Making A Smudge Stick

Merrie Meet

Today I thought we could get practical so not knowing what I wanted to talk about I did a bit of research and this is what I stumbled across….

Smudging is a great way to cleanse a sacred space, and most people use smudge sticks made of sweetgrass or sage for this purpose. Although they are available commercially -- and are fairly inexpensive -- it's easy to make your own if you've got herbs growing in your garden, or if there's a place nearby where you can go wildcrafting.

Smudge sticks are very easy to make, providing that you have the necessary plants nearby.

You will need:

·     Scissors or garden clippers

·     Cotton string

·     Plants such as sage, mugwort, rosemary, lavender, or juniper

Cut off pieces of the plants in lengths that are about 6 - 10 inches long. For more leafy plants, you can make the pieces shorter, but you might want to use longer pieces if you are using a plant that has fewer leaves.

Cut a length of string about five feet long.

Bundle a number of branches together so that the cut ends are together, and the leafy ends are all together. Wind the string tightly around the stems of the bundle, leaving two inches of loose string where you began. The smudge stick in the photos contains sage, rosemary and pennyroyal.

Wrap the remaining length of string several times around the base of the branches to secure them.  Then, gradually, work your way along the length of branches until you reach the leafy end. Return the string back up to the stems, creating a bit of a criss-cross pattern. You will need to wind the string tightly enough to ensure that nothing gets loose, but you should not make it so tight that it cuts off pieces of the plants.

When you get back to the stems, tie the remainder of the string to the 2" loose pieces that you left at the beginning.

Trim off any excess pieces so that the ends of your smudge stick are even.

Place the bundle outside or hang it up for drying. Depending on what type of herb you used, and how humid your weather is, it may take a couple of days or as much as a week to dry out. When your sticks are dry, you can burn them in ritual for smudging by lighting one end.

Safety tip: Some plants may have toxic fumes. Do not burn a plant unless you know it is safe to do so.

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So now as we come to the end of this post it is time for me to take my leave of you but not before I say that if you have liked this and the other posts on this blog, please click the link to follow us. 

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So now I will wish you the best things that life can give and say

Love, Light and Blessed Be!

Merlin.

Image:- © Delphine Bowden