Birth Of A Smudge Stick

Smudge Preliminaries

By far, Lucky Six Farms’ most popular products are smudge sticks. For many years, we made them exclusively from certified organic White Sage but have recently expanded our stocks to include Black Sage, Cedar, and Yerba Santa gathered from remote, ecologically sustainable stands in the Southern California high desert. Eventually, we plan to offer a series of herbal combination wands to satisfy the needs of even the most discriminating seekers. No matter what their constituents, however, smudge sticks will always appeal to a savvy demographic well-versed in both traditional Native American lore and alternative spiritual practice. Yet, the precise route these items take as they wend their circuitous way from Mother Nature to you is rarely described, let alone explained. It is for this reason that our staff often receives inquiries about the way quality smudge sticks are created, so I have dedicated today’s column to filling in those frustrating conceptual lacunae. 

Smudge Harvest

As some critics have rightly observed, it is terribly ironic that many who wish to pay homage to our benevolent Mother Earth inadvertently resort to approaches that ultimately exploit and decimate Her resources. Because our respect for the authentic Mother of All is profound, we have made a point of harvesting only herbs we have either personally cultivated or gathered after reverent study of local ecological systems. This study includes consultation with Native Americans who are both intimately familiar with local flora and directly involved with their conservation.

Each growing smudge stick herb is prayerfully taken at its seasonal peak, when the leaves are healthy, full-sized, open, fresh, moist, and available in abundance. We are careful to insure that every herbal stand is maintained for future growth and natural reproduction: none are ever destroyed or harvested past the point where easy regrowth is hampered.

Smudge Plaiting

Once the leaves are gathered, they are arranged for plaiting in bundles of varying sizes. Here the wands begin to assume their familiar tubular configuration. Plaiting is a skill that takes guidance to learn and much time to master. It is a genuine handicraft, and no artificially powered machines are ever employed in the process. Leaves are gently but firmly pressed together in a rotatory motion so as to create a uniform whorl from one end of the stick to another. The resultant wands, with the leaves already sticking well together, are then air-dried for several days in a special proprietary process unique to Lucky Six Farms. When they are finally hand-encircled with delicate spirals of all-natural thread, they readily yield to the augmented pressure so as form robust rods which combine maximum physical integrity with the range of characteristics required for smooth smoldering.

Considering the care that goes into the production of our smudge sticks, it is no wonder that they are often the first choice for Native American ceremonies, rites of magickal pilgrims, and New-Age practitioners worldwide!

By Alan Beck