How do I identify Sweetgrass?
Look at the bottom of the sweet grass leaves, which appear white and shiny like satin ribbons, and can be seen from a distance reflecting the sun. Note that sweet grass leaves do not have hairs. Notice how the sweet grass leaves curl as they dry in the sun, while other types of grass stay flat as they dry.
Where does Sweetgrass grow wild?
DESCRIPTION & HISTORY of SWEETGRASS is a winter-hardy aromatic perennial grass, normally found growing in rich, moist soil from Alaska to Newfoundland in full sun, and is also native to northern Europe.
How do you plant sweet grass?
Fill shallow, six-inch-wide plastic pots with standard potting soil. Choose pots with drainage holes in the bottom and a drip tray. Plant plugs in the center of each pot deep enough to over the roots. Plant indoors in early spring eight weeks before the typical last frost date in your area.
What are the benefits of burning sweetgrass?
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.
What does Sweet Grass symbolize?
Sweetgrass is one of the most important Native American ceremonial plants, used by many tribes as an incense and purifying herb. Sweetgrass symbolizes healing, peace, and spirituality in many Native cultures, and braids of sweetgrass are sometimes left as offerings at graves and sacred sites.
What does it mean when you smell sweet grass?
It smells fresh, it smells like comfort and home. When braided, sweetgrass can represent a few different concepts. In the Cree-Ojibway culture, for example, the three braids of the sweetgrass can represent love, peace and harmony or mind, body and spirit. Weeding Sweetgrass areas lessens competition from other plants.
What is the importance of sweet grass?
Sweetgrass is used in smudges, healing or talking circles because it has a healing effect – its smoke is believed to purify thoughts, the environment and to eliminate bad or negative thoughts.
What are the four sacred plants?
It is the main activator of all the plant spirits. Three other plants, sage, cedar and sweetgrass, follow tobacco, and together they are referred to as the Four Sacred Medicines.
How do you cleanse with sweetgrass?
One way you can smudge with sweet grass is to light the end of it. Carefully wave it so that it will burn enough to release smoke into the air. Sweet grass doesn’t burn as well as cedar or sage, so people typically burn sweet grass with another sacred medicine so it will continue to burn.
Can you smoke Sweet Grass?
It is usually braided, dried, and burned. Sweetgrass braids smolder and doesn’t produce an open flame when burned. Sweetgrass is used to “smudge”; the smoke from burning sweetgrass is fanned on people, objects or areas. Individuals smudge themselves with the smoke, washing the eyes, ears, heart and body.
What are the four sacred medicines?
Three other plants, sage, cedar, and sweetgrass, follow tobacco, and together they are referred to as the four sacred medicines.
Is it OK to burn sweetgrass?
Sweetgrass is often burned at the beginning of a prayer or ceremony to attract positive energies. It is also to be used after burning white sage. White sage is burned to clean the energy, and sweetgrass again invites in positive energies and spirits.
Is lemongrass and sweet grass the same thing?
Lemongrass essential oils may also be used for faster results. In magickal practice, lemongrass is used in much the same way sweet grass is used by Native Americans. In Filipino shamanism, dried lemongrass leaves are burnt by shamans as an offering to forest spirits, or as an offering to gods.
What do you do with sweet grass?
Uses for Sweetgrass in Medicine & Ceremony Many Native tribes in North America use sweetgrass in prayer, smudging or purifying ceremonies and consider it a sacred plant. It is usually braided, dried, and burned. Sweetgrass braids smolder and doesn’t produce an open flame when burned.
Can a white person smudge?
Today, Native people are still fighting to be able to perform these ceremonies in hospitals. Smudging, therefore, is not to be taken lightly. Because of all that history, when non-Native people burn white sage to “smudge” their homes or other spaces, it minimizes the cultural importance of this ritual.
Why is sage sacred?
Smoke from white sage (Artemesia califoncia) is used for purification of mind, body and spirit and sacred articles in advance of prayers and ceremonies. White sage is burned for meditation, smudging and cleansing of spirit and dwelling.
Is tobacco a sacred plant?
Commercial tobacco is not sacred. It is not used in any ceremonies, for medicine, for spiritual purposes, and in fact, is not to be used at all on any tribal property. In fact, those who use commercial tobacco are making light of its sacredness and spiritual and healing natures.
What are the four principles of the medicine wheel?
The Medicine Wheel reminds us that we need to balance all four aspects of our being – the spiritual, emotional, physical and mental aspects. When we become out of balance, we experience disease.
What are the four sacred colors?
Four colors in particular black, white, blue, and yellow have important connections to Navajo cultural and spiritual beliefs. These colors represent the four cardinal directions.
How do you pray to the four directions?
Prayer to The Four Directions … Let there be light in my words, let there be light on my path that I walk. Let me remember always that you give the gift of a new day. And never let me be burdened with sorrow by not starting over again. Great Spirit of Love, come to me with the power of the North (white).