The Four Sacred Medicines: How and When to Incorporate Smudging into Your Life

n many First Nations tribes, the herbs used to smudge are often referred to as the Four Sacred Medicines. Tobacco, Sage, Mugwort, Cedar, and Sweetgrass were given to the First Nations to allow them to connect on a deep level to the Spirit World and to connect to the Creator.

While you and I have a specific understanding or explanation of what medicine means in your world, the First Nations tribes have their own. Medicine means power, energy, spirit, and mystic strength; all things that a medicine man, who uses these four sacred herbs in rituals and ceremonies, possesses. A tribe’s medicine man heals his people from more than just illnesses that you and I might seek healing for. He creates or re-establishes a state of harmony and positive thinking. And it is this very reason why so many people truly find what they need from Smudging and why we can’t recommend it enough.

So, you may be wondering how these ancient and powerful herbs can help you and your modern hectic life. As you know we (and likely many of you) believe that anything is possible and that you are the one who holds the energy and strength you need to heal your life and reconnect with what is truly important. But we also know that sometimes things get a little stuck and life gets in the way. This is where Smudging herbs can help.

For information about the smudging ritual, click here .

Tobacco

Tobacco is one of the most sacred plants to First Nations peoples; they believe that it was given to them so that they could communicate with the Spirit World. It was the first plant to be received and therefore is thought of as the most powerful of the Four Sacred Medicines. For the majority of First Nations people and tribes, Tobacco is always used as an offering during ceremonies and more broadly, as an offering for everything. For example, if you were trying to choose another plant to aid in your connection to the Spirit World or as a way to banish bad energy, you would first offer tobacco and let your intentions be known, this way you’ll be able to choose exactly what you are looking for. Tobacco provides a direct link between the person who is offering the plant and the Spirit World who is receiving the plant.

Click here to purchase Ceremonial Tobacco from our shop.

Sage

Sage, arguably one of the most common smudging herbs, is typically used to cleanse a space of negativity and evil spirits. The Sage that you’re probably most familiar with is bundled into a wand or stick and is then burned to release its healing energy and power. You might have seen a character in a movie or television show burn a Sage wand when then move into a new home or if they want to release the negative energies of an ex or an ex-friend.

Click here to purchase Sage from our shop.

To this day, many First Nations tribes and communities use Sage as part of their purification ceremonies. It can also be boiled and drank as a tea to help release any troubles or issues that you can’t quite seem to stop thinking about. Mugwort, a specific species of Sage can also be used to cleanse a space and ward off unwanted feelings and energies. It is also a great way to protect yourself from these same energies. Mugwort can be burned on charcoal, hung from a door way, or worn on your body to protect yourself while traveling to foreign places.

How and When to Incorporate Sage into Your Life

Sage and Mugwort are great options for anyone looking to rid their lives or their spaces from the negative energies of the past and to help them start fresh. If you’ve recently purchased a new house or moved into a new apartment, burning sage can help you take claim over your new space and rid any negative energy from the past. Or, if you wish to create your own fresh start and give yourself the positive energy that you need to do so, burning Sage or Mugwort is definitely something you should consider.

Click here to purchase Mugwort from our shop.

Cedar

Cedar can be used similarly to Sage; burned in a cleansing ceremony for purification. The smoke of burning cedar will attract good energy and spirits and drive out negative influences. These cleansing ceremonies often incorporate prayer. The prayers rise with the cedar smoke and are carried to the Creator. Sage and Cedar are both used to drive out negative energy from the space, but Cedar can also be used to attract good energy and influences.

How and When to Incorporate Cedar into Your Life

If you’re looking to cleanse a space of new or old negative energy and also want to attract the good energy that you deserve, Cedar is one of the best options for you. We also recommend Cedar to those who are currently under a lot of stress because of a particular event in their lives or from work. Cedar is a restorative medicine and is known to revive the tired mind, body, and spirit.

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Sweetgrass

Sweetgrass is more often than not braided using twenty-one blades of grass and for the First Nations people, represents the hair of Mother Earth. A braid of Sweetgrass represents community, unity, and harmony as is it stronger braided together than it is alone. Like the other Sacred Medicines, Sweetgrass can be burned and the smoke spread throughout a space as part of a purification ceremony. Sweetgrass will bring good energy and influence into your life and spaces that you live in and it is for this reason that Sweetgrass is something that anyone can benefit from.

How and When to Incorporate Sweetgrass into Your Life

Aside from the using Sweetgrass to help purify your home, it can also be a great gift to give. Sweetgrass is known to help those who are struggling with something in their life. So, if you have a friend, significant other, or family member who is trying to deal with an issue or problem in their life and are having trouble coping, you should consider gifting them a Sweetgrass braid.

Click here to purchase Sweetgrass from our shop. 

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