Blue Eagle's blog
First of all, I would like to share with you the knowledge I have on the healing powers of some specific plants, which will allow you to use this information when planning your garden. I will write about a new plant every month.
I would also like to share some knowledge about totem animals, a precious resource which enables us to walk more consciously on our life path.
I will also write about music, about instruments which are particularly important to First Nations, as well as certain sounds and musical systems with specific healing effects.
An of course, I shall not forget about gardening, and I will let you know about my discoveries, readings and experiences!
To start this new section about plants, I would like to first write about the ones which are most used as incense by Native Americans.
Indeed, Native American incenses (sage, thuya, sweet grass) are used by all aborigine nations in North America. Their smoke is both a means of purifying, and an offering to spirits. Elders say that fragrances ara the food of spirits, and that this is the reason why the plants and incenses used for offerings all emit nice fragrances.
For aborigenes, smoke offerings are very important, especially as a means to purifying. Every people from our large Turtle Island (namely North America), before any event, whatever it is, will proceed to the fumigation of persons and places.
Each of the herbs used for the fumigation has its own specific meaning.”
The wild sage
or white sage, also called «buffalo sage», salvia apiana, is a very masculine plant, and has a very strong purifying power. Sage dispenses a strong earthy smell. The significance of its
English name, sage, also means «wise old man». Many sage varieties contain hormones. It is probably one of the reasons Native Americans consider it as a masculine species. In fact, herbalists
will often use the garden variety to harmonize the hormonal balance in women. This sage is a very sturdy plant. It grows freely in the desert, wild and pungent. Its leaves contain a good
percentage of iols, which helps it to survive in the dry hot sand of the desert. These oils also offer excellent combustion when we burn it as incense.Sage is a part of all First Nation ceremonies. The smoke purification that it offers is so powerful that it sometimes causes respiratory discomfort in those who have lung diseases due to excess mucus. We often surround our sacred objects with sage before storing them so that they are constantly protected against any evil or negative influence.
Another very powerful variety of sage, artemisia tridentata, or in English, sage brush, also called «desert herb», acts to cleanse any unhealthy and evil influence which may have corrupted our spiritual energies. It is useful to chase away the thoughts-forms that give birth to evil tendencies in our psyche. It can help us to refineour thoughts, our words and our actions so that we avoid all disharmonies and inappropriate energies. As it is very powerful, we use only a very small quantity of it.
Thank you, :)
BE: I don’t know much about silver sage or ceremonial sage. What I know is the common garden variety of sage (salvia officinalis), Mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris), Buffalo Sage also called White Sage (salvia apiana), Desert Herb also called Desert Sage (artemisia tridendata) and Prairie Sage (artemisia ludoviciana). These are all used in ceremony as powerful purifying smudges. White sage is the most commonly used and has a very strong and persistent scent. It grows in the south west deserts of the USA. So does Desert sage, a most potent purifier but that doesn’t burn as well as White Sage. Prairie Sage is my personal favourite. It grows wild in the Canadian prairies and has a most pleasing and gentle fragrance. My only regret is that I live far from where it grows and have to rely on friends who send me some every year. The common garden variety of sage (salvia officinalis) does not work as smudge. It’s great for tea, especially for the ladies, and is a pleasing spice for cooking. It’s the wild varieties that really work to smudge and for ceremony. Mugwort is rarely used as smudge although it may sometimes be used ceremonially for dreams. But it is a very powerful and useful healing herb with many uses. I know it mostly for its anti parasite effect. Hope this gives you some useful information.