Author: Tanya Mansotra

Are you curious about the ancient practice of smudging? For centuries, various cultures have used smudge sticks for their spiritual and energetic benefits. These bundles of dried herbs, leaves and flowers are ignited and used to cleanse and purify the energy of objects and spaces. It’s like waving a magic wand, except instead of spells, you get to banish negative energy and fill your space with good vibes! 

As someone who practises spirituality and meditation, I use smudge sticks as a part of my daily rituals to deepen my connection with the divine and to create a sacred space for myself. I’ve mentioned in a previous blog how I use a smudge stick during my candle-gazing rituals, as they help guide me to a more transcendental state of mind for meditation. 

But that’s not all that smudge sticks can be used for! The possibilities are endless, from enhancing uplifting or peaceful energy, to cleansing spaces and raising vibrations. If you’re still curious to explore the vast potential of smudge sticks, then read on for more!

Smudge sticks are an ancient and powerful tool used for a variety of purposes, but none quite as popular as cleansing and protection. When it comes to selecting a herb for this purpose, Sage reigns supreme. With a wide range of variations including Desert Sage, Cedar Sage, and the ever-popular White Sage, this herb has been revered by Indigenous tribes as a vital component of their spiritual ceremonies. And for good reason! Its potent aroma is known to repel negative energy and attract positivity, making it an essential addition to any sacred space.

But Sage isn’t your only choice when it comes to cleansing and protection – Juniper and Dragon’s Blood smudge sticks are also just as effective! Juniper is thought to have incredible protection qualities, with its smoke creating a barrier between yourself and negative forces. Dragon’s blood smudge sticks, made from the resin of Dragon trees, can help in strengthening your aura. 

To harness the powerful energy of these smudge sticks, I carefully light the end of the bundle and allow the fragrant smoke to permeate every corner of the space. I focus my intention on releasing any negative energy and welcoming in cleansing and protective energies to fill the space. I allow the sweet fragrance to envelope me, and take a deep breath, allowing myself to be fully present in the moment.

When I’m looking to bring in new and uplifting energy, I turn to lemongrass as a smudge stick. Its refreshing and citrusy aroma is believed to enhance mental clarity and promote positive energy. Using lemongrass in my smudging rituals helps me clear out any negative energy and fill my space with a renewed sense of optimism and positivity.

To incorporate lemongrass into my smudging ritual, I light the end of the bundle and let the fragrant smoke waft throughout the entire space. As the smoke rises, I envision a renewed sense of energy and optimism permeating the atmosphere, uplifting my mood and bringing a fresh perspective to my day.

Lavender is a herb I use for my smudge sticks when I want to bring forth a calming energy. It has a soothing scent that can promote relaxation and peace. We’re all aware of how potent lavender is for aiding a good night’s sleep, hence its popular use in room sprays and essential oils. However, burning a bundle of dried lavender is a far better natural alternative, as it eliminates the harsh chemicals that are often added into synthetic products. 

When I want to invoke calming energy, I light the end of the bundle and let the smoke spread throughout the space, making sure to reach every corner. As part of my nightly rituals, I visualise peaceful and calming energy entering into my space to aid a restful and restorative night’s sleep.

Also known as shamanic snuff, Amazonian Hapé is a psychotropic spiritual healing plant used for thousands of years in sacred rituals. Derived from a type of tobacco plant known as mapacho, Hapé isn’t to be smoked like cigarettes but instead administered through the nose.

While tobacco is the main component in Hapé, the final medicine is a mixture of other sacred healing plants. The exact mix of tree barks, leaves, seeds and roots also included is a closely guarded secret by each shaman, meaning each experience is slightly different depending on the combination of the other plants’ healing properties. The ingredients are combined and ground down with a pestle and mortar into a light-coloured powder before being strained through a fine mesh. 

Since Hapé is a psychotropic substance, it’s really important to pay attention to your set (mindset) and setting (physical environment). You want to create an internal and external space that feels safe and intentional. For your set, my advice is to go into the Hapé ceremony with a clear intention in mind. This could be to answer a question you’ve had, find guidance or deepen your connection with yourself. For your setting, choose a space that feels sacred to you with safe energy. If anything doesn’t feel right, it’s best to take a moment to pause, step back and only proceed if you feel comfortable doing so. 

It remains an ancient cultural practice that is still commonly used by Amazonian tribes to enhance their night vision while hunting, but it is fast becoming widely recognised for its additional spiritual healing benefits. These benefits include detoxifying your body, increasing visual perception, clearing pent-up anger, resetting your energetic field, treating ocular diseases and it can even be used in conjunction with other practices to heal depression, anxiety and addiction. 

Since the eyes are incredibly sensitive, administering Sananga can be uncomfortable, and I personally find it quite painful. However, the burning sensation only lasts a few minutes and is actually a big part of the ceremony and the plant’s healing powers. The ceremony leader will guide you through the pain with some deep breathing. Riding through the discomfort is worthwhile as you’ll reap the benefits of the endorphin rush that comes after. I usually experience a sense of detoxification, intense relaxation and overall feel much lighter emotionally and physically.

While it is a potent medicine, you can administer it yourself without a guided ceremony, so long as you double-check (and triple-check) your source is reputable and thoroughly educate yourself beforehand.

Since embarking on my spiritual healing journey, I’ve come to understand how integral it is for me to feel rooted. Connecting with the Earth on a deeper level helps me feel a sense of oneness and calm with myself, others and the world around me. Because of this, I have such a strong sense of gratitude for everything Mother Nature provides. And one of her many gifts is the power of healing plants.

I’ve enjoyed documenting my experience with spiritual healing plants and taking note of how each medicine makes me feel and draws me deeper into my inner self for some time now. In my last blog on the topic, I looked into the powers of Cacao and Blue Lotus, both of which are great if you’ve just started out experimenting with this type of healing. This blog, however, takes things a bit further by looking at slightly more potent plants: Amazonian Hapé and Sananga. 

Since both plants have the potential for more powerful spiritual transformations, I would advise you thoroughly research each medicine and read about other people’s experiences – which I hope this blog will help you with! When you’re confident in your decision, be mindful of your mental state and surroundings (which I go into more detail below) to make sure you feel as supported as possible to let the plants work their magic.

As mentioned, Hapé is administered through the nose, but it’s not snorted or inhaled, instead, it is blown forcefully up the nostrils. If served by someone else they will use a Tepi applicator instrument, and if serving yourself then you’ll need to use a v-shaped Kuripe pipe. 

It’s administered first to the left nostril, signifying death and then to the right for rebirth. It can feel a little uncomfortable when it’s blown into the nose, but this passes, and you’ll quickly begin to feel the effects. It instantly opens and cleanses the pineal gland and relaxes the body. Personally, I find it calms me while raising my awareness, making it perfect before a meditation. 

It goes without saying, always seek out a reputable practitioner to administer or supply Hapé!

Another Amazonian spiritual medicine, Sananga is made from the roots and bark of a shrub found in Brazil and the rest of South America. This healing plant is typically administered as a liquid eye drop, which is extracted by grinding the root and bark into a fine powder to release the juice. 

A pink-coloured crystal belonging to the mineral class of quartz, also known as hyaline quartz, rose quartz is a translucent crystal with a trigonal central system. It is one of the most abundant and inexpensive crystals – making it perfect for jewellery. 

With its blushed feminine hue, there’s no surprise that rose quartz represents love and compassion. This crystal will inspire you to love yourself, especially in times of loneliness and abandonment, and is a great tool for healing the heart. Rose quartz is ripe with emotional healing properties for negative feelings, too. It has the power to release bad emotions like grief, anger, jealousy, stress and rage, so you can convert them into joy and self-love instead.

Making the most of the stone’s compassionate energy, I like to keep rose quartz in my bedroom to increase the love vibrations. Since we’re 80% water and rose quartz is a very high-frequency crystal, I find placing it in my water every morning helps to set me on the right path for the day ahead. 

A purple variety of quartz, amethyst is a semiprecious stone with a glassy lustre and forms part of the hexagonal crystal system. Thanks to its ability to change under the influence of different lights and temperatures, the stone can evolve with the body and create a close connection with our life experiences. 

One of the most powerful gemstones of its kind, amethyst has strong healing properties and is known for its ability to purify, create serenity and overcome sadness. With its spiritual awareness and protective nature, it can balance your emotions making it a great stone to have by your side during a time of loss. Amethyst’s warming purple colour acts as a natural tranquiliser and a spiritual connection, believed to welcome intuitive energies and enhance our psychic abilities.

I tend not to use amethysts on my body when I’m feeling distracted as it can increase feelings of anxiety. Instead, I prefer to keep them in my bedroom as they help me reach a deep state of sleep and induce psychic dreams as I’m able to connect with my mind on a deeper level.

Amazonite, or  “The Hope Stone”, is a variety of potassium feldspar, in the microcline mineral class. Part of the triclinic crystal system, it has a  glassy lustre. It is mostly recognised for its cool blue or green colouring; a gentle colour scheme that reflects the earth’s natural beauty. Amazonite helps us to prioritise the good over the bad as it calls on our inner strength and commitment to apply that can-do attitude to everything we do.

Amazonite has the power to restore calm, ward off negative thoughts and grant a sense of peace. Replacing confusion with clarity, this gemstone can guide you through your emotional healing journey when you’re experiencing anger, fear or confusion. Helpful for those with past trauma, amazonite can soak up toxic attitudes – whether from yourself or others – and leave you with a clear path to let go of negativity.

This stone is also connected to the heart chakra, by allowing love to be given and received, and the throat chakra, to open up communication channels and create healthy boundaries. During my chakra healing regime, I like to place amazonite on my throat chakra and chant “HAM” to rebalance this part of my body and focus on the positive healing effects.

Identified by its tranquil shade of green, jade is another popular stone. A silicate mineral often synonymous with East Asian art, it is part of the jadeite class and has a monoclinic crystal system. Inspired by the ancient world, the stone is often placed within the home to cleanse the environment and create beautiful decorations, but can also be worn to ignite feelings of luck, happiness and energy for the user. 

Jade’s meaning translates to confidence, acceptance and health – whether that’s emotional, spiritual or physical. Mentally, the stone can encourage feelings of self-sufficiency and the need to dispel negative thought patterns so you’re able to love and accept yourself more easily.

Since rose quartz and jade both deal with compassion and heart healing, I like to combine these crystals and place them on my heart chakra to connect with their energies. My daily beauty routine utilises these crystals together, too, as they have significant benefits for the skin. Whilst rose quartz helps stimulate blood circulation and create a more natural glow, jade releases its healing powers when placed close to the skin.

Part of the feldspar mineral group and an orthoclase stone, the moonstone is made of sodium potassium aluminium silicate which creates that pearly opalescent look. Deeply connected to the moon, this stone acts as a symbol of the goddess spirit, balancing feminine, hormonal energy. 

A powerful tool for creating emotional balance, this gemstone ensures you are moving in flow with the world around you and is known for helping to create new beginnings. Replacing feelings of overwhelm, the moonstone can create harmony with its naturally calming effects. Connected to the cosmos, the moonstone is deeply spiritual allowing you to connect with and heal the heart, third eye and crown chakras. 

My favourite is the peach moonstone, which helps to light up the dark to wash away fears and anxieties. I use this stone during my moon cycle to calm the cramps, as it has great healing powers for the female body. For me, the moonstone goes hand in hand with rose quartz, as both work in unison to calm female energies and increase feelings of compassion – I tend to keep both together in my bedroom and let them work their magic.

A member of the chalcedony family, carnelian is a silica mineral with a hexagonal crystal system and a glassy lustre. Known for its warm red and brown colouring, it is often referred to as ‘The Sunset Stone’. The stone was blessed by ancient Egyptians who tied the orange carnelian to feminine energy, the menstrual cycle and fertility. Whilst the red carnelian represents masculine energy and embracing new, emerging energies, this stone can stimulate feelings of love, passion and courage for its user.

A potent healing crystal, the carnelian is all about bringing your internal powers to light and giving you a bright burst of energy, banishing feelings of misplacement and fatigue. With the power to give you the drive you need to prosper and conquer – especially with tasks of a creative nature – it’s no surprise that it’s also considered ‘The Artist’s Stone’, encouraging feelings of spontaneity. Once your creative juices are flowing (and your spirit), you’ll be granted the power to let go of anger – which could have been holding you back.