches long,

wrapped with dyed hemp string and include a tiny healing hand charm.

I see them being used not only in the traditional way:

“The burning of herbs or incense is a practice held sacred by many indigenous cultures. It is a ritual for cleansing, purifying and protecting the physical and spiritual bodies. The effect of the smoke is to banish negative energies.

Many differing cultures and peoples have their own methods and herbal mixtures for this purpose. Smudging, done correctly, can bring physical, spiritual and emotional balance.”

But maybe even more so as a gift for someone who has experienced a loss or is going through a difficult time. I once watched a very powerful First Nations grief ceremony for a man whose son had recently died. Sage was used along with drumming and singing.

And I gave one of the smudge sticks to a friend whose father had just died. This is what she wrote to me: “Your smudge stick is on the altar for my Dad. It looks SO beautiful.
Once it dries out, I will light it & say prayers.”

So there are many ways to use them…here’s another I read about recently:

~Awareness Act

I’m selling these smudge sticks to help support our large rescued animal family who make life so much more meaningful!