This article was posted by CrystalWind.ca.
Four Sacred Native Herbs
Category: Walking the Red Road
|
|
|
|
Tobacco - Sage - Cedar - Sweetgrass
Tobacco:
Its status is No. 1. It is used as an offering before anything is harvested from Mother Earth, is believed to open the door between our world and the spiritual world, and is used to carry prayers to the Creator.
Never meant to be used in a recreational sense as it is today, it was used as a proper way to ask a favour. The bigger the favour, the more tobacco is to be offered. Tradition holds that if the person is able to do what is being asked, the tobacco will compel them to do so.
Sage:
It is the woman’s medicine. While it is said to be a masculine plant, it reduces or eliminates negative energy. Often in women’s circles, only sage is used in smudging ceremonies. While there are many varieties of sage, this sage is not the one available as a spice.
In Eastern Ontario, this variety of sage is commonly known as Pearly Everlasting, a silvery-green, single-stalk plant with a crown of white, fuzzy blossoms. It grows everywhere, especially where there is poison ivy, and is best picked in late August.
Cedar:
It offers protection and grounding. Most Native ceremonies include making a protective ring of cedar around the activity circle. Boughs can be hung at the entrances of homes. Small leaves can be kept in a medicine bag and worn daily, or can be put in shoes when extra grounding is needed.
Cedar tea is often served during times of teaching and circles, so that the mind can focus on the task at hand.
Sweetgrass:
It is perhaps the best known of Native medicines. It is said to be a feminine plant that teaches kindness because it bends without breaking. It is considered to be the hair of Mother Earth.
Known for its gentle scent, it is used in smudging ceremonies to push out negative energy and attract positive energy. It grows in wetlands and is picked in mid-summer.
Strawberries:
Their medicine is reconciliation. They teach how to forgive, and are shared in ceremonies to remind that life is too short to hold grudges.

Four Native Herbs
CrystalWind.ca is free to access and use.
Spirit Animal Totem Of The Day!
Crystal Of The Day!
Latest Articles
CrystalWind.ca is free to use because of
donations from people like you.
Donate Now »
Who is Online Now
We have 961 guests and no members online
Featured This Month
Sun in Cancer
An Overview of Sun Sign Characteristics for Cancer The name derives from La... Read more
Lammas by The Hedgewitch
Although in the heat of a Mid-western summer it might be difficult to discer... Read more
Chrysoprase
The Courage Stone The Greeks named this stone “golden bloom” due to the golde... Read more
Strong Sun Moon
Flicker – Carnelian Agate – Wild Rose – Pink June 21 – July 22 The Strong ... Read more
Birth Totem - Woodpecker
Birth Totem Woodpecker Birth dates: June 21 - July 21 Birth Totem is: Wood... Read more
Lugh - Celtic God Of The Sun
The god Lugh was worshiped in Ireland as a deity of the sun. This connection... Read more
Lughnasadh (Lammas) - The Celtic Harvest Fes…
The Celtic harvest festival on August 1st takes its name from the Irish god ... Read more
Cancer Mythology
The Hidden Myth Behind the Zodiac Sign Had the Scriptures of Delphi never b... Read more
The Holly Tree: July 8th - August 4th
The Fire Festival Of Lammas Celtic Symbol : The Unicorn And The Flaming Spe... Read more
Abalone Shell
Echos Of The Ancestors Abalone strengthens the structure of the body and th... Read more
Lughnasadh Meditation
The Seventh Sabbat of the Wheel is Lughnasadh. Lughnasadh is celebrated on A... Read more