In order for a seed to sprout, it needs to find it’s way into the soil, somehow. Sometimes we leave this for nature to do, but when it is personally important to us, we find a spot where we’d like to see a plant grow, prepare the soil and sow it there ourselves. We do our best to provide an environment where we hope the plant will thrive. If we do not prepare well we can’t say we tried very hard to get the results we wanted.

If we water it and care for the seed, the first thing it does is not to sprout upward, but to send roots downward. It supplies itself with an anchor where it intends to sprout. If it does not do this, it will wash away with the first heavy rain. The roots could be viewed as the plant’s intention to stand firm.

After a plant has sent down roots, it will then send up a sprout. The first leaves it unfolds are not mature, but primary leaves. These are to test and see if it has the right conditions to grow further. It does not waste its energy putting out full-sized secondary leaves unless it senses a chance for their survival. If it detects enough light, it will go ahead and invest in further growth. If not, it struggles and dies.

When we have an inspiration, what can we do to try to keep it? Think of all the fleeting ideas we might have turned casually in our minds only to lose through a minor distraction. What good are thoughts that have been pushed aside? How does a seed develop when it has not found fertile soil?

Ritual is a way for us to mentally prepare ourselves to receive and retain information. It is very much like preparing a garden. It starts with intention and develops with regular tending. If we create a time and place for thinking, our inspirations have a better chance of flourishing and growing into meaningful meditations that will help us attain and maintain the balance we seek.

Some of us go to a church, synagogue, temple or meetinghouse to receive wisdom. Another option is to use ritual to signify a meditative time and create a meditative space where we are. Some Medicine People use smudging as a way to accomplish this. To smudge is to use fragrant smoke to provide an environment that is conducive for spiritual thinking. There are quite a few religions worldwide that use smoke in a similar way. The ceremonial burning of frankincense or incense may also be thought of as smudging.

Sometimes smudges are made of loose plant materials simply placed onto a glowing ember or into small cup-shaped stone or shell and then burned. A smudge stick is commonly a bundle of herbs that are collected from nature, bound with cotton or other natural fiber string and then dried. When one end of it is lit from a fire or match, the flame should go out quickly and allow a pleasant smoke to emerge. The smoke is meant to cleanse the air, help the people present to ready themselves for thought, and figuratively connect them with the earth and the sky. The herbs are grown through the Earth, their smoke passes over the participants and is carried on into the sky.

As we work with fire, we need to be attentive, vigilant and serious. Fire is to be treated with great respect. It can warm our bodies, light our way and purify our food and tools by killing germs. It can also hurt us or burn down our homes if we are not careful with it. Smudging is best done outside and away from flammable materials. Young children may be advised to allow more experienced people to handle the smudge stick for them. Be watchful for sparks and keep smudging a positive experience.

Another reason to smudge outdoors is that we are reminding ourselves of our connection with nature. Being outside is the most direct way to make this connection. Smudging can be done indoors, too- especially if the smudge is done for someone who may be too ill to go outdoors. In this sort of case, keeping a door or window open during the smudge is recommended to allow for enough contact between the human being and the rest of nature through the smoke. If it is impossible to have an open window or door, don’t worry too much about it. One alternative in that case might be to smudge without using fire, and then taking the smudge stick outdoors afterward and lighting it to release the smoke. We could also purify with water or music. Smudging is about the intent to be honorable, and not about being a stickler for rules. As in nature, we always do better when we are flexible.

When we smudge, we are making a pact with ourselves to recognize truth not only around us, but inside of us as well. We might begin by gently fanning our smudge smoke towards our foreheads to signify our intent to be thinking the truth. Then we may wave some toward our eyes to remember to try to always see the truth. Moving downward, we may fan some toward our mouths in a promise to speak the truth, toward our hearts to feel the truth, toward our lower torsos to live the truth as we are, and lastly to the bottoms of our feet in a pledge to walk the path of truth. Ears may be smudged to facilitate listening for truth, and lower backs may be smudged to release negative thoughts and energies, as well.

The pledges we make while smudging indicate that we not only mean to think, see, speak, feel and live the truth, we must also prove it by walking the walk. It is said that actions speak louder than words. We do not need to tear around trying to prove how right we are. Through our actions we can quietly and effectively demonstrate to ourselves and to others the balance we achieve. A parent may ask a child to pick up her room several times, only to hear an exasperated “I know!” from the child. The child may say she knows, but what really matters is that she demonstrates this knowledge by actually getting around to cleaning her room. We can read, experience, talk about, feel, and know almost anything, but what really counts is what we do with our knowledge.

When we seek balance, we should not expect it to just happen because it has been requested. It is good to know what we want, but we also need to do our part to at least meet it half way.

Smudging is an exercise designed to make a break from everyday life in order to focus on our spiritual side. As modern people, we may not have the time or place to smudge every day, but we need not feel guilty about that. The important thing is to try to find truth and to be truthful at all times, from now on. With or without the smoke, we can be aware of what we need to do to help the cause of truth in this world. However, it can be a very moving experience to make a real smudge, especially when we have complicated things to work out.

If we light our smudge and it goes out too quickly or if the smoke stops, we can always light it again. If the wind is too strong we can let what little smoke we achieved be enough. Likewise, if we are fooled, or fool ourselves in everyday life, we need not give up on ourselves. Everybody messes up sometimes. Knowing that should keep us from thinking we are better than others. We need to remind ourselves to try again to be truthful at the very next opportunity.

Certain plants have specific significance to certain Indigenous peoples. Cedar has a strong, powerful scent and is often thought of as a cleansing herb. Many people use cedar chests and cedar closets to keep fabrics fresh during storage and to repel moths that might eat through those fabrics. Cedar is also used by Medicine People as a purifying smudge. Some smudge at dawn with cedar to get ready for the good work of the day. Many important ceremonies such as weddings are begun with a cedar smudge to indicate readiness for a new transition in life.

There are many other plants that are meaningful, too. Sweet grass has a beautiful aroma like wild honey, especially when dried. It is thought of as a very sacred smudge ingredient. What better way to send beautiful thoughts to nature than through this sweet messenger? White pine has a soothing fragrance that makes us smile and can also be used in a smudge. White sagebrush (an Artemisia- named in honor of Artemis, the Greek goddess of hills and woods) is extensively used for smudging because of its intensely pleasant perfume. Tobacco smoke is thought of as a sacred communion between human and Spirit, and is often used in smudging.

We can make a smudge stick out of all one sort of plant for specific uses (such as cedar for purification), or use several in combination for more general purposes. The ones mentioned above work well together, but there are many other possibilities. There are a lot of opinions about what plants are proper for smudging and anyone interested in making smudge sticks would do well to check with local traditions.

Generally speaking, since all of nature is part of the Great Spirit, all plants (and for that matter all stones and animals and people) can be thought of sacred, as well. When we consider what we know about the stars, the planets, and the galaxies, we become aware of how special life is here on Earth. As far as we know, our existence as living beings on a living planet is quite unique. There are countless orbs floating around out in space, but only ours has this whole world of life on it. Life is an extremely rare gift. We are, all of us, sacred beings. Children are sacred. So are old people, animals, plants, and even rocks.

There is a Native American story that says that rocks were the first people on earth. (The word “people” may be understood here as a term of respect.) A Medicine Wheel can be used to show rocks as the first people by imagining them in the east, or dawn position. The plant people came second (south), then the animal people (west), and finally the human people (north). Since humans were the newest people to arrive, it is said that some rock and animal people saw them as clueless and became impatient with them for all their mistakes. But the plant people chose to be more understanding of the human people. They decided to teach the human beings, and in turn the human beings decided to thank the plant people by taking care of them. So we have been on good terms with the plants for quite some time, but as with any teacher-student relationship, we must show respect or we can get into trouble.

A walk through the garden, park or woods is a good way to meet plants. However, use caution in picking them, as some are poisonous. We as modern people have access to libraries full of books that can help us be careful about which ones are friendliest. A reliable guide in human or book form is good to have at hand. We should also be careful to pick only where we have permission.

Once we have located a kindly plant in an accessible place, we should also be careful in how we take any plant material. To be honorable, we should always explain to the plant what we would like it for, and ask if we may take some. Some people say a little prayer or sing a little song of praise to the plant for its generosity. If we want the plant to do good things for us, we should be very gentle in how we break off and leaves or stems. Most smudge sticks are no more than a foot long. It makes sense to always leave plenty of each kind of plant behind to continue with life. If we take it all, there may not be any next time. And we always thank the plant before we go. We should never underestimate what respect can do for any relationships, including those with plants.

When we have collected our plant helpers, we can tie the branches together at one end with the cotton thread, and then wind it up and then back down around the clump to hold it together. If we wind too loosely the smudge stick will fall apart. If we wind too tightly, it will be hard to keep lit. Experience will help us judge the most effective winding technique. Don’t worry if the first ones come out fairly homely looking. We can work on pretty later, if we feel the need to do so. Professionally made smudge sticks are fairly uniform and tend to be folded down neatly at the lighting end, maybe so they don’t break en route from one place to the next. A child may instinctively make one that looks like a fanciful plume. This sort of smudge stick looks lovely as it dries in a vase. It also lights more easily than the folded ones do. As with most things, practice will achieve results.

Dried smudge sticks burn better than fresh ones, so it is a good idea to make several at once, and let them air dry before use. Depending on how quickly we go through them, we can gauge how often we need to make a fresh batch, factoring in at least a few days of drying time.

Smudging is used to define a place, time and intent to meditate on aspects of the Medicine Wheel. We use it to show gratitude for the good things we have and for the good Medicine we hope to achieve, to “clean the air” of unproductive thoughts and feelings, and to create an environment of sanctity before a sacred rite. It is also a way to dedicate tools and other objects intended for honorable use. When we smudge we are communicating that we are here in truth and trust, that we acknowledge the entire Medicine Wheel and that we are listening for wisdom.

Onward to Summer