This is a wonderful time of year for making incense and smudge sticks for burning from your harvested herbs. I would gather these herbs separately from other harvesting as setting intentions when collecting any plants is important. These herbs will have a different use to the plants we grow for medicines.
Some of them will have been grown or kept aside specifically for making into incense and smudge sticks for personal use or to be gifted to loved ones.
There are many herbs you could gather for burning depending on the purpose. Burning and inhaling plants is a very traditional and powerful way of taking the plant into yourself. The practice exists in cultures across the globe, including Ireland. Sometimes this is done as medicine for an ill person or for clearing someone’s energies or for centring and meditation as part of incantation.
Many people are familiar with the idea of using burning herbs to clear a space of negative energy but it is equally done to invoke energies. Which plants you choose for either purpose is very personal. You will discover this as you spend more time with your plants, come to understand their energies and your own personal connection to them.
Yesterday we bound this smudge stick to burn during the birth of our Autumnal Baby due any day now. It contains Verbena, Artemisia, Hypericum and Hyssopus. There will be many herbs present with us at the birth including those bound here for guidance and protection during the journey of that first dance with our Little One.
As earth now begins its long inhalation it is the perfect time to gather your herbs for drying and binding into smudge sticks or for drying and grinding for making incense. As Winter comes in, there are aromatic roots we will gather from the garden for burning too. Take some time to decide which plants you would like to take with you for these darker months ahead of going inward and reflection.
