Oh, where to begin!? While I'm not being pushy with myself to be productive, I thought I'd share some of the tools I commonly use here at home and in ritual space. There are so many tools to talk about and I simply don't know where to begin. Plants may be a good place to start.
Anything can be a useful tool for healing, change, or manifesting, when you think about it. A tool can be tangible or not. It can be a mantra or a meditation. It can take any shape, and I suppose, for me, it can be defined as a tool if it helps. (do caramels qualify? i think so.)
Here are two of my favorites from the plant kingdom, but I will be sharing lots more:
White sage (Salvia apiana) is found not far from here and is probably the most common herb used for smudging today. I light it over a big abalone shell , blow out the flame after a few moments, and use a feather fan to send the smoke up into the corners of a room or even inside of cabinets to break up stagnant energy and wake the place up. It's also used to purify, cleanse and prepare the body when sitting in ritual, so it isn't uncommon to be "saged" before crawling into a sweat lodge or sitting in a sacred ceremony. I love the smell of white sage and always have lots on hand.
Cedar bundles are used very much in the same way as sage, but the scent is much different, less strong. White sage is very distinctive and cedar is probably more accessible. Native Americans use it to help release heavy emotional energies, and cedar is burned in lodges to help with detoxification and purification. It is a lovely winter plant to use during Solstice and Yule rituals.
I realize I have so many herbs, plants and roots that I use, that I could write forever about them. I'm so grateful for the plant people! They make such wonderful companions. I've entitled this "Part One" because I'll be paying my helpers a proper tribute here shortly. (They like to be photographed in sunshine and we don't have any today!)
What are some of your favorite plants and healing herbs?
