I’m new to burning plants—sort of. When we lived in the general store/café our son Killian was bothered by the spirit of an old woman he felt was watching him all the time. We didn’t know what to do except burn some sage and circumambulate the store and our living quarters saying over and over again, “please leave.” There are so many religions that traditionally burn particular plants and resins to deepen spiritual practice. For this reason, I was shy to make incense or smudge bundles. What if I offended someone? (There are way too people relishing offending others these days.) What if someone wanted spiritual guidance? All I could say is that I practice having a practice. One day my friend Alison was at the store and asked if I sold incense. I asked what her practice of burning was. She said she burned incense near the litter box to get rid of the smell of cat pee. That was freeing. We sell Overlook Mountain Herbs smudge sticks at the store and owner Kristine sells a great variety online. We now sell hand-rolled incense made from locally grown botanicals and biochar. Today I got the last of Windfall Farm’s 2023’s lavender harvest. This was also freeing. Lisa (of Windfall) has been a touchstone of trust for me. Our friendship empowers me to express a little woo-woo. I’m thinking burning lavender at the start of 2024 will help usher in positive energy, open hearts, and peace. So, I made some lavender bundles for the New Year—when they’re gone, they’re gone. Happy New Year friends.
