Why We Don’t Need to Use White Sage
Now I know this is very much a controversial topic and there are many people who are outraged by the idea of ‘smudging’ and white sage being a closed practice but I’m going to tell you why we don’t need them!
White sage is used by Indigenous people in ceremonies and rituals commonly known as smudging. Not all Indigenous people will do this, and different cultures within that community have different beliefs in the uses and also different protocols. Now as a non-indigenous white person, I have no right to tell you about any of those, but what I will say is this, it’s commonly known as a purifying or cleansing ceremony, and somewhere along the line, a lot of non-indigenous people have taken that to mean that white sage can be used to remove entities and also negative energy. The problem with this is that it has become increasingly popular, increasing the demand for White Sage meaning that it’s being over-harvested. That in itself is problematic, making it harder for Indigenous people to practice their own ceremonies and rituals, but also it means that something that is sacred to those people is now being capitalised upon by large corporations.
Up until 1978, it was actually illegal for Indigenous people to practice their religion. That was only 43 years ago. Let that sink in for a moment. Not only was it illegal and many people killed for practicing, now their religious practices are being exploited. Indigenous people are speaking out and asking for their culture to stop being appropriated in the name of capitalism and again, it’s falling on deaf ears.
Now, there are traditions that are very similar to smudging that is open practice and accessible to all. For example, Smoke Cleansing. This is the act of purifying or cleansing something with the use of smoke from herbs or wood, sounds familiar doesn’t it? There are many herbs or woods out there available for this type of cleansing that will not encroach on someone else's culture. Did you know Cedar works for cleansing? So does Cypress. Rosemary and Thyme. Even normal garden Sage. You can use these in bundles as you see with White Sage or you can dry them and burn them on top of a charcoal disc. As long as you have the smoke, you can cleanse. This is also often referred to as Saining by Celtic communities and used in conjunction with silvered water. Silvered Water is quite literally, water that has come in contact with silver.
If you already own a sage bundle, I have seen Indigenous people ask that they be returned to the earth. If you aren’t comfortable doing this, because let’s face it, they’re also rather pricey, use the bundle you have and then commit to using other products. If you really feel that you cannot use any other herb than White Sage,nat the very least, please buy from an Indigenous run business so the money goes back into the community and not into large corporations. Remember that White Sage is used by some Indigenous groups to invoke their ancestors, so consider whether you want to be inviting in some angry Indigenous spirits while you’re cleansing your space!