The Sacred Pipe

There are different kinds of pipes and different uses for them. There are personal pipes, family pipes as well as pipes for large ceremonies. NOTE: There really is no such thing as a Peace Pipe. The U.S. government sent representatives to The People with an understanding that the pipe would allow for peaceful land transactions because no Native person would lie once words were spoken in the presence of the pipe. (Note: It was never the Native people who lied!!) Afterwards, when the Europeans started using tobacco for financial gain, its use became corrupted and great sickness came to the world - the inevitable results when a gift is misunderstood and misused. The great sickness was also contained in several ancient prophecies.

The Smudging Ceremony

Smudging is a ritual way to cleanse a person, place or an object of negative energies, spirits or influences. The smudging ceremony involves the burning of special, sacred plants and herbal resins, then, either passing an object through the resulting smoke, or fanning the smoke around a person or place. The spirit of the plant then purifies whatever is being smudged.

There are two ways of doing a smudging ceremony. The simplest way to smudge is to use a smudge stick. A smudge stick is a wand made of the leaves of a plant or mixture of plants tied together and dried. To use, simply light the end of the wand and extinguish the flame once it has a smoldering end. Have the person being smudged stand facing you and pass the wand back and forth through the person's aura starting at their feet and moving upwards. When you reach their head, have them turn, clockwise and pass the wand down their back. Sometimes it's a good idea to pay close attention to the heart area. To cleanse a room or house, carry in the lit smudge stick, clockwise around the area, making sure to smudge in the corners and behind doors. The second way of smudging is to use self-igniting or incense charcoal as a source of heat. Light the charcoal and place it in a heat proof container. Sprinkle about a half a teaspoon of smudging herb on the charcoal and fan the smoke toward the object being smudged as above.

Four Sacred Native Herbs