Many native tribes in North America use sweetgrass in praying, smudging or purifying ceremonies and consider it a sacred plant. It is usually braided, dried, and burned. Sweetgrass braids smolder and don't produce an open flame when burned. Just as the sweet scent of this natural grass is attractive and pleasing to people, so is it attractive to good spirits. It is often burned at the beginning of a prayer or ceremony to attract positive energies.
Sweetgrass (Hierochloe odorata) gets its name from its sweet, aromatic fragrance, and is an important substance in a variety of New Age healing practices and in herbal healing science. The plant is native to much of northern Eurasia and North America and can grow as for north as the Arctic Circle. It is sometimes distilled for flavored vodka, and also is used in basket-weaving.
Like many New Age practices, the use of sweetgrass for spiritual purposes is actually very old. Native American indigenous people regarded Sweetgrass as a sacred medicine, and even today is a standard substance used in shamanic healing.
New Age Uses
Burned as an incense, sweetgrass is valued for its vanilla-like scent. Clippings of sweetgrass are usually braided and then dried prior to burning. When burned for healing or ritual purposes, the smoke from the braided sweetgrass is thought to attract good spirits and positive energies. It is used as a smudging tool to purify peoples' auras, cleanse objects, and clear ceremonial areas or healing spaces of negative energy. Sweetgrass can also be carried or worn as a protective amulet. The plant is also used in basket weaving.
Smudging with Sweetgrass
WHEN TO BURN SWEETGRASS: Monday
Although it is not that popular, Sweetgrass is a MUST-have magical tool. In a few words, the purpose of Sweetgrass is to elevate our consciousness thus connect us with higher entities and Mother Nature. Let’s see why we love Sweetgrass so much!
- Sweetgrass helps us tap into the Wisdom we have earned through our incarnations and understand Karma.
- Moreover, this amazing tool is used to summon spirits and angels.
- It is used in healing ceremonies, to help spirits aid us.
- Furthermore, it attracts our beloved ancestral spirits, who create a magical shield.
- It is also used as a lucky mojo, which attracts good vibes and fortune.
Other Names for Sweetgrass
- Seneca Grass
- Vanilla Grass
- Holy Grass
- Buffalo Grass
Ritual Uses of Sweetgrass:
- Burned as a special offering during sacred prayers
- Burned for personal and home blessings
- Burned or smudged for purification purposes
- Incorporated into sweat lodge ceremonies
- Carried as a protective totem
- Kept in the home to attract positive energies
You will receive one sweetgrass incense braid! Our medium, 25-28" long, sweetgrass is braided by Native American elder grandmothers from sweetgrass sustainably grown from a local Indian reservation.
