Smudging with Sweetgrass Will Make You Happy

Sage (pictured above) clears negativity and sweetgrass brings positivity. One healer, Whitehorse Woman, puts it this way: “I use sage to remove unwanted energy, and sweetgrass to invite wanted energy.”

Smudge sticks are a bundle of dried leaves or plants used in spiritual ceremonies to ward off evil spirits. This ceremony is known as “smudging”, an indigenous tradition that has been used for a millennium. The usage of the plants varies among different cultures.

Tobacco is utilized as the main activator of all plant spirits and known to the Native people as the first plant the Creator gave to them.

The plants are sacred to natives and most commonly tobacco, sweet grass, sage, lavender, and juniper are used for ceremonies. The usage of the plants differs because a smudge stick to one tribe may be totally taboo to another. The primary goal of the traditional practice is to remove negative energy and in turn gain purification.

Traditional Practices of Smudging

Indigenous peoples believe in the four elements of air, water, fire, and earth, which are incorporated into the ceremonies. Some cultures use abalone shells while some use bowls. Some cultures believe that the shell embodies the element of water, therefore balancing the other elements of air, fire, and earth. The ceremony is led by a Shaman or a medicine man; the plants are placed in a bowl or shell and lit. The smoke from the plants is further waved on by a feather or a fan.

Feathers have the ability to aid in the cleansing smoke bath. The feather represents the air element; the shell or bowl represents water; the plants represent earth and the flame represents fire. The inclusion of all four elements is mandatory to the traditions.

It is common to vocally chant prayers in the ceremony. The harvesting day of the ceremonial plants was strictly followed and people made sure that timing must be perfect without disturbing the spiritual aura.

SWEETGRASS

Burned to promote happiness, open heartedness and harmony, sweetgrass is a sacred plant like sage that has long been used in smudging ceremonies.

Yet unlike sage, which is a shrub, sweetgrass is actually a type of grass. Traditionally, sage has been used to ward off evil spirits and cleanse a space, person or object. But sweetgrass—also called holy grass, vanilla grass, bison grass or buffalo grass—essentially does the opposite; because the grass normally bends, not breaks, when walked upon in the wild, it’s believed to symbolize kindness.

To many noses, sweetgrass has a distinct, vanilla-like scent, although to others, the aroma is more like that of a freshly mowed lawn or a bale of freshly cut hay. The leaves of the sweetgrass plant are sturdy but very fine, almost hair-like, which is why it’s often braided. This could be why natives also refer to sacred sweetgrass as “the hair of Mother Earth.”

8 Traditional and Modern Uses for Sweetgrass

1. Smudging Ceremonies:

When burned, sweetgrass doesn’t produce a dangerous flame; braided sweetgrass simply smolders as you wave or gently fan the smoke around the room. Taking inspiration from the traditions of indigenous people, smudging with sweetgrass is great for a releasing ritual, as once you release what no longer serves you, it will help to invite positive energies into your life.

2. For Protection:

When braided and worn around the neck or hung in the home, sweetgrass is said to offer protection from negative forces. The three strands of the braid represent love, peace and harmony, or mind, body and spirit.

3. To Make Baskets:

For centuries, natives have used sweetgrass for basket weaving. Amazingly, the baskets apparently retain their sweet smell for years.

4. To Reduce Swelling:

Sweetgrass contains coumarin, which has blood-thinning properties, making it helpful in reducing edema, or swelling. However, coumarin in larger doses can be carcinogenic, so consult with a doctor or herbalist if you’re interested in using it medicinally.

5. As a Flavoring:

Mainly in Europe, sweetgrass is used to flavor candies, tobacco and alcoholic beverages. Zubrowka, a popular vodka made in Poland, is flavored with sweetgrass, although the label on the bottle refers to it as bison grass.

6. To Sleep On:

Sweetgrass has been used by natives as a stuffing for pillows and mattresses. The sweetgrass retains its scent, which is said to have meditative properties—perfect for getting a restorative night of sleep.

7. To Drink:

Sweetgrass is often brewed as tea to soothe ailments like coughs, sore throats and skin chafing (like chapped lips).

8. To Smell Better:

Chippewa (Ojibwa) young men used sweetgrass as a type of cologne, wearing two braids around their necks, hanging down the back like hair. The Thompson Indians made a sweetgrass infusion that they used to cleanse and perfume their bodies and hair.

If you’d like to read more about the literal history of incense and smudging, check out this blog article at Vienna Imports.

Contributors to this article: Impulse Health Reviews and Bodhi Tree

Black Eyed Peas' Taboo Finds His Stand in Native Roots

By Sandra Hale Schulman

News From Indian Country

“I owe it all to my grandmother,” says Jamie Luis Gomez, better known as Taboo, an American rapper, singer, songwriter, actor and DJ, best known as a member of the hip hop group Black Eyed Peas.

His Shoshone grandmother showed him his heritage as he was growing up at fairs and powwows and Indian markets. He has carried that heritage onto an international stage, having won six Grammy Awards and sold an estimated 60 million records worldwide. His striking stage presence has always carried some beadwork or turquoise to keep him grounded, but the larger image of the group overshadowed him.

He had some well publicized problems with addiction but overcame it all over a decade ago. In 2008, Taboo was in the process of creating a solo album, but also focused on music he has co-written and performed that has been featured on many movie soundtracks, including Coach carter and Legally Blonde. His autobiography,

“Fallin’ Up: My Story”, was released in February 2011, but his real battle came after its release.

He was diagnosed with stage 2 testicular cancer in June 2014, he went through 12 weeks of intense, aggressive chemotherapy out of the public eye. Taboo says he was diagnosed after going to the emergency room for what he thought was the flu. He now is cancer-free.

“I had pain but I never dealt with it. I didn’t listen to my body. I went on tour until it got worse. I had tumors in my spine that had come from my testicle.” The six-time Grammy winner had been suffering from chronic pain after  he fell off a stage in 2006. In 2014, he was feeling the pain intensify in his back and abdomen, and went to the emergency room. After a few tests, the doctor told him he had testicular cancer.

“The first thing I felt was shock and confusion. I could only think about my kids,” Taboo said at Fortune’s Brainstorm Health conference in San Diego. The next day, he went into surgery, followed by an aggressive chemotherapy. “There were times I wanted to give up,” he said. “It was brutal.”

His cancer is now in remission.

This battle gave him new ammo to help provide better health care access on Native reservations. He’s also visits cancer centers to give patients emotional and mental support.

In May 2014, Taboo released his solo single, “Zumbao,” which is “all about having fun, being infected by positive energy.”

In November 2016, Taboo released the single “The Fight” about on his successful battle against testicular cancer. The track was made in partnership with the American Cancer Society, for which Taboo is a global ambassador. The ACS receives all funds generated by the song. Taboo said “I’m so proud to release The Fight because it’s truly an anthem of survivorship. I want to use this song and my story to inspire and motivate people all over the world to live their best, healthiest lives possible.”

Then Standing Rock happened.

“This was my call,” he said “this was something I could get behind and do something about with my people.”

Hip Hop Caucus, creator of People’s Climate Music, partnered with Taboo, to debut “Stand Up/Stand N Rock”. This song and video were created in support of the Standing Rock Reservation and the Sioux Tribe, when they lead a peaceful, powerful, and diverse movement to stop the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL). The anthem song was produced by Printz Board, the video directed and edited by Johnny Lee.

Taboo created the song which features actress and activist Shailene Woodley, and the Magnificent Seven, seven Native American artists from across North America. Also making appearances is Wind River actor Martin Sensmeier. The song gave a rallying cry to the movement and was awarded an MTV Video Music Award on live TV last fall.

Taboo At Seminole Fair

Earlier this year at the Seminole Tribal Fair and Powwow Taboo brought the Mag7 for a live performance and to premiere another video song called “We Are One” that calls for unity in these current times of division. Taboo has his own traveling tribe now and they are making some serious noise, much like rapper Litefoot did before he became a national native issues advisor.

Marvel Comics has been doing a series of videos called Becoming Marvel where they show cosplayers putting together and donning their costumes. It shows a lot of the work that viewers don’t normally see that is put into the design and look of elaborate costumes. The latest one features Taboo who grew up a fan of comics, but didn’t see any Native American heroes when he was growing up. But upon when he learned of the Marvel character Red Wolf, he wanted to embrace the character but not by dressing as him or portraying him — Taboo wanted to become Red Wolf. With the help of costume designer Lauren Matesic of Castle Corsetry, Taboo got his chance.

Red Wolf first appeared in Avengers #80 (1970) as a man named William Talltrees. After the success of his first appearance and a move to incorporate more female and minority heroes, Red Wolf got his own nine-issue series, except it was set in the old west. He appeared as an Anachronaut in the Avengers Forever run, but Talltrees was still the Red Wolf of the modern era until now.

Taboo As Redwolf

In the video Taboo speaks about the character in a way that it means more to him than just putting on a costume. The character and the outfit represent his heritage and his grandmother. He caresses his sharp red claws and smears black across his eyes. This seems to be a test, and if Red Wolf were to ever appear in one of Marvel’s live-action films or television series, I think Taboo would be first choice to play the character.

In music, films and life, Taboo has hit his hip hop stride and found his native voice.