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Back to Your Roots: How to make herbal smudge sticks

SARAH SHEPHERD PHOTO | Herbal smudge sticks.
SARAH SHEPHERD PHOTO | Herbal smudge sticks.

“Gather them before the frost, they want to be used,” she whispered.

Sonomi, my sweet farmer friend, handed me the garden clippers from her apron pocket. Her gesture nodding towards the gate with permission to go into the gardens and harvest. This was the last of the warmer days before the November cold snap. With baskets, clippers and a thankful heart I stepped into the herb garden at KK’s Biodynamic Farm in Southold.

She was right, the plants wanted to be collected. Sage and rosemary, the elders of the garden, greeted me at the threshold. The last of the precious calendula blossoms beckoned like a row of golden sirens, teasing me to jump across the raised bed they hid behind.

My intentions on this particular afternoon were to harvest herbs to make smudge sticks, bundles of herbs that are dried with the purpose of being lit and left to smolder. The smoke from smudge sticks is used medicinally, ceremonially, or simply to purify and freshen the air. The burning of herbs and resins has historically been used by herbalists, healers, indigenous communities and spiritually devoted people from various cultures all over the world.

Many different herbs can be used for making smudge sticks. Making your own offers an opportunity for intention, meditation and reflection. They may include specific herbs for medicinal purpose. A plant like mullein may add medicinal qualities to support the lungs. Other herbs like rosemary tend to clear away negative thoughts and patterns. Here is a list of herbs that I like to use when I make my own smudge sticks.

Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia)

Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)

Sage (Salvia officinalis)

Calendula (Calendula officinalis)

Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinale)

Thyme (Thymus vulgaris)

Mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris)

I was inspired to make gifts of herbal smudge sticks for the holiday season. I brought the herbs home, spread them out in front of me and began to organize them into little bundles, 6 to 8 inches long, for the individuals I was creating them for. They each can contain stems of the same herb, or perhaps with this harvest I will try mixing some up with variations. This bundle will be for my friend Susan, and will be made with the fragrant stems of mugwort, sage and rosemary. And of course the one I make for Sonomi will have yarrow, thyme and those dancing calendulas.

In addition to the herbs you will need organic cotton kitchen twine to secure the bundle. A natural fiber is what you are looking for, avoiding any plastic or synthetic strings. The herbs will shrink as they dry so be sure to wrap the bundle tightly. Begin by tying off a knot at the thicker end of the sticks and begin wrapping the bundle with the twine moving toward the opposing end of the herbal bundle. When you reach the tip of the bundle, work your way back down wrapping towards the original knot. At the base, tie off the string with a knot or two. I might create a little loop at the end so I can hang my bundles up to dry, or I will lay them out flat on a screen and allow them to dry that way. In either case you will want there to be good air circulation in the drying process. I allow them to dry for 2-3 weeks before I use them.

To light your stick, use a match or lighter to ignite the end of the bundle. Let the end catch fire then gently wave it out or blow out the flame, leaving the stick to smolder. I use a shell or special little dish to lay the stick on while it smolders, to catch any wandering embers or to extinguish the herbs as they burn out. Avoid leaving a burning smudge stick unattended. The smudge stick should last you many uses, it is not meant to burn all at once, but to smolder for a few minutes then gently go out.

Creating your own herbal smudge sticks from plants that grow near you is satisfying, sustainable and, if harvested appropriately, ethically sound. It can also be very meaningful. If burning herbs was not a tradition you grew up with, you have the opportunity to create intentions and meanings specific to your life. The essence of the season is woven with time and fragrant intentions.