Intro to Sacred Herbal Smokes
The Basics: Sacred Smokable Herbs
Whether you are interested in smokable herbs for their energetic purposes, as an alternative, or just for fun with your friends to feel a bit more like a whimsical fae; there are a plethora of options to choose from when deciding on your plant allies.
Luckily, unlike a lot of the harmful modalities of smoking nowadays, there are a lot of great benefits to smoking herbs that you won’t need to feel guilty about!
A Little History
The sacred act of smoking herbs can be traced back to the beginning of human history in more than one shape or form. Commonly seen in various cultures during ceremonies, sacred smoke has deep roots. Sacred smoke is not only used in tradition to aid in various ailments, but it even is said to allow access to ancestral guidance, in addition to connecting to your intuition.
Notably, the use of plants as a method has been practiced in many indigenous cultures. The tobacco plant traditionally is known as a sacred plant in ceremony. Often given as an offering or smoke vapor puffed onto people during shamanic cleanses, this plant has very high vibrational potency and potential.
Unfortunately, the commercial production of tobacco today has infested this honorable medicinal herb with harmful chemicals, leading consumers to risk various vicious cancers and health complications.
“The Lung Tonic”
Alternatively, the herb known as a “lung tonic”can actually strengthen the respiratory system, and potentially may be healing to some of those repercussions, is Mullein leaf or Verbascum thapsus. Mullein’s energetics are moistening and cooling. It is an expectorant, allowing the lungs to “get out the gunk”. Michael Moore says in his book: Medicinal Plants of The Mountain West, "The chopped leaves have been smoked for centuries to relax spasmodic coughing in chest infections and asthma, and can be used with Lobelia or Jimson Weed for greater effect (p. 113)."
Mullein is the first plant that I personally experimented with using to smoke. Back in Highschool and shortly after, I was abusing other popular herb smoke, if you catch my drift. Unfortunately the excessive use of high heat vapor really took a hard hit to my lungs so
I began to search my herb books for help. I started to mix Mullein into my joints, and even found the beautiful big leaf out in my local foraging woods. I enjoyed the process of harvesting, drying, and smoking the leaf. I would also steep a strong tea with the leaf, and sip on the brew while I puffed away.
Pretty quickly, I felt like I could breathe clearly again. This truly opened me up to the motivation to stop abusing substances that were really not physically or mentally good for me.
Shortly after this I began to add other herbs into my blend for different effects I desired. Before I knew it, I was only smoking plants with the intention of healing, health, and presence. I often found myself feeling more connected to the plant spirits, the trees, the people around me, and the magic in general of the Earth while I consumed the sacred herb smoke. I swear, it also allowed the plants to whisper their secret hiding spots out in my foraging woods back in New Jersey.
One of my favorite herbalists, and someone I personally look up to,says in possibly one of my favorite herbal books, Robin Rose Bennett,The Gift of Healing Herbs,: “The first way I ever tried mullein was as a smoke. It may seem counterintuitive to smoke an herb for a cough, but it is actually a time-honored form of traditional medicine. Smoke is used ceremonially in many cultures (think of frankincense and myrrh in the Catholic church), but it is also medicinal. Mullein leaves are very fluffy when they’re cut up, and need to be thoroughly dried to smoke, but they are easy to light in a pipe or dish, and will stay lit when rolled up in a rolling paper. Mullein smoke can also be directly blown into the ears to relieve ear pain (p. 251)”
Smoking herbs in my opinion opens a different realm of experiencing the energetic and spiritual nature of the plant. If you really want to go places, smoke some mugwort, and then lay in a field of it for an afternoon.
The Moon Goddess Herb:
Mugwort, or Artemisia vulgaris, is one of my favorite herbs to use. The energetics of mugwort are warming and drying. An old nickname for Mugwort is “Sailor's Tobacco”. I mainly use this plant for smoking, but also often use the smoke as a smudge bundle to banish any negative energy or illness from my space. I have used her medicinally for womens' health related intentions along with ancestral work and heightening my awareness in the dream realm. In TCM, Mugwort is also burned and used on acupressure points as a non-needling method to stimulate the points needed.
Artemisia is a very common "weed" that grows throughout many regions. Therefore being a typically used plant in indigenous practices.
In California, native tribes were known to use Mugwort in many ways. "Burn and or inhale the Mugwort smoke in order to promote healthy sleep, sacred dreams, and to ward of ghosts or evil spirits, along with intention to assist with: flu, colds, and fevers, and the Chumash chewed the leaves to relieve toothaches and gum pain." Plant Uses: California Native American Uses of California Plants - Ethnobotany. They also used Mugwort to ward off other unwanted physical pests and bugs. Here in Florida, this may be very helpful to deter mosquitos. Mugwort has other medicinal uses throughout this indigenous culture as well.
Mugwort is known to have an affiliation to the moon. Her underside of her beautiful leaves have a glowing green silvery hue. I believe this plant specifically collects the energetic charge from the moon, and is a key component in the magic of the plant. Mugwort allows you to be open to your intuition.
The Nico-no Herb:
Another common herb, specifically known for its effect on quitting an addiction to nicotine is Lobelia Lobelia cardinalis. Lobelia's energetics are warming and drying. It can be used internally as a tea or an extraction, in addition to being smoked, which can be extremely effective. Similar to Mullein, Lobelia is an antispasmodic and bronchodilator. Both the Mullein and Lobelia have been traditionally used as an emergency relief for asthma attacks.
Why this plant is especially successful for nicotine addiction is because it contains something called “lobelin”. Lobelin binds to the same nervous system receptors that nicotine does, but unlike nicotine, lobelin inhibits the nervous system receptors, it does not stimulate them. Through my personal use, I have noticed an unwanted reaction that comes from using Lobelia like nauseWith all of this said, Lobelia is a great option, especially for long term smokers who really have the desire to quit nicotine but it is not for everyone and should not be used long term.
There are a slew of plants that can be smoked, and have long been used in this way since the beginning of time. In future posts, I will go into detail about some of these herbs but for now, I will provide the list below. As always, please do your own research about what you are going to choose to consume.
Smokable Herbals:
Mugwort
Raspberry leaf
Mullein
Rose
Uva Ursi
Lobelia
Blackberry leaf
Damiana
Gotu Kola
California Poppy
Blue lotus
Lavender
Marshmallow root/leaf
Coltsfoot
Calea zacatechichi
Wild Dagga
Lemon balm
Rosemary
Licorice root
Chamomile
Sage
Calendula
Kanna
St. John's Wort
Calamus Root
Catnip
Skullcap
Passion flower
Mints
Clove
I will be breaking down full medica’s of each of the plants listed above in future blog posts!
Basics on Formulation
There are three parts I use in a smoke blend: Base Herbs, Supporter Herbs, and the fun one; Flava Flava Herbs.
Here is a breakdown:
- Base Herb-usually a light, fluffy herb- this will make up the majority of your blend maybe 40-60%. Example: Mullein Leaf
(Gianna with Mullein in the wild.)
- Supporter Herb-the herbs in this part, you will want to focus on what you wish the outcome of the blend to enhance. About 30% of your blend. Example: I want to create a blend for sleep, stress, and relaxation. The herbs I may put in here could be Skullcap, or California Poppy.
(Skullcap in the wild.)
- Flava Flava Herb-typically think of flowers, aromatic herbs, and tasty herbs. 15% of your blend. Example: if we are going to stick with the idea of sleep, maybe we use herbs like Lavender, Chamomile, or Passion Flower.
(Passion Flower in the wild.)
Source Pot<3
Plant Uses: California Native American Uses of California Plants - Ethnobotany
Medicinal Plants of the Mountain West
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